Pine Winds Center
RR#1, S#3, C#45,
Okanagan Falls
Canada
Tel: 1 (250) 497-6526
Program
OUR PHILOSOPHY:
DRUG AND
ALCOHOL ADDICTION IN SOCIETY
The general programming in our western
society is inadequate to meet a lot of our human and spiritual needs and it
causes much pain and suffering because we are out of touch with our higher
needs. Our young people today are
searching for their higher needs and reflect the fact that they have not found
them by the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and their attraction to angry, violent
and despairing music and movies, and their alienation from society and
rejection of society’s values, goals and norms. It has become obvious that our society has
developed a high percentage of young people who at an early age have developed
addictive personalities and they have become extremely dysfunctional in
society. We have found that addictive
personalities have developed through the strong influences of their peer groups
and the social programming of television and the media. The values and the goals espoused by our
society are unattainable by a high percentage of young people and the inability
to alleviate their problems starts up a dysfunctional mode of behaviour in the
individual which shows in the form of drug addiction and/or alcoholism. Our main institutions – family,
religions, work, peer groups – are in a state of flux and
disintegration. What they were is
changing and what they are to be has not yet arrived. Things have changed. In the past the time and effort and money put
into education had a returning cycle to you.
Now at the completion of higher education you will be more likely in
debt, and underemployed or unemployed.
In this day and age what is there to believe in?
Many addicted people have learned
dysfunctional skills from a subculture.
Others, in spite of functioning in a higher way in society, still feel
inadequate in normal society and they feel that they have incomplete
information and experience and understanding of themselves and others. An addict does not grow and learn skills as
he or she progresses along in life and to some degree the addict has limited
social skills. The addict is programmed
in a way not compatible with his inner self and with the spiritual survival
needs such as the need to give and receive love. He uses alcohol and drugs to help him fulfill
these needs in fantasy.
An addict is in a hard place. Society assumes he or she has picked up the
skills needed to function in society.
But addicts cannot struggle and learn as others do and are even afraid
to look at others struggling. That
causes too much anxiety as they get insight into where they are at and feel
pain and helplessness and have fear of being abused. They withdraw into themselves and
fantasize. At some point they discover
their ability to hold onto the fantasies and feelings of protection increase
with substance use. As addicts they have
to cover up their behaviour as they become liars and cheats and thieves. They
keep their running shoes handy and feel they have to escape so others don’t
discover their worthlessness and uselessness.
The addict looks at what others are respected for and feels he or she
does not qualify, therefore he has to pretend that he is there. He needs to convince others he is as good as
them. The alcoholic or addict never
makes a real friend as he is afraid the friend will discover the truth of his
inadequacies and expose him. He or she
is very lonely.
THE WAY BACK
At
Each person needs to put together basic
information as to self-identity, purpose and meaning in life, higher values and
goals. The questions of life that need
to be answered are four. “Who am
I?” “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?”
Gradually the therapist opens up areas of
denial that have been covered up by addictive programming and finds an
alternative to what is creating the pain.
The therapist works with the fragmented person who has been trying so
hard to protect the painful areas of his psyche and lying both to himself and
others because the truth is too painful to face. The client even may have feared he would
disintegrate or breakdown if he faced such truths about himself or
herself. The therapist must be astute,
careful and sensitive, and aware of the inner state of each individual, and
approach each individual on the basis of his or her individuality.
At Pine Winds we work on aspects of the self
through the 12-step program and gradually reduce the feelings of
worthlessness. We use the lessons of the
12-step program to help alleviate different kinds of pain that you may
have. Ways of thinking may be harmful
and close off new possibilities. An open
mind is needed, and also a willingness to step into unknown new areas. An open heart is also needed. You must know facing truths about your
present functioning may hurt a little now but in the long run it is worth
it. The pain now experienced will pass
away because of the great use and positive results you will be getting from the
new information and the new experiences.
In the unknown are the new answers.
Our program at Pine Winds is designed to
meet the needs of our present day society.
We have adopted and adapted many therapeutic means and ways to help our
clients discover meaning and purpose in life so that they eliminate the need
for drugs and alcohol. We feel our
setting and years of experience make this possible.
AN OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRAM COMPONENTS
ASSESSMENT
Over the first week or so there
will be a thorough assessment including detailed history-taking, interviews and
formal testing with a view to understanding childhood development and
development through life, family of origin functioning and social programming,
peer-group experiences and functioning, school and occupational functioning and
health issues. Generally the major life
issues of concern for each individual will be delineated. There will be a consultation with the
client’s medical doctor and any prescriptions will be administered by our
staff.
Along with detailed assessment of
alcohol and drug use will be the elucidation of the associated attitudes and
behaviours that are often so distorted from those generally seen and accepted
in our society and have major negative consequences as a result. A special focus of the detailed assessment of
style of personality functioning and dynamics will be the role alcohol and
drugs play in that. There may be a
significant amount of depression, a lot of anxiety, deep feelings of inadequacy
and other factors fuelling the addiction. The significant conflicts and defense
mechanisms used to cope with anxiety, depression and hopelessness will be
assessed. Suicidal potential will also
be assessed and monitored throughout.
The needs, desires, goals and attitudes and philosophies of the
individual as well as his perceived inadequacies and inability to function in a
self-fulfilling manner that is also socially acceptable will be assessed. The disparity between his perception and that
of the general society will be identified.
If relevant, some vocational and/or academic evaluation may be
done.
We specialize in astute analysis
leading to fine-tuning of treatment and strive towards total integration of
that individual’s personality functioning.
FORMATION OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED
RECOVERY PROGRAM THAT ADDRESS YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
DEALING WITH THE
CRAVINGS
In the beginning the most pressing need is
to develop the skills to counteract the heavy urges for the addictive substance
or substances. Many will try to
manipulate for more codeine-containing drugs to help with the urges. Usually it takes anywhere from
INTEGRITY
ISSUES
Because of the demand of the addictive
substance, the excessive amount of drug or alcohol needed does not allow
individuals to function in a normal, acceptable way in our society. To one degree or another, alcoholics and drug
addicts function on the basis of being liars, cheats and thieves. One of the outstanding characteristics of
people who are extremely addicted, depending on the intensity of the addiction,
is the overpowering urge to get the substance and that intense desire leads to
a way of living that includes in varying degrees lying, cheating and
stealing. This behaviour becomes habitual
and affects all behaviour to some extent, and it is essential that that mode of
behaviour cease immediately before any other recuperative issues can be
addressed.
Without a new mode of behaviour no treatment
can be successful and it is impossible to enter society and be successful, nor
is it possible to maintain sobriety and keep clear of alcohol and clean of
drugs. This condition makes it very difficult, if not impossible to function as
a normal member of our society. The
essential aid that is given to our clients is to help him/her erase this
behaviour that is an essential part of addiction, and to start developing the
proper skills necessary to gratify basic social needs in an acceptable social
manner.
When the individual begins dealing with the
integrity issues inherent in addiction he or she is then starting to become an
active participant in his/her recovery.
INVOLVEMENT,
MOTIVATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT
We feel it is important that the individual
become a participant in the development of his/her recovery program. He is encouraged to tell us of his needs and
wants, how he used to take care of them and how he now needs to take care of
them as a recovering person who does not have the intense drive from his
addiction. As the individual develops
the skills to gratify his or her needs and wants, sobriety and freedom from
narcotics becomes a deep, motivating desire.
The social acceptance and the joy he experiences resulting from the
gratification of these legitimate personal and social needs further encourages
the individuals in recovery.
THERAPEUTIC COMPONENT
Broad Orientation to Treatment
At
The approach of treatment at Pine Winds is
in keeping with the 12-steps and the 12-step program. This is the most-used program for drug
addiction and alcoholism. Parts of this
program are also used in dealing with other types of addictive problems such as
compulsive gambling, eating disorders, obesity, and sexual addiction. The 12-step program is used all over the
world by people who find their social programming is inadequate for the
enjoyment of life and they use the program to radically change their previous
programming.
A major and essential activity with our
clients will be one or more group sessions a day. Within group interactions the usual
functional and nonfunctional behaviours and social relationships of each
individual are re-lived. People may
exhibit street behaviour and other dysfunctional behaviour in the group and
this is explored as to how functional it is within the living environment of
the group. Then a modification of that
dysfunctional behaviour will be insisted upon by his own peer group. The behaviour and attitudes that have
alienated the individual from the society in which he lives are gradually
changed through the group pressure.
There will be daily individual therapeutic
counseling sessions by one of our highly skilled professional staff to work on
dysfunctional behaviours that have been stimulated by the group interaction
and/or other dysfunctional thoughts and behaviours. In addition, all day long our professional
staff will be in touch with each individual, open to working with them on
behaviour, thoughts and feelings and fostering and exploring new ways
individuals may better express themselves.
All of the activities we have in our program
are compatible with the Twelve-step AA and NA programs. We are in harmony with them and encourage our
members to participate in AA and NA.
Consistent with the AA and NA philosophy, at Pine Winds we frequently
point out that we are in the process of learning how to live, rather than just
trying to survive in a dysfunctional, addictive manner, and rather than
learning how to make a living. Once
learning how to live, it is easy to learn how to make a living.
We will work towards the integration of
Twelve-step principles into daily life.
During the time at
LOOKING AFTER THE PHYSICAL BODY
Another dimension of learning how to live
includes such activities as eating good, healthy food and sharing in the
growing of food and its preparation, learning the skills of working together
with other people, sharing your talents and allowing others to share theirs. We
learn in these exercises that we are not all things to all people and that we
don’t know it all, and we learn to respect the talents of other people
who become a source of learning for us.
The importance of having an exercise program
in life cannot be over-emphasized, particularly if one’s occupational
activity does not include exercise.
Every day we have exercise sessions.
An important aspect of recovery is our physical fitness program. People experience a great sense of well-being
when these exercises get to be a common routine.
USING NATURE TO
Nature expands our state of consciousness, and
at Pine Winds we become aware of so much more of life and how we are an
integral part of it. As the saying goes,
we ‘stop to smell the roses’.
Harmony with nature is an integral part of our well-being. It removes the isolation that we often feel
as addicted personalities. The feeling
of belongingness with nature is an important part of our recovery.
Meditation in nature is essential to a
condition we seek called ‘Serenity’. Throughout the day we encourage a sense of
peace and thankfulness, and there develops the gratitude for a new lifestyle,
for new thoughts and words and deeds. We
learn a great asset in sobriety, called ‘Peace’. We are amazed to see how many others
appreciate this development in us.
ASSIGNMENTS
Throughout the day there will be various
written assignments and other activities, the nature of these depending upon
the needs of the individual as the staff members become aware of them. The staff members will be closely in touch
with each individual, opening up new areas for consideration using the highest
of their therapeutic skills. They will
be monitoring the emotional states and the progress of each individual and
overseeing all activities while at Pine Winds.
They see themselves as companions in the new exploration of life.
ESTABLISHING A RE-ENTRY PLAN
A proper amount of attention will be given
to the preparation for the return to society, your community and loved
ones. There has to be a ‘re-entry
system’. Through the addictive
process alcoholics and addicts become alienated from seven major institutions
of society – home, school, religion, work, recreation, law and peer
groups. The first step is for our
clients to take care of their individual needs and the needs of all others for
whom they have responsibility.
It is assumed by the management and staff of
At Pine Winds intensive work is done on
seven major areas that are necessary components of re-entry into society
– the ground rules of living together, the roles we play, the nature and
quality of our relationships, the respect for ourselves and others, the
responsibilities which require honesty, integrity and commitment, the personal
and natural resources we have which are to be freely shared rather than
possessed and exploited for selfish ends, and finally the important principle
that there must be a returning cycle and that what we get from life and others
we give back to life again. So often the
alcoholic or addict has demanded much of people but offered little or nothing
in return. Ideally we focus on learning
to give without expectations and adding something above what we have been
given.
Individual meetings with spouses, families
and significant others will be arranged as appropriate to work with the
dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours between individual clients and those
people close to their lives. The
meetings will focus on new ways of beginning to live together in harmony and
love. The old substance-driven,
dishonest, non-functional and hurtful behaviours have to be replaced by
something much more meaningful.
The re-integration into the family and
re-assumption of the appropriate responsibilities will be the major focus of
these meetings with clients and their families.
An educational component will be included
for family and significant others to help them understand addiction and to help
them overcome enabling tendencies.
Employment and educational issues will be
addressed in whatever depth is required and preparations made to facilitate
re-entry into these areas. Legal issues
will be discussed and help given to prepare for dealing with them as
appropriate. Peer group involvements,
recreational activities, religious involvements, all of the aspects of
involvement in society, will be addressed with the goal of preparing the client
to re-enter society with a workable program, positive attitudes and a support
system appropriate to his sobriety in place.
The program each client leaves with will be different and for each
client, what he needs to do in his life will become evident as he becomes more
in touch with his personality, his potential, his character and his
talents.
LEARNING TO TAKE
As mentioned the first step is for our
clients to take care of their individual needs and the needs of all others they
are responsible for. The first group of
needs are Food, Clothing, Shelter, Energy and Sex. All of these areas are addressed as the first
needs that our clients run into. The
second group of needs are Safety and Security, the safety and security of
knowing that you are free of drug and alcohol, and how to remain that way. The third need is Belongingness. It is important we get involved with friends
who stay clean and free of drug and alcohol.
We find such people in AA and NA, and also in many religious groups
which encourage sobriety and being free of drugs. As we go on, many of us find that we develop
a greater need for Spirituality in our lives, which brings us into a state of
Self-Actualizing. Self-actualizing
experiences prove to us beyond a doubt that nothing we can do in being drunk or
high can compete or compare with those experiences we have when we have reached
some measure of self-actualization. As
we progress there will be moments of Enlightenment and accompanying that
greater joy and strength and a greater feeling of enlivenment.
The major goal of
sobriety and being clean and clear of drugs is the inner sense of oneness that
one receives through spiritual development.
There is nothing in
alcohol or drug consumption that can compete or compare with this inner sense
of oneness, this spiritual growth and development that has enfolded your life
and those around you. It is the most
important thing to bring you a great sense of purpose in the living of your
life and it can’t be done in any other way.
SOME INTERMEDIATE GOALS
1.
Much improvement in self-understanding and insight;
2.
Experiencing inner peace and stability of emotions;
3.
Better problem solving skills without substances and better
functioning in all spheres of life;
4.
Honest, open relationships; clarification of roles and
expectations within relationships;
5.
Coming to terms with your life situation and looking at it with
new eyes;
6.
Feeling less a victim of social programming of others and
others’ philosophies and free to make your own decisions in line with
your own unique, inner qualities of spirit, your talents and potentials;
7.
Having a solid and also joyful commitment to a sober and
drug-free way of living;
8.
Having a stronger spiritual center that will continue to be the
rudder for a sober, drug-free and fulfilling life in the years ahead.
At Pine Winds we clear the pathway, start
the individual down the pathway towards self-actualization, high spiritual
functioning and inner oneness. We
anticipate that our clients along with others from the self-recovery system
will work together towards higher functioning for themselves and others in the
years ahead.
WHERE WE COME FROM,
WHERE WE
Where we come from is a segment of society
that either did not have the skills or had them and lost them, and now needs to
find them. In the finding of them we
address a few basic questions that one way or another torment us. If we had an identity at the onset of an
addiction we lost it, and so directly and indirectly the first great torment to
us is, “Who am I?” Those who
set the example for you, who we basically learn from, have not seemed to
fulfill your desire for learning who you might be. Usually you don’t want to be like those
people who were your main examples, and yet we often may have found ourselves
repeating their ways, their thoughts and deeds and hating ourselves for
it. Without really knowing where we came
from we don’t know who we are, and we sink to the lowest level of human
involvement – an addictive personality.
The substance of the addiction usually allows us to fantasize who we
are. When we live the fantasy the price
it demands from us is a particular kind of hell that very few people go
through, but yet we get so embroiled into the fantasy, it becomes totally
encompassing into us. Our thoughts and
words and deeds are governed by the fantasy of ourselves drugs and alcohol
allow us to keep and that becomes a destructive illusion in our lives. We know of the so-called good things but we
don’t have the knowledge and skills to implement them into our lives and
as our condition worsens, we find we are getting closer and closer to death on
the installment plan, a little bit every day.
In observing so many of our compatriots, our buddies, we see that there
is a place that we can go to that has no return. And the addiction has demanded everything
from you and given nothing in return.
Hell has no fury like the experience of an addict in the last days of
life.
Those of us who have recovered from this
terrible dilemma and others who have seen the effects of this dilemma and wish
to change it go into a set of learning and behaviour that would be classified
as recovery. It is important to realize
what we are recovering from so that we have a full understanding of where we are
at, our degree of recovery, then as we learn from those who are further along
the path to greater spirituality and self-actualization, we will gradually come
to know ourselves better and we also will experience greater
self-actualization. We have learned that
the self-help group and the help of others who have achieved a recovery from
drugs and alcohol is perhaps the most powerful of all means that we have at
this moment. The self-recovery system
has, so far, the best track record.
At Pine Winds we have a comprehensive,
integrated program to help you get on the road to recovery, get you in touch
with the ‘real you’, and start you on the road towards maximizing
your God-given potential.
Pine Winds Recovery Centre
George Bullied and Patricia
Diewold Bullied
R.R.#1, Site 3, Compartment
45
2084 Pine
Okanagan Falls, B.C. V0H 1R0
Telephone: (250) 497-6526
Website: www.Pine-Winds.com
