Recovery Coaching » Therapeutic Community

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the essentials of the Therapeutic Community (TC) theory and its practical “whole person” approach to the treatment of substance abuse disorders and related problems. Part 1 outlines the perspective of the traditional views of the substance abuse disorder, the substance abuser, and the basic components of this approach. Part II explains the organizational structure of the TC, its work components, and the role of residents and staff. The chapters in Part III describe the essential activities of TC life that relate most directly to the recovery process and the goals of rehabilitation. The final part outlines how individuals change in the TC behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally. It is an invaluable resource for all addictions professionals and students.

Step by Step

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:17:29 +0000

Those in recovery from addictions, characteristically want things quickly, even their recovery. As a result they miss important steps in their learning. The maxim ‘step by step’ reminds recovering addicts that recovery is about learning, and learning is incremental. What is learned at one point becomes the foundation for the next piece of learning. Step by step!

Step by Step is a post from: Recovery Coaching

There’s no free lunch!

admin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:20:46 +0000

“There’s no free lunch” endorses the values of earning rewards and of becoming self-reliant, to take ownership. It emphasises that nothing is given without cost, that those in the community should not expect something for nothing. The lesson here is that all provision without return of effort, only enables an individual to remain dependent and exploitative. In the self-help community, the daily meals, education, clothing and medical care are provided as long as the resident plays his part in the community and the recovery process.

There’s no free lunch! is a post from: Recovery Coaching

Act As If

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:30:35 +0000

“Act as if” is a basic concept for those who travel through the Therapeutic Community. This concept at first glance seems to run counter to the perceived wisdom of changing the way we think before we can change the way we act. But it requires at least an element of thinking that we can change the way we act before we embark on this course.

“Act as if” requires us to behave in a way that we would rather be, than the way we have been. We have all at some time put on an act of confidence when we feel like hiding in a hole. We may have attended a job interview where we feel inside that we may be out of our depth, or had to stand up in public and speak to a group of people when the butterflies start. But we take a deep breath and enter in to the part of acting confidently and we begin to adapt to the part.

Despite feelings to the contrary, we often “act as if” in our families and communities. It means keeping a right attitude and adopting shared values. It avoids stereotyping and discrimination and includes being self motivated and adopting an optimistic outlook about our future. George de Leon, whose work founded the Therapeutic Community model, suggests, “In the Therapeutic Community view, acting as if is not just an exercise in conformity but a powerful mechanism for making a more complete psychological change. Feelings, insights, and altered self-perceptions often follow rather than precede behaviour change”.

So, this means that trying a new role often leads us to embrace a new way of thinking. As we act on our desire to become, we reinforce the behaviours necessary for the new role. Act as if you already are, and you will become. The new role will start to fit and the need for acting as if will no longer be necessary. You become the person you want to be.

If you want to become a writer, start writing. If you want to be an actor, start acting (isn’t that what we are doing when we act as if?). If you want to change your self centred lifestyle, start helping others, become a volunteer. Want to be addiction free? Start acting as if you are already there.

Acting as if does not have room for the negative. There is no “I Can’t”, or “I am not good enough”. What do you want to become? You already know it. That still small voice inside will guide you. You will pick up the skills as you go along. This is ‘on the job’ training.

Positive feelings lead to positive actions. “Acting as if” is focusing on what is beneficial to us as well as others. So the order is ‘act as if, think as if, feel as if, believe as if’.

A variant of acting as if is the phrase, “do it right, then you will understand why you have been doing it wrong”. This helps to overcome scepticism. In particular, it speaks to those individuals who resist acting as if, often seeking intellectual understanding before they try to change. This instruction directs us to go ahead and change the behaviour even before we understand why the change is good for us. It helps to bypass the question “What if?” and goes straight to the heart of the matter. More generally, by living right, we come to understand why we have been living wrong.

Act As If is a post from: Recovery Coaching

What Goes Around Comes Around

admin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:42:50 +0000

You may think of the successful lyrics of Justin Timberlake when you hear the term, “What Goes around comes around”. Popular songs have a way of taking an old saying, and giving new expression to it. But this term means different things to different people.

To some “what goes around comes around” means that you will get what you deserve, or, that the chickens will come home to roost.

To others it seems to imply that you will get what’s coming to you, or that you will get what you deserve. John Lennon, who had a neat way with words, once wrote,

Instant Karmas gonna get you

Gonna knock you right on the head

You better get yourself together

Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead

What in the world you thinking of

Laughing in the face of love

So, does it all balance out in the end? All this does not bode well for those in recovery. The last thing they want, is to get what they deserve, and, that instant karma doesn’t sound too good.

So why frame this maxim and put it up on the wall in your Therapeutic Community’s dining room? What does this expression mean in the life of those in recovery from drug addiction?

“What goes around comes around” is about the skill of learning patience. The bigger picture, however, is to provide a coping mechanism to handle the circumstances that life throws at us. Most of the consequences now coming back to us, are now outside of our control. Life is not fair. We have been dealt a bad hand.

Injustices and set backs are part of life, of relationships, of trying our best and not being recognised, of not being affirmed for what we have accomplished, or in relationships yet to be reconciled. This is all part of the daily grind but it can serve to discourage those in recovery. Getting a grasp of the meaning of 2what goes around comes around” helps the person to accept the circumstances and deal with the consequences.

This maxim may have two important messages. First, patience is required to accept unfairness and injustice in our daily lives because these factors are part of life. Second, although we may feel that the circumstances are not ours to control, this doesn’t mean that we should just be resigned to our fate. We should go forward confidently because we have a hope that things will get sorted out in the future. We are not alone in experiencing these things, and we will not be tested beyond our endurance.

What Goes Around Comes Around is a post from: Recovery Coaching

Recovery Coaching » Therapeutic Community

The Therapeutic Community: Theory, Model and Method (Hardcover)

Related Blogs

Step by Step

There’s no free lunch!

Act As If

What Goes Around Comes Around