Written by Asia F

During my addiction, my life revolved around using drugs.

Now, while in sobriety at Gatehouse Academy, I am constantly busy. There are a multitude of activities. The physical activities at Gatehouse Academy include: yoga, karate and full body workout. Other activities include: group therapy, art, auto, life skills, school and Literature study.

The community is divided into groups, in which you would have group therapy with twice a week. Each group has school once a day, Monday through Friday.  Literature study is a one hour activity where portions of the Big Book are read and questions are answered. Life skills classes are run by a staff member, and the block covers a large amount of subjects that relate to aspects of healthy and responsible living. There are three, one hour blocks everyday.

The weekend activities include: yoga, peer on peer and literature study. Peer on peer is a block where residents bring up struggles and residents find solutions in the Big Book. The activities help residents grow and learn in recovery.

Needless to say I rarely get bored.

Asia is currently enrolled as a resident in Gatehouse Academy’s addiction treatment program.  She offers her review and testimonial by telling us about activities she has experienced in our 12-Step curriculum.

With rumors circulating about Tiger Woods coming to Wickenburg for treatment at the Meadows – A few staff at Gatehouse Academy would like to take a stance on the issue.

From Mike Baldassare, Director of Marketing:

If Tiger were to seek treatment for Sex Addiction, in our opinion, it would not be an excuse to pin blame on an addiction.  Instead, it would be viewed as an admission of wrong doing and a willingness to take responsibility for harms done.

As people who have committed similar transgressions, we may be a little more sympathetic than the general public.  Call us ‘glass-half-full’ optimists, but Tiger is human.  In our own pursuit of perfection, we found out we have flaws as part of our human make-up.

It is our strong belief that, no matter how bad it is, no matter how many times you do it – you always deserve another chance.  It us our hope that people may be open to giving tiger just that – a chance for taking responsibility and receiving forgiveness.

From Matt Brown, Admissions:

Many are asking about the differences between Tiger Wood’s supposed sex addiction and what most would consider “normal” drug addiction.  In my experience in working with addicts the line between the two is invisible.  The motivation for the addict is the same, whether their drug of choice is sex or cocaine.  The objective is to change how we feel in the moment.  The method of executing that change can vary from drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling or a myriad of other methods.  The result is the same, we get the instant gratification we are seeking to change how we feel.
So if I’m asked what the difference is between Tiger Woods and I guy like me, whose drugs of choice were cocaine and alcohol, I say there is none.  If in fact Tiger Woods is a sex addict, we are just two guys who took different roads to get to the same place, and we both left wreckage along the way.  We both hurt spouses and family members.  On the positive side, if a person with an addiction, whatever the addiction may be, can find a way to replace the need for instant gratification with something meaningful and lasting, real happiness can be had.  It requires hard work and a strong support system, but the work is always worth it.

From Todd Welch, Director of Admissions:

The recent events in the Life of golfing icon Tiger Woods reflect a level of unmanageability with regard to love, attachment, and sex that is indicative of addiction.  Addiction research has demonstrated the strong similarity between sex and love addictions and drug and alcohol addiction, insofar as these behaviors all stimulate the reward center of the brain.  Furthermore, the antisocial aspects of infidelity can also be alluring and addictive.  The reward center of the brain desires satisfaction through the simplest means and can sometimes, in the situation of a loss of control through addiction, override the executive and social-conscience based functions of the higher brain, or frontal lobe.  Perhaps Tiger tasted the high of an enlarged and seductive romantic life and fell into the powerlessness of repeated mistakes and uncharacteristic behavior associated with addiction.  Of course, he will be chastised from the Moral camp and those who undoubtedly biased by our society’s very Judeo-Christian inheritance of ideas about sex and right relations.  In any case, the man cannot be happy at this point.  He is not a victim, unless one can victimize oneself.  He must take responsibility for the awareness of a problem in his life and internalize the need for a responsible path to recovery, happy living, and hopefully more championships.

From Justin Dufour, Admissions:

I first must start by saying that I truly believe that drug addiction, alcoholism, compulsive gambling and of course sex addiction are diseases and are a matter of powerlessness, not bad decisions.  This is an important opinion to state before diving into the Tiger Woods situation and whether or not he should or will go to a treatment center.  If you don’t buy into the disease aspect of addiction then I can assure you that you have probably never seen a loved one on countless occasions make irrational decisions for their addiction.  How else do you explain a mother abandoning a child and their duties as a parent to get a fix of heroin?  Do you really believe they don’t love their child?  If you witness a loved one who you have spent years around and truly know that they are a good person and all of a sudden when afflicted by drug addiction or alcoholism turns on everything and everyone that they have ever loved, than you are probably convinced that these kinds of addictions are all about powerlessness.  Before this blog becomes about something it’s not, I will say that addicts and alcoholics need to be held responsible for anything and everything that they do while in their hopeless state of mind and body.  They aren’t off the hook at all for their actions and especially not the addict who is shown the path to recovery because they have options and are given a spiritual tool-set that can help them recover like the millions that attend 12 step meetings every day.  So now that you know where I stand on the nature of addiction I must say that I believe there is a very good possibility that Tiger Woods is a sex addict and maybe addicted to more things that the public may not yet know about but with that said if he does choose to go to treatment for his addictions at this point in his life it will be nothing more than a public relations maneuver, and a very good one at that.

See Tiger Woods has probably the best crisis management team in the world working around the clock by his side at this time.  What these professionals do is script out every move for a star or athlete to help them start to repair the damage they have created.  And what these professionals know is that there is a large population like myself who believe that addiction is a disease of powerlessness.  So why wouldn’t they encourage Tiger to go to treatment for sex addiction, it is the ultimate ploy to turn public opinion, almost make Tiger a sympathetic figure.  Instead of “what a scumbag for doing that to that nice, young woman,” you might here more of “it’s too bad he ruined his marriage,” and “I hope he can come back from this.”  It’s brilliant.  Now they may be able to achieve this without treatment.  He could go on Oprah and cry during an interview and go back to the golf course and start winning again.  Ultimately what will bring Tiger back is some kind of public interview and winning majors which is what he does best.  There are plenty of examples in sports of these come backs, Kobe and A-rod to name a few.  Both images were done being repaired when they won world championships.  In sports there is a saying, winning cures everything, this may be sad but it’s true.  Who knows what Tiger will eventually decide to do but if he does go to treatment it won’t be because he wants recovery.  This is probably the strongest willed athlete in the history of the world and I just don’t believe at this point in his life that he believes he is powerless over anything.  This may come for him in time but it will take more heart-ache and loss.  Honestly, it may never come for him because he has so much cushioning and enabling around him that may prevent him from ever hitting a bottom.  He needs someone other than his wife to be honest with him about his behavior and when you are the world’s number one athlete and a billionaire, you just aren’t surrounded by many people to keep you in check.  When Tiger asks for something he gets it, he probably doesn’t hear the word “no” too often, don’t believe me, ask some of his mistresses.

Many are asking about the differences between Tiger Wood’s supposed sex addiction and what most would consider “normal” drug addiction.  In my experience in working with addicts the line between the two is invisible.  The motivation for the addict is the same, whether their drug of choice is sex or cocaine.  The objective is to change how we feel in the moment.  The method of executing that change can vary from drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling or a myriad of other methods.  The result is the same, we get the instant gratification we are seeking to change how we feel.  So if I’m asked what the difference is between Tiger Woods and I guy like me, whose drugs of choice were cocaine and alcohol, I say there is none.  If in fact Tiger Woods is a sex addict, we are just two guys who took different roads to get to the same place, and we both left wreckage along the way.  We both hurt spouses and family members.  On the positive side, if a person with an addiction, whatever the addiction may be, can find a way to replace the need for instant gratification with something meaningful and lasting, real happiness can be had.  It requires hard work and a strong support system, but the work is always worth it.

In a recent Entertainment Weekly article, Arrested ‘Big Brother’ champ ordered into drug rehab, it has been made aware that Adam Jasinski, winner of 9th season of the Big Brother Series, was arrested for possession of over 2000 pills of the drug oxycodone.

The story brings up the idea of how we, as addicts and alcoholics, felt invincible when we out in the world ‘running and gunning.’

Our drinking and using brings most of us to a depth of insanity that many will never experience.  It is usually based in the realm of the delusion – the idea that things are not as bad as everyone says they are.

It is at the point that the lies we tell ourselves catch up to us, that we begin to realize how vulnerable and mortal we really are.

The scary part is that most young adults are quite resilient, and always return with a strong will to survive and not get caught next time.  This is why a long term addiction treatment option is so important.  When those feelings of invincibility return, which the inevitably do – the addict will still be in treatment, and less likely to go try it on his or her own again.

We hope, for Mr. Jasinski’s sake, he was court ordered to more than 28days.  If not, we are scared his insanity will drive him to do the same thing time and time again – every time expecting thing to be different.

Do you remember the invincible feeling? What happened to you that made you want to stop? Do you have a story to share about being court ordered to drug rehab? Did you ever feel like you we ‘famous’ because of your ability to obtain drugs?

According to Psych Central, “Sexual addiction is best described as a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts. Like all addictions, its negative impact on the addict and on family members increases as the disorder progresses. Over time, the addict usually has to intensify the addictive behavior to achieve the same results.”

Its an intriguing question to ask about the recent Tiger Woods infidelity scandal – Does T-W need to seek help for his recent behavior? Can we go as far to say he needs to complete Sexual Addiction Treatment? Would it excuse some of his ‘transgressions’ if he were to go to admit he needed help? Would it do anything for his problem given his social status, or we he just return to cheating?

Tiger’s latest actions meet some of the criteria that would suggest it might be a more serious problem.  We know, as addicts ourselves, that when the actions of our addiction start to drastically effect our family – we may need to take a closer look at the situation.

Written by Angela A.

In everyday life, I struggle with letting myself let go of how others live their lives, and letting go of control in mine.  It is definitely easier for me to realize that I am powerless over what people do, how they do it, why they do it, and where they do it.  By reviewing my 1^st step, I realize that my powerlessness over others needs to be given away to my Higher Power in my 3^rd step.

There are many times when I want to shake those I love and tell them that what they want is not what they need.  I have to realize that I cannot change anyone.  An individual can only change him or herself.  I have also been in situations where I do not want to live in the moment; however, I have to realize that my Higher Power puts me in specific moments to learn a particular life lesson that He has set before me.

When I live my life according to God’s will, which is doing the next right thing, I am much more content.  When I let others live their own life, I am more focused and less frustrated.  Thank God I don’t have to play God anymore.

Angela is currently enrolled as a resident in Gatehouse Academy’s addiction treatment program.  She offers her review and testimonial by telling us about a lesson she has learned from our 12-Step curriculum.

This week, let’s tackle a very controversial subject in the field of addiction treatment – does recovery from addiction or alcoholism involve finding a cure?

Some medical professionals, as well as treatment models, believe a cure lies in the form of a pill.  Antabuse and Methadone are probably the most familiar replacement drugs used to treat alcohol or opiate addiction. The idea of replacement therapy is that by creating a medication that safely fulfill the needs of the addiction, the addicted person will be able to live a productive life.

Looking at this solution from a rational perspective, it would appear that the medication acts as a crutch for the addict to rely on.  In other words, it simply creates a new addiction to the medication meant to cure the ailment.  An example can be seen at local methadone clinics, where hundreds line up to get their daily allotment of the medication.  It is apparent that this is the lesser of two evils, but the reality is that it doesn’t support the theory of the cure to addiction coming in the form of a pill.

The polar opposite school of thought comes from the 12 Step perspective.  The core thought being, “We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” This idea can be compared to a person suffering from cancer.

Once someone is diagnosed with cancer and receives successful treatment – it is never considered ‘cured.’  It may go into remission, but the chance always remains that it can return without reason or notice.  According to the 12 Steps, addiction works just the same way – the disease is never cured, rather it is arrested for a period of time and can return if the work is not done to keep it at bay.

In the final analysis, it is up to each individual to decide for themselves how they view addiction. What do you think?

Intrigued by the latest news from Yahoo! News story, Agassi admits using crystal meth in autobiography, I thought to myself – how do drugs and alcohol play into one’s drive to be successful in sports?

The article describes, world renowned tennis player, Andre Agassi’s introduction to Crystal Meth from a friend and the feelings associated with taking the drug.  Interestingly enough, the thoughts and experience accurately describe the obsession of the mind when an addict experiments with a drug for the first time.  The guilt and remorse are overcome by the intense feelings of pleasure and power.

From the sounds it, Agassi is lucky to have not developed a full on addiction to Methamphetamines, which would have more than likely required addiction treatment.  It appears that Agassi learned a valuable lesson about the dangers of using a drug like Meth, but made it out the otherside without losing everything.

Sports can be a great alternative to drinking and druging, but they can also lead young adults to use drugs to perform above and beyond their limits.  We find at Gatehouse Academy, some young people develop their addictions at a young age using performance enhancing drugs like steroids, methamphetamine and cocaine. Feeling pressure from peers and parents to preform well can put a young adult in a position to develop an addiction.

We also understand that Sports are a social activity that can introduce young people to others that use drugs and alcohol regularly. Many young people describe drinking as a way to fit in with older teammates, and feel a part of the team.

The danger of this behavior is that young people do not know if they have a predisposition to become an addict or an alcoholic.  If they are, then it will be a long and arduous battle for years to come, and they will most likely end up in one of three places: prison, mental institution or, God forbid, death.

Written by Kelly E.

Adventures in Recovery (AIR) has just returned from its 11^th major adventure trip and it’s 1st major adventure from our new location at San Cristobal, NM.

Destination – Chaco Culture National Historical Park located in a vast isolated area in Northwestern NM. Several days of hiking in the back-country through massive Aztec ruins and remnants of an ancient advanced civilization, coupled with intensive recovery work produced an outstanding and undeniable result of spiritual and emotional development and change – precisely the purpose of AIR.

Nights in the bivvys dipped to 20 degrees but spirits remained high as the opportunity for such an adventure outweighed the obvious discomfort.  Work ethic and nightly AA meetings in the group remained constant, demonstrating that consistency with recovery disciplines is not limited to a specific treatment setting, but goes with them in their everyday lives no matter where they are.

The fact that they are not the center of the universe was brought home in a big way as they surveyed the vastness around them and contemplated the generations of people who have walked the same path before them, both in a historical cultural sense as well as in a recovery sense. The sense of humility was evident as several residents verbalized a new understanding of being a small part of a great whole and that sobriety in and of itself without any material gain is the reward of this way of life.

Kelly Egan is the Program Manager at Gatehouse Academy’s outdoor adventure wilderness program.  Residents receive a once in a lifetime experience to work with horses surrounded by the majestic mountains of Taos, NM.  On average, 10 to 12 young men and women get to experience a very different form of Drug Rehab – using Nature as a motivator towards Recovey

While experiments in pharmaceutical have proved immensely useful in treating the addiction to drugs and alcohol, other advances have been made in the medical community to aid recovering alcoholics.  Those from the behavioral science aspect of treatment have constructed and honed some potential techniques for cutting down on the relapses.  People stay sober longer with a combination of these therapies and drugs after they are out of an addiction treatment center.

Though newer to programs, fresh approaches have taken form in art therapy.  Professionals in this trade have an education in art of course, but other studies make up their complex education, including clinical, psychological, religious/spiritual, and multiculturalism.  Used for all ages, it never fails to help improve an addict’s case.  The environments for such therapy are diverse and numerous, from a location in the forest to a large studio.  Typically, the therapist works on his or her own to accomplish their goals. 

Other programs have taken different but less effective approaches to helping out with the problem of addiction.  Giving people the capability to understand what causes their urge to drink and manage those urges. Cognitive behavioral therapy has had great success.  It allows people in treatment for drug addiction and alcohol rehab to better manage their lives, especially socially, so it revolves around other aspects more positive than drinking.   

Lastly is motivational enhancement, a technique that helps addicts to understand how their addiction of choice has significantly impacted their lives.  More importantly, it provides the support necessary to help them amend the behavior that originally started them down the path of addiction.   

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, no one treatment is right.  In fact, it might take time to find the right treatment for an addict.  Moreover, excellent drug rehab does not only provide support and help for just the addiction, but for the addict in general and all of their needs.  Treatment must also be a fluid thing that adapts to any of the changes an addict goes through on their journey to recovery.

A London Daily Telegraph article raises an interesting question. Should we change our efforts from a war on drugs to a war on addiction?

Drugs have long been seen as a street battle. We have long been trying to stop the influx of drugs from other countries because the thought was, less drugs, less drug use. Yet addiction continues to rise. Since people are figuring out how to get high off just about anything and prescription drug abuse stats are sky rocketing is it time to shift focus?

Here is the premise of the argument, in a quote from the article:

“The UK Drug Policy Commission recommended that the fight against drugs should focus on dealing with the criminal and anti-social elements that surround their sale. In other words, as long as drug dealers don’t start shooting each other, the police should turn a blind eye to their activities.”

Sure the current drug policies are failing the world, this is not just a problem in the United Kingdom, but does that mean police should not enforce the laws that are on the books? Is sending drug criminals to drug rehab the answer?  They do it in Sweden and it seems to work.

The article states:

“In Sweden, they tie successful involvement in such programmes to the expunging of the criminal record. Unlike in Britain, rehabilitation is seen as an integral part of the approach – and, unsurprisingly enough, the number of addicts as a proportion of the population is considerably lower than here.”

So does Sweden have it right? Can a policy like that work in America of the United Kingdom?