Browsing Tag

holistic healing

Moving On After a Traumatic Event

By Jennifer McDougall

“When a problem or a difficult situation arises, say to yourself, as if you already believe it: “This is for my benefit.”
― Chris Prentiss, Be Who You Want, Have What You Want: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Moving on after something traumatic has happened can feel like an impossible task, but it’s not. It’s not impossible to move forward after something traumatic has happened. The event that has left you feeling confused, broken, hurt, abandoned, abused, silenced, or sickened, happened for a reason. It happened to teach you something. It happened so that you could be given the tools you need to help other people. It happened so that you could be given the strength you needed to move forward in your life with more courage than ever before. This traumatic event was not a downfall or a setback. It was something that needed to happen to teach you something good and valuable. This event was something that was meant for you and part of your destiny.

The concept that something good can come from a traumatic event may sound new to you. The idea that something like a job loss, a cancer diagnosis, death in the family, a breakup, witnessing or experiencing any type of violence or abuse, car accident, a miscarriage, or even rape could be turned around and looked at something you can benefit from might sound ridiculous, but after stepping back for a minute and finding something positive you can take away from that experience or situation you may see that your perspective of the traumatic event changes.

Looking for a lesson and a blessing in every situation will help keep your outlook on life and all the events that happen within it a more positive experience. Sure something like being raped, or diagnosed with cancer is not something anyone wants or is anywhere close to pleasant, but there is something to positive to take away from everything that happens in our life.

How you move forward after a traumatic event is how you begin to heal. Taking the opportunity to speak with a therapist and talk about what you are feeling will help you process the events leading up to, during, and after the event that occurred. It’s important to let out the emotions your feeling so your therapist can help you work through the trauma and sort out the thoughts tangled up in your mind so you can release the pain built up and move forward in a healthy way.

What happens to many people is they hold on to the pain. They cope with the use of drugs and alcohol to numb that pain, and they wait a while before telling anyone what has happened to them. Some people wait many years to open up and finally talk to a therapist or a trusted confidant. The problem with waiting is that you prolonged the healing process. The longer you hold on to the pain caused by the traumatic event, destruction tends to seep out into your daily life causing you to make poor decisions, get caught up in your head and be distracted.

Substance abuse issues frequently stem from a person’s inability or unwillingness to get the help they need after a traumatic event. It’s important to talk to a close friend or family member immediately after something traumatic has happened to you. It’s even more critical to seek professional help to learn healthy coping mechanisms and not let this thing that has occurred become a weight in your life that holds you back from being the best possible version of yourself.

Also read: HEALING FROM TRAUMA AT PASSAGES ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTERS

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Call Passages Addiction Treatment Centers today if you or a loved one is battling an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Our admissions department is available 24/7 and can be reached directly by calling our toll-free number at (888) 397-0112. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

7 Ways to Create Your Personal Philosophy

By Jennifer McDougall

“A strong personal philosophy does more than sustain us through the tragedies of life. It also stains us daily in everything we think and do. It gives us optimism and hope.”
― Chris Prentiss, Zen and the Art of Happiness

When you think about the way you view the world, what you value, your own moral compass, and perspective, what do you see? Creating a personal philosophy helps guide us into the direction that is aligned with our core principles. How you react and respond to situations that happen to and around you is part of your personal philosophy.

Introspection. Look within your soul to discover a new light of clarity that gives you hope and makes you feel empowered.
Study other philosophies such as religion and spiritual beliefs.
Discuss your values and core beliefs with other people.
Practice making choices that are aligned with your beliefs.
Reframe your beliefs so they work for you and not against you.
Find a therapist, life coach, or mentor that can help guide and support you in creating and practicing your personal philosophy.
Be patient. Allow your personal philosophy to evolve and develop over time through various experiences and enlightenment.

The reason it’s important to have a strong personal philosophy is that it helps us make decisions and live an authentic life where you can be true to yourself and honest with others you interact with.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself

What is the purpose or meaning of your life? What are you most passionate about? What do you value the most in life?
Which beliefs resonate with you and which ones do not?
What do you want to contribute to the world? What would you like your legacy to be? What are the most important things for you to accomplish in your life?
What type of working, living, and social environments are best suitable for achieving your goals?
What physical and mental state should you aim to reach in order to achieve your goals and be successful?
What do you need every day to live a life that honors your morals, values, and goals?
What do you need to release from your life or daily habits to achieve your goals and live a life you feel proud of?
What type of music, art, and literature resonate best with you?
How do you view conflicts when they arise? In what way do you approach issues in your life?
What type of attitude do you have in the general theme of your life?

“Don’t Just

Don’t just learn, experience.
Don’t just read, absorb.
Don’t just change, transform.
Don’t just relate, advocate.
Don’t just promise, prove.
Don’t just criticize, encourage.
Don’t just think, ponder.
Don’t just take, give.
Don’t just see, feel.
Don’t just dream, do.
Don’t just hear, listen.
Don’t just talk, act.
Don’t just tell, show.
Don’t just exist, live.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Customized Addiction Therapy at Passages Rehab

Customized Addiction Treatment Program at Passages Rehab

By Jennifer McDougall

Being treated for substance abuse-related issues at Passages Malibu is the start of something beautiful. Anyone who has struggled to get and stay sober knows how challenging this process is. That is why at Passages, we are fully committed to providing our clients with the best possible therapy available that best suits their needs, by customizing a state-of-the-art addiction treatment program.

Our non-12 Step and holistic addiction therapy offers more one-on-one sessions than many other programs out there today. We know how crucial it is for an individual to get the proper attention and professional care so they can begin to feel empowered, heal, and thrive.

Here is what our treatment at Passages Malibu includes:

INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT

GROUP TREATMENT

MEDICAL CARE

The treatment at Passages is exceptionally stellar beyond measure. Many treatment centers claim to offer what Passages offers, but they don’t come close. Here is what makes our addiction treatment center so unique:

Individual Therapy: At least 14 to 19 individual sessions per week, depending on your program – this is far more than any other treatment center offers
24/7 Nursing: Registered, on-site nursing staff to attend to your medical needs
A professionally trained and experienced treatment team including various addiction experts, doctors, and licensed therapists
Freedom to use cell phones and laptops: Stay connected to family and business during your treatment
Advanced holistic therapy methods: Each customized to meet your individual needs, taking into consideration the specific aspects of your addiction
Immaculate grounds and bedrooms create a perfect atmosphere for healing and relaxation
Family owned and operated – Providing reliable and trustworthy addiction treatment services since 2001

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

The Secret of Your Addiction is Within You

By Chris Prentiss

The secret of what has caused and is keeping your addiction alive and active, making it seemingly impossible for you to quit, is within you.

Learning the techniques of relapse recovery is important; learning a new philosophy of life and how to live it is important; discovering the triggers that lead to relapse and being in treatment with other people who are at Passages for the same purpose as you is important, but, if we don’t find out which of the Four Causes created and is keeping your addiction alive and heal it, relapse is pretty much certain; we will both fail. And make no mistake, when you fail, we fail. We want to hear your story. We need to hear your story; the real one; and you need to tell it. We’ll help you look for it. Looking for it is number one on the list of things we do best. Number two is to help you process what we find so it stops keeping your addiction alive. Come to us prepared to let your guard down and talk to your therapists openly with complete protection for your confidentiality. Together, we can end your addiction. Our therapists are experts in leading you to the secret you’re holding on to. You’re not holding onto it deliberately, but because it’s painful you’ve buried it.

You are not to blame for your addiction, for what you’re going through; Your addiction is being caused by one or more of the Four Causes.

Don’t come to Passages and go home with your secret still locked inside of you.

Most of our clients have forgotten their original cause because it’s too painful, too shameful, too traumatic, too embarrassing. The relief they experience when the cause is remembered and healed is one of the best feelings in the world. That’s the moment you will know you’ve escaped your addiction. We have seen thousands of clients experience that moment.

If you haven’t already read the Four Causes Page, do it now. If you’ve already read it, read it again. Make sure you’ve checked off all the examples that apply to you. Then, click on the “Evaluation” button so we can tell you what we will do to help you be free from them. That’s the start. You may not know the original cause; that’s usually the case, but it’s the start that leads to the finish, to the real source; the cause. We will be there with you, all the way. We can win together, but you hold the key, the secret. So, talk to us…

Chris Prentiss, Co-Founder, and President of Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

What is Holistic Therapy

By Jennifer McDougall

In a medical setting, holistic therapy is when conditions of mental, physical, and emotional health are addressed while taking into consideration social and economical issues. The difference between traditional therapy and holistic therapy is that in traditional therapy only the psychological, behavioral patterns and ramifications are observed and treated. In holistic therapy, the person’s entire being is looked at and treated at a 360-degree angle.

Holistic medicine is used all across the world and incorporates many fundamentals of eastern Chinese medicine that has shown positive results in treating an array of medical issues. Holistic therapy at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers focuses on treating and healing the underlying conditions causing a person to use and abuse drugs and alcohol. Deep-rooted issues are often times dug up from past trauma that a person has been carrying around for many years and has yet to realize or heal from. When these underlying conditions are not treated, it is likely that the individual will relapse or have a very difficult time changing the course of their behavior and cravings.

Principles of Holistic Medicine

Every individual person has natural healing powers
A patient is a person, not a disease
Healing takes a team approach involving the patient and doctor in which they work together to address all aspects of a person’s life through a variety of non-traditional treatment methods
Treatment consists of fixing the cause of the condition, not just alleviating the symptoms

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Drama Therapy & Addiction

By Susan Finley, Ed.D., NCC

“Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to” – Willem Dafoe

The following is a Q&A provided by the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA).

What is Drama Therapy?

NADTA defines drama therapy as the intentional use of drama and/or theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals. Drama therapy is active and experiential.

When applied to addictions populations, drama therapy is especially effective, for it provides chemically dependent clients with an opportunity to safely practice the behaviors necessary for abstinence (North American Drama Therapy Association).

What is the Theoretical Framework?

The theoretical foundation of drama therapy lies in drama, theater, psychology, psychotherapy, anthropology, play, and interactive and creative processes.

How Does Drama Therapy Work?

Through drama, the depth and breadth of inner experience can be actively explored and interpersonal relationship skills can be enhanced. Participants can expand their repertoire of dramatic roles to find that their own life roles have been strengthened.

What Types of Techniques are used?

Processes and techniques may include improvisation, theater games, storytelling, and enactment. Many drama therapists make use of text, performance, or ritual to enrich the therapeutic and creative process.

What are the Benefits of Drama Therapy?

The process of drama therapy is both insightful and enjoyable. By engaging in drama therapy, chemically dependent clients learn that they can have fun without being high. This approach can provide the context for participants to tell their stories, set goals and solve problems, express feelings, or achieve catharsis. It results in increased self-esteem and self-awareness, improved communication and interpersonal skills, a better understanding of oneself and others’ perspectives.

Who Can Benefit from Drama Therapy?

Anyone can benefit from drama therapy. Because addicted individuals tend to be sensitive and creative people, they take quickly to the arts and thrive on being able to express themselves through movement, art, words, music, and drama.

Selected resources

The North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) is a non-profit association incorporated in 1979 to establish and uphold high standards of professional competence and ethics among drama therapists; to develop criteria for training and registration; to sponsor publications and conferences, and to promote the profession of drama therapy through information and advocacy.

For more information visit North American Drama Therapy Association

Video: Drama Therapy Channel: Healthy Relationship Workshop

At Passages Malibu, our philosophy offers a genuine solution to end your addiction permanently. You deserve something different. Something better. Something that works. Call now to learn more about our addiction treatment modalities and treatment programs (888) 920-8849.

Susan Finley, Ed.D., NCC is an educator, published researcher, and social media consultant. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC) (e-therapy) and Suicide Prevention Instructor (QPR) under the National Board for Certified Counselors.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Finding the Source of My Pain

By Dr. Kerri Heath

“The cure for pain is in the pain.” -Rumi

If you are searching for a rehab center, you are probably experiencing a lot of pain. The substances may no longer be working to numb the pain. You know that it is time to heal this pain or face certain death. You are not alone. Many clients who come to Passages have reached the end of their rope and are faced with the realization that it is time to face the truth and find a new path before it’s too late. It is not uncommon to hear people say “the only other option was death, so I had to get help.”

Humans are experiencing a lot of suffering every day and night. They are covering the pain up and pretending to be free from pain. However, unless they can find the cause of the pain it is impossible to heal it. The pain and suffering will cause disease and physical deterioration if it is ignored over long periods of time. Once the physical pain becomes unbearable, people tend to seek out help for their suffering. Our suffering should be seen as an alert. Pain is trying to tell you something, it is not a prediction of doomsday. If we can pay attention to our suffering and learn from it, then we can be free from it. Rumi stated that the “cure for pain is in the pain.”

This is why substance abuse is only setting us back on our journey. If we are not facing the pain and identifying its source, we cannot eradicate it. The pain will only be prolonged if addictions are used to numb it rather than learning the lesson that it is trying to teach.

Wherever there is a pain of any kind (irritation, aggravation, loss, anger, grieving, jealousy, resentment, indigestion, physical pain, etc.) we will find attaching to something that needs to be released. Attachment is what leads to suffering. When you can discover this truth for yourself, and pay attention to the pain, you will be able to understand your pain in new ways and release the thing you are holding on to. On the other side of pain and suffering is a source of freedom.

Passages Addiction Treatment Centers would like to help you overcome the addiction, identify the true source of your pain, and design a new life that is in full alignment with what you truly want. You are only a few steps away from creating a life that is free from pain and suffering… just make the call. There is a team waiting for you to make the passage towards a new life of freedom and truth.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Unlearning Learned Behavior

By Susan Finley, Ed.D., NCC

“You have to throw a gold brick into the uncertain waters of the future, and have faith because there will be many difficult days before you will see the returns start rolling in…”

-P. T. Barnum

Elephants in Captivity

Have you ever attended a circus or visited a zoo and wondered how elephants, despite their massive size, do not roam or try to break free from a minimally guarded confined space? The answer lies in how elephants in captivity are trained from an early age. One leg is tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground confining the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope. Initially, the baby elephant tries to break free but soon finds the rope is too strong. The baby elephant “learns” that it can’t break free. Once the elephant grows up, its adult strength could easily break the same rope, but because it learned that it couldn’t break the rope when it was young, the adult elephant believes that it still can’t break free so it doesn’t even try. Similar to baby elephants, human beings infer much about themselves based on early interactions and learned behavior during development. Unless challenged, these childhood beliefs continue into adulthood. Even though the thought may not be based on truth, we still operate as if it is (Self Esteem Experts).

Automatic Thought Patterns are developed and strengthened by the frequency with which you think a particular thought. This process is called “brain training,” or where thought patterns become a habit, triggering feelings and reactions to the circumstances of your life. Unlike elephants, humans are born with the ability to make a conscious choice – an important step in changing how you perceive and think about yourself. To create new thought patterns requires practice…like learning to ride a bike.

Learning to Ride a Bike: At first, you must pay attention to staying balanced, keeping your eyes on the road, holding onto the handlebars and steering in the desired direction. The more you practice, the stronger your bicycle riding pathways become. Eventually, you are able to get on your bike a and ride without even thinking. In other words, you’re operating on automatic.

Automatic beliefs that are continually reinforced in our minds (consciously or unconsciously) are known as dominant thought patterns. Challenging old beliefs with newer, healthier ones creates a strong brain pathway–as though new brain software has been uploaded. A newer outlook has replaced the old one that no longer serves us. This allows for a healthy change to replace learned behavior and thoughts.

Selected resources

Self Esteem Experts: Nurturing Vibrant Self Esteem.

Life begins where addiction ends. Call now to learn more about our addiction treatment modalities and treatment programs (888) 920-8849.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Overcoming Addiction for Good: Finding Peace at Passages

Overcoming Addiction: Finding Peace at Passages

By Dr. Kerri Heath

“Reserving judgment is a matter of infinite hope.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

I love visiting Passages in Malibu, as it brings a sense of peaceful re-centering every time I visit. The beautiful ocean views and perfectly groomed landscaping create the context, but it is the warm personalities that makes it feel like a home. This makes Passages a very unique place. It feels like the Prentiss family has opened up their home for addicts to come in and find solace, a place of refuge.

People who struggle with addiction are searching for peace. According to the philosophy at Passages, substances are used to cover up one or more of following: chemical imbalance, unresolved events from the past, beliefs you hold that are inconsistent with what is true, and an inability to cope with current conditions. People think they are coming to Passages to heal an addiction, but what they are really seeking is peace and that is what they leave with.

It is no coincidence that the name of the co-owner is Pax, which literally means “peace” in Latin because that seems to be his gift to the world. Pax helps people find true peace in their lives by identifying the real source of pain and offering a variety of solutions to create a better life. I met with Pax on a Thursday afternoon to hear more about his experience and his call to help lead others out of a life of addiction and into a life of peace and happiness. I had already read about his experience in “kicking” addiction, so I knew that I was meeting with a miracle man who was lucky to be alive. People who have come so close to death seem to be laser-focused on things that truly matter (not just material possessions, power, and privilege), and he did not disappoint. Pax was late for our meeting because he ran into a client in the garden who wanted to talk, and that is always a priority to him. This is the perfect example of how this man makes time for each one of the visitors that come to him for transformation and renewal.

In my brief time with him, I found myself sharing things with him that I have not told others. I mentioned to him several times “I don’t know why I am telling you this…” to which he replied, “I hear that on a daily basis.” I am not surprised that his clients find themselves sharing openly and honestly with Pax because he has a true sense of tranquility and unconditional love. Because of the lack of judgment, people can only find themselves in a safe place to open up, explore and seek honesty in his presence. One of the greatest things about Passages is that you are invited into a family that honestly cares about you as if you were their own child, because in a way you are.

If you are struggling with addiction, there will come a time when the need for peace far outweighs the need to continue down the path of pain and resistance. When you want to find the solutions to your problems and a road to recovery, Pax will be there to show you the way. He has walked the same road and he’s willing, to be honest about it. And just being in the same room with him will give you the peace that you need to make it through another day.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Healing Your Fears and Trauma at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

5 Ways to Confront and Heal Your Inner Demons

By Jennifer McDougall

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” – August Wilson

Facing your inner demons takes great courage. Bringing forth all of those memories, fears, pain, regrets, and causes for your current conditions, can cause a range of many emotions. Many of us have pain from the past and fears we live with every day that often times get suppressed as a way to ignore them rather than acknowledging them. If you are ready to heal your inner demons and overcome the blockage that has been holding you back from living your best life, this article is perfect for you.

Through professional therapy and compassionate care that is tailored just for you and your specific needs, it is possible to overcome your innermost darkness and experience true freedom. At Passages Addiction Treatment Centers, we focus on healing the underlying conditions causing you to use and abuse drugs and alcohol. Our non-12 Step holistic therapy methods are provided to you by those who have many years of experience in the field of mental health, addiction, and medicine.

Examples of inner demons:

Regrets
Trauma
Substance Abuse
Fears
Jealousy
Pain
Anger
Depression
Self-Doubt
Feelings of being stuck
Desire to seek revenge and harm others
Worries about money, health, or romance
Loss of worthiness and purpose for life

Photo by Marco Xu

Helpful tips to heal your inner demons:

Address the core issues and unresolved events from the past with a therapist
Practice letting go through meditation, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and other holistic treatment methods such as the ones offered at Passages Rehab
Develop a strong self-care routine that you stick to on a daily basis (time alone, quality time with friends and family, massage, hair & nail care, facials, reading, writing, painting, disconnecting from technology & social media, healthy dieting etc.)
Forgive yourself and others from previous events by telling them personally or just quietly saying the words to yourself in your own privacy
Bring your fears, pain, trauma, and worries to surface– be real with how you feel as you experience a vast range of different emotions as you heal through this difficult yet courageous process

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” – Eckhart Tolle

Photo by: Ben White

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Healing Through Writing at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

By Susan Finley, Ed.D., NCC

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” -Ernest Hemingway

Writing can be a healing process for those struggling with substance use and addiction. By reflecting on and reframing life events, the act of writing can assist in a more positive outlook and overall enlightenment.

5 Ways to Use Written Expression:

Journaling—Set aside a time each day to quietly reflect in your journal. You will want to include any significant or memorial aspects of your day. Write freely and without hesitation. Be sure to include at least 1 positive interaction, good deed, change in perspective, or otherwise successful task completed each day. Keeping a balanced perspective is a large part of addiction treatment. Date your entries. Some individuals find healing comfort in reviewing previous entries.

Keep a Running Log or Bullet Journal—Have a journal with you at all times and you can easily jot down your thoughts and feelings anywhere. Sometimes getting those nagging, repetitive thoughts out of your head and onto paper does the trick. In addition, when a brilliant idea or noteworthy occurrence takes place, jot that down as well. Date your entries so you can easily keep track of patterns, growth, and changes.

Gratitude Lists—be creative here. Do not limit yourself to the obvious. By looking deeply within ourselves, we learn to see and appreciate the little gifts in our everyday lives. This will assist in keeping a healthy perspective and outlook on the day and overall future. If gratitude lists are new for you, begin with at least 3 things you are grateful for each day. You may choose to do this in the morning, or at night reflecting on the day’s events.

Write a short story—This is a fun way to imagine different scenarios. We control the setting, characters, and outcome. You may choose to write about a past event that occurred in your life or rewrite/create the details and outcome of an event entirely. There is no standard for how long your story should be. Beginning with 1 page is a good place to start.

Write a poem—Poetry is also an excellent way to focus our thoughts and feelings on specific topics. Begin by choosing one topic or subject and explore everything that comes to mind when writing about this topic. Poems range from haiku (3 phrases 17 syllables) to many pages. There is no standard for length. Begin with shorter poems and work your way up.

At Passages Malibu, our philosophy offers a genuine solution to end your addiction permanently. You deserve something different. Something better. Something that works.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Discover and Heal Underlying Causes of Addiction: Step Two in Treating Addiction

by Dr. Kerri Heath

“Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick.”

–The 71st verse of the Tao

The problems underlying dependency always have both physical and psychological components, and both have to be treated simultaneously. At Passages Addiction Treatment Center in Malibu, it takes a carefully selected support team of physical, medical, psychological, and spiritual professionals to design a rehabilitation plan for attacking “sickness” from every angle. This holistic approach is highly individualized to help clients redesign a better foundation for a more promising future.

The state of your body is a key factor in how you healthy you feel. When one or more of your body’s systems become dysfunctional, you can become out of balance. This equilibrium can lead you to medicate the unpleasant feelings with drugs, alcohol or addictive behaviors, which can then lead to dependency.

At Passages Addiction Treatment Center, a full diagnosis must be conducted in order to identify the specific reasons that a drug dependency has developed. The dependency was created as an attempt to compensate for some area of deprivation. The process starts by helping each client identify the sickness that is being treated by the addiction. And it is only when we become fully aware that we are sick (in mind, body, and spirit) that we can heal the sickness.

When we are equipped with this new knowledge we can change behaviors by addressing the fundamental cause of the pain. This knowledge provides us strength in making changes and creating a better life out of well-informed choices made from a conscious place. Ignorance of the truth only perpetuates our sickness because we are “ignoring” the pain-point. When we experience sickness in mind, body or spirit… it is because some aspect of our life is out of balance. That toxic area of our life becomes infected and starts to spill into other areas, relationships, etc.

Once your mind and body are in a state of optimum health, you won’t feel the need to alleviate those uncomfortable feelings with addictive substances or behaviors. As you construct your recovery program, it will help you to understand the functions of the various glands and organs that make up your body’s systems. At Passages Addiction Treatment Center in Malibu, we help you reach your peak health condition (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). When you reach these states of vibrational frequency that feel better, you will have created more space to dream about the future and problems that you would like to solve.

Photo by NordWood Themes

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

A Holistic Approach to Drug Addiction at Passages Rehab

by Dr. Kerri Heath

“A holistic approach looks for fundamental underlying issues,

rather than only addressing symptoms.”

–Fran Sussman

A truly great drug rehab center knows that a holistic recovery program will help you discover and heal the underlying causes of addiction, which is the only way to achieve permanent recovery. Choosing a holistic recovery program is crucial because it identifies the primary causes of your dependency (the why), which always have both physical and psychological components that must be identified in order to truly heal. These can stem from anything such as anemia, hypoglycemia, thyroid problems, attention deficit disorder, brain-wave pattern imbalances, or deep emotional pain caused by trauma. The “why” may not always be self-evident because it is buried underneath the drugs, alcohol, and other symptoms that are used to numb the pain. At Passages Addiction Treatment Centers, the right team will guide and protect you as you delve into the areas of your life that have been hidden from you but hold the keys to your freedom.

It takes a carefully selected team to help you uncover and treat the specific reasons you are depending on addictive substances or behaviors to cope with your life. At Passages, you will be guided through a personalized program to achieve total recovery and optimum health. This is done by enlisting the help of several key health professionals that look at the specific situation from different points of view, treating every aspect of your life. A holistic approach considers the importance of the entire person: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. A team of specialized doctors, therapists, and health practitioners will help you work with your body, your mind, your emotions and your spirit to stimulate self-healing and regain your passion for life.

The pain is there for a reason. It is calling to you. It wants you to find it and heal it so that you can be free to exert energy on things that excite you and inspire you. But if you numb the pain and never fully address the situations that need to be healed, the pain will continue and even grow stronger. But you don’t have to face this alone. By identifying the source of the pain, and working through it with a team of professionals, you can find healing and begin to create a new direction for your life. Deepak Chopra states that “the best way to get rid of the pain is to feel the pain. And when you feel the pain and go beyond it, you’ll see there’s a very intense love that is waiting to awaken itself.” And won’t be alone… there is a team of professionals waiting to walk alongside you as you take the steps forward on this path towards freedom.

Passages Addiction Treatment Centers would like to help you find permanent freedom from your addiction through a holistic approach that can help you redefine the “why” that guides the life you decide to create.

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Repairing Broken Relationships in Recovery

By Jennifer McDougall

Healing broken relationships in recovery is extremely important. Letting go of the past, asking and accepting of forgiveness, being authentic in your actions, and using the tools you acquired during rehab is essential to your sobriety. Broken relationships carry a weight of regret and miscommunication. There’s a strong chance that throughout your days of substance abuse, you most likely hurt people along the way. When we use and abuse drugs and alcohol, we lose our authenticity—meaning we alter our consciousness to be less than intentional and in many cases hurtful to those we love and care about.

Drugs and alcohol have been ruining families and relationships of all types for years. That is no secret. Many arguments and disagreements are fueled by intoxicated behavior. The end result is rarely a pretty sight to see. Picking up the broken pieces from the destruction caused by carelessness is a process. To mend these broken relationships the following tips will help you in repairing them in the days to come.

Communicate with Honesty
Listen to Them Carefully
Acknowledge Yours Short-Comings
Ask and Accept Forgiveness
Keep Your Promises (Rebuild Trust)
Stay Sober
Be Active in the Relationship
Set Realistic Expectations
Focus on Those Who Support You
Be Patient as the Wounds Heal

Also read: Marriage & Family Therapy at Passages Malibu

Purchase a copy of The Laws of Love at the Passages Wellness Store

Call Passages Addiction Treatment Centers today if you or a loved one is battling an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Our admissions department is available 24/7 and can be reached directly by calling our toll-free number at (888) 397-0112. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

Follow Passages Malibu on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image via Unsplash

by Passages Malibu

10 Ways to Build Courage

By Jennifer McDougall

Wouldn’t it be great if fear would just get out of the way so that we could make the moves we spend hours daydreaming about? Well, I have 10 suggestions that will help you overcome the fear and anxiety that is holding you back from living a courageous life.

1. Identify what is you are afraid of.

2. Practice doing things you haven’t done before. This will help you become more bold in your actions and will open you up to new ideas and perspectives.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”- Neale Donald Walsch

3. Visit somewhere you have never been before. Take a different route home from work.

4. Speak from the heart.

5. Stand up for someone. It could be a total stranger or your best friend.

6. Express yourself with your style. Dress how you feel. Wear what you want. Use your personal style as a form of art to express yourself.

7. Trust yourself.

8. Know that no matter the outcome, what happens is exactly what is meant to happen. The universe makes no mistakes.

9. Try out new restaurants you don’t usually go to.

10. Admit when you are wrong.

Call us today at: (888) 397-0112.

Images via We Heart It

by Passages Malibu

Non AA Rehabs for All Religious Backgrounds and Cultures

Many people seeking drug or alcohol treatment find themselves looking for a rehab center where they will be able to feel comfortable and accepted. Often times, individuals feel uncomfortable with AA and 12-step programs that are heavily Christian-based. Luckily, many rehab centers have been created to fill this void and to treat people who are unwilling to subscribe to the disease concept of addiction and want something more than just the typical, conventional 12-step rehab center.

Several non 12-step and holistic treatment centers offer unconventional treatment practices that incorporate and respect all cultures, religions, and backgrounds. These kinds of treatment facilities, such as Passages Malibu and Passages Ventura, often focus on a combination of individual therapy, cultural understanding, group therapy, spirituality, tradition and healing. They also incorporate natural or holistic medicinal healing practices, and spiritual counseling suited to involve any sort of cultural background or religion. At Passages, we consider ourselves to be one of these types of treatment centers heavily influenced by many different cultural practices. We incorporate all forms of spirituality and cultural backgrounds into our program, and design a treatment plan customized for each individual’s particular needs. If you are in search of this type treatment center, contact Passages today.

Call Passages today for more information at (888) 397-0112.

by Passages Malibu

Treatment Team Approach at Passages Malibu

We are the world’s most innovative and effective residential drug and alcohol treatment program, partly due to our treatment teach approach. Unlike other treatment centers, Passages is not 12-step based and rather focuses on a more individually tailored, holistic method of treatment. We believe that addiction is not a disease, but rather that it is a symptom resulting from other problematic issues. The abuse of and eventual dependency on drugs and alcohol is merely a mechanism to cope with physical, mental, or emotional pain. We believe that completely healing addiction is possible, and in order to do this, you must find the underlying causes of your behaviors. Each of our clients receive an individually tailored treatment team of 10 therapists.

Whether you are dealing with depression, anxiety, an undiagnosed physical ailment, childhood trauma, abuse, family problems, a chemical imbalance, or one of the many other underlying causes of addiction. Our treatment program of mainly one-on-one therapy will help you uncover what is driving you to use drugs and alcohol. At the end of each week, your treatment teams hold a meeting to discuss your progress and pool their insights and resources together. They do this in order to make sure you are getting the most comprehensive, diverse treatment possible, allowing them to alter your program each week and to progress as you progress. At Passages, we truly believe in healing all of you, from the inside out: you will receive primarily individual therapy sessions with a dynamic rotation of enriching groups mixed in, with a treatment team that is fully committed to your recovery.

Call us today at (888) 397-0112, or visit us online at www.PassagesMalibu.com

by Passages Malibu

Preventing Relapse at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

How Passages Addiction Treatment Centers Prevents Relapse

Here are a few aspects of successful private inpatient drug rehab centers that can heal the physical component and emotional or psychological root cause of your drug addiction. Programs that integrate these techniques into their private inpatient drug rehab programs will be best poised to offer you drug addiction solutions that engender ongoing, relapse-free sober living.

Medically Supervised Detoxification Facilities
Regardless of your reason for turning to drugs in the first place, at some point, drug use will trigger a physical addiction. The body’s natural balance of brain chemicals—known as neurotransmitters—becomes disrupted, causing withdrawal symptoms to take hold in between uses. With careful medical supervision, withdrawal symptoms can be alleviated, allowing the body to finally readjust to its natural state of homeostasis, breaking the physical bond of drug addiction. When you arrive at Passages, our nurses will perform an assessment and will design a detox program tailored just for you. We know detox can be extremely painful if not conducted properly and our goal is to make you as comfortable & secure as possible. Passages Malibu has directed the detox of thousands of clients over our many years of experience.

Confidential Counseling Services
Emotional and psychological trauma or negative self beliefs can lead us to seek escape and false confidence in drugs. Relapse prevention in private inpatient drug rehab programs must include confidential, one-on-one counseling services that allow you to heal the emotional pain or lack that fuels your addiction. For those with buried or repressed trauma, hypnotherapy can be another useful tool in unearthing and treating psychological pain to prevent future relapse into drug addiction. At Passages Malibu, our core philosophy states that your addiction is typically caused by various underlying, unresolved issues. Unlike many 12-step programs where substance abuse is treated as the primary problem, at Passages, we believe that in order to end the cycle of dependency you must first uncover the reasons why you are choosing to numb yourself with drugs and alcohol in the first place.

Creating Healthy Coping Skills
Life will inherently bring us challenges—but those who succeed in living without drugs must develop coping skills and inner strength to turn those challenges into opportunities to transcend. Creating healthy coping skills in private inpatient drug rehab can make a difference in remaining drug-free.

Spiritual Guidance
As spiritual beings, we have needs that exist deeply beyond our brains and bodies. Regardless of your religious affiliation or lack thereof, successful rehab programs will address your spiritual needs as a person intended by the Universe with purpose.Benefits of Spiritual Counseling and what our clients can anticipate receiving spiritual counseling at Passages:

Greater access to their own intuition and inner wisdom
Wider perspectives on specific issues
Compassionate understanding of their negative behaviors
Clarity about how addiction is a pathway to grace
Energetic techniques for creating deeper connections & relationships
Effective ways to move up the emotional scale from fear to faith
Embodiment practices to enhance your ability to feel well-being

After Care Planning
Too many private inpatient drug rehab programs do not provide adequate after care support. Successful rehab programs will address social, environmental, career and financial concerns that you’ll face after your inpatient rehab stay. Elective options such as life coaching, mentoring or shadowing should be available, as well—to help transition you successfully to your new, sober life. Passages Addiction Treatment Centers are proud of offer clients continuing care where we can begin assembling an outside team of specialists that will allow you to expand the base of knowledge and experience that you’ve already established at our world-renowned addiction treatment center.

Call Passages Addiction Treatment Centers today if you or a loved one is battling an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Our admissions department is available 24/7 and can be reached directly by calling our toll-free number at (888) 397-0112. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

by Passages Malibu

Customized Addiction Plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

Customized addiction plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers make a world of difference in your recovery from drug addiction. The nature of drug addiction is persistent and its reasons are complex and highly personal—requiring much deeper healing than most generic addiction plans can offer. With customized addiction plans, the team at Passages has the means to apply their intense expertise to your personal story of drug addiction, providing you with greater odds of recovery.

Customized Addiction Plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

Addiction plans in many inpatient drug rehab centers aren’t tailored to an individual’s needs or obstacles, and with good reason. Inpatient drug rehab centers with higher capacity and lower overhead need to find solutions that require less planning. This leads to blanket solutions to drug addiction that, while perhaps well-intended, simply do not provide the individualized attention and strategy to lead to relapse-free sobriety.

At Passages, customized addiction plans can also provide flexibility necessary for successful sobriety. Perhaps your body or innermost self responds better to certain treatments, learning styles, or environments. With a customized addiction plan from a luxury inpatient drug rehab center, your course of treatment can be adjusted, depending on your responses. This allows for fine-tuning of addiction planning that many non-luxury inpatient drug rehab centers simply do not have the bandwidth to offer.

Customized Addiction Plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

At Passages, we strongly believe in the personal power that lies in each individual—and we believe that everyone’s path to recovery is a unique one. In fact, from the moment you enter the Passages, we begin learning more from and about who you are—your body, your background, your lifestyle, and even your hopes and dreams. Based on this philosophy of individualized care, our specialists collaborate to create a drug treatment plan that is tailored just for you. We even assemble a team of dedicated doctors, therapists, and spiritual, health and wellness experts that meet weekly to review your personal progress.

Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™

Photo by: Jennifer McDougall

by Passages Malibu

Characteristics of Holistic Addiction Rehab Facilities

Holistic addiction rehab facilities treat the whole person—body, mind, and soul—with a range of approaches to maximize recovery potential. Because of the proven power of holistic addiction approaches, many treatment programs have begun billing themselves as holistic addiction rehab facilities. While it is certainly encouraging to witness the trend towards holistic addiction treatment, not every rehab program that makes this claim actually follows through. Familiarizing yourself with characteristics of truly holistic addiction rehab facilities can help you select a drug or alcohol treatment program that offers the benefits—and results—of a holistic philosophy and execution.

Characteristics of Holistic Addiction Rehab Facilities

Here are just a few of the key characteristics of holistic addiction rehab facilities. If you are seeking enhanced results in drug or alcohol recovery through holistic treatment, make sure that the holistic addiction rehab facility you choose has the following important traits.

Multidisciplinary Approach
Holistic addiction rehab facilities should incorporate a range of treatment approaches, considering physical, emotional and spiritual health. Since alcoholism and drug addiction are multifaceted problems, a truly holistic approach will incorporate treatment of the entire person.

Caring Treatment
Holistic health care centers around kindness and dignity, recognizing the individual as the foremost expert on her or his own body. If you find that a treatment program takes a demeaning approach, it likely has not fully embraced the spirit of holistic treatment.

Prevention
Holistic addiction rehab facilities will emphasize preventative medicine. By seeking ways to promote overall health and strength, holistic practitioners will focus on solutions that solve recurring problems rather than simply offering symptom management.

Natural Approaches
Truly holistic addiction rehab facilities will favor natural approaches whenever possible, leveraging the body’s ability to self-heal.

Prioritized Health Care Planning
Holistic addiction rehab facilities will employ physicians that consider all possible solutions in their health care plan for you. These options will then be analyzed and prioritized, allowing for lifestyle modification, alternative approaches, supplements, and prescription medications only when necessary.

Solid Patient Relationship
Any rehab facility that is truly holistic in nature will partner with you for your recovery. Patient feedback will be valued and incorporated into the decision-making process, rather than summarily dismissed.

Individualized Care
Each patient at a holistic addiction rehab facility will be viewed as an individual and solutions—whether for emotional, mental or physical recovery—will be custom tailored instead of generalized.

Image via Pixabay

by Passages Malibu

Older Posts

holistic healing

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

“Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to” – Willem Dafoe

Selected resources

Selected resources

Examples of inner demons:

Regrets

Trauma

Substance Abuse

Fears

Jealousy

Pain

Anger

Depression

Self-Doubt

Feelings of being stuck

Desire to seek revenge and harm others

Worries about money, health, or romance

Loss of worthiness and purpose for life

Address the core issues and unresolved events from the past with a therapist

Practice letting go through meditation, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and other holistic treatment methods such as the ones offered at Passages Rehab

Develop a strong self-care routine that you stick to on a daily basis (time alone, quality time with friends and family, massage, hair & nail care, facials, reading, writing, painting, disconnecting from technology & social media, healthy dieting etc.)

Forgive yourself and others from previous events by telling them personally or just quietly saying the words to yourself in your own privacy

Bring your fears, pain, trauma, and worries to surface– be real with how you feel as you experience a vast range of different emotions as you heal through this difficult yet courageous process

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” -Ernest Hemingway

5 Ways to Use Written Expression:

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

“Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick.”

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

How to Contact Passages Addiction Treatment Centers:

Also read: Marriage & Family Therapy at Passages Malibu

How Passages Addiction Treatment Centers Prevents Relapse

Customized Addiction Plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

Customized Addiction Plans at Passages Addiction Treatment Centers

Characteristics of Holistic Addiction Rehab Facilities