Emotional intelligence

How much are you in touch with our feelings?
The reason I ask is that most relapses are due to the inability to cope with 'downers'... 'negative emotions'. Research has confirmed that alcoholics and addicts don't do well at all with these emotions.
My role is to teach recovering persons to be alongside painful emotions in a non-judgmental way. It's a philosophy of self-acceptance. This creates a new attitude to emerging feelings and moves the recovering person from fear and instant reactions, toward tolerance discomfort without seeking to use drink/drugs. 

Suggested reading: Emotional intelligence

Peace,
Brian
www.innercare.org
1-604-746-1164

Can you look inside yourself?

What happens if you look within?

Are you able to look deep inside?...
or do you immediately feel the need to numb this out or deflect from this basic task.

The reason I ask is that being fearful of what lies inside is a cause of so much of the stress that leads to lapses or relapses. The payoff in a regular self-examination is that there is an appropriate sense of control over our inner worlds... this gives both relief and hope!

Innercare Services Int`l Inc. seeks to teach self care skills that can assist addicts - alcoholics in their long term recovery.

Peace,
Brian
www.innercare.org
1-604-746-1164

A 'million dollar' question?

I would like to bring up the the issue of 'quality of recovery' ... a seldom discussed issue!
I mostly hear talk in the addictions world of time in recovery.
However, I think that only by looking at the real quality of recovery and life the addict/alcoholic has, can we truly gauge what has/is achieved!

Surely this is a 'million dollar' question that deserves a reply?

Peace,
Brian

innercare.org

Our skills for relapse prevention

Innercare's perspective: In terms of relapse prevention the skills taught in our meditations and art allow a deep inquiry into the person to made as regularly as needed... obviously the more often the better! Thereby allowing any of our clients to continue what has been achieved when they return to their regular lives.

Any thoughts?
Peace,
Brian
Innercare.org

Art & Soul!

How can art be a key tool in the the 'life and death struggle' for long-term recovery?
In my extensive experience, with assisting alcoholics & addicts in early recovery, it is a profound way to get inside the person... easily. I haven't seen a more useful tool in my 20+ yrs in the addiction world! That being said any top notch therapist ought to be able to 'see' inside the client intuitively or using a spiritual gift.
I know that the art created by recovering persons can become a connecting bridge to the outside world... it can educate those who do not understand the tremendous inner suffering of the addict/alcoholic. I have been privileged to present sideshows to large audiences, and this has always been extremely well received!
Hope this helps!?...blog me or email: info@innercare.org
peace,
Brian

How the 12 steps can improve

How the 12 steps can improve

The '12 steps' now dominate Rehab! As former Director of a 12 step center I want to make a few brief comments on how to improve the way the step are used in a professional forum.

1. The steps 'tend' to be approached as a mental exercise... yet, that majority of 'relapses' are triggered by a lack of ability to cope with negative emotional states. It seems obvious that any formal psychotherapy that helps both emotional expression & containment is very valuable!
   
2. Since the heart of the steps is search for a 'higher power' it seems sensible to make use of more established spiritual methods {e.g. formal meditation, 'transpersonal' therapy etc.}

What are your thoughts and experiences?
Peace,
Brian

God - spirituality in healing addictions?

I was a monk for many years and have more recently been a specialist Director/Therapist in Rehabs and private practice. The wounds of addiction run so deep in the person that needs a deeper belief and spiritual practice to heal....So:

• They will have huge amounts of guilt over things they've done in active addiction!
  
• They will need to find strength from somewhere else to beat the cravings etc.
  
• They need to change themselves and live by new standards... contributing to their world. They need to learn to self-accept... spirituality aids this.
  

But, a 'real' spiritual discipline needs to be established in order to secure 'long-term recovery'... by 'real' I mean one that is challenging and requires guidance in order to grow... also the influence of psychotherapy in modern spirituality has helped understand some of this process... so a guide can 'measure' health/quality of recovery too!

what's wrong with rehab?

Standard Rehab lacks both clinical and spiritual depth... It follows a model ill suited to counseling - 12 steps... and counseling is more often than not inadequate to cope with the severe traumas etc. that addicts have.
Surely more genuine spiritual models offer a viable alternative to cope with addiction.
Sadly we are one of the few orgs. that offer an alternative that's backed up by years of experience at advanced levels of 'soul-care'. [see www.innercare.org] ... check it out!