By Angelica Badillo, LSW Candidate
Drug and Alcohol Counselor
Stateline Medical Drug-Free Outpatient Treatment Care, Phillipsburg, NJ
Pinnacle Treatment Centers
Many individuals experience stressors in their life. When confronting these stressors, it can feel easier to lean on a substance that never denies you and allows you to escape reality, even just for a moment, and never tells you to stop until it’s too late.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there continues to be a large treatment gap in this country as evidenced by the estimated 22.7 million Americans (8.6 percent) that needed treatment for an alcohol or drug problem and the 2.5 million (0.9 percent) that actually received treatment services at a specified facility (NIDA, 2015).
When clients ask me, “What will Stateline Medical do for me that I couldn’t do for myself?” I ask them to recall a time when they have been physically sick. Often, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics for certain infections. I ask, “Do you believe that you can get better without the antibiotics?” Some say yes, some say no; however, the most common answer is, “Well, you could (get better), but you might not get better right away or at all.” I encourage them to think of treatment on similar terms. Treatment drastically increases your chances of short-term and long-term sobriety.
Often when people consider treatment they get overwhelmed by the idea of participating in a program. They do not know what to expect and may be reluctant due to other factors affecting their perception of treatment such as a negative experience they may have had in the past. They also may be anxious when engaging in treatment for the first time.
Integrating different styles of psychotherapy into our program allows for us to break some of those preconceptions about therapy and substance use as a whole. It also allows for our clients to learn a variety of therapeutic skills to integrate into their recovery. The clients relate to the materials discussed, they attempt and apply different styles of cognitive training, artistic expression, and mindfulness skills to use as tools in their recovery process.
Through an integration of music, art, meditation, education, and support, Stateline Medical’s drug-free program seeks to build a solid foundation for the client’s recovery and continued support.
Reference:
NIDA. (2015, June 25). Nationwide Trends. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends on 2019, February 7