CEDARS BLOG

WILL WORKING A 12-STEP PROGRAM WORK FOR ME? - JUNE, 2011

 Many people new in recovery question whether a 12-Step program will work for them. I can certainly relate to that. The most difficult part for me was getting started. I struggled the most with Step One - being able to reach that place of admitting I was powerless over drugs and alcohol.
I'd been drinking and using drugs since I was 13. By age 21 my life was completely and totally unmanageable and I was suicidal. I didn't know that was because of drugs and alcohol; I honestly thought that drugs and alcohol were the solution and the only thing that made me feel 'okay'. The thought of not having them in my life was frightening.

After a failed suicide attempt, my family gave me an ultimatum to get help or they would cut me out of their lives. A psychologist with a specialty in addictions told me he could see in my eyes that I was dying from drugs and alcohol. Hearing that from him didn't sell me on the idea of getting help, but his colleague related her story and I completely identified with it. Fortunately that got me to a place where I was finally willing to admit I was powerless over drugs and alcohol. That was Step One for me and the beginning of an eight month, 12-Step treatment program.

I started out quite weary of working the steps because of all the talk about God and spirituality. When I looked at all the suffering in the world, and the suffering I had felt in my own life, I had a hard time with that. I thought if there was such a thing as God, God wouldn't let people suffer. So Step Two, believing that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity, was a struggle for me. I knew I was insane so that part wasn't a stretch, but the idea of a 'Higher Power' restoring me - that was a different ballgame altogether.

Fortunately I was in a place where there were individuals working through the same process as me. It wasn't even the people who had been in the program for a long time who were the most helpful. It was the people who were a couple of months ahead of me and had just worked through those issues; their experience, strength, and hope was the most accessible to me. They would say things like: "Two months ago I was in that place and someone told me to fake it till I make, and just get on my knees and pray anyway." By that point I was absolutely sick and tired of being sick and tired so I was willing to do whatever people told me to do. I thought to myself, if it doesn't work, I can just go back to doing what I was doing before. I was willing to try and give it 110%, so when people told me I should get on my knees I got down on my knees.

Slowly but surely I started to feel some kind of a Presence in my life, and that blew me away. I could never have predicted that would happen.  At that point, Step Three (made a decision to turn our will and lives over to God as we understood him), came naturally for me. The decision, for me, was making a commitment to do the rest of the 12 Steps.

The next step I struggled with was number five, admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.  I had thought if anybody ever knew the things I'd said, felt, or done, they would hate me as much as I hated myself. Even to this day one of the most profound things for me is when I share my honesty and truth at that deep level and people love me anyway. It is an incredible experience. I believe doing Step Five the first time is when life really changed for me - I started to feel accepted and loved, and that was a new experience. People loved me for who I was and not the façade I presented to them.

Step 10, taking a personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it, was another profound step for me. It has become my way of staying on my game so I don't get pulled back into really dark places. If I make mistakes I clean them up right way - I no longer live in the guilt, shame, and remorse of not being perfect. Step 10 is an ongoing housekeeping process which keeps me in fit spiritual condition. I find if I'm working Step 10, then I'm working Step 11 and 12 as well. They go hand in hand for me. If I'm on my game then I'm typically giving back and I'm connected with my Higher Power.

Going through the 12 Steps in treatment was straight-forward, but when I left treatment I had moments when I got sick of working the program and stopped rigorously working the steps. I was back into my own will and stopped relying on a Higher Power. Even though I didn't use or drink, I was restless, irritable, and discontent. It took a lot to get back to that place of being entirely willing to do whatever it took to get back on track.

In hindsight, I am grateful for that experience because it taught me that alcoholism truly is a disease and if I'm not treating it on a regular basis then I will be just as sick as I was before. My experience is that a 12-Step program works, but only if you work it. I know that's a cliché, but it's been very true for me - if I don't work it, it doesn't work. When I'm going to meetings, phoning my sponsor, doing my reading, praying on a regular basis, sponsoring people, and working the steps, my life goes pretty well. I don't get to that desperate dark place I used to because I know that I'm going to be carried through every moment of my life.

The interesting thing is, at some point, recovery became a choice instead of something that I had to do.  My life is so much more fulfilling, rewarding, and exciting today than it ever was before, and I credit that to recovery.  The people I have in my life, the quality of my relationships, the achievements that I've made - none of it would have been possible without the 12 Steps.

Janine Nowacka
Cedar's Counsellor

THE IMPORTANCE OF 12 STEP SERVICE - MAY, 2011

One of the recommendations for our continuing care plans is always that we commit to attending a minimum of 3-5 AA/NA meetings per week.  We have all come to recognize this as an integral part of ongoing recovery.  However, there is another part of that puzzle that ensures we will receive the most we possibly can out of the meetings.  There is more involved with attending meetings than simply being present.  It is also suggested that we join a home group and get involved with service. The third item, service, is the one often overlooked, and it need not be this way.  If you are struggling with meeting attendance, or perhaps hit the meeting wall (you know the one that tells you if I have to listen to that guy tell his 45 minute story of drinking again this week , I will explode) then service work may be your answer. It has been said that "the 12-steps help me to learn about me and the 12-traditions help me to learn about how I interact with the world."  Service work can be one of the great learning experiences of the program. 

We would be remise if we did not remember how this whole thing started.  After 6 months of trying to get alcoholics sober, Bill Wilson was about to give up.  He had not succeeded in helping anyone in getting sober.  The best recorded history states that he said to his wife Lois, "this is hopeless, it is not working".  She responded with "but Bill, you are sober and you have never been sober for 6 whole months."  The most often used excuse to not be engaged in service work is time or the lack thereof.  "I do not have time to help others", a chime we have all heard from our peers.  Service work is a time commitment, but it is a time commitment to help myself as well as others.  Service work puts into action my gratitude for recovery today, and Father Martin taught us that "gratitude for today's sobriety practically ensures tomorrows."

My own personal story is filled with service work.  I, like many others, have been blessed to have some really good men in my life point me in the right direction.  At 5 months clean the Narcotics Anonymous BC Convention was being hosted by my local area.  I was allowed to be present at all the preparatory meetings.  They did not let me near the cash, but who could blame them!  I saw a tremendous spiritual aspect of recovery, one we hope to duplicate with our alumni events here at Cedars.  Being a part of that and working to help so many people experience the joys of recovery, changed me and many others who are still clean today from that committee.

So, if you are struggling today perhaps getting out of yourself would be a good idea.  Service work can take many forms, opening a meeting, putting on a pot of coffee, stacking chairs, washing mugs, formal position within your home group, Area representative and so-on and so-on.  The time commitments ranges from hours a week to 2 minutes a week. I will suggest that the spiritual reward is the same either way. 

Robert DeClark, MSW
Inpatient Treatment Director

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY FULL RECOVERY? - APRIL, 2011

You may have noticed in recent weeks that we changed the slogan for Cedars to "Your full recovery is our sole purpose." I thought I would take this opportunity to explain what we mean by "full recovery". There is one caveat, however. Coming up with a definitive understanding of what is meant by full recovery will be an ongoing process as we continue to fine-tune this concept and all that it entails. But for now, here are some thoughts I have regarding what is involved in the experience of achieving full recovery.
We talk about recovery in terms of re-covering our physical, mental, and emotional health. It is a process of recovering those things we may have lost during our addiction - it may be re-covering jobs, families, careers, money, or our reputation. It also means re-covering less tangible things such as our sense of integrity, enthusiasm for life, and self-respect.

But we can take recovery even further than that, and this is where I get excited. Full recovery is possible when people begin to recover the "possibilities". When we are born the possibilities for all of us are unlimited. Unfortunately, through the process of life, we lose sight of much of what is possible. As we move forward in recovery we begin to realize some of those exciting possibilities and reap the benefits of the human experience. People in recovery are fortunate that they have this opportunity - most people in society don't get to figure out that life is a journey where they get to decide the deeper meaning of life, and all of the possibilities available to us.

In recovery we begin to look at the extent to which our past is dictating our present. As we journey deeper into our recovery on our way to full recovery, the more we choose not to be haunted by the past - messages we may have got from our parents or from things that may have happened to us - and the more we gain freedom from our ego. We learn that as human beings we are much more than our egos and we are much more than our disease.

For example, I talked with someone recently who has suffered with depression for many years. This person admitted to me that she wouldn't know who she was if she were no longer depressed. This is also true for addiction. This may come as a surprise for some to hear me say this, but when I stand up and say, "Hi, my name is Neal and I am an alcoholic," I don't believe that is fully who I am. Technically, it would be more accurate for me to say, "Hi, my name is Neal and I have alcoholism." The fact is I am not my disease. I am a human being first and foremost who continues to deal with all the challenges and all the possibilities that life offers. When we are truly accepting of our "humanity" and all that entails, I think we begin to embrace a sense of personal freedom that allows us to experience all that life has to offer, from agony to ecstasy . 

When people leave treatment, they may not have achieved "full" recovery, but what I hope is now that they are free from drugs and free from the past, they can appreciate they are on a journey which will lead them to explore the possibilities life offers and to begin to define meaning in their life. And for me, this is a spiritual journey where we come to experience all that is good about whom we are as human beings. Some people equate spirituality with religion but the two are not interchangeable. Spirituality comes from the Latin word "spiritus" which means to breathe in or take in life.

When he was here with us, Dr. Graham used to say, "No matter what is wrong in your life you're the problem and the answer is spiritual." One could look at this statement and feel like a victim, or see that it is a very empowering concept. It just takes realizing we always have the choice about how we are going to react to whatever life throws at us, and also that have within us all the answers when we know we are connected with a power much greater than we are.

For each of us to be able to enjoy all the possibilities that life offers and find deeper meaning for our lives, I believe that ultimately it requires developing a personal relationship with a Higher Power or God as we understand God to be. For some people this can be a challenge at first - we each need to find a definition of "higher power" that works for us and decide how we will work with that concept in our life. Ironically, it is by surrendering to a Higher Power that we able to embrace our human experience.
Because our definition of "full recovery" is a work in process, I would be interested in hearing what thoughts our readers have. I would like this to be as an ongoing conversation as we further refine what is involved. If you have some ideas, please send us an email and let us know if we can share them in future issues of the newsletter.

In Fellowship
Neal Berger
Executive Director

NUTRITION AND YOUR RECOVERY - MARCH, 20111

Addicts active in their addiction typically have poor eating habits. Poor eating habits can result in malnutrition and a host of health problems. Not surprisingly research has shown that recovering addicts need nutrition-rich foods in order to help rebuild damaged bodies. A healthy, balanced diet will not only help restore our various bodily systems to appropriate functioning, it helps improve our mood, sense of wellbeing, and ability to cope with stress.

Those in recovery are well advised to keep the following in mind:
Establish a routine. As addicts active in our addiction we probably didn't eat regular healthy meals. Regular meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - are a must as fluctuations in blood sugar levels can leave us feeling unsteady. We want to avoid feeling too hungry which can make us irritable, anxious, or depressed and thus prone to making poor decisions. Keep healthy snacks such as a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit readily available for between meals.

Drink water. Dehydration is common for substance abusers. In recovery we need to get in the habit of drinking lots of water as every system in the body depends on water for optimal functioning. Drinking water helps the body absorb nutrition and flush toxins from your system. To make sure you get enough water, here are some tips:

1. Drink a glass of water with every meal - and between every meal.
2. Drink water before, during, and after exercise.
3. Substitute water or sparkling water for other drinks (soda, coffee) at social gatherings and work functions.

Watch out for caffeine. Too much coffee - four or more cups a day - can cause restlessness, sleeplessness, anxiety, jitteriness, irritability, and other problems that may hinder your recovery. If you drink coffee in moderation, you'll most likely be just fine. However you may want to avoid so-called energy drinks. They boost your energy because they're loaded with caffeine - and sugar, which can lead to weight gain and cause other problems. And the energy boost you get is only temporary, no matter what claims they make. Energy drinks are also loaded with other ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, and ginkgo biloba which are stimulants.

Eat whole grains. Food made with refined flour and sugar can cause mood fluctuations, fatigue, and sleepiness, and can slow down your metabolism. They also have less nutritional value for the body. Whole grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and they're low in fat. They contain more fiber and are better sources of important nutrients such as selenium, potassium, and magnesium. Whole grains include barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, oatmeal, popcorn, whole-wheat bread/pasta/crackers, and wild rice.

Pay attention to protein. High quality protein is essential for rebuilding your body and supporting vitality. Keep in mind that of all proteins, red meat is the hardest for the body to digest so while in recovery beans, fish, and poultry are probably the best options. Try to skip processed meats like hot dogs and cold cuts altogether - the best rule is to eat as close to nature as you can.

Know your fats. There are good and bad fats. The good fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These fats can improve blood cholesterol levels, stabilize heart rhythms, and ease inflammation, along with other benefits. Foods containing monounsaturated fats include nuts such as almonds, pecans and hazelnuts, seeds such as pumpkin and sesame, and oils such as canola, peanut, and olive. Polyunsaturated fats in high concentrations occur in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, and in oils such as sunflower, soybean, and flaxseed. Omega-3 fats, which are found in fish, are also an important part of polyunsaturated fats - since the body can't manufacture them. Bad fats are saturated fats, and are included in many food products, but occur mainly in meat, seafood, poultry with skin, and whole-milk dairy products (cheese, ice cream, and milk). Trans fats are the worst of the bad fats and are found in most commercially prepared baked goods, margarines, snack foods, processed foods, French fries prepared in fast-food and other restaurants.

Eat your vegetables and fruit. You can't go wrong if you increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. They are likely to be lower in sugar and sodium than prepared foods, they support proper digestion, and they have a higher nutritional value. By going for variety and colour you will ensure your body gets the mix of nutrients it needs to speed your healing process and keep you well. With all that said, what does a healthy diet look like? To start with, a healthy breakfast does not mean a cup of coffee and a Danish. The coffee provides a temporary energy boost while the Danish contains unhealthy fats, sugar, and empty calories. A better choice would be whole grain cereal topped with fresh fruit and fat-free milk. For lunch how about a chicken wrap made with a whole-grain tortilla, leafy lettuce, tomato and onion. Dinner might be whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce, a mixed green salad made with an olive oil and vinaigrette dressing, and some fresh fruit for dessert.

Good nutrition and recovery go hand in hand. By eating right you show respect for your recovery. And as you transform your health, you increase your ability to transform your life!

Sources: The following online articles were sourced in the writing of this article. Diet and Substance Abuse Recovery, University of Maryland Medical Centre, www.umm.edu; Nutrition in Addiction Recovery: How Eating Right Helps You Heal, www.drugaddictiontreatment.com; Proper Nutrition for Recovery, Recovery Magazine, www.drugalcoholaddictionrecovery.com; Health and Nutrition, Recovery Network, www.drug-alcohol-addiction-recovery.com

PROMISES & POSSIBILITIES- FEBRUARY, 2011

This anniversary is an intensely emotional experience for me.  Of course, I am frankly ecstatic that we have come so far and that we now have alumni coming up on celebrating five years of Recovery, we are blessed with an incredibly dedicated staff and countless friends and supporters of what Cedars is working to accomplish. There are always growing pains with this kind of a project  and I am not a newcomer to the work of bringing a treatment facility to life - and began the process anticipating those pains.

However, the loss of my partners Ross and Tom and my dear friend and our Medical Director, Douglas was not only not something I had anticipated - it has been a very painful journey into new territory.  The economic downturn that challenged Cedars and all of our corporate partners was another side road into the unknown. I get a bit caught up sometimes in all of the science and philosophy around addiction and what it means to be human. I enjoy, appreciate and value the intellectual pursuits. But, in my personal journey through life, I must tell you it has been the comforting presence of my Higher Power and the Fellowship that I rely upon 100% to see me through the darkest of places.  When life has been what seems like an unimaginable and painful mess that couldn't possibly be "any worse" my relationship with my Higher Power and the closeness of friends has always allowed me the comfort of knowing that "this too shall pass,"  and that if I stay on my spiritual path, the "Promises" will once again become reality.   When Ross was well into his last days and with considerable suffering, I asked him what it was like for him to be going through his losing battle with cancer. While expressing sadness and a wish that it wasn't happening, Ross said he believed that his Higher Power wanted him to "show people   that this Program works - no matter what you're going through. " We either live with the faith that we are cared for, and if we stay committed to our spiritual path we will be sustained or, we fall back into the chaos of living in fear.  I really do think that the recent history of Cedars is filled with the truth of Ross's words - this program works, we are cared for, the Promises are still here and unimagined possibilities are on the horizon!

A major objective of Cedars right now is to begin to paint a very observable, perhaps measurable, picture of what Recovery is - and that it is not only possible but predictable. We want the Promises to be real not only to us but to the world.  The incredibly powerful feelings that will be absolutely palpable around Cedars on March 12 are a revelation of the power of Fellowship, a vivid expression of what we experience as Spirituality. 

There is now a movement in the world of "treatment" driven by well-intentioned people who do not believe that what we all experience as abstinence based, spiritual recovery, is even possible. They would argue that the best we could hope for would be some sort of effort that would allow for "harm reduction". There is an exceptionally naïve group of very bright scientists who think that abstinence is the limit of Recovery - their laboratory efforts and scientific papers will not and cannot consider what we experience as "Recovery".  The scientists don't have the ability to, or an interest in, measuring the   "power" that will be so evident at Cedars on March 12 - or in countless 12 step meetings around the world.  They can't measure the value of the calm and the comfort  Ross experienced as he contemplated his final days, or what I experienced when he told me his calling was to show that "this program works" .
Heading into year six there is much to be grateful for and some very exciting new things that you will be hearing a lot about very soon.  At the very top of my list of things to be grateful for, is the fantastic display of the value of this program and of the spiritual journey that is being offered by our Cedars alumni. There couldn't be a more visible, unarguable showing of why we believe in doing what we are doing than the continued demonstration of Recovery by our alumni - they really are the soul of Cedars.
This is a great time to celebrate the realization of "Promises" and to join together in anticipation of breathtaking "Possibilities".

In fellowship,
Neal Berger
Executive Director

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: FITNESS & RECOVERY - JANUARY, 2011

 Every year at this time, many of us make a New Year's resolution to start (and hopefully maintain) a fitness program. Being physically fit is important for everyone, but especially for those of us in recovery. Addiction is a disease that affects the body, mind, and spirit and recovery requires working on all three. Taking care of our body entails regular health checkups, stress management, eating healthy, and regular physical activity.

Daily exercise can be a valuable component of your recovery program and is beneficial for relapse prevention and long-term recovery.  A regular regime of moderate exercise will help improve self confidence, promote a better night's sleep, boost energy levels, act as a relaxant, keep one's mind occupied, and improve overall mental and physical health.

However, those of us who are prone to living addictively need to be cautious about taking physical activity to the extreme as it can become a compulsive activity. Just like an alcohol or drug addiction, people who become addicted to exercise believe it gives them a sense of control over their life, when in fact the opposite is true - they become obsessed with running or whatever the form of exercise and it takes over their life. Often people are driven by a low sense of self-esteem and the image of having a 'buff body' compels them to work out more than what is healthy.

Over-exercising is also a form of escape for people. It can be a way to avoid thinking about or dealing with potential 'problems'. In some cases people experience a 'runner's high' which can occur with strenuous activities such as running, swimming, biking, and gruelling workouts at the gym. Experts agree that while everyone gets a boost in feeling better, getting high is not a common occurrence.
Over time many compulsive exercisers will find they no longer find pleasure in exercise but feel it is necessary and they no longer have a choice. When confronted about their excessive behaviour they may insist their performance would suffer or they would gain weight if they didn't keep up their exhausting schedule. 

How can you tell if exercising has become an addictive behaviour for you or someone you care about? Here are some commonly agreed-upon symptoms:

• Exercising for more than two hours every day without  taking a day to rest.
• Fixating on the weight lost or calories burned as a result of each workout.
• Continuing to exercise despite injury, illness, or adverse weather conditions.
• Becoming irritable or depressed if working out is not possible.
• Turning down social events with family and friends in order to workout.
• Wanting more - always pushing harder when running or working out in the gym.
• Signing up for multiple fitness classes in addition to working out at home.
• Working out to the point of pain and beyond.
• Moods vary depending on the intensity of the workout.

Compulsive exercising can become a serious health concern and it may require the intervention of a family member, friend, teammate, or coach. If you are concerned about yourself or someone close to you, give your Cedar's counsellor a call for advice.

Fear of becoming an exercise addict should not be an excuse to choose not to undertake a fitness program. This January do consider making a New Year's resolution to start exercising, whether it is doing aerobics, cycling, running, swimming, weight lifting, yoga, daily walking or ideally some combination of different types of exercise. Just keep moderation in mind at all times. Our goal should be to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

STAYING CLEAN & SOBER THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON - DECEMBER, 2010

With the holiday season fast approaching, all of us in recovery need to be extra cautious. For many, this can be the most challenging time of the year: for some it is the parties and social gatherings where alcohol will be served; for others it is stressful family get-togethers; and still for some it is the change of routine - perhaps having 10 days off work with nothing to do to fill in the time.  And for many, especially in early recovery it is a time of loneliness.  Whatever the potential triggers may be it is critical that we avoid them or do what we can to manage them to ensure we do not relapse.

Here are some suggestions to help you enjoy the holiday season and stay on track with your recovery program:

Stay connected. This is a time to stay in constant contact with your sponsor and your support group. Find the time to go to more meetings, rather than fewer. If you are planning on going to a social event and have any concerns, call your sponsor beforehand and discuss strategies that will help you through it. Cedars alumni can always call their counselor or the centre for advice and support. You might want to make sure you always have a cell phone on you to make that call if necessary.

Avoid being alone. Isolation can be devastating for someone in recovery. If you can't be with your own family find someone in recovery or a trusted friend to spend time with and support you in your recovery. Doing volunteer work or helping others during this time can be a rewarding way to pass the time and feel good about ourselves.

Identify your triggers. What are the holiday season events or situations that you associate with excuses for drinking or using - family conflicts, financial pressure, parties, etc.? You may need to let people know that this year you are making different choices about how you plan to spend your time. Be sure to stay away from 'slippery places'.

Plan ahead. Before participating in any social events, think through each situation and what the challenges may be for you.  Keep in mind that some situations may pose a higher risk to you than others. It may be that you bring a friend who is also in recovery who can support you, or you have a contingency plan for leaving early if the situation feels uncomfortable.
Keep a dry house. You don't need to stock alcoholic beverages because it is the holidays. If you are hosting a get-together, let invited guests know you are not providing alcohol. If guests do bring beer or spirits, have someone else play bartender. At the end of the evening, send any leftover alcohol home with whoever brought it or have a trusted friend dispose of it.

Create new traditions. If you are new in recovery, talk with others in the program about what they are doing for the holiday season - perhaps there are some recovery group events you can participate in. If you typically went out partying on New Year's Eve, then maybe you host a quiet evening with nondrinking/using friends at home. Substitute champagne with sparkling water.

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and togetherness. By working your recovery program, it is possible to have both. Keep in mind at all times that you do have a powerful support network as a result of your time at Cedars that you can call upon.

HOW LONG IS TREATMENT? - NOVEMBER, 2011

I am frequently asked "how long is the treatment program at Cedars?"  My usual quick response to this understandable question is (too often) a "tongue in cheek" answer like "asking how long is treatment is like asking how long is rope!  What usually follows is a brief discussion about something I take very seriously; the individualized approach to treatment. I have been involved in treatment for a long time now (I'm now to the point where I avoid responding in the actual number of years) and the staff we have here is doing the best job that I have ever seen of tailoring treatment to meet individual needs.
The real issue in anyone's treatment is change and growth - not number of days in a program. This is definitely a case where - one size doesn't fit all - The tasks of this stage of recovery are pretty well understood and are generally the same for everyone however; everyone is an individual, has individual needs and will achieve these tasks in different ways and in different time frames.

I actually ask that the clinical team consider treatment for an individual to be a 24 month beginning to a lifelong process - our particular emphasis is on the first six months.  Sue Donaldson, our Continuing Care provider in Victoria, has some very compelling data that shows extraordinary positive outcomes for those individuals who complete all six months (or more) of the Continuing Care that is integral to our primary treatment program.  Whether an individual reaches the point of moving into Continuing Care after being in treatment 4 weeks, 7 weeks or spent some time in Extended Care on the Cedar's campus the outcome often remains the same - the issue is that they reached the point of stabilization, displayed sufficient growth and demonstrated behavioral change to make the transition into Continuing Care.

As a guideline , we anticipate that most of our patients at Cedars will be ready for Continuing Care in about 6-7 weeks.  Obviously, many factors will influence this time frame. How long a detox period is required? Are there any other medical issues that inhibit the treatment process? Are they literate? Do they have any type of cognitive impairment? How old were they when they started using and how long have they been using? What kind of family or social supports do they have? Believe me, this is a very small sampling of the variables that will influence the answer to "How long is the treatment program? 
One thing that clearly influences many aspects of treatment outcomes is the active and visible participation of our alumni!  It is impossible for me to overstate how important it is to our current patients when they get to see real recovery and to meet people who have been through what they are going through. 

I recently asked some of our alumni if they would help out by making an effort to come up to the Friday meeting.  The response was great - and the effect was immediate - and profound. I really want to thank those who responded.  Think about it - discharging someone into an environment where they already know people, like themselves, in recovery who can pave the way for them is an incredible support that can only be provided by alumni.  A solid alumni contribution will be a major factor in allowing for shorter stays and positive outcomes!!

Neal Berger,
Executive Director
Cedars at Cobble Hill