Life Skills

According to the reports of statistics on relapse after treatment from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, anywhere from 40-60% of people relapse. Upon creating the holistic treatment mission for Cypress Lake Recovery, we thought about this number and wondered what we as specialists could change to lower this number significantly. We spent much time reviewing other addiction centers that our patients and recovering staff had been to before coming to us. Through this, we discovered that many treatment plans are all the same and not customized per patient. The more time we spent in the addiction space, the more we understood the need for customization of these recovery treatment plans.

Life Skills Reduces Chance of Relapse

Within this same study, they found that patients required a period of relearning the skills they started on in their previous recovery programs which pointed to the very short-term duration that wasn’t beneficial to patients or the way in which these skills, if any, were taught in the first place. To understand what happens to patients in recovery and why, it’s essential they have life skills training and relapse prevention sessions. We must think about how the addictive mind works. When those suffering from addiction experience high levels of stress and anxiety about new situations such as new jobs, relationships, and financial struggles, their way out is to substance abuse. In life skills training, we reinforce our counseling and group therapy teachings to help our patients plan ahead for healthier lifestyles free of addiction.

In counseling sessions, we establish recognition that addiction exists and that addictive thinking is what drives people to abuse these substances. In addition to these points, we work with patients to recognize the things in their lives they need to improve to be successful and have a healthy living space so they can fulfill their needs that were previously being ignored in addiction. Mindfulness and meditation further encourage these introspective thoughts about a future without dependency. This future is one of the leading motivational tools we use here at Cypress Lake Recovery. When clients can see how wonderful their lives will be without drugs and alcohol, recovery is set in motion. These future goals that we visualize are what establishes the framework for our life skills sessions, and we work on coping mechanisms to help our patients get to where they want to be.

Our patients come in to life skill building sessions with this foundation before we can teach them these skills. Once patients know what they need, we can show them how to work within these parameters and to keep their mental health and wellness in mind at all times. We teach our patients coping skills to deal with the frustrations and learning processes that come with getting our lives in order.

The questions that we ask our clients to think about are:

  • Where do I see myself as a sober individual?
  • Who can I count on for support throughout my recovery?
  • Where will I live and how will I support myself?
  • How will I cope when things get hard?

All of these questions will be addressed in life skills treatment. We understand that there are a set of concerns when patients check into our treatment center as they struggle with active recovery, but there are an entirely different set of concerns when they believe they can maintain a sober living lifestyle. Our program is versatile and helps our patients find answers to those questions. If we can reduce these anxieties before they’re finished with their recovery program, the likelihood that relapse will occur is significantly lower.

The essential building blocks for life skills treatment are:

  • Family Therapy and coping skills
  • Foundation for counseling and individual therapy
  • Motivation
  • Recognition of addiction and addictive thinking
  • Active vision for sobriety

Our patients will learn to:

  • Seek and maintain active employment that is fulfilling
  • Treat their bodies well with the proper nutrition and physical fitness goals
  • Establish their support network and cultivate healthy relationships
  • Become financially responsible
  • Create life plans to help them achieve their goals
  • Remain accountable and practice everything they have learned in treatmentLive modestly and responsibly
  • Maintain organization to keep their homes clean and composed
  • Harness their emotions and be social with others in the community
  • Maintain their mindfulness and meditation practice
  • Manage any medications
  • Make sobriety the number one goal

Life can be challenging, but if we teach our clients how to handle these daily activities and how to respond to them emotionally, then they have what they need to adapt to the situation in a constructive way. Everything addiction dismantles, life skills training will reinstate and will instill ideas within our patients that to live well, they need to be responsible for their lives. Within addiction, we check out of life completely, but if we want to get well, we must be responsible and present; there is no more room for checking out.

Life skills can make our patients more successful than with only standard addiction treatments. To learn more about our life skills programs and how they can work for you, call Cypress Lake Recovery at 409-407-5463.