We all know addiction can destroy lives, but there's
always hope for recovery.
In our 12-part series, we're not only looking at the many faces
of addiction, but also the unique programs offered by
transformations drug and alcohol treatment center to help them
reclaim their lives.
In part 2 of our series, we look at the adults over 30 program,
and how it can help people find the strength within themselves
to overcome addiction.
As I found out, these are people that need hope in their lives,
because every decision they make affects others.
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they talk about the loneliness of the alcoholic.
To live alone and know your family is in a different state
because they can't deal with living with you, it takes you to
a whole new low.
Everybody has their own bottom, but that for me, was the
ultimate bottom.
Over 23 million Americans suffer from addiction.
For many, reaching bottom was when they realize it's time to
reach out, get help and find hope.
Jamie Salzberg certainly knows the importance of hope for the
recovering addict.
She's a licensed psychotherapist at Transformations Treatment
Center in Delray Beach Florida, helping the older above 30 adult
population who enter the program.
It's a segment of society that faces far different issues in
life than young adults.
One of the distinctions between the over 30 population and then
under 30, they tend to have a lot more consequences.
Many times they have families relying on them, husbands or
wives, children.
They may be financially responsible for the people
around them, and they tend to have been using for a much
longer time and so to challenge those belief systems, or to
change some of the behaviors when they have been going on for
40 years rather than 10 years is much more difficult.
Surrender is one of the most important things someone can do,
because it allows them to move forward into their commitment to
actually doing some of the work that it takes to get sober and
stay sober.
Taking that journey is so important, but also having hope
along the way.
Hope is extremely important as well.
You know, we tell people here, a lot, that you're not getting
sober to sit in a meeting or to sit and do step work.
You're getting sober for something greater than that.
In order for somebody to find the reason for getting sober,
the reason for doing all of this work, they need to have hope
that this is actually going to work.
They need to believe that going through this process will
actually make their life something different than it was
before.
Jamie has created programs at Transformations that are
specifically designed for the over-30 population.
These are programs that can help patients develop the mindset and
skills needed to return to family, get a job, and tackle
real problems that are part of everyday life.
In order to fuel change, we need to have somebody really identify
and feel what's been going on with the consequences of their
addiction.
When the consequences become great enough, we see change.
I facilitate breath work here.
I do this in groups and with individuals.
We have a special breathwork room, and this is a conscious
connected breath.
It's a meditative process.
It's very experiential.
In traditional talk therapy we're used to needing an answer
for everything, having questions and answers, but this is a
meditative process where people can actually work through
physical pain, trauma and other things going on through their
lives, without necessarily needing or having an answer.
We use creative writing a lot.
There's a number of things that are supportive about using
creative writing.
One is that often people might feel embarrassed or scared about
sharing some of their innermost thoughts, and when they begin to
write, something happens.
They begin to feel comfortable and it's almost as if they're
having a conversation with themselves.
It allows them to access parts of themselves that they may not
have even known were there.
This has them really think critically how they have been
affected around them.
Those can be the most compassionate letters you've
ever seen.
Jamie, of course every individual is different.
Would you say, or do you think, that there is a foundation of
recovery that everyone shares?
Yes.
I believe that there are three things that are fundamental to
recovery.
Those are purpose, spirituality and community.
Purpose is that I'm not getting sober to sit in a meeting, and
I'm getting sober for something bigger.
I want joy in my life.
I want peace in my life.
I want serenity.
Spirituality, I think a lot of people come into the program
with fears about what they've learned, in terms of religion
and spirituality, or not knowing.
Many people come in atheist or agnostic, and a fundamental
piece of recovery is finding something bigger than myself.
Then, community, of course, which we call fellowship in
12-step recovery, is having a support system to rely on.
It's certainly not an easy journey, is it?
No, it's not.
But it can be done.
It absolutely can be done.
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Addiction is not a moral failing.
It's a medical disease that can be treated successfully and
transformations offers the spirituality and mindset to help
adults choose the right path to recovery.
There's always going to be hope, and I hope one day that I can
give them what they deserve, as stronger, healthier, sober man.
Like so many addicts, Ben hopes to reclaim his life.
It's a long hard journey but one he has chosen to take through
transformations, but someday, he'll be reunited with his
family.
We hope you'll continue to join us in our series as we show you
how these unique programs, which set Transformations apart, can
help others as well.
Remember, for more information, you can go to
TransformationsTreatment.center or our website
TheBalancingAct.com.