Addiction's Top Professionals Speak at Las Vegas Conference

Foundations Recovery Network, a dual diagnosis treatment network, has brought together the top professionals in the addiction field to speak at their next conference “Process Addictions: Approaches for Professionals.”

Foundations Recovery Network (FRN) brings the next dual diagnosis conference to The Palms in Las Vegas, Nev., April 22-24, 2009. “Process Addictions: Approaches for Professionals” offers up to 18 hours Continuing Education Certification and the opportunity to network with the industry’s top professionals.

Participants at this conference will gain in-depth information about process addictions and mental health treatment while also being updated on the field’s advances over the last five years. Attendees will include professionals in the field of addiction such as chemical drug and mental health counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, interventionists, and social workers.

Conference objectives:
· To learn how to assess and diagnosis clients with co-occurring mental health, process addictions and substance-related disorders
· To identify treatment strategies with special awareness to the needs of persons with dual disorders and culturally diverse populations
· To classify the applications of behavioral treatment, the integrated model, individual and group therapies, motivational enhancement and other approaches in providing treatment services for co-occurring disorders

With topics ranging from sexual addiction to pathological gambling, participants will have a wide variety of workshops to choose from. FRN has assembled some of the industry’s top professionals to speak at this conference.

In a field with few recognized experts, Robert Weiss, a director of a CRC Health Group facility, is an experienced therapist, author, speaker and professional trainer in the assessment and treatment of persons addicted to problem sexual behavior. After training under Dr. Patrick Carnes, Weiss has gone on to be a sexual addiction consultant for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Today he is the founder and Executive Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles. Weiss will be speaking twice about different aspects of sexual addiction at this conference.

Julie Holland is Vice-President of Business Development for the CRC Health Group’s Eating Disorder Program. She has been quoted in popular media like Mademoiselle and Glamour and made appearances on television programs including Prime Time Live and The Keith Ablow Show. At this conference, Holland is speaking on working through resistance to eating disorder treatment.

To speak on gambling, FRN has commissioned Henry Lesieur, PhD, PsyD. Dr. Lesieur works as a staff psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital and as a clinical psychologist in the Rhode Island Gambling Treatment Program. Founding editor of the Journal of Gambling Studies, Lesieur has also published work on problem gambling and criminology. And, along with Sheila Blume, MD, Dr. Lesieur developed the South Oaks Gambling Screen which has been translated into over 35 languages and continues to be used by researchers around the world.

Cheryl D. Knepper is the Executive Director of Adolescent and Adult Extended Care Programs at Caron Treatment Centers. In this role, she oversees program development, training and treatment at Caron’s extended care facility for adolescents ages 13 to 19. With over 20 years in the field, Knepper also specializes in art therapy and presents at conference internationally about addiction related topics. At this conference, she will be speaking on “Adolescent Addictions and Self-Injurious Behavior: Approaches to Treatment.”

Other speakers include Alan Downs, PhD, CEO of Michael’s House; Jack Kuo, MD, Consulting Psychiatrist for Promises Treatment Centers; Mary R. Stock, PhD, LCSW, Clinical Director at Pine Grove Behavioral Health; Steven Karp, MD, Medical Director of Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders; Dan Cronin, Intervention Specialist of FRN Services; Patrick Carnes, PhD, CAS, Executive Director of the Gentle Path programs at Pine Grove; and Claudia Black, MSW, PhD, Clinical Consultant of Addictive Disorders for The Meadows and a Hazelden author.

For more information about how to register for this and other Foundations Recovery Network events, visit: www.DualDiagnosis.org/events.

About Foundations Recovery Network
Foundations Recovery Network is a premier organization for treating persons with addiction and mental health disorders. The company oversees four dual diagnosis treatment centers: Michael’s House in Palm Springs, Calif.; La Paloma in Memphis, Tenn.; Alta Mira in Sausalito, Calif.; and The Canyon in Malibu, Calif.

The Right Fit

Sometimes the right fit is less about philosophies and more about a feeling.

There are hundreds of treatment centers in the U.S. and even more philosophies on the best way to help someone overcome an addiction. In the end, finding the right fit for you may be less about making sure you line up perfectly with a facility on a philosophical basis as it is the overall feeling you get from everyone you come into contact with.

From the first call you want to get the feeling, "this is a safe place." Did they answer any questions you had and really listen to your concerns? Once you were on the grounds, did they work with you during the admission process? Chances are your mind will be racing. A quality facility will be on the lookout for any anxiety on your part and work to alleviate it. Don't be afraid to ask to go at your own pace. A good admissions counselor will slow down and make sure you're not moving faster than you're comfortable with. It's okay to ask to take a break or get something to eat. The admissions process isn't about just getting the job done, finishing the paperwork so they can get it in your file. Instead, it's about laying the groundwork for a successful treatment stay.

From detox to creating a treatment plan to attending group sessions, you should get a feeling of being in a safe environment. Of course, your treatment experience is going to make you uncomfortable at times. It's about getting to the root of patterns that aren't working and finding ways to make changes. That's never completely comfortable. But the right treatment center should always make you feel like you're in a safe place to make those changes and move forward on the road to recovery.

Resolution Redux

Resolution Redux

If you're setting goals for the new year, you're not alone.

If you made a resolution this year, you're not alone. Approximately 40 percent to 45 percent of American adults make one or more resolutions each year, according to proactivechange.com.

Financial resolutions are also popular. Magazines and news reports are quick to point out how many fail in meeting their goals, but that doesn't mean resolutions are for suckers. In fact, those who make goals in the first place are 10 times more likely to achieve them. After all, it's harder to accomplish something we don't pursue.

So what changes are people most eager to make? According to the usa.gove Web site, the most popular resolutions made each January 1 are:

• Lose weight
• Manage debt
• Save money
• Get a better job
• Get fit
• Eat right
• Get a better education
• Drink less alcohol
• Quit smoking
• Reduce overall stress
• Reduce work stress
• Take a trip
• Volunteer to help others

What changes do you want to make this year? What changes do you need to make for your health and that of your family and career? Remember, if you don't take proactive steps to make a change, it's not likely to just happen.

Thankfulness

If you find yourself in treatment for a substance abuse problem over the holidays, it may be hard at first to find something to be thankful for. You may resent the restrictions or those who urged you to enter treatment. You may be angry at the people who hurt you through the years, leading you to want to numb your feelings with alcohol or drugs. But before you begin the pity party, try taking a look at all there is to be thankful for today (yes, I said "today").

You don't need to wait until you’re released from treatment to be grateful for all you have. From the opportunity each day provides for clean living to the nature outside your window to the food that is helping nourish your body and repair the damage abuse has done, there’s plenty to be thankful for. What about the staff that is helping you through your recovery, one day or hour at a time?

For those ready to start looking toward the future, what will this second chance allow you to do in the coming weeks and months? What new purpose can you find in your life? Taking time to dream and to celebrate the little victories is something addiction doesn't allow for. Now that you’re on the road to recovery, you can do just that.

Here Come the Holidays!

Dealing with the fear and dread faced by recovering

addicts as they head home for the holidays.

The clearance Halloween candy is gone from store shelves and that can mean only one thing: The holidays are officially on their way!

While the thought of Christmas has the kids eargerly counting the days until it's arrival, for those in recovery, the visions it conjures up are about as far from dancing sugarplums as you can get.

You know what I mean.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza... they can bring about an overwhelming sense of dread because they also mean extended periods of "family time." Who knows? Maybe your family is the perfect modern version of a Norman Rockwell painting. More likely, that perfect family scene has been colored by divorce, substance abuse, anger, disillusionment or other dysfunction.

So as you head into the holidays, prepare yourself. Work your program, stay connected to others in your situtation, touch base with those who've already been through what you're facing, and, most importantly, don't forget to serve yourself up a heaping helping of grace.