Busting Addiction and Its Myths

In this podcast, we answer the question... Can you explain more about one-to-one counselling? One-to-one counselling is an opportunity for the counsellor to get to know the client, and vice versa, in a more intimate setting. That way, the client feels safe and comfortable in disclosing essential details of their life. It takes more than one or two sessions for the client to build the trust necessa...

In this podcast, we answer the question... What's included in a treatment program? We will use SafeHouse Rehab Thailand as a model, as the better treatment programs include: Best-practice therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) , Group therapy, one-on-one therapy, etc. Full licensing from the government entities charged with enforcing regulations. SafeHouse Rehab, for example,...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Is traveling abroad a major issue? One can imagine the questions that arise when families consider treatment abroad. Not only are they potentially sending their loved ones to an unfamiliar place, but they are also taking an understandable risk in seeking treatment in a foreign country. The challenges of traveling abroad for treatment depend on what country i...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Is detoxing abroad safe? Not all incoming clients require detox; a thorough pre and post arrival assessment will determine whether a client requires detox from identified substances. If a family chooses a treatment centre located abroad and if that treatment centre complies with all regulations and best practices, and if it offers detox, then the detox proce...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What are the differences between licensed and unlicensed facilities in Thailand? SafeHouse Rehab Thailand is fully licensed and complies with all the regulations set by all the governing bodies for our type of business. Even though a rehab may comply with the rules governing immigration or business licenses, if it does not have a license from the Ministry of...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Why choose treatment in Thailand? Families seeking treatment abroad should familiarise themselves with Thailand and all that it has to offer as a destination and as a preferred location for treatment. Thailand is recognised as the #1 destination for medical tourism worldwide and is also renowned for its superb tourism infrastructure and welcoming culture. Th...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Are there benefits to getting treatment abroad? Clients and families considering treatment abroad have already discovered the costs of private, residential treatment in their home countries, and now look to assess whether treatment abroad makes sense for them. The reputable treatment centres abroad offer best-practice treatment, but their price structures va...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What are the benefits of getting treatment? Treatment in a residential, in-patient setting takes addicts/alcoholics out of their unhealthy environment, away from the typical triggers. It forces clients to identify unhealthy thinking and behaviour that got them where they are, paving the way for a new mode of thinking and being. Clients no longer feel isolate...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What is a sponsor and how do I get one? It is a bewildering experience for newcomers to a 12-step program such as AA. On the one hand, they are sponges for learning about how to stay sober, and on the other, all they may know is they should go to AA meetings and find a sponsor. So, what is the role of the sponsor in AA? The principal role of a sponsor is lik...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Is AA a cult? This is one of the favourite myths that we take pleasure in blowing up. 1. Let's start with the characteristics of a cult, starting with secrecy. There are two types of AA meetings - closed meetings where privacy (not secrecy) is valued since there is still a stigma associated with alcoholism, hence the original Alcoholics Anonymous. I am...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Am I helping or am I making things worse? This is one of those questions that is based on the myth that one can change the course of an addict's disorder at all. It is said that "people who try to change other people are sick people". That is not meant to be unkind, rather it is said to get the attention of family members who believe they can...

In this podcast, we ask the question... Do I call an intervention, and how do I do that? There are two main types of interventions, the professional type, and the do-it-yourself type. Both can succeed or both can fail. Starting with the professional intervention. We may have seen the Reality TV version of the professional intervention which is a compressed version of the real thing. There always s...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What free help is available? We have observed that family members who have a "big" problem on their hands become paralysed by the fear and anxiety that comes with chaos imposed by the disorder. There is much help to be had once they overcome the unjustified shame that they feel as they awaken to unpleasant truths. Education is the key that unlocks...

In this podcast, we ask the question... When is the right time to encourage the addict to seek help? It seems that there is never a good time for those who love an addict or alcoholic (who is clearly out of control) to intervene, as the addict will always find a way to evade the truth. One of his favourite dodges is to verbally attack the responsible family member - usually a mum - and have her de...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What does it mean to do "The next right thing?" While they were drinking and using to excess, addicts ended up violating all the values they once held dear: honesty, kindness, integrity, hard work, playing by the rules, regard for others and for society as a whole. Now comes the easy part for those who really want to stop the abuse - putting down t...

In this podcast, we ask the question... What role do anxiety and fear play in recovery? Those who enter into treatment and start to uncover their motives come to understand the dominant, even domineering, role that fear has played in their lives. Fear was the subconscious thread that motivated much of what they did or avoided doing. There are two types of what might be called irrational fears - fe...

In this podcast, we answer the question... Is addiction a disease or is it a weakness? Even today, when we as a society are supposed to be enlightened, many fine citizens will insist that it is just a matter of willpower by an individual to just quit drinking alcohol or using drugs. You might recall back in the day Nancy Reagan's campaign which she proudly called "Just Say No". That...

In this podcast, we answer the question... How is the family affected by addiction? In the same way that "no man is an island", so too, is the addict or alcoholic part of a family seriously affected by his disease. It is true and proven that addiction is a family disease, a concept often denied by family members themselves. Here is the background to that idea and how it plays itself out:...

In this podcast, we answer the question... Does treatment work? One of the myths out there is that paying for treatment is throwing good money after bad. There are just so many stories of addicts and alcoholics relapsing after treatment at even the most expensive facilities, it is indeed hard not to conclude that treatment does no good. It is also true that the vast majority - our estimate is 90%...

In this podcast, we answer the question... What are the odds of achieving long-term sobriety? We are often asked what the odds are of long-term sobriety after a period of treatment. That question of "odds" is second only to the question “can you help Johnny get clean and sober?" that we get asked over and over. We don't ever want to look like we are evading the issue by saying...

In this podcast, we re-examine the dangers of fentanyl and what we can do about reducing both supply and demand. We learn that: Fentanyl is by far the most dangerous “new” drug to infiltrate society in recent decades. Far more dangerous than heroin or cocaine or meth. It only takes 2 milligrams of it to overdose and probably die. That’s two thousands of one gram. It is easy to distribute because i...

In this podcast, we discuss the nature of sex and love addiction and its power over individuals afflicted with it. We learn that: Sex and love addiction are as real as any other behaviour that is out of control and causes harm. What is different is that each person gets to define what constitutes his or her bottom-line actions that define addictive behaviour. It’s impossible to wake up and become...

In this podcast, we discuss the importance of the MATE Act, passed in the US recently on the impact it will have on educating medical professionals on the treatment of addictive disorders. We learn that: Even to this day, three-quarters of medical professionals get no training in addictive disorders. The MATE Act as passed recently in the US will require all medical schools to include substantial...

In this podcast, Bruno J. discusses the true meaning of the popular Serenity Prayer. We learn that: Yes, there are things you absolutely must accept, such as the fact that there is no hope of a better past. Or the fact that you have no real idea of what the future holds. You can plan for the future, but you do not have to live there, for it can be a fearful place. One should make a conscious effor...

In this podcast, we discuss the subtle difference between compassion and enabling. We learn that: The disease is so slick and subtle that we can’t tell that addiction is starting its infiltration into our family - the whole family. As parents or spouses of addicts, we will be compelled to be compassionate, but our innocent compassion morphs into enabling, and we can’t tell the difference. We canno...