01 Jun The 7 Principles of Evidenced Based Recovery

This guest blog entry is by Dr. Louise Stanger LCSW, BRI II, Faculty SDSU Interwork Institute, Full Member Association of Independent Interventionists, Member National Independent Interventionists, Mint Trainer of Trainers

Please note that the opinions presented in the article are that of the author and not necessarily the opinions of RHN. RHN chooses to publish articles and share individual sites to evoke discussion and show all options, ideas and beliefs.

Depending on how young a person was when they started using the time may vary, at the very least one year of engaged activity meaning living, breathing sobriety becomes an essential part of their recovery. Recently I heard a wonderful Lecture by Dr. Andrea G Barthwell who is the past President of ASAM and previous head of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA.) Dr. Barthwell now serves as the Executive Director of Two Dreams Outer Banks Treatment Center in North Carolina

According to Dr Barthwell, there are 7 Evidenced Based Imperatives that make for healthy recovery. These are as follows:

1. Abstinence – Not using any mine altering substances.

2. Peer Support-being with others who are likeable, like-minded and who support one in early recovery

3. Professional Services– Engage in Intensive Outpatient and Individual Counseling for the issues which come up in early sobriety around grief loss, trauma etc. Also sober living environments and life skill building coached by professional and or paraprofessionals

4. Medication Taken only as prescribed

5. Good nutrition that includes basic life skill training on how to cook or eat

6. Exercise –Is anything from Active Exercise (hiking, biking, swimming, running, surfing to Yoga and Mindful Meditation etc.) Whatever one chooses the activity has to be on a regular basis at least 3 times a week

7. Ritual which can be achieved through regularly going to meetings such as 12 step or practical recovery so that this becomes part of one’s everyday routine. If folks do not want to go to meetings then the drug testing everyday becomes an important ritual. Evidence has been found when someone is drug-tested everyday for two years they stand a better chance at abstinence as the the practice has been ritualized

With the individual family members I work with I have learned that many family members find the emotional stress of early recovery difficult.

Coaching has proven helpful to the families I work with as they learn to detach, speak, respond and act differently to themselves and their son, daughter , spouse etc and as a result my clients report they feel more confident in their abilities and their everyday lives. They are able with these imperatives to see more clearly their own lives in family recovery and their love ones lives

Let me know if you want to learn more chat some or work with me via email. I can be reached 619-507-1699 0r Dr.Stanger@AllAboutIntereventions.com