The Wellness- Recovery Connection

1
The Wellness- Recovery Connection

• Practical Applications For Addictions
  Professionals
• John Newport, Ph.D.

2
Importance of Wellness to Recovery
3
Wellness DefinedWellness can be defined as the
dynamic process of taking charge of your health
and programming yourself to attain optimal health
and well-being.

• You are in the drivers seat.
• You set your goals and priorities, design and
  implement your wellness program, and determine
  how far you want to go!

4

• Wellness entails optimizing our physical health
  and MORE
• Striving for SELF ACTUALIZATION, while making
  recovery FUN!

5
Why Wellness is Essential to Recovery

• Repairing damage to mind and body
• Safeguarding against relapse
• Replacing negative behavior and anchoring clients
  in their recovery
• Promoting quality sobriety and helping clients
  ADD DECADES to their life expectancies!

6
Positive vs. Negative Addiction (Glasser)

• Negative Addictions ingrained self-destructive
  behaviors that foster unhealthy dependencies and
  decreased self-esteem
• Positive Addictions recurring behaviors that
  contribute to improved quality of life,
  heightened self-esteem and independence
• Examples Exercise, yoga or meditation, hobbies,
  any challenging activity

7
Wellness and Recovery Recent Historical Context

• Escalating Health Care Costs
• Paradox of high levels of health awareness and
  disconnect in health-related behaviors
• Decreasing resources for chemical dependency
  treatment

8
(No Transcript)
9
Wellness Recovery Connection in Preventing
Relapse
10
Wellness- Recovery Connection in Preventing
Relapse Relevant Research

• Physical Exercise (Sinyor) Canadian study of 58
  alcoholics completing primary treatment with
  intensive physical conditioning component.
• Findings At 3 months following completion of
  treatment, 69 of subjects in fitness group
  remained abstinent, compared with 39 of control
  group subjects.

11
Wellness and Relapse Prevention Authors
Research

• Study Focus 2 groups of subjects completing
  residential treatment
• Successful recovery and relapse groups (25 each)
• All subjects completed 24-item Wellness Lifestyle
  Assessment Questionnaire (Maximum Score 90)

12
Highlights Study Findings

• Mean Wellness Index Scores
• Recovery Group 54.8
• Relapse Group 39.1
• Significant differences registered for virtually
  all component items
• Meeting Attendance 88 of subjects in Recovery
  Group attended weekly 12-Step meetings, compared
  with only 36 of subjects in Relapse Group

13
Ramifications of Available Research Findings

• There appears to be a definite and positive
  association between actively pursuing a
  wellness-oriented lifestyle and reduced
  likelihood of relapse AND
• Available evidence suggests that following a
  wellness lifestyle goes hand in hand with working
  ones recovery program.

14
Summary How A Wellness Lifestyle Can Help
Prevent Relapse

• Helps anchor clients in their recovery,
  reinforcing their commitment to clean and sober
  living.
• Helps safeguard against relapse during early
  recovery when mind and body are most
  vulnerable.
• Fosters resiliency needed to deal with lifes ups
  and downs, without having to turn to drugs.
• Sound Nutrition strengthens mind and body AND
  combats biochemical triggers associated with
  relapse (excessive sugar, caffeine, etc.).

15
More Basic WellnessConcepts
16
(No Transcript)
17

18
Your Clients Have a CHOICE

• Addiction vs. Recovery
• Quality of Recovery Carrying a toxic lifestyle
  into their recovery OR Reaping the benefits
  associated with High Level Wellness (Wellness
  Illness Continuum)

19
In coaching clients to adopt a healthy lifestyle

• Transitioning
• is the Key!

20

• More on Exercise, Nutrition and Combating
  Nicotine
• Addiction

21
Benefits of Exercise in Recovery

• Superb overall health benefits Best health
  insurance you can give yourself!
• Produces Endorphins which help combat
  depression and anxiety
• A positive addiction that helps ground clients
  in their recovery

22
Benefits of Exercise (Cont.)

• KEY Encourage clients to embrace a core
  exercise they can learn to ENJOY
• EXERCISE BREAK

23
Nutritional Hazards of Alcoholism and Drug
Addiction include

• Disruption of appetite and displacement of
  nutritious foods
• Alcohols toxic effects on the body
• Heavy drinking linked to excess consumption of
  high-fat foods
• Disruption of bodys blood sugar balance The
  Alcohol-Sugar Connection

24
Nutritional Foundation for Recovery

• Get the basics down 3 3
• Emphasize nutritious whole foods (see
  Mediterranean Diet Pyramid)
• De-emphasize high fat foods, and go easy on sugar
  and caffeine
• Support your clients in transitioning to a
  healthy diet

25
Weight Management Problems? Try
Creative Accounting (Enron Style)
26
(No Transcript)
27

28

• Summary Sound Nutrition and Regular Exercise
  are KEY CORNERSTONES of lasting recovery!

29
Alcoholism and Nicotine as Co-Addictions

• Cigarette smoking is LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH for
  people in recovery!
• Between 80-95 percent of Alcoholics smoke
  cigarettes and 70 percent are heavy smokers
• Many alcoholics/addicts carry their Nicotine
  Addiction with them into recovery, although the
  majority report that they would like to quit!

30
Sobering Facts!

• Alcoholics and addicts who continue smoking are
  up to 8 times more likely to relapse to drinking
  and drug use.
• Source National Institute of Drug Abuse
• Both co-founders of AA died from tobacco-related
  causes

31
Conquering Nicotine Addiction

• Be proactive Meet clients at their stage of
  readiness
• Toll-Free Nicotine Cessation Help Lines
• WA 1-877-270-STOP
• Nicotine Anonymous and other group support
  programs (ACS, ALA, etc.)

32
Conquering Nicotine Addiction (Continued)

• Medical Support Motivating clients to quit, and
  monitoring Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
• Dont be discouraged by temporary weight gain.
• Slips and Relapses Slips are not uncommon.
  Average smoker quits 5 times before quitting for
  good!

33
Other Key Dimensions of Wellness and Recovery

• Stress Management Meditation/Relaxation
  Rituals, the Serenity Prayer as a stress mgmt
  tool (Break for BREATHING EXERCISE)
• Central Purpose, Spirituality and Life
  Satisfaction Focus on QUALITY OF LIFE in
  addition to promoting optimal health status.
• People having FUN in recovery are more likely to
  stay clean and sober!

34

• Action Planning for Wellness

35
Action Planning for Wellness Helping Your
Clients

• Identify their own Long Range Wellness Goals and
  Short Range Objectives
• Link appropriate action steps with each objective
• Follow through, monitor their progress and set
  new goals
• KEY Like Recovery, Wellness is a lifelong
  process of continuing growth!

36

• Practical
• Applications of Wellness and Recovery Principles

37
Applying Wellness Principles in Co-Occurring
Disorders

• Nutrition Optimal nutrition helps strengthen
  neurotransmitters, promoting a more favorable
  brain chemistry balance
• Curbing excessive sugar and caffeine consumption
  helps stabilize mood swings
• Exercise Helps combat depression and anxiety
  via endorphin production AND increased self-esteem

38
Wellness Applications in Co-Occurring Disorders
(Cont.)

• Meditation Helps promote positive
  mental-emotional equilibrium, and may reduce need
  for psychotropic medication
• Pursuing Ones Central Purpose ALL clients need
  to be actively encouraged to develop their
  potential to the fullest!

39
Practical Applications of Wellness and Recovery
in Primary Treatment

• Planting the seeds
• Introduce basic concepts of nutrition and fitness
  in recovery, stress management, etc.
• Emphasize importance of a wellness lifestyle in
  PREVENTING RELAPSE
• Highlight hazards of tobacco use Offer Smoking
  Cessation for clients who are ready!

40
Applications in Continuing Care

• Support clients grounding in recovery via
  wellness lifestyle programming
• Monitor clients dietary practices and
  participation in physical exercise
• Provide active support in stress management, and
  pursuing optimal personal fulfillment
• Actively confront Nicotine Addiction issues

41
Integrating Wellness Principles into Core Program
Components

• Group sessions focusing on key components of
  wellness in recovery
• Integrate wellness sound bites into individual
  counseling sessions
• Wellness and recovery homework assignments
• Referrals to community resources

42
The Therapists Role as Wellness Coach

• Position yourself as a role model in areas where
  you have something concrete to offer
• Wellness homework assignments Contracts to
  initiate change, Support in Transitioning
• Referrals to community resources for Fitness,
  Nutrition/Weight Loss, Smoking Cessation, etc.

43
Bringing ADDED VALUE to Your Programs

• Staff Development Supporting wellness
  interventions for at risk staff
• Combating Burn-Out in a highly stressful field
• Strengthening your programs Relapse Prevention
  emphasis
• Promoting quality sobriety, improved health
  status outcomes and reduced HC costs

44
Resources for Wellness and Recovery

• Website www.wellnessandrecovery.com
• Book The Wellness-Recovery Connection
  Charting Your Pathway to Optimal Health While
  Recovering from Alcoholism and Drug Addiction.
  (Volume discounts available)
• Counselor Magazine, Steps for Recovery
• Talks, Workshops and Consulting Services for
  Treatment Programs - focusing on Wellness and
  Recovery

45
To your health!!!