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The Nuts & Bolts of Treating Addiction with EFP
Disease Concept: "It's a Twofer"
The disease of addiction is twofold: Physical Allergy; Mental Obsession
Education is presented in a way to comprehend being allergic to mood-altering substances. For a majority of those struggling with substance use, genetic factors are involved in how we process chemicals that affect every organ in our bodies. This is a progressive, demoralizing, fatal disease, forever whispering sweet nothings into the addict's ear, "just one more, just this once." One thing that is certain, after that first sip, snort, poke, or puff, we become predictably unpredictable. We have no control over our genetics. We are 100% responsible for our recovery.
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Using is but a symptom of underlying issues. It is critical to identify and address core issues to include but not limited to shame, trauma, grief, trust, respect, denial, self-pity, resentments, codependency, self-worth, defense mechanisms and thinking errors, communication and boundaries, time-traveling and the inability to deal with feelings. If you don't control your feelings, they control you. And if they control you, you are out of control.
The most dangerous place for the addict to be is stuck in their head. When you get stuck in your head, Get Your Feet Moving!"
Compliance Vs. Surrender
I often tell my clients that it does not matter to me what brings them to seek treatment. Whether it be a near-death experience or some form of pressure from your family, employer, or one of the many facets of our legal system. What matters to me is what you truly want and are willing to do to recover from addiction. Recovery is a program based on action."If your walk walks and your talk talks, your walk better talk louder than your talk talks". Actions speak louder than words. Don't tell me what you think I wanna hear! Lip service is a great disservice, especially those choosing to recover from addiction.
Co-dependency is an emotional, behavioral, and psychological pattern of coping that develops as a result of prolonged exposure to and practice of a dysfunctional set of family rules, in turn, these rules make difficult or impossible the open expression of thoughts and feelings. Horses are not codependent and facilitate without judgment or bias identifying our true feelings and beliefs.
Admitting powerlessness (the First Step) is to surrender to a new way of looking at your life and it is liberating! Decide to live through the pain and learn how to feel better by changing your own thinking and actions.
Get Yer Feet Mov'n!
The disease of addiction is often referred to as "The Feelings' Disease" due to the inability to identify and express feelings/emotions in an appropriate manner. The most dangerous place for an addict to be is stuck in his/her head. The most common therapeutic tool I use in EFP is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT). It is a technique that can help people find new ways to behave by changing their thought patterns. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behavior. Behavior reinforces thoughts. What we think affects how we feel and act. What we do affects how we think and feel. What we feel affects how we think and act.
Addiction is classified as a brain disease, therefore it is common for addicts to exhibit "Fight, Flight, or Freeze". As with horses, this innate system is important to keep us alive. However, substance use and related behaviors keep us stuck in this reactive state. We learn to assess thoughts and situations and identify appropriate emotions to respond instead of react.
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Communication & Boundaries
We communicate 90% non-verbally, 10% verbally. Four forms of communication are: Passive,Passive- Aggressive, Aggressive and Assertive. Typically those battling addiction, assertiveness is like a foreign language. We get good at what we practice. You will learn first-hand how each form of communication affects your relationship with the horse. Horses prefer assertive communication: Clear. Direct. Respectful.
You will also learn to develop and practice healthy boundaries. In our active addiction, boundaries tend to be too loose- trusting and associating with unsafe or unhealthy people, places, and things. Or, too rigid, where we become isolated and guarded. The average horse weighs 1000 pounds and are great teachers of what healthy boundaries look like and you will learn to implement healthy boundaries in all areas of your life.
Whoa the Time Travel'n!
Bring the Body, and the mind will follow. Horses are prey animals and their survival depends on them living fully present in the moment. Time Travel'n is not healthy. We're either stuck in a vicious cycle obsessing over the past or the future. Whether it be hurt, regret, or the shoulda woulda coulda mind set, or we are anxious and frantic about what the future holds and dealing with a racing mind. The key is to become aware of the frequency of time travel'n so we can interrupt those ingrained ruts in our thinking and replace them with taking action in the present moment. Make plans. Don't plan the outcomes. Set goals. Focus on "Tonow"!
A Family Disease
Over 90% of people who have been diagnosed with a Substance Use Disorder can identify one or more family members, immediate and extended, that have suffered from and struggled with addiction. With EFP, we can get a real-time look at what enabling is. Through working with horses and a few exercises tailored specifically to address each family dynamic, family roles and their functions will be identified and discussed. Is recovery or the disease being supported through the family?The first letter in "Illness" is "I". The first letter in "Wellness" is..."We"!!! Although you are not responsible for our genetics; furthermore we have no control over how tall we get; what our shoe size is; what our natural hair color or eye color is..., You are 100% responsible for your recovery.