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Since you are researching addiction counseling, then you have decided it’s time for a change in your life. For that reason, today, we will discuss 5 reversals or changes you can expect. Ultimately, it is our hope you make the choice to reach out and reverse the patterns of addiction in your life.

Understand Your ‘Why’ with Addiction Counseling

When we make changes without understanding the negative motivations or unmet needs that drive us, relapse is a threat. Addiction counseling guides us to the reasons why we make choices that destroy. It also helps us understand why our addictions gained so much control.

Ultimately, we are able to reverse these negative choices with ‘whys’ that are powerful enough to help us make positive choices. Then, our positive choices pave the way to the life we deserve.

Retrain Your Brain

Part of discovering our ‘why’ lies in identifying our triggers. Triggers include things like boredom, anxiety, fear, or stress. These triggers unleash ‘tapes’ or thoughts that drive us towards negative behaviors. Addiction counseling helps you identify negative self-talk that leads to destructive patterns. More importantly, you can unleash the power of positive responses to these triggers. These new responses will fuel your relationships and habits to a better life. More about this:

Gain and Restore Relationships

If you are caught in addiction, you know its destructive power is most painfully felt in your relationships. Addictions destroy marriages. Regrettably, addiction tears parent and child apart. As a result, addiction is a disease of the lonely. It does this by pulling us away from the people we need most.

Addiction therapy recognizes this. If you feel you are not at a place to restore what is broken, counseling can help you build new, healthy relationships. In time, these new relationships will become the strong foundation you need to stand on as you restore what has been broken.

Exchange Negative Behaviors for Blessings

To this point, we have identified how addiction counseling helps us identify our triggers and the broken relationships they fuel and, sometimes, are fueled by them. Now, it is time to talk about trading bad habits for blessings!

For example: stress is your trigger for drinking. In a previous session you told your counselor, “I have always been interested in bird watching.” As a result, she encourages you to join the Audubon Society. Soon, you are going on weekly outings identifying species in the area parks. Following your second trip you have a conversation with a fellow birder who works for a company that needs someone with your skill set. In addition, 3 months later, you go to the doctor and discover you have lost 10 pounds and no longer qualify as pre-diabetic because of your walks in the park.

As a result of unlocking one trigger, you reverse it and gain so much power. You explore your love of nature. New friendships open doors that reduce work stress. Furthermore, your health is better. Finally, you soon discover that a second trigger, boredom, is no longer a threat!

Secrets

One of our clients’ favorite rewards of addiction counseling is reversing the role of secrets in their life.

Addiction counseling reverses secrets. One of the most destructive things about addiction is all the secrets that can’t be spoken. Through focused behavioral therapy, clients who hid in the darkness of pain and confusion only months before receive the tools to live openly in their truth.

Without a doubt, unlocking your true self is one of the greatest benefits of addiction counseling! This world needs the one and only you. One of our greatest passions is seeing clients unlock their full potential. Above all, you living your authentic life is priceless!

Unlock the Power of Addiction Counseling Today

Ready to take the next step?

Call 502-451-1221 or email tmcinfo@themortoncenter.org and our addiction counseling team will determine the most effective treatment programs and services to help reclaim your life from addiction.

Addiction treatment for first responders is a vital part of our country’s responsibility to help our helpers. When we think about large trauma events like 9/11 or active shooter scenarios, everyone recognizes the mental and emotional challenges put on our first responders. Nevertheless, every day, there are thousands of smaller events all across the country that can lead to PTSD or overwhelming stress loads for our community helpers.

First Responders Face Daily Critical Incidents

Imagine for a minute, you just sat down for dinner, when a call comes. You leave the food on the table and head out the door to an accident scene. There are minors involved. A DPS officer is the first on the scene. As firefighters arrive he informs them two teenage occupants of one vehicle are deceased. They tell him where tarps are and he covers the bodies as the firefighters begin triage for three more. A small child is the most critical. Her mother is injured but the greater concern is her emotional distress for her child. Yet, a third victim has relatively minor injuries but witnesses say was involved in a race with another car. EMS arrives on the scene and preps the child for transport. The DPS officer begins his investigation of a possible homicide.

Every first responder in this scenario is faced with overwhelmingly challenging realities of life, death, and violence. While all first responders are trained for these situations, their emotional and mental responses long-term will be as varied as their past experience, home life, and family. Each will be offered a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing but first responders are often reticent to show the impact of the incident. They each fear they might be perceived as too distraught to continue to perform the job.

Over the last two years, our communities have faced increasing stress. During this time, first responders have come face to face with covid patients and dramatic rises in traffic fatalities. They have seen the consequences of low cancer screening rates and been called to respond to a rise in family violence including child abuse.

Our first responders have come face-to-face with the difficulties of a worldwide pandemic as well as the resulting economic and social challenges. The increases in so many areas have served to make some of our strongest our most vulnerable.

The Need for Access and Confidentiality

As a result of this, it is no surprise that more first responders than ever are facing long-term PTSD or seeking to “take the edge off” with alcohol or drugs. Studies have shown, having PTSD alone doubles a person’s risk of alcohol and drug misuse. By the time first responders recognize there is a problem, these heroes usually fear being relieved of duty or losing their jobs if they seek help.

First responders signed up for their duty knowing they would face trauma. They do so because they care about our communities and they want to help. So how do we respond when those who are helpers are in need of help?

The answer should be clear. We remove roadblocks to treatment while providing confidentiality in the treatment of their disease. At the same time, we work hard to reduce the stigma attached to first responders seeking help.

Addiction Treatment for First Responders

At the Morton Center, we are passionate about helping the helpers. Our outpatient program is confidential and easily accessible. If you or a loved one are a first responder and struggling with addiction the first step to healing can be as simple as a phone call. Our treatment programs are available on an outpatient basis and through telehealth support online.

The Morton Center counselors are here to support you. Our confidential hotline is available with resources and counselors who want to help you determine the best next steps for you or your loved one.

The Morton Center counselors are here to support you. Our confidential hotline is available with resources and counselors who want to help you determine the best next steps for you or your loved one.

Call us at (502) 451-1221 to get help today.

How You Can Help the Helpers

If you are reading and want to know how you can help our first responders and others facing addiction join our Heroes for Hope and be a difference-maker. When you give right now, you’ll be part of a vision to change the lives of hundreds of families for generations to come! Please be as generous as you can to provide a life-changing recovery from addiction. 

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the winter holiday season, bringing with it family gatherings, traditional foods, and indulgence. But a holiday centered around eating and drinking so much that people often joke about having to “unbutton their pants” can trigger serious overindulgence issues for people who struggle with alcohol abuse and addiction.

Throw the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on top of that, and it’s a challenging time to stay sober. From 2019 to 2020, a study by RAND Social and Economic Wellbeing found a 41% increase in binge drinking by women, defined as having four or more drinks in one sitting. Last June, the Centers for Disease Control found that 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with adverse mental health symptoms or substance abuse.

Most of the studies have something in common: increased drinking in response to stress and job loss.

“While we are still learning how the COVID pandemic is impacting alcohol use, it seems clear that some people are drinking more while others are drinking less. In many studies, increases in consumption during the pandemic were linked to increases in stress,” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Director Dr. George Koob told USA TODAY.

The numbers are soaring in Louisville, too.

Priscilla McIntosh, executive director of local nonprofit treatment center The Morton Center, said the center’s intakes have increased 50% since 2019, plus a 62% increase in people calling seeking help with substance abuse.

“So many individuals have been isolated for so long [during the pandemic] and are feeling their way to getting back out,” McIntosh said. “Sometimes we want to drain those emotions by drinking or using another substance.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, more people drink beyond their limits during the holidays than at any other time of the year. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that Thanksgiving is the deadliest holiday on the road, with more than 800 people dying of alcohol-related car accidents Thanksgiving week from 2012 to 2016.

However, McIntosh said she’s seen an equivalent rise in people seeking assistance around Thanksgiving, too. This year the center has received 25% more calls in November than last year, and the team expects the spike to continue through the new year.

People tend to drink more around the winter holidays simply because they are more likely to socialize or attend holiday parties. For some, the holidays bring instances of happiness and camaraderie. For others, the holidays can be a time of family conflict, strained wallets, loneliness, and seasonal affective disorder, also known as seasonal depression or winter blues.

Karyn Hascal, president of the Louisville-based recovery program The Healing Place, said the winter holidays can be triggering for those struggling with alcohol because of all the rituals surrounding alcohol, like toasts.

“There are a lot of social cues around the holidays that involve alcohol, like toasting in the New Year or having wine with dinner at a family holiday event,” she said. “These social cues can be triggers for people who are struggling with recovery. It’s not as easy as just saying no.”

With stresses mounting, this year’s holiday season could make staying sober or controlling your alcohol intake difficult, especially if you haven’t seen family or attended gatherings in months or years due to the pandemic.

But experts say it’s possible to stay sober with thoughtful planning, understanding triggers that could lead to increased alcohol consumption, and tweaking traditions as needed.

Here are four things experts say you should keep in mind for your own and your guests’ safety and well-being as you plan holiday gatherings.

1. Plan ahead and have an exit plan

If you know you’re attending a holiday gathering where alcohol will be served, the number one thing you can do to help your future self is have a plan in place. Drive separately so if you’re uncomfortable in the situation, you can leave on your own terms. Plan a way out of situations or have a person you can call for help.

“You can [even] leave and go to a meeting,” McIntosh said. “Lean on those meetings. Know where they are and how to get to one. That planning process is key so if you’re in a moment, you know exactly what to do and you don’t have to think about it.”

McIntosh also recommends having a planned response to family members or friends asking why you’re not drinking. It can be as simple as “I’m not drinking” or “I’m on medication.”

“You don’t have to go into detail, and you need to know that’s okay,” McIntosh said. “Sometimes we see family once a year, sometimes more. Those family members may know. But you need to do what makes you feel comfortable.” Leah Kelly, manager of Global Responsibility at Brown-Forman,said it’s just as important to have an exit plan for holiday gatherings.Safety plans don’t just apply to those who struggle with addiction, either: anyone who drinks alcohol at an event should plan a safe way to get home. 

“If you can drink, you’re an adult, and you should make the best decision for yourself,” she said. “If you’re hosting, be proactive about asking how these folks are going to get home. Tell family members to carpool, prepare for them to spend the night or arrange safe rides home ahead of time. “

2. Have your support system on call 

If you have a sponsor or therapist, ask them if they think a holiday gathering would be high-risk for you. Reach out to your support system — those people can help you do everything from supporting you in the moment to coming up with an excuse to not attend.

McIntosh said the pressure to not disappoint family members during the holiday season is strong, but taking care of yourself is more important.

“It’s okay if you decide this year is not the year for you,” she said. “If you find you can’t do [holiday events] this year, Zoom with those you want to connect with. You can still have that one-on-one.”

Hascal of The Healing Place suggested removing yourself from a room or situation to make a phone call can work wonders, especially to “reinforce the positive message” of why you’re working on recovery. 

“Our clients develop coping mechanisms and resiliency, so when they leave here they have the tools…that help you deal with life,” she said. “Nowhere in this life can you go where there’s no one using alcohol. You’ll be exposed to it, so you have to learn to deal with life as it’s presented to you. It’s about getting sober in the context of your lives.”

3. Remember why you’re there

Whether you’re hosting an event or going to an event, remember why you’re there. The point is to have a memorable experience, enjoy yourself and reconnect with loved ones, Kelly said, not to drink alcohol,

“Lean into that experience and make sure you’re not questioning why someone is or is not drinking,” Kelly said. “If you see someone struggling, say something. If a family member is pressuring someone, check that and say ‘it doesn’t matter why this person isn’t drinking, I’m just happy they’re here.'”

A big part of Kelly’s job at Brown-Forman is promoting moderation in drinking year-round, not just during the holidays. That also applies to respecting peoples’ choices to drink or not, which could be anything from adjusting a relationship to alcohol to not wanting a cocktail in that exact moment.

Kelly also stressed that no one is entitled to anyone’s recovery story, and you shouldn’t push for details.

“They don’t have to talk about it if they don’t choose to,” she said. “And if they do, recognize that’s a gift. You then have an opportunity to support them in a way that feels included. If you’re hosting an event meant to be memorable and inclusive, everyone is going to enjoy themselves.”

4. It’s OK to tweak your holiday traditions

You can still have fun if you’re sober. The holidays have lots of celebrations and rituals surrounding alcohol, but you can still participate in a non-alcoholic way, Hascal with The Healing Place said. If everyone’s having mimosas, have an orange juice. It’s okay if yours doesn’t have alcohol in it.

You can still have fun if you’re sober. The holidays have lots of celebrations and rituals surrounding alcohol, but you can still participate in a non-alcoholic way, Hascal with The Healing Place said. If everyone’s having mimosas, have an orange juice. It’s okay if yours doesn’t have alcohol in it.

“It’s helping people to understand you can still be a part of the celebration, just in a different way, and it doesn’t have to be a big deal,” she said.

A holiday gathering may be a high-risk situation for you, but you can still go as long as you’re careful. Recovery is about what you do when you encounter alcohol or situations in which you used to drink. It’s about “being able to maintain recovery in the context of your life,” Hascal said.

“Holidays are difficult for everybody,” she said. “Families have baggage and history. But it’s possible to rise above it all and try and have an enjoyable time. Know that you’re not the only person struggling through the holidays.”

If you need someone to discuss any of this with you, we are happy to chat – give us a call at (502) 451-1221.

Drug rehab is coming to a conclusion. At least the formal part. You or your loved one have come a long way. The work to repair broken relationships has begun. There may even have a sense of wholeness you haven’t felt in years. Nevertheless, there is something else growing: FEAR.

Fear usually comes with questions. What do I do now? How do I maintain my sobriety? What if I relapse? What if I fail?

You need security. Not just today but for years to come.

The ideas in this article are not a substitute for you and your counselor or care team’s plan. It is hopefully a reminder or a place you can come to when you need a reminder. Bookmark it in your browser or read it once and place all of the strategies on your phone. However, you choose to make these choices, they will serve to help secure a successful recovery, not just for you, but for your loved ones as well.

1. ANCHOR

Remember this acronym: ANCHOR! This isn’t an anchor that holds you down or constrains you. It is one that secures you. Secures your freedom and your family. Secures your sobriety and your sanity.

A – Assess

N – Narcotics Anonymous

C – Caring Contacts

H – Home Harbors

O – Outside Activities

R – Rest & Relax

These points, or something like them, should be built by you and your team. Don’t wait until the day the storm is raging. Secure your ANCHOR now. Establish your plan. Here is how:

2. Assess – Make the Hard Decisions NOW

I received a call from an addict who had relapsed and, in this case, violated his parole. He was in jail and as a result of his choices was headed back to prison for a minimum 6-month stay. Feelings of panic were settling in and the fear of ‘being caged’ again was strong. He said, “I don’t know what to do? I don’t know how I even got here?”

I asked, “When did you decide to go to the bar?” He replied, “I was at a stop sign and could have turned left to go home or right to go out. I made a bad decision at the stop sign.” I said, “No, when did you make the bad decision?” He sounded surprised, “It wasn’t at the stop sign?” I simply said, “No.” Then I heard him get it. “I knew when I left work I wasn’t in a good place. The day was stressful, I was tired and I knew that stop sign was coming. I made the bad decision before I ever got there.”

He was absolutely right. We then talked about what he would do every day during his 6 months of incarceration. Visualize turning left. Visualize the messed-up stuff of life and work and family and making the right choices. He wrote down scenarios. He imagined problems with family and friends. The type of problems you can predict in life and then he wrote down what he could turn to rather than drugs.

Over the next 180 days, he visualized, his first day out, over and over again, literally and figuratively turning left at that stop sign. He visualized his first day back at work, then his first Thanksgiving and Christmas. You get the idea. Visualize your stressors, your pressure points now. Choose which ones you will avoid. Make the hard decisions before you get to the stop sign!

3. Narcotics Anonymous

When there is a system created to help people facing your challenges and it is proven: use it! There are no excuses. Find a local or area chapter and get involved. Work the steps! If you can’t go to meetings then use Skype or Zoom. Find a way and make it happen. You need people and they need you. Period.

4. Caring Contacts x 3

Whether you are struggling with chemical dependency, depression, or your loved one is an addict: Stop right now and enter three people in your life you know care about you into your phone. Three people who want to see you living free from your pain or addiction. Now, make them your favorites in your contact list.

Part of your plan must be to have people you can turn to when surprises happen or when you are feeling weak. These are people you can call when you planned for the stop sign but still want to turn right. Whether you get them or their voice mail this is a person whose voice can help you get to healthy places.

It might be your sponsor. Maybe it’s your spiritual leader. Perhaps it is your grandmother or uncle. The qualifications are these: They know your struggle, long for your success, and their voice brings you truth and peace.

5. Home Harbors x 3

Just as there are voices that make our hearts feel at ‘home’, there are places that make us feel like we are home as well. For some, that is a walk in the park. Others find ‘home’ in a library or a church or a museum or the mall. Maybe for you, it’s a garden or, simply, your back porch. The only thing this place can’t be is a place where you will have access to drugs.

Just like we did on contacts, enter these places on your phone in maps. You can have more than three but no less than three. Some might be outdoors but some need to be indoors. At least a couple of options you can rely on even in bad weather. Stop, right now, type in at least three!

6. Outside Interests x 3

Home harbors are places, outside interests are activities. This could be reading, running, cycling, fishing, hiking, movies…you get the idea. It doesn’t mean you have to go outside but these activities should be things that take your mind off the day-to-day grind that creates your stress.

Just as we did before, stop now, write down 3 things you can DO that bring your world to a singular focus or pursuit.

7. Regular Sleep and Rest

This is perhaps the most overlooked strategy to a successful recovery. When athletes are tired and trying to compete at a high level, injuries occur. The same is true for us normal folks. Sleep makes a difference in your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

This is a must in recovery. Studies have shown a 200% increase in relapses for people in recovery who are also having difficulty getting good sleep every night…200%!

This means part of your recovery should include a strategy for good sleep and rest. Substance abuse and sleep disturbance are more closely related than you may think. Talk to your support network or your doctor if you also have trouble sleeping. It is that important!

8. Don’t Let a Relapse Derail Your Recovery

A momentary relapse is not a failed recovery if you have a plan!

Similar to other strategies: when you fail to plan you plan to fail. This is where having your network in place is so vital.

Your plan should include:

Notifying your support network

• Talking about it
• Identifying the precipitating event or thought process
• Plan for similar events with a defined strategy to avoid
• Managing disappointment and expectations
• Reinvesting in NA and the process
• These steps all boil down to securing your ANCHOR.

9. Go Beyond Yourself

This is a great time to volunteer in the right organization or get involved in your faith community. As you are letting go of negative behaviors, it’s can help to replace the negatives with positives.

The process of serving opens our eyes to the imperfections of life. It helps us reset unrealistic expectations and to know that everyone faces challenges! No one’s life is cookie-cutter perfect.

In addition to a better perspective, serving others builds self-esteem, gives us a sense of purpose, and connects us to others who are committed to doing good. The relationships you build serving can often help build your Caring Contacts list (#4).

10. Don’t Overcommit = Set Boundaries

There is a great principle to be embraced by all people who struggle with boundaries, it is called the “Holy No”.

Too often in recovery, we see people with addictive personalities unintentionally abused by their ‘support network’. They are doing better. Everyone wants to hear their story. People want them involved and to stay busy but can’t see there are 10 others who feel the same.

This is where the addict must learn not just “no” but “Holy No”. It is spiritually pure to tell people no sometimes. Really!

Bob Goff is a writer and speaker who lives from a place of joy and believes in spreading joy to every corner of the globe. Part of his ministry is encouraging others to quit something every Thursday. He wrote it this way:

 “It’s Thursday. Quit something. Eliminate some of the noise in your life and let your symphony have the stage again!”

Bob Goff – Twitter

Final Thoughts

You have completed drug rehab. But your new life is just beginning. It can be scary and overwhelming for those in recovery. We encourage you: Hold fast to your ANCHOR. Don’t let the fear of relapse rule your life. Embrace service and offer a “Holy No” when you need to.

The symphony of your life is waiting to begin. It’s not a perfect studio version but a live concert. It is so much better than a factory-produced sound. We can’t wait to hear your song!

If you need someone to discuss any of this with you, we are happy to chat – give us a call at (502) 451-1221.

Your donation can save a life now! 

Help for alcoholics is a phone call away for those struggling. Alcoholics seeking help can begin receiving services the day of that call. At the Morton Center, our evaluation process begins immediately. Through years of experience, we are confident we can help clients start out on the right path to hope and healing. However, many times, clients are also facing financial challenges. 

Help for Alcoholics Begins with Limiting Exit Points 

One of the greatest influences on a client’s long-term success is their ability to stay in the program. From the recovery centers perspective, true recovery requires time, personnel, customization, and resources. From the client’s standpoint, it requires stress management and the financial ability to stay in the program. 

It is very difficult to see a father struggling with alcoholism who has relapsed because he was part of a program where his money or insurance ran out. This is a tragedy not only for the addict but for the family system for generations to come. 

At the Morton Center, we do not turn away clients because of the lack of insurance or money. Through our donors, we are able to relieve the stress of treatment being a financial burden. When you give, you help to save the life of the alcoholic and to stop the familial cycles of alcohol abuse. 

Help for Dustin S. 

Dustin S. is a client at the Morton Center. Dustin said, “Before I came to the Morton Center I was basically selfish, self-centered to the core. I did not care about anything or anyone, including myself. I just wanted to get another drink.”  

This is the very nature of addiction. It slowly limits your vision until the things that really matter in life become meaningless to you. Eventually, alcoholics can lose sight of their job, their spouse, their children, themselves, and, eventually, all hope. 

Through treatment at the Morton Center Dustin says, “I am grateful for my family. When I hang out with my family I can truly see the growth in myself. The change that I’ve had in recovery in just being able to be present with my parents. Being able to help them when they need help. Actually say, ‘I’m going to be there’ and show up for them.” 

This is just one story of what your support can accomplish. Dustin says he went from being “basically self-centered” to now being able to “show up” for those he loves. From being “selfish to the core” to “getting back to the core” of who his parents raised him to be. He now is able to live in the values of his “true self”. 

Help for Alcoholics Through Your Donation & Sponsorship 

Your donation means: 

1. You are a part of the fight coming alongside a person/family battling addiction. 

1. Instensive outpatient treatment you provide can help stop the destructive patterns of addiction. 

1. Hope and understanding you help provide can be given to families, children, and loved ones. 

1. Generations can envision a positive future. 

1. A child can dream again. 

1. A spouse can breathe again. 

1. Addicts can be self-sufficient. 

1. Families can be reunited. 

Join our other Heroes for Hope and be a difference-maker. When you give right now, you’ll be part of a vision to change the lives of hundreds of families for generations to come! Please be as generous as you can to provide a life-changing recovery from addiction. 

Substance abuse counseling is the engine that powers a successful recovery. Nevertheless, seeking counseling can be scary for those who have lost a part of their lives to substance abuse. The thought of sharing your challenges, mistakes, and life with a stranger can be anxiety-producing. Many find themselves asking questions like: 

• Am I going to be forced into a ‘program’? 
• What will people think if they really know what I think/feel/did? 
• How will I pay for this? 
• What if I fail? 
• When will I have time? 
• Are they going to ask me to be all touchy feely? 
• Do I really even have a problem? 

If you find yourself asking these questions, you are not alone. They are normal and valid. However, if these questions are being asked, you owe it to yourself and/or your loved ones to explore your individual story with a qualified counselor. The meeting is confidential and can provide a place for you to discover the path to your best life. 

While they are helping you decide if counseling could improve your life, listen for and ask questions to ensure you are getting the kind of help that will support a successful recovery. With this in mind, here are some key factors of substance abuse counseling that lead to success. 

Substance Abuse Counseling Should Treat the Whole Person 

Those struggling with substance abuse are so much more than their addiction. For this reason, effective counseling will see the person. Their likes, dislikes, preferences, hopes, and dreams should guide the course of treatment options. Treatment decisions should be designed to meet the uniqueness of their lives. Variables to consider in treatment options include: 

• The substance being abused: How addictive is it? Is medication appropriate to ease withdrawal? When did the abuse begin? 
• Physical, mental, and emotional health 
• Work commitments and schedules 
• Spiritual support and well-being 
• Familial health, support, and well-being 
• Overall support system and relational health 
• Generational influences and impact on addictive behaviors 

In other words, good substance abuse counseling begins with the whole person. 

Counseling Should Treat the Whole System 

Many who seek treatment do so because they have come to understand how deeply their addiction affects their family. Effective counseling will serve not only the addict but their loved one. There are many benefits to this. For our purposes, we will mention two. 

1. Stopping the cycle of substance abuse.
2. Improving outcomes for individuals throughout the family system

Serving the whole family in counseling improves family communication and parental effectiveness. Families become more cohesive and, in some cases, are reunited. In addition, commitment to maintain the course of treatment and stay involved in the recovery process shows high levels of improvement. 

Substance Abuse Counseling Should Be Flexible 

Just as counseling must recognize the person, it must be adaptable to the environment and life circumstances of each person. Sometimes life catches us by surprise. When this happens, treatment plans may need to be adjusted. 

This is where good substance abuse counseling is so critical. A good counselor can walk you through the “what ifs”. As a result, they will help provide a strong framework to adjust to life events and crisis before it happens. 

Effective Recovery Should be On-going & Celebratory 

Successful recovery means an ongoing plan to optimize chances for continued sobriety. Not surprisingly, one of the top indicators of relapse is a lack of involvement or not finishing treatment. With this in mind, goals should be set that are clear, achievable, and have transition planning from one step to the next. This journey could include Detox, Intensive Outpatient Treatment, individual counseling, group support, family counseling, and crisis support. 

Your counselor will work with you and walk with you to celebrate each step of your journey to a better life. You will work together to identify ‘rewards’ or celebrations that are meaningful to you and your loved ones. After all, that is the goal of substance abuse counseling. You and your loved ones embracing a future filled with hope and independence. Consequently, these markers become the joy on the journey of a successful recovery. 

Effective Counseling is Easily Accessible – Through Telehealth 

Our telehealth services make counseling more available than ever! 

As a result, getting the best in outpatient substance abuse counseling has never been easier. Help and support services are a phone call away.  

If you are seeking support for yourself or your family, we would love to visit and discuss your options. Our skilled professionals will help you determine the best level of care. 

Don’t put it off any longer. Contact us today! Reclaim your life from substance abuse! 

Call 502-451-1221 or email  tmcinfo@themortoncenter.org today. 

Online substance abuse treatment may be the hope you are seeking. If you or your family are experiencing the weight of the last two years in the form of addiction, please know you are not alone. What you and/or your loved ones are facing as the addiction worsens should not be allowed to make you become more isolated. Most importantly, we want you to know there is hope and the opportunity for new beginnings in your future.

Your family is not the only one facing this challenge. In the shifting landscape of this pandemic, we have seen opioid and drug use skyrocket. Those reporting an increase in drug use overwhelmingly said stress was the number one factor. As a result, we saw a record 93,000 deaths from a drug overdose in 2020.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics that is a 30% rise in deaths. There is nothing to suggest those numbers will decline in 2021. Unfortunately, for every known death there are countless families like yours suffering in silence.

Online Treatment Brings Hope Through Covid and Beyond

While it may feel new to you, we are here to assure you, seeking online therapy is worth the call. As the first Covid wave moved in from the east and west coast, treatment centers scrambled to help their clients find hope in the chaos.

As a result, online and telehealth became the primary ‘go-to’ therapy for addiction in March 2020. What we continued to learn will change recovery for years to come. Online substance abuse treatment provides a real, sustainable recovery option that is uniquely geared to creating new behaviors.

For years, substance abuse treatment has relied on inpatient and outpatient services. Make no mistake, both can still be the best course of action for some. Nevertheless, we are seeing behavioral interventions achieve success via telehealth more and more every day. Online therapy has a few advantages:

1. Online substance abuse avoids disruptions to your income and relationships.
2. You can receive services and resources quickly.
3. Telehealth can provide guidance for life challenges that trigger substance use as a coping mechanism as they arise.
4. Families often report feeling more open and honest sharing in their own home.

A New Beginning for You

For those battling addiction, stress and isolation are a dangerous combination. If you are trying to cope with addiction in this environment the most powerful thing you can do is reach out.

Online substance abuse programs are a great way for you to receive hope and direction today. We can usually schedule your first appointment on the day of your call.

Experience the new beginning each day in recovery can be. You can develop a new plan of action and bring hope to your life now!

Ready to take the next step?

Call 502-451-1221 or email tmcinfo@themortoncenter.org and our team of recovery experts will determine the most effective treatment programs and services to help reclaim your life from addiction.

Outpatient alcohol rehab is a powerful and effective treatment for individuals and families facing alcohol addiction and its challenges. Since March of 2020, the Covid pandemic has created two significant changes: (1.) Recent studies have shown alcohol use has made large increases. (2.) In-person and in-patient services have become difficult and, at times, not possible. With these two facts in mind, online alcohol treatment has become a vital, life-saving tool for those seeking intensive outpatient rehab. 

Outpatient Alcohol Rehab Considerations 

Available for years, outpatient alcohol rehab has a proven track record of success in the treatment of addiction. Alcohol addiction like other chronic diseases often requires follow-up and extended treatment. Those needing further treatment following inpatient and/or outpatient rehab are roughly the same as those seeking treatment for other chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and some cancers: 40-60%. 

A few advantages of outpatient alcohol rehab include: 

1. Developing a team while still navigating your daily life 
   
2. The ability to work if family and finances rely on your pay check 
3. Targeting negative behaviors and establishing positive habits in real time 

A few indicators you need to evaluate before choosing outpatient rehab: 

1. You anticipate signficant physical symptoms and/or withdrawal 
2. Living circumstances leave you surrounded by alcohol and/or you lack a strong support system 
3. You have tried rehab before and are abusing alcohol again 
4. You have a court ordered rehab 

 
Intensive Outpatient Alcohol Rehab has shown success rates that mirror those of in-patient rehab. With this in mind, an initial evaluation of your risk factors and assets is vital. A qualified counselor can help you choose the path which provides you with your best shot at rehab success. 

Online Alcohol Treatment 

Online Alcohol Treatment has changed the landscape of addiction therapy. Cell phones, text messaging, and video conferencing have added a crucial leg of support to those in recovery. Never has there been more help available at the touch of a finger for those in recovery. 

Telehealth services go the extra step of providing professionals skilled in treating families and individuals facing the challenges of addiction. The last 2 years have revealed the need for and effectiveness of online rehab services. Telehealth therapy with skilled professionals is just as effective as in-person, saves time and money, and provides greater scheduling convenience. 

Levels of telehealthcare available through treatment centers can include:  Adult Education Programs (AEP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), Continuing Care Programs, Concerned Persons Programs, Adolescent Services, Couples Services, and Individual Therapy one-on-one with a professional therapist. 

Are These Options Best for Me? 

If you or a loved one are facing the battle of addiction, it is vital you have a team and a support system in place. The ongoing pandemic has helped to highlight how effective online alcohol treatment services can be. Telehealth is exceptional at helping individuals battling alcohol addiction to implement behavioral changes and develop habits in the natural course of their life. 

Perhaps the greatest benefit of online therapy at this time is the continuity of support. If parties are restricted due to Covid, work, or familial concerns therapy and support will continue. 

If you are seeking support for yourself or your family, we would love to visit and discuss your options. Our skilled professionals will help you determine the best level of care. Most clients are able to begin treatment on the day of their call. 

Getting the best in outpatient alcohol rehab has never been easier. Help and support services are a phone call away. Don’t put it off any longer. Contact us today! Reclaim your life from addiction! 

Call 502-451-1221 or email tmcinfo@themortoncenter.org