Latest / Life Lived Better / Episode 147: Addiction - Impact, Treatment, and Support

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Episode 147: Addiction - Impact, Treatment, and Support · Life Lived Better

0:09
Hey everybody, this is Joseph Massey and Paula Heller Garland
0:12
Co host of the Life Live Better podcast.
0:14
And we are super excited to announce that we will be the
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official podcast of the DFW Behavioral Health Symposium
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happening March 25th through the 28th of 2020 Sixth.
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That's right, we'll be recording from the symposium.
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We'll be having a real conversation about the topics
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that matter to you the most. And if you've ever listened to
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Thoughtful discussions, practical insight, and
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conversations that challenge us to grow personally and
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professionally. And while we're at the
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symposium, we won't just record segments.
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We'll also be connecting with presenters and clinicians and
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leaders and attendees to record future episodes right there on
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site. Yeah, so if you're attending the
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DFW Behavioral Health Symposium, come find us.
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Stop by, say hello, share your perspective.
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You might even be part of an upcoming episode.
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Absolutely. Get registered, then join us
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March 25th through the 28th at the DFW Behaviors, the Health
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Symposium and be part of the conversation.
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Because knowledge leads to a life.
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Live better. Stay tuned for today's episode.
1:36
Hi, this is Paula. And I'm Joseph, and you're
1:38
listening to Life Lived Better. Well, welcome back to our series
1:45
on addiction, and if you're just joining us, you might want to
1:48
consider going back to listen to the first two parts, and that is
1:51
episode 144 and 145 respectively.
1:55
In the previous episode, we tackled some really important
1:58
areas related to addiction. We talked about addictive
2:01
personalities, We talked a lot about global and national stats
2:05
that are related to addiction and treatment, and we looked at
2:08
why people who have addiction don't get to go to treatment or
2:12
choose not to go to treatment. You know, a new semester of mine
2:16
started recently. And for me, that usually means I
2:19
have a new group of students and I always ask them to give me
2:22
questions that they have about addiction or about the course
2:25
that they're taking. And one of the questions I
2:27
received from many different students this semester was what
2:31
causes one person to use a substance and become addicted
2:35
when another person who can use the same stuff substance doesn't
2:39
become addicted. So what do you think about that?
2:42
A big question. It is.
2:45
I think, I think you know, we go back to like episode one, we
2:49
talked about the different reasons why people can become
2:53
addicted. Like, it can be genetics, it can
2:55
be learned behaviors, it can be, you know, just chemistry.
2:58
So I think there are many different reasons, but I think
3:02
you're at a much higher probability if you've been
3:06
exposed to it. And also it depends on what the
3:10
substances. Some substances are way more
3:12
addictive and get a hold of people much quicker than others.
3:15
So what are your thoughts? Yeah, all, all the same things.
3:19
Some environments, some biological and just what it does
3:24
to you when you use it to what what happens in your brain, you
3:27
know, if it does that thing, it just does that thing for you.
3:32
Some people it just does what they're looking for and fixes
3:35
something. For others it's just not at all
3:38
does it so they don't use it. I've known people that have had
3:41
clients rather over the years that, you know, have slowly
3:45
become addicted to substances and others like the first time
3:48
they used it, they were, you know, instantly hooked.
3:50
That's what I heard about so many people when I started
3:53
working in treatment in the early 90s about crack cocaine.
3:57
Just it had me. It had me at the first use.
4:00
Yeah, I heard that about math. So during this episode, we'll
4:03
continue this comprehensive look into addiction by beginning with
4:07
treatment. Let's take a look at the types
4:10
of treatment available for addiction and what exactly
4:12
happens in treatment. So when people say they have
4:15
gone to treatment, are they all talking about the same thing?
4:20
Absolutely not. Yeah, that's so important for
4:23
people to understand. We talked about that in in in
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the second part of this about if you've been to treatment, don't
4:30
assume all treatment is the same.
4:32
It's just, you know, well, most reputable treatment programs
4:35
share some common elements like assessments and counseling, you
4:39
know, some of the supports for recovery.
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The way those elements are delivered really vary a lot
4:44
depending on the treatment center, the counselor, and just
4:48
the philosophy of the program really.
4:50
So I'd like to talk a little bit about some of the biggest
4:53
differences that we see in treatment.
4:56
You know, the treatment philosophy and approach some
5:00
programs follow like a very strict abstinence only belief.
5:05
Then there's like the 12 step model A A in A while others are
5:10
more evidence based approaches like cognitive behavioral
5:13
therapy, CBT. You might have heard that
5:15
motivational interviewing and even medically assisted
5:20
treatment, Matt. Many modern programs blend
5:23
several of these approaches, but the balance can look very
5:26
different from one center to another.
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So depending on where you're going, you know the and that's
5:32
some of the questions that you need to ask, which we'll get
5:34
into in our next episode. And that's, it's been my
5:38
experience that the people that work in the treatment center
5:41
play a huge part in just the, the OR mood of the treatment
5:46
center worked at some real uptight places and some that
5:51
were just like a great, just wonderful relaxed atmosphere.
5:57
And, and in the 30 plus years that I've worked in the field, I
5:59
can tell you that professionals often have very rigid ideas on
6:04
which type of treatment is the quote UN quote right.
6:07
One another area of that can differ in treatment is like when
6:12
you look at the level level of care in the structure and
6:15
treatment can range from a residential program, which in
6:18
Texas means the person is at the program kind of living there 24
6:22
hours a day and a pet peeve. It's just a pet peeve of mine
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that I have is hearing a lot of people refer to that is
6:29
inpatient treatment because in Texas there's not a level of
6:32
care that's in called inpatient treatment in addiction
6:35
counseling. If you hear inpatient treatment,
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that's clinically that means psychiatric treatment.
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It's just one of my pains. And then another level is
6:46
intensive outpatient or just standard outpatient.
6:49
And then there's like medical detoxification.
6:53
And some are even referring to recovery coaching, which is kind
6:58
of a complement to treatment, but it's not an actual level of
7:01
care at all. And the intensity, the length,
7:04
the treatment, the daily structure, the expectations or
7:08
rules for for all that, they're just not universal.
7:12
Yeah. And you're right.
7:12
I've worked at a couple different facilities that have
7:15
very different guidelines and structure.
7:19
And it's, it's a lot of it comes down to this next thing, which
7:22
is like the counselor training and, and the counseling style.
7:26
Just like any helping profession, counselors bring
7:28
their own education, experience, their personality and shrinks
7:33
into the therapeutic relationship.
7:35
Hopefully they leave like their belief systems out of it.
7:38
Yeah, hopefully. Yeah.
7:41
And a strong connection with the counselor can significantly
7:44
impact the outcome of the treatment process, which means
7:47
the person providing treatment really matters, not just the
7:51
program that you're going to. Well.
7:53
If that's better, it doesn't, you know, indifferent.
7:55
But it's so true. And in treatment, the
7:59
individualization of treatment differs.
8:02
You know, high quality treatment is tailored to the individual.
8:06
They take into account the mental health history, the
8:09
trauma history, their family dynamics, the person's culture,
8:13
even their readiness for change. And lower quality treatments.
8:17
I hate to put it that way, but lower quality programs might
8:21
rely more on the one-size-fits-all approach that
8:24
doesn't really address the underlying needs of a person.
8:28
Well, and the port services offered is another big one and
8:33
unique from one treatment center to the next.
8:37
So some centers provide integrated mental health care,
8:40
family therapy, case management, peer recovery support and even
8:45
some aftercare planning. Others focus narrowly on
8:48
substance use alone which can limit the long term recovery
8:51
success. You you have to address all of
8:54
these things, in my opinion, to be successful.
8:57
So the bottom line is that addiction treatment is not
9:00
interchangeable, you know, and what works well for one person
9:04
may not work for another person. So effective treatment meets
9:08
people where they are, you know, it adapts to their needs and it,
9:11
it evolves as the as the person's recovery progresses.
9:16
So choosing the quote UN quote right treatment often means
9:19
finding a program and a counselor that aligns with that
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individual's needs, their values.
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There's even stage of change and there's stage in life.
9:29
So let's spend a little bit of time focusing on what actually
9:32
happens while a person is in treatment, just in general.
9:35
I mean like, what are they doing while they're there?
9:37
Well, a person does with their time and treatment, just really
9:41
depends on what level of care they're in.
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So no matter what level of care though, everyone begins their
9:47
journey with an assessment and stabilization.
9:50
So early on, clients complete an assessment that looks at their
9:54
substance use history, mental health, physical health, any
9:58
traumas that they've experienced, and life stressors.
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So if needed, this may include medication support.
10:05
And this phase helps the treatment team create an
10:08
individualized plan like you were talking about.
10:11
And in all levels of care, each client is given a unique
10:14
treatment plan. Even if you go to the dentist,
10:17
you're given a treatment plan, right?
10:20
People also get individual counseling.
10:22
It's just another universal that clients get in most of the
10:26
treatments that are offered. Clients usually meet one-on-one
10:29
with a with a, an assigned counselor and explore patterns
10:34
there of their use trigger some underlying issues, their level
10:38
of motivation for change, some of their personal goals.
10:42
To me, that's that's where a lot of insight and personalized work
10:46
happens and and clients in all levels of care engage in some
10:51
amount of also group therapy and the number of hours differ
10:55
depending on the level of care. So just for the sake of this
10:58
example, let's talk about like residential treatment.
11:01
Yeah. So residential treatment, group
11:03
therapy, it's a big part of each day.
11:06
The topics of each group session vary.
11:10
Some of the topics might look like skills for preventing a
11:13
return to use, coping skills and emotional regulation, trauma and
11:18
grief, communication and relationships, accountability
11:22
and peer support. So groups really help people
11:25
realize there's, they're, they're not alone and learn from
11:28
other experiences. So some of the most powerful
11:32
experiences and, and things that I've heard clients talk about is
11:35
just listening to other clients share their stories and their
11:39
history. And I always encourage them.
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I'm like, just like you learned from them, people can learn from
11:44
you. So it's important that everyone
11:45
participates and shares. And people sometimes learn so
11:49
much more from one another than they do from the counselor.
11:52
I love a good group like it. It can be can be great just to
11:56
sit back and watch people you know share and learn from one
11:59
another. And working beautifully.
12:01
Healthy group is amazing and other groups are focused on
12:05
topics that are what we consider like psychoeducation or skill
12:09
building, like some of the topics you might hear in
12:12
treatment. Or like the science of addiction
12:14
or stress management or how to handle cravings and triggers.
12:18
Boundaries and healthy relationships and life skills
12:22
like time management, employment readiness.
12:24
Self-care at the time is about learning how to live
12:28
differently, not just stopping the substance use.
12:31
Such a big piece and when it's appropriate.
12:33
Some people in treatment might receive medication and differing
12:37
intensities of medical care. So some clients receive
12:40
medication assisted treatment MAT or care for Co occurring
12:45
mental health conditions and medication check insurance and
12:48
health monitoring are often a big part of the ongoing
12:52
schedule. And clients also they, they
12:55
practice a structured routine like in residential treatment,
13:00
the structure is like regular wake up times, scheduled meals,
13:04
they eat together, they eat the same thing.
13:07
And then there's blocks of time for therapy.
13:09
There are curfews. There's, you know, a time for
13:11
lights out. And it may sound odd, but that
13:15
really does help stabilize people who have kind of lived a
13:18
chaotic life during active addiction.
13:21
They also have a lot of opportunity to reflect on on
13:25
their life and recovery practices.
13:28
So there's usually time set aside in the day, usually in the
13:31
evening for journaling, mindfulness meditation, recovery
13:35
meetings like 12 step meetings, or even the alternatives to 12
13:39
steps. Lots of programs incorporate
13:41
bodywork, the exercise of some sort, yoga, whatever, and some
13:46
spiritual reflection depending on the program's approach on
13:49
what that is. Yeah.
13:50
And then most, if not all programs, hopefully there's some
13:55
type of family involvement offered and aftercare planning,
13:58
which is so important. So many programs include family
14:03
therapy, educational sessions for loved ones and planning for
14:07
life after treatment, things like housing, employment,
14:11
ongoing therapy and continued recovery support.
14:14
So how involved the family program is really just kind of
14:18
depends on the treatment program.
14:20
I think that's, you know, family getting involved, being able to
14:22
ask questions and kind of know what's going on.
14:25
I think that really helps with people's success.
14:28
I've been in programs that like, disallow family involvement,
14:32
like why, or at least during certain phases of it.
14:36
Yeah. And and like that some of that I
14:38
understand. Some of it I didn't understand
14:40
now. And and just as important to
14:43
what it is, we should probably talk about what treatment is
14:46
not. It's not just sitting around all
14:49
day talking about drugs. And it shouldn't be a punishment
14:55
or a forced confessional. You know, you shouldn't be
14:58
having to talk about things you're not ready to talk about.
15:01
And it's definitely not passive. You know clients are actively
15:04
practicing new skills and new ways of thinking all day long.
15:08
And we look at the big picture, residential treatment, it's
15:10
essentially a full time job focused on recovery.
15:13
So people spend their time learning, practicing,
15:16
reflecting, connecting, and even rebuilding skills that help them
15:20
function without the substance. So the goal isn't just sobriety,
15:24
it's stability, gaining insight and, you know, developing a
15:28
foundation for long term change. I always tell people like it's
15:31
such a gift to be able to just like walk away from your life
15:35
for 30 days and just focus on you and your recovery.
15:39
And it's almost like a reset. And not a lot of people, I mean,
15:43
with those statistics that we talked about, not a lot of
15:46
people get the opportunity. So if you have the ability to go
15:50
and get treatment, it's it's, it truly is a gift in my opinion.
15:54
Yeah, wouldn't you like just right now focus on you and get
15:58
inside to go to one of those places, like on site?
16:02
That's not for addiction recovery.
16:04
It's just about healthy, being healthy.
16:07
So and so outpatient treatment provides just fewer hours of
16:10
those components because it's appropriate for people who need
16:13
some assistance, but they have enough stability to like work
16:17
and live at home on their own. They just attend treatment for
16:20
like less hours or so. It's like 10 or less hours a
16:23
week. So, you know, given all this
16:25
information, we should also address another question I can
16:29
imagine people might have is like, what are the effective
16:32
treatment approaches if there are so many different ones?
16:35
So there are many effective approaches and it depends on the
16:38
person being treated. So we can talk through several
16:42
of them. The first one is medication
16:45
assisted treatment, also referred to as Matt.
16:48
And you know, I've worked at a MAT clinic and it was definitely
16:54
an adjusted, an adjustment for me mindset wise because I've
16:58
always worked in abstinence based programs.
17:01
And so to have individuals that are, you know, utilizing
17:05
medication assisted treatment, a lot of times they're still maybe
17:09
some substance use going on, but it's all about kind of harm
17:13
reduction. So helping individuals, you
17:16
know, use less or use less dangerous substances.
17:20
But medication assisted treatment, I've had clients tell
17:23
me it saved their lives and it made it so that they were able
17:27
to get jobs and maintain their jobs and maintain relationships.
17:31
And you know, it really transform the way I look at
17:34
addiction when I started working with folks that were in
17:38
medication assisted treatment. Have you extremely.
17:41
I well, I didn't work in medication assisted treatment,
17:44
but I worked in harm reduction for HIV with people who had HIV
17:49
for them to continue to live a life but not expose others to
17:54
HIV. And I got it when I did that.
17:57
I didn't understand it with addiction.
18:00
I thought, how on earth do you get better if you're still
18:03
using? It's kind of the way I looked at
18:05
if you're just using. But I did it with HIV.
18:08
And it's like, oh, OK, so you're talking about a person who's
18:11
going to is is kind of high risk and they're going to engage in a
18:15
certain lifestyle. And so you just want the harm to
18:18
be less even like with smoking, if somebody smokes a pack of
18:22
cigarettes a day and cuts down to half a pack, you have reduced
18:26
harm. And to me it's like, oh, OK,
18:31
that makes so much sense to me. Anything to get a little better,
18:35
just to be able to function, to be able to, like you said, work
18:39
and contribute. You might have somebody who's a
18:41
has opioid use disorder and they aren't working at all because of
18:44
their use. And then suddenly because of the
18:47
medication intervention, they have a full time job that's just
18:52
that's a better, that's a better step that has reduced harm and
18:56
increased the person's lifestyle.
18:59
Right. Well, and there's a lot of
19:01
debate about Matt treatment and people have very strong opinions
19:04
about it. But this approach has a lot of
19:06
research that really backs up its efficacy and it's
19:10
beneficial. The research shows that it's
19:13
really beneficial for opioid and alcohol use disorders.
19:16
So what's included is, you know, for opioid use disorder, they
19:21
use medications like methadone, buprenorphine, which is also
19:24
referred to as Suboxone and naltrexone.
19:28
And for alcohol use disorder, they use naltrexone and
19:31
dysulfiram. And why it works is because it
19:33
reduces cravings and withdrawals, it lowers the over
19:37
overdose risk, it increases retention and treatment, and it
19:41
allows the brain time to heal, which is such an important
19:45
piece. And, you know, this type of
19:47
treatment is most effective when combined, again, with counseling
19:51
and not just used by itself. So like when I worked in that
19:55
clinic, it was, you know, clients were required to do
19:58
individual and group counseling because you needed the education
20:02
in addition to the medication. And and we've got people that
20:06
you know, like Narcan when someone overdoses can bring a
20:11
person back to life. And there are people that think,
20:15
well, if someone chooses to use why, why save their life there?
20:20
And that is just a hard belief to change.
20:23
Some people are just never going to be OK with some kind of harm
20:27
reduction. Don't know why you're OK with
20:29
people dying, but I know they're people who are.
20:32
Yeah. The next approach is, you know,
20:35
behavioral therapies. And these are therapies that are
20:38
all under the umbrella of some sort of behavioral therapy, and
20:42
they're basically tied to people changing their thoughts,
20:46
behaviors, emotional patterns that are tied to this use of
20:50
substances. Some of the more effective
20:52
models that we use are like cognitive behavioral therapy.
20:56
Just talked about that a little bit earlier.
20:58
You're just building coping skills, lots of prevention in
21:02
returning to use and then motivational interviewing.
21:06
It just strengthens internal motivation for change,
21:09
contingency management. It has a lot of incentives to
21:13
reinforce being in recovery long term and then dialectical
21:18
behavioral therapy or DBT it. It's also helpful when emotional
21:22
regulation is is a challenge for the person.
21:25
And the reason those work is that they address the why behind
21:29
the use and not a lot of things do that.
21:32
It also teaches skills for stress for triggers and
21:35
relationships in the future and those are some long term
21:39
recovery building tools. And when we talk about addiction
21:43
and mental health, we've touched on that briefly, but conditions,
21:47
when these conditions are diagnosed together in the same
21:50
person, it's called a Co occurring disorder.
21:52
And this is similar to comorbid health conditions.
21:56
The approach is related and integrated into the person's
22:00
treatment. So some examples may look like
22:03
depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder.
22:07
And why it works is because treating only addiction while
22:10
ignoring mental health increases the relapse risks.
22:13
So you have to treat both like we talked about earlier, and
22:17
integrated care really improves the outcome and the overall
22:20
quality of life for the individual.
22:22
And we also have to talk about peer support and recovery
22:25
communities. You know, this is not therapy
22:28
and it is not treatment. It's just support for people who
22:31
are in recovery. And we might also hear these
22:33
referred to as like fellowships or mutual aid programs.
22:37
And we introduce those to people in treatment.
22:40
And some of those are 12 step programs like NA and a A or
22:44
refuge recovery. And then they're SMART Recovery
22:48
for people who are very analytical.
22:50
And there's peer recovery coaching.
22:53
There's a certification in Texas to become a peer recovery coach.
22:58
And the reason those help is that they help the person reduce
23:02
their isolation. They can with another person
23:06
build accountability and hope for the future, and it'll give
23:09
them long term support beyond treatment.
23:13
Well, and something else over the last 10 years that's kind of
23:16
been added as trauma informed care.
23:18
I know we hear that a lot, people talking about trauma and
23:21
trauma dumping and you know, different things like that.
23:24
I've been hearing that more over the years.
23:26
But many people with substance use disorders have some kind of
23:29
trauma history. And when that trauma goes
23:33
untreated, the return to use is much higher.
23:36
So trauma is often the reason for a lot of substance,
23:41
substance misuse and individuals.
23:43
So some of the effective types of trauma focused therapies
23:46
include things like EMDR, trauma focused CBT, and somatic
23:52
therapies. And why they work is because
23:54
substance use often begins as coping.
23:57
Healing trauma reduces the need of substances and helps manage
24:01
the pain over. When we open the episode, I
24:04
talked about the questions that I get from students and one of
24:07
the questions that I received this semester was based on my
24:10
experience, like what I felt was one of the most significant
24:14
changes in treatment over the three decades that I've worked
24:17
in the field. And my answer was trauma
24:19
informed care. You know, when I first started
24:22
in the early 1990s, we did a lot of education.
24:25
We taught a lot about support programs that clients could join
24:29
during and after treatment. And we had lots of recurrence of
24:34
use. I think the rate of return to
24:36
use and treatment was like 70%. But when we added that
24:40
requirement to at least conduct an Aces questionnaire, which
24:45
questions a person about any trauma they might have
24:48
experienced as a as a child, we went so much deeper at looking
24:53
at trauma that often leads to addiction.
24:55
And I truly believe that that we made one of the most effective
24:59
addiction additions to the process of addiction and
25:02
counseling. What are your thoughts about us
25:05
adding trauma informed care? I think it was a great, a great
25:09
addition because you're exactly right.
25:11
So many people have experienced some kind of trauma that leads
25:15
to, you know, the misuse of substances.
25:17
And it's, you know, it's important, like we talked about
25:21
earlier, to treat the whole person and not just this one
25:25
thing because there are so many underlying issues that need to
25:29
be addressed in order to recover.
25:31
So I think it was a great addition.
25:33
We don't ever go there. Then there's a reason to return
25:36
to use. Yeah, and I think a lot of
25:38
people really struggle with, you know, going back and looking at
25:41
the past and some people believe that, you know, the past is the
25:44
past. It doesn't matter.
25:45
It shouldn't. I'm an adult now.
25:46
It's been 20 years, but I always tell people, and I may have
25:50
shared this before, but I think of it like driving a car.
25:53
You look in the rearview mirror from time to time, you look in
25:55
your side mirrors from time to time.
25:57
So that's that to me is looking into the past, but you can't
26:01
stay looking in those mirrors because if you do, you crash.
26:04
So it's important to reflect back and look at our past and
26:07
look at things that we've experienced and make those
26:10
connections because there are connections, but we can't stay
26:14
in it. So part of, you know, dealing
26:17
and, and working with trauma informed, there's understanding
26:20
that you have to help people kind of wrap it up.
26:22
It's not just you pull out all this trauma and people leave
26:25
your office just, you know, a mess.
26:28
You wrap it up, you, you know, help people kind of put it back
26:31
in the box and you know, you can take it back out.
26:34
One of the things I teach clients is how to visualize, you
26:37
know, visualization exercises on how to take the box out of the
26:41
closet, take the lid off and look at these things and then
26:44
when we're done, we put the lid back on the box and put it back
26:46
in the closet. That helps people visualize kind
26:49
of being able to manage these things and it not manage them.
26:52
I share that with all of my students.
26:54
I tell them that I've learned that from you.
26:56
I love that, that idea. I just love it.
26:58
Just to have you when you're outside of the counseling
27:01
office, you have a real thing to think of.
27:03
Like, no, I'm going to put this, this is in the box.
27:06
I'm not getting it out. Yeah, I love that.
27:09
We also know that long term and continuing care models are
27:12
highly effective and that's because addiction is a chronic
27:15
condition, so it's not a one time event.
27:18
And the most effective systems include some sort of a step down
27:23
model. So like maybe they start at
27:24
detox and then go into residential, then into
27:27
outpatient, then into aftercare or having just ongoing
27:31
counseling, check insurance even if it's not with you at the
27:34
treatment center that you get them into an individual
27:38
counselor before or they leave or having some kind of relapse
27:42
prevention planning or what I call recovery planning.
27:45
And, and the reason that works is because recovery is a process
27:49
and ongoing support reduces relapse.
27:53
It just does, and it improves the overall stability of the
27:56
person. And there are some statistics to
27:59
kind of back that up that, you know, the longer you have care,
28:03
the more likely you are to remain stable.
28:06
So many treatment programs have also added holistic and
28:09
lifestyle based supports. So this is not a replacement,
28:12
but it's a meaningful complement to many treatment programs.
28:16
Some examples may be things like exercise and movement,
28:20
mindfulness and meditation, nutrition and sleep support, and
28:24
vocational and life skills training.
28:27
Why it works is because it improves the overall well-being
28:30
and helps rebuild identity beyond just the substance use.
28:34
These are highly effective and relatively simple additions to
28:37
any treatment program. I know some people like call
28:41
treatment programs and say, OK, can I smoke while I'm there?
28:44
Can I have caffeine while I'm there?
28:45
But the truth is, if you go ahead and go to a treatment
28:49
center that doesn't allow smoking or that maybe doesn't
28:54
have high fatty and sugary meals, you know, if they do some
28:58
nutritional balance and you do that while you're in treatment,
29:01
it does make your body feel better too.
29:04
And so if you can leave treatment just 100% have treated
29:09
your entire person, I think that's pretty awesome.
29:13
So the bottom line is that the most effective treatment is
29:17
evidence based. It's definitely individualized
29:20
and it's integrated, you know, with mental health and addiction
29:23
being discussed and treated, that it's long term support of
29:28
some kind and it's rooted in compassion and not punishment.
29:33
That's so important. We aren't finished with this
29:35
topic yet. We plan to share questions
29:38
people who are considering treatment or their loved ones
29:41
need to ask before choosing a treatment center in our next
29:44
episode. So we will also address the many
29:47
pathways to recovery in that episode.
29:50
We'll. Also take a look at the impact
29:51
that addiction has on the family of the person who has the
29:55
addiction and how to support somebody without enabling their
29:58
addiction, which is a huge question I hear.
30:01
Codependency enabling is usually a big topic discussed in
30:04
treatment. Well, we appreciate you joining
30:07
us today, interacting with us on our social media or through our
30:10
website lifeflipbetter.net and you sharing the show with
30:14
others. If you feel it is helpful and
30:16
someone could benefit, please do that.
30:18
We look forward to coming back for our next episode.
30:21
And until then, don't forget that knowledge leads to a life
30:24
Flip better. Thank you for listening to Life
30:30
Live Better with Paula and Joseph.
30:35
Yay, thank you for listening to the Life Live Better podcast.
30:38
Please subscribe, rate, review and share our show with others
30:41
you think will enjoy our content.
30:43
You can also find us on most social media platforms and our
30:46
website, lifelivebetter.net. This episode was written by
30:49
Paula Garland, edited by Joseph Massey, and recorded on Spotify.
30:53
Information used in this episode and other content data can be
30:56
found in our show notes. We look forward to seeing you
30:58
again in two weeks, yeah.