The Awakening Difference
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The Awakening’s alcohol and drug
treatment program was founded on the premise that men
and women enter into addictions differently and that women
in recovery have unique physical, psychological social and
aesthetic needs. Physically, a woman’s body composition and
hormonal balance differs from a man’s. These differences
affect how drugs and alcohol affect a woman’s body and have
implications for the most effective treatment for recovering
women. The Awakening’s physical treatments include programs of
fitness therapy and
nutritional counseling that maximize a women’s health
and energy to heal.
Drug and alcohol abuse puts significant stress on the body’s
digestion, detoxification and recuperation organs. The first
order of physical recovery is to provide the woman’s body with
the proper nutrients to strengthen and repair the damage that
has been done. Maintaining proper energy levels is equally
important. Drops and spikes in blood sugar and energy have the
potential to trigger cravings of all sorts in recovering women.
At The Awakening, clients are encouraged to choose and prepare the
foods that both heal stressed organs and maintain optimal energy
levels. After leaving the program, clients take this knowledge
to enhance the lifelong health of themselves and their families.
Exercise plays a vital role in recovery at the Awakening.
Regular, strenuous exercise reduces stress, but strengthens a
healing body and increases self-esteem. The Awakening offers a
range of exercise activities including yoga and regularly
available massage therapy.
The Importance of Treatment Constructed Especially for Women
Psychologically, women who become addicted have a different
narrative and profile than men who become addicted. As an
often-underestimated rule, women have a greater tendency to have
developed that addiction to cope with trauma and emotional pain
than men. Women also have a range of social and cultural
pressures and issues that men do not experience. Our alcohol and
drug rehab program of healing encourages women to explore
and heal the issues and traumas that underlie the addiction.
Counseling is conducted in an environment of trust and safety,
where a woman’s voice is heard and respected.
At The Awakening, special attention is paid to the issue of
trauma. Accounts of physical, sexual and emotional trauma are
particularly common among women in addiction. We believe that
until this trauma is effectively addressed and healed, that
emotional pain will continue to threaten a woman’s ongoing
sobriety. For that reason, Awakening counselors are especially
focused on helping women uncover and recover from their trauma.
Therapeutic techniques used at the Awakening include not only
the conventional one-on-one cognitive behavioral therapy
treatment, but also additional forms of treatment that allow
women to safely explore and address their personal issues.
Dynamic experiential group work, family sculpting,
psychodrama treatment, art therapy and
group counseling sessions enable women to experience and
express their emotions in a variety of different ways. During
these therapies, the all-women atmosphere encourages women to
speak honestly and openly in ways that the presence of men might
inhibit.
At The Awakening, our staff is acutely aware that many women
addicted to alcohol and drugs often have another psychiatric
condition as well. The most common psychiatric conditions
affecting females with addictions include mood disorders such as
depression, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia are also
common, as are personality disorders such as borderline
personality disorder.
We believe that with dual-diagnosed women, the two illnesses
often interact in ways that affect a woman psychologically,
socially and spiritually. To restore a woman like this to
health, both conditions must be addressed at the same time.
Failure to address both conditions may lead to “self-medication”
later that undermines a woman’s progress in sobriety.
The Strength to Heal is Already Within All of Us
Socially, we believe that women more completely recover
from addiction and build healthy lives when they have a network
of supportive and loving relationships with other women. The
relational growth model pioneered at our drug and
alcohol rehab center teaches women to build these trusting,
nurturing relationships while at Awakening. Through exercises and
group counseling sessions, women at The Awakening learn to trust
and support other women, often for the very first time in many
years. The lessons and success that women experience in this
area allows them to not only build healthy friendships in early
recovery, but to create their own supportive network when they
return to their communities and families.
When a woman becomes addicted, drugs and alcohol commonly
play a part in every aspect of her life. For some women, the
prospect of performing even the most simple daily tasks such as
grocery shopping or going on a social outing are inextricably
linked with the use of a substance of abuse. The Awakening has had
great success in the use of a
Lifeskills Therapy Model, which encourages lifelong sobriety
by teaching women to perform day-to-day tasks and interact
socially without drugs or alcohol. Awakening clients are
accompanied by
staff while shopping for groceries and preparing meals, as
well as recreational trips to beaches, museums and cultural
events.
The Design of Recovery: The First Treatment Center Designed
to Heal
Aesthetically, The Awakening believes that a woman’s healing is
enhanced through an environment that reflects the qualities that
the woman desires in her life. The Awakening Center is built
according to the Planetree Model of healthcare facility design.
In this model, the physical space around the client is a part of
the treatment. The Awakening Center’s choice of colors and textures
encourage feelings of calm and well-being. Spaces for solitude
and reflection coexist with gathering spaces that encourage
socialization and networking.
Learn More about Alcohol Rehab and Drug Rehab at The Awakening
Our website was built as a resource for women and their
families when alcoholism or
drug addiction has become an unbearable fact of life. We are
continually adding articles about the treatment of various drugs
and have also launched a new Blog that invites our visitors to
comment and have conversations with us about news and issues
affecting women. Furthermore, we have deep libraries of articles
(always growing) including subjects such as
alcohol rehab and
drug rehab as well as more information about treatment for
specific drugs, including Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana, Crystal
Meth and Prescription Drug Rehab as well.
If you or a loved one need help immediately, please do
call us as soon as possible. We are always on call and willing
to help if given the opportunity. Please call The Awakening at
1-877-888-9858 .
