HEALTHY HEALING:EXERCISE & NUTRITION

The HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM is a comprehensive, multidimensional alternative holistic counseling/coach approach to healing from addiction on an individual basis. This program was just launched in July, 2009, by Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services as an alternative to more traditional programs: http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com

This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.

The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM addresses the three dimensions of every human being: physical, emotional, and spiritual.This is an update on the end of the first month of the year long test case for the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM.

-Addicts, particularly long-term addicts, deplete their bodies of important nutrients, their eating habits are usually filled with non-nutritious foods. Sometimes they overeat, sometimes they go days without eating. Exercise is almost non-existent; they usually count their work as exercise--and, often, it is the only movement they have through the day.

For the first two months of the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM clients are focused on getting physically healthy—increasing oxygen to the brain. We do this by having the client work with a trainer a minimum of three times per week. We were fortunate to find an excellent facility, OZ FITNESS, Springfield, OR, http://www.ozfitness.com, with professional trainers that could work confidentially with our clients. So far, our client has kept all her gym appointments and has fully cooperated with the trainer. She also added jogging on her own, and is coordinating that with the trainers program at the gym. In the world of drugs being thin is important—thus, methamphetamine addictions. There are also mental health issues that are centered around image, like eating disorders, that must be evaluated. The Healthy Healing counselor reinforces that going to the gym is about health more so then appearance.

Clients also meet with a Health Coach to work on nutrition. Years of living an addiction lifestyle plays a toll on addict’s bodies including affecting the liver, pancreas, heart, and lungs. For this case we are using DR. DEBRA MARTIN BELLEVILLE, Eugene, OR. Drdebra82@yahoo.com. Dr. Debbie does blood work to determine what the client is going to need to eat to be healthy; she also checks for allergies. The client is given a food plan tailored to meet their individual need. The doctor works with the client to teach how to eat better, shop smarter, and understand the effects foods have on the body. Again, reinforcement by the Doctor and the counselor about diet and exercise being for health more so then appearance.

Lessons for this month from the exercise and diet piece is: what an important piece this is for any recovery program. After just the first thirty days, our client is so much more focused on the individual counseling sessions. The communication between OZ FITNESS and the counselor, and DR. BELLEVILLE and the counselor, helps the counselor pace how much he wants to push the talk sessions with the client. The focus on exercise and diet gives the counselor the ability to LISTEN in the first thirty days of treatment, and to allow the client to vent and express fears without feeling judged is extremely valuable. One of the important things to listen for is: what addiction the client may be transferring to. HEALTHY HEALING is about teaching balance in a person with addiction tendencies.

Tomorrow I will share some of the adjustments the client has to make in accepting a new style of addiction counselor.

Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at

http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com

Send comments, feedback and inquires to

maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com