Meaningful Recovery: TheProcessofLong‐TermHealingand
RecoveryfromAddictiveIllness
41st Annual School on Addictions and Behavioral Health
Anchorage, AK
May 4, 2015
Bruce Carruth, Ph.D.
San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico
WELLNESS
A relatively new concept in addictions treatment, where we usually talk about recovery
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
But before we talk about wellness, we have to talk about how one gets there…
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Butfirst,abriefhistoryoftheaddictions
movementinthiscountry
Drug control (throughout history and continues today)
Spiritual conversion (early 20th century)
(which builds …) Abstinence (1920’s)
(which is enhanced by …)
Treatment (1950’s and on)
(and what’s more than treatment of the illness?)
Recovery (1970’s and on)
(and what’s coming?)
Wellness
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Fivephasesinthedevelopmentalprocessofrecovery
• Surrender
• Abstaining
• Recovering
• Wellness
• Self‐Actualizing
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
inanutshell:
Surrender
→ Making the decision to change
→ Taking steps to initiate change
→ Getting beyond the resistance to change
→ Sustaining the decision to change
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
inanutshell:
Abstaining
• Putting together day after day of abstinence
• Maintaining the commitment to change
• Building hope of how life can be w/o drugs
• Clearing up mentally and physically
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
inanutshell:
Recovering
Building new skills and resources
interpersonally, psychologically, emotionally
Working through the trauma of the illness
Beginning to change old beliefs about self
Early steps in building a life of wellness
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
inanutshell:
Wellness
Building a healthy sense of self – moving beyond recovering from an illness
Reconciling history with present – who I was and who I am – Building integrity
Integrating new ways of being with others
Developing & evolving a spiritual path
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
inanutshell:
Transcending– Self‐Actualizing
Being able to be grounded in inner peace and serenity
Heightened sense of belonging
Recognizing sense of presence and potency
Using personal potency to effect the common good
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
So,whyisn’trecoveryenough?
Recovery is fantastic, but there is more to life than being:
—A recovering addict
—A cancer survivor
—A survivor of child abuse —Someone who did time
What or who we have been doesn’t have to define who we are today
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Andwhatiswellness?
• We think of wellness as a physical state
• Hard to conceptualize a state that we can’t see and have never had ….
• What’s it like to not feel anxious? To feel comfortable talking intimately with someone?To hold on to a thought of having done a good job? To laugh ‘till your belly hurts?
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Andwhatiswellness?
Wellness………….
Is taking charge of your own well‐being.
Is a physical, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual state of being strong, resilient, responsive and grounded
Is more than not being sick
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
PhysicalWellness
Nicotine use and addiction
Weight regulation‐ being a healthy weight
Diet
Sleep regulation
Exercise and conditioning
Managing chronic medical issues
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Emotionalhealingandwellness
•Reconciling with emotions that have been
repressed or displaced – regulating emotions
•Exploring past beliefs, schema, truths and
examining their validity and utility today
•Building positive character traits
•Finally coming to grips with the emotional
wounds of the past
•Drawing a line in the sand between the past
and present
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Interpersonalwellness
Changing basic patterns of interacting
– entitlement or self‐depreciating
– people pleasing
– getting anxious and talking too much or fearing
speaking up
Building and maintaining friendships
Intimacy and intimate connection
Managing rejection and feelings of abandonment
Changing co‐dependent and counterdependent
behaviors
Having fun with others
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
SpiritualWellness
Resolving religious trauma from the past
Finding (maybe, refinding) a path and then evolving the path
Building soul, coming to a state of belonging
Finding my place in the universe
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Accessingwellnessresources
Published literature
Support groups
Psychotherapy and personal growth opportunities
Spiritual resources
Friendships and intimate relationships
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Andhowdoyoudoit?
Make a plan
Make a commitment
Explore the resistance – Useful intent of staying the same – build overcoming resistance into the plan
– Benefits of NOT changing
– How changing will change me
– Fears of failing, fears of the process
JUST DO IT! In small doses, over and over
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Thanks,
Gracias,
And have a great conference
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Thanks,
Gracias,
Andhaveagreatconference
BruceCarruth,Ph.D.
Formoreinformationorfollow‐up
Bruce Carruth, Ph.D.
[email protected]
brucecarruth.com
US telephone: 713‐589‐3250
MX telephone: (52) 415‐121‐1169
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