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Recovery Center of Baton Rouge has a blog available for loved ones & patients seeking material to keep them informed about addiction recovery processes.

The Beauty, Simplicity, and Practicality of 12-Step Slogans

The Beauty, Simplicity, and Practicality of 12-Step Slogans

A common theme found in most recovery programs, whether it’s in an AA hall, the rooms of NA, Celebrate Recovery through a Church, Rationale Recovery, addiction treatment centers, or Fill-in-the-blank recovery, is the plethora of honest, straight-forward, and practical suggestions that help people in recovery stay clean and sober. These suggestions apply across the board – for the heroin junkie, to the cocaine addict, to the stay-at-home-mom who’s drinking a hundred dollar a bottle wine, to the binge drinking young adult, to the addicted medical professional, to the opioid pain pill addict, to the chronic alcoholic who has all but lost hope. Experience has abundantly, and sometimes painfully shown, that an ability to follow direction and accept help is key to any type of recovery.

These recovery directions are best summarized and encapsulated (and typically hanging on the wall at meetings) through 12-step slogans. Interestingly, most of these slogans are derived from scripture in the New Testament and apply not only to maintaining recovery, but also to simply living life in a meaningful way. Here are a few of my favorites:

One day at a time

First things first

Play the tape all the way through

It’s not old behavior if you’re still doing it

You can’t get drunk if you don’t take the first drink

Easy does it

Think Think Think

Welcome to AA, we have a wrench to fit every nut that walks through the door

You never have to be alone

Acceptance is the answer

Relax and take it easy

But for the Grace of God, there go I

You’re right were you’re supposed to be

Change is a process, not an event

The good news is there’s help, the bad news is we’re it

This too shall pass

Don’t worry about getting in touch with your feelings, they’ll get in touch with you

Don’t Think, don’t drink, go to meetings

What other people think of you is none of your business

Let go and let God

Rule 62: Don’t take yourself so seriously

Recovery works if you work it

You cant’ change without change

 

Tips for Staying Sober During The Holidays

Tips for Staying Sober During The Holidays

From the desk of Greg Tiritilli, RAC

The long-awaited change of seasons is finally here. As temperatures begin to cool, sober people find themselves facing a multitude of high-risk situations.

Parties and gatherings surrounding the fall semester, football and tailgating, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years can bring up a complicated set of emotions. Staying sober during the holidays means implementing the appropriate coping skills and recovery tools to manage your addiction recovery.

Dealing with excitement and joy can bring about cravings and using thoughts just like depression and anxiety.

First, it’s important to not lose perspective.

Certain events are high risk regardless of the motivation behind them. This is not to say that all parties and gatherings are off limits, but even the most benign family function can lead to cravings. It is the sober person’s responsibility to have a plan in place to address temptations should they arise. Having access to transportation to leaving the party, calling or texting a sponsor or sober friend before, during, or after the event, bring a sober support companion with you, and avoid people who will encourage drinking or using.

Second, sobriety requires sacrifice.

One of the most difficult challenges for newly sober people is the idea of delayed gratification. If a person can put off their “wants” and focus closely on their “needs” the chances of making an impulsive decision decrease dramatically. If a person can recognize that it is okay to not accept every invitation or go to every event, they can improve their chance at long-term sobriety. A person can sacrifice these things now to ensure that they can enjoy them in the future.

Third, develop self-awareness.

If you have grief or trauma as a part of your history, holidays can bring up a unique set of difficulties. Certain family members or friends or being involved in holiday events can bring up anxiety, fear, malaise, depression, anger, or any other negative emotion. If you can recognize this as a typical response to the season, then it may be beneficial to take a preventive approach by ramping up 12 step involvement, engaging in activities that will encourage spiritual growth, communicate with members of your recovery network, exercising, healthy eating, journaling, and individual therapy.

You Can Do This.

It’s always important to pause and take stock of just how far you have come. Having broken free from the bondage of addiction allowed you to have a new lease on life. The effort, concentration, and work that you put in to the “getting sober” process is monumental and it’s this effort that allows you to enjoy the things life can offer. Protect what you’ve worked so hard for by being mindful of what it took to get you here.

 

Addiction Recovery During the Holidays

From the desk of Greg Tiritilli, RAC

The long awaited change of seasons is finally here. As temperatures begin to cool, sober people find themselves facing a multitude of high risk situations.

Parties and gatherings surrounding the fall semester, football and tailgating, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years can bring up a complicated set of emotions. Staying sober during the holidays means implementing the appropriate coping skills and recovery tools to manage your addiction recovery.

Dealing with excitement and joy can bring about cravings and using thoughts just like depression and anxiety.

First, it’s important to not lose perspective. Certain events are high risk regardless of the motivation behind them. This is not to say that all parties and gatherings are off limits, but even the most benign family function can lead to cravings. It is the sober person’s responsibility to have a plan in place to address temptations should they arise. Having access to transportation to leaving the party, calling or texting a sponsor or sober friend before, during, or after the event, bring a sober support companion with you, and avoid people who will encourage drinking or using.

Second, sobriety requires sacrifice. One of the most difficult challenges for newly sober people is the idea of delayed gratification. If a person can put off their “wants” and focus closely on their “needs” the chances of making an impulsive decision decrease dramatically. If a person can recognize that it is okay to not accept every invitation or go to every event, they can improve their chance at long term sobriety. A person can sacrifice these things now to ensure that they can enjoy them in the future.

Third, develop self-awareness. If you have grief or trauma as a part of your history, holidays can bring up a unique set of difficulties. Certain family members or friends or being involved in holiday events can bring up anxiety, fear, malaise, depression, anger, or any other negative emotion. If you can recognize this as a typical response to the season, then it may be beneficial to take a preventive approach by ramping up 12 step involvement, engaging in activities that will encourage spiritual growth, communicate with members of your recovery network, exercising, healthy eating, journaling, and individual therapy.

It’s always important to pause and take stock of just how far you have come. Having broken free from the bondage of addiction allowed you to have a new lease on life. The effort, concentration, and work that you put in to the “getting sober” process is monumental and it’s this effort that allows you to enjoy the things life can offer. Protect what you’ve worked so hard for by being mindful of what it took to get you here.

Understanding Relapse

From the desk of Rudy L. Troyer, LCSW

“Relapse is part of the recovery process.” This statement is perhaps my biggest pet peeve within the addiction treatment community. It is also a very dangerous view of recovery that implicitly “gives permission,” or at the very least, justification for, relapse. If we tell our patients that they are doomed to fail, what’s the point of them or their families spending thousands of dollars for treatment? Shouldn’t we encourage those suffering addiction that there is hope? That you never have to use or drink again? That you have been given an opportunity to have a new life?

I know many individuals who have been recovered for years without a single relapse. I also know, and have worked with, many who have relapsed. This article is by no means a dig at them. Sometimes, a relapse can become an eye-opening experience for someone who was not fully bought into recovery, and solidify their motivation to fully recover. Other times, unfortunately, it is a fast track to suicide, overdose, or prison.

Shaming patients about their relapse does not work. Loving them through their relapse and having healthy boundaries around their addiction does work. In other words: “I will never tell you it’s okay to relapse, way too many people die or end up in prison. However, it’s not the end of the world, and recovery can still work for you if you want it bad enough.” “It’s time to get into action.”

At The Recovery Center of Baton Rouge, we work diligently with our patients to prevent relapse, and to help them develop meaningful and long term recovery. I fully believe, and have witnessed firsthand, that if a person experiences the true joy, freedom, and comradery that is so easily found in recovery, they will never want to go back to the bondage and pain of their addictions. Recovery is possible and treatment does work!

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How to Identify Signs of Substance Abuse

From the Desk of Rudy L. Troyer, LCSW

It is oftentimes difficult for family members to identify signs that a loved one is abusing alcohol or drugs. There are various factors that attribute to this difficulty, the main one being denial. The term denial is frequently belabored into (or more appropriately out of) clients who are in treatment for drug addiction or alcoholism. Simply stated, denial is an inability (whether conscious or subconscious) to see reality as it really is. For the addicted person, it may sound like: “Depression is really my problem, not the booze or the cocaine,” or “You’re overreacting, it’s perfectly reasonable to enjoy drinking.”

Unfortunately, denial does not stop with the addicted person, it usually severely affects the family as well. We are all wired to want to believe that the people we love are okay, if this weren’t so, we’d fall apart with anxiety. Addiction and alcoholism hijack this tendency to the point where the family can become blind (either consciously or subconsciously) to the real problem.

Below is a list of common signs, symptoms, and risk factors that are typically associated with someone who is abusing alcohol or drugs:

  • Withdrawal from family and friends
  • Missing work or school
  • Often sick with flu-like symptoms (this could be a sign of pain pill or heroin withdrawal)
  • Dilated pupils or bloodshot eyes
  • A sharp change in demeanor or personality
  • Withdrawal from hobbies, interests, or life passions
  • Increased irritability
  • Increased anxiety or depression
  • A sharp change in sleep patterns (either increased or decreased, depending on the type of substance)
  • A refusal to take an alcohol or drug screen
  • Legal charges (DWI or Possession)
  • Inability to account for changes in spending habits
  • Stealing
  • Elevated liver enzymes (alcohol)
  • Seizures
  • Vomiting
  • Having Blackouts
  • Track marks
  • Finding drug paraphernalia (pipes, rolling papers, straws cut in half, scales, etc.)
  • Traditional therapy and medication management not being effective for mental health symptoms
  • A family history of addiction or alcoholism
  • A history of trauma
  • A history of social problems, low self-esteem
  • Friends, other family members, or co-workers voicing concern about the person’s alcohol or substance use
  • Decrease in work or academic performance
  • The person’s life starts to “revolve” around alcohol or substance use
  • Finding drugs or alcohol that the person has hidden
  • Re-currently catching the person in lies.

This list is not exhaustive. If you feel a loved one has a problem with alcohol or drugs, please call for help!

Get to know our team – Garrett Cheramie

Garrett Cheramie Admissions Coordinator Recovery Center of Baton RougeQ: What is the most rewarding part of being on staff at The Recovery Center Intensive Outpatient Program?

Being able to watch clients and members of their family rebuild in recovery.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
Fishing, traveling, LSU football with my daughters, and spending time at the camp with my wife and children.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Knowing that some will lose their life due to this illness and not having the power to stop it.

Q: Do people really recover from drug and alcohol addiction?

Yes. I am able to see it daily in this field. The many miracles that happen are truly a blessing to witness.

Q: Do you have any pets?

I have a Sheltie named Bella, and four fish named Olaf, Elsa, Anna, and Gary.

Q: What are the most common barriers to recovery you see people face in early on in their treatment?

Definitely changing old lifestyles and friends that will be negative to any healthy and spiritual growth; being hopeful and positive when things don’t go exactly your way.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant?

La Mexicana is a favorite of mine. La Fonda Boricua in Spanish Harlem; I only ate their once but it was awesome. My all time favorite is at my house with my wife as chef.

Q: What lead you to work in the addiction recovery field?

After completing treatment myself in 2000, I began working in an acute psych unit, then in a primary residential facility here in Baton Rouge. Truly enjoy giving back what was given to me.
Q: What is your style of facilitating group sessions?
Laid back, but honest. I try to have a setting that is comfortable, yet serious about recovery and the change that is needed.
Q: What is the most important thing you’d like your clients to learn while in treatment?
For them to know that they can handle what life throws at them, to use your support system and enjoy their lives and that being happy is achievable.
Q: Who are your role models?
My PaPa (Grandfather). He showed me so many things about life, respect for self and others, and work ethic; loved that man.
Q: How would you describe The Recovery Center?
A safe place, full of caring people who are there for you at any time without judgement.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A Streetcar Named Desire. Also love Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault is also on the list.

Get to know our team – Gregg Tiritilli

Gregg Tiritilli Addictions Counselor Recovery Center of Baton RougeQ: What is the most rewarding part of being on staff at The Recovery Center Intensive Outpatient Program?

I find it incredibly rewarding to be a part of a team that cares so much about the patients and their family. I get to work with the people I look up to, some of the best therapist around. I get to work with my friends.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
Live Music, Fishing, Running, Spending time with my family and friends. I love traveling and seeing new places. I’ve also been known to binge on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

It’s really hard to know people suffering. For me, the toughest part of the job is to see suffering and not having the power to do anything about it.

Q: Do people really recover from drug and alcohol addiction?

Yes, absolutely.

Q: Do you have any pets?

I have two dogs, A Great Dane and a Lab.

Q: What are the most common barriers to recovery you see people face in early on in their treatment?

Changing lifestyle and old habits, replacing unhealthy relationships, dealing with consequences, managing boredom and mood swings.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant?

That’s hard to answer, I kinda cycle through favorites. I’ve been on a Pho kick lately, so Saigon Noodle and Dream Berry. I have also been eating at La Frontera, they make the best tacos in town.

Q: What lead you to work in the addiction recovery field?

When I was getting sober I had some really great counselors, specifically a lady named Angie Haught. She help save my life. It inspired me to do the same.
Q: What is your style of facilitating group sessions?
Conversational and honest. I try to create an environment that is comfortable and safe in which people can get the support and direction they need. Humor along with sincerity, truth along with compassion.
Q: What is the most important thing you’d like your clients to learn while in treatment?
I’d like them to learn how to live and enjoy their lives without going to jail or losing their families. I’d like my clients to learn how to deal with all the stuff life throws at you in a healthy way so that they can achieve their goals.
Q: Who are your role models?
My mother and father, Jesus, Buddha, The Beatles (not Ringo), Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dostoevski, Joe Strummer, my wife and daughter, Krishna, John Fante, Jean Paul Sartre, VanGogh, Joan of Arc, Jonas Salk, Malala Yousafzai, Carl Sagan, and Khalil Gibran to name a few.
Q: How would you describe The Recovery Center?
A healthy and supportive environment where people can find friendship, structure, and a hot cup of coffee.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
I have varied taste in movies. I like everything from David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick films to superhero movies. Jaws is always on my top 10 list.

Get to know our team – Marcia J. Bannister

Marcia Bannister Executive & Clinical Director Recovery Center of Baton RougeQ: What is the most rewarding part of being on staff at The Recovery Center Intensive Outpatient Program?

I find joy and purpose in watching individuals and families reconnect and heal through recovery.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy attending La. festivals, concerts and plays. Travel is my real passion. My goal is to visit all the places on my bucket list.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Accepting when I have done all that I can and helping families to let go.

Q: Do people really recover from alcohol and drug addiction?

Definitely, just go to a birthday meeting at AA or a speaker meeting to see the miracles of recovery

Q: Do you have any pets?

Yes. I have a 3 year old Boxer named Remy and a 6.5 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Abby.

Q: What are the most common barriers to recovery you see people face in early on in their treatment?

I think the need to change friends and developing a new social support system is very challenging. Also the idea of surrendering to a new lifestyle.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant?

Middendorf’s in Manchac, La.

Q: What lead you to work in the addiction recovery field?

After working in the criminal justice system early in my career, I began to believe that there had to be a better solution than the “revolving door” in prisons. I am also an ACOA.
Q: What is your style of facilitating group sessions?
I would have to say that I am laid back but will confront when necessary. I also use humor as a means to build relationships within the group.
Q: What is the most important thing you’d like your clients to learn while in treatment?
That there is always hope.
Q: Who are your role models?
I would have to say my mother and my daughter. My mother taught me to be self-reliant. My daughter taught me to take risks and the meaning of unconditional love. Of course I have had several mentors over the years.
Q: How would you describe The Recovery Center?
A place where you are always welcome and a Staff that is truly a family that cares and will go that extra mile to help you.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
“To Kill a Mockingbird”with Gregory Peck.

Get to know our team – David “Fritz” Vogt

David Vogt Family Therapist Recovery Center of Baton Rouge Q: What is the most rewarding part of being on staff at The Recovery Center Intensive Outpatient Program?

Having the opportunity to help families find recovery. I also enjoy the camaraderie and support of the other staff members.

 
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
My idea of fun typically involves spending time with my wife and our one year old son. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, and college football.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Witnessing the devastation addiction causes to families.

Q: Do people really recover from drug and alcohol addiction?

Yes, they do really recover. Not only do they get better, but often times they achieve a higher level of functioning than they ever previously experienced. This being said, in order to stay healthy individuals must actively work on their recovery.

Q: Do you have any pets?

We have two family dogs. One is a miniature dachshund named Chuck and the other is a miniature schnauzer named Izzy.

Q: What are the most common barriers to recovery you see people face in early on in their treatment?

Letting go of old (unhealthy) friends and relationships. People also tend to struggle finding fun sober things to do.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant?

Charlie’s in Springfield Louisiana

Q: What lead you to work in the addiction recovery field?

I began my own recovery in 2001. Shortly after completing extended care treatment I began working at the facility as a technician. I really enjoyed working with the clients and it became apparent that this would be a rewarding career choice.
Q: What is your style of facilitating group sessions?
I view group as an opportunity for participants to support and learn from each other. As a facilitator, it is my job to direct and educate where needed. At the same time, allowing the group process to be as natural as possible.
Q: What is the most important thing you’d like your clients to learn while in treatment?
That life can be and is fulfilling without using substances.
Q: Who are your role models?
My Mother and Father
Q: How would you describe The Recovery Center?
A caring place that provides opportunities for people to get better.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
Any movie I watch from the comfort of my la-z-boy recliner.

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