Addiction / Alcoholism isn’t just a biological condition but a Psychological one too. No treatment program has been able to deal with a purely clinical approach to addiction / alcoholism, so far. We are hopeful.
At the outset a thorough assessment of the client is taken up to build a roadmap for his recovery. This is in accordance and intervention of the family of the client who are sometimes better suited to breaking the client’s denials.
A strict discipline routine, a thoroughly structured day-plan, a rigorous practice of empowering each one of our client through individual and group responsibilities is an effective strategy to counteract the living problems faced by our clients. Here again the un-aided but supervisory role played by our staff ensure that the client begins to feel responsible again. There is no substitute for the goal of behavior modification than a positive habit forming action plan.
It’s common to see the ill effects of drugs/alcohol on the mind. Behavioral disorders such as violent outbursts, isolation, repetitive talk, hyperactivity/laziness, compulsive/impulsive behavior are common amongst the addict/alcoholic. These changes have a way of sticking around and becoming a part of one’s personality. We believe in a “Tough Love” approach to try and reverse these behavioral disturbances before they can turn into permanent personality disorders. A well structured day-plan, individual and group responsibilities, sports and nature activities slowly but surely mould the right form of discipline in every individual.
When the guilt & shame associated with an addiction lifestyle makes you uneasy, the associated defense mechanisms of the mind drive it towards a defensive stance rather than making an attempt at correction. This mechanism is called DENIAL (some have an abbreviated form of Don’t Even kNow I Am Lying). Maybe you are just trying to cover up for your lack of hygiene or your poor academic scores or your financial losses. Maybe it’s a parenting issue or a relationship gone sour or a drunken brawl you got into. Whatever the reasons, the end result is living in denial of reality. Our counselors help you to personalize these denials so you may see for yourself how patterns like Minimizing, Rationalizing, Blaming, Comparing, Complying, Manipulating and Fear apply to you.
Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms is the hidden edge of the dagger of addiction. It’s what you will face emotionally and psychologically once you begin recovery. Inability to think clearly, Memory Problems, Tiredness and Fatigue, Emotional Upheavals, Un-balanced Motor Skills and Stress are just some of the symptoms that make recovery look arduous. At HPF we have a comfortable living environment with an adequate and balanced sensory input mechanism that makes this phase of your recovery process manageable. Having said that, P.A.W.S can last upto 2-years of your early recovery.
If you want the time to make a decision on an addiction/alcoholism treatment program, please don’t do it from the confines of your home and your cluttered, foggy thinking. It could prove fatal! Having said that we encourage our clients to continually re-asses their motivation into seeking recovery during their stay here. Our counselors seek to develop, kindle and sustain that flame of being desirous of recovery through regular exercises of engagement, focus, planning and action. Building trust, respecting boundaries, introducing our tailor – made Plan of Action to every individual are just the beginning. When you as a patient are told to give an as-is narration of your life-story, we are there to help you embrace the accompanying negative emotions of guilt and shame, to turn them into a positive strength. We call this an exercise of facing the enemy within.
Years of alcohol and/or substance abuse leaves one feeling disconnected with not only the world around but also with one-self. The very nature of this apathy or emotional numbness means that one acts in ways seen by those around as being defiant, rebellious, cruel, egotistic, ill-mannered and the like. Our therapeutic ‘Thoughts & Feelings’ and ‘Surrender’ sessions mean that you learn to isolate your unhealthy personality traits; we call them Defects of Character; and learn to work on them through application of the spiritual principles contained in the 12-Step program. What may initially seem like a tightrope manoevure, slowly becomes a walk along the path of mental assertiveness. This practice heals what one can and learn to rely on others for what one cannot. Sometimes the extent of damage may mean medication as a substitute for irreversible changes.
A lot of addicts and alcoholics in recovery seek the calmness of mind associated with normalcy. They start believing that mere abstinence from drugs/alcohol would leave them feeling comforted and relaxed. This is far from the truth. If we could survey the mind to map and isolate the disturbing thoughts then we wouldn’t be far from Utopian living. There is no better remedy to this discomfort than the tried and tested therapy of prayer and meditation. There are many forms of prayer and meditation techniques but the purpose is the same. To move away from the self centred form of living and developing faith. Here the goal is to inculcate and nurture the habit of converting the self-talk into a form of prayer that resonates with recovery goals of the patient. We do not believe in any form of indoctrination along religious lines.
Have you or your loved one as an addict/alcoholic ever been able to carry out any meaningful, productive, enriching and gratifying activity for a sustained amount of time? Take a good look around your house. Look at your pets. Look around the neighbourhood. And finally take a good hard look at yourself / your loved one in the mirror.
You’ll know what we mean. Are Bored, Lazy, Casual, Lacks Concern, Indifferent the adjectives used to describe you? There is no quick fix easy method to this problem. We believe in enforcing a strict discipline regimen when it comes to being responsible. It’s your lucky day! Because this responsibility means freedom, freedom from guilt, freedom from fear, freedom from monotony. Yes! Repetition doesn’t mean automation, it means accountability. So pick up that broom and moop and let’s get dusting.