Addiction Therapies Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

5 Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment

Posted on June 29, 2022 by cmarnew

Many patients who enroll in an addiction treatment program will receive medications to help reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. There are many benefits of medication-assisted treatment as it greatly increases a patient’s ability to complete their recovery with fewer risks of relapse. Colorado medication-assisted treatment gives men and women a safe and effective recovery experience that promotes life-long sobriety.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we provide compassionate care for men and women struggling with addiction or other mental health disorders. We combined the medication-assisted treatment benefits with evidence-backed behavioral therapies for a more effective treatment program. To discover all of the benefits of medication-assisted treatment, call 833.448.0127 or fill out our contact form today to speak with our compassionate staff to begin your recovery journey.

What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, provides medical support for men and women experiencing withdrawals from opioid or alcohol abuse. These medications can reduce painful physical symptoms while improving your mood and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety that are common with addiction.

Some of the medications used in an MAT program are opioid-based and present a small risk of abuse. Medical professionals will administer medications and make adjustments to your dosages to find the right combinations. To give you the maximum MAT benefits, it may take several attempts before finding the best combination of medications.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help our patients understand what to expect from their medication-assisted treatment program and the types of behavioral therapies they will participate in.

5 Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment

There are several medication-assisted treatment benefits that patients will experience during their recovery journey. Patients will get relief from their cravings and reduce painful withdrawals while developing new coping skills to stop their abuse.

Here are five benefits of medication-assisted treatment:

One of the benefits of MAT is that it offers a safer way to detox. Withdrawal symptoms can be deadly if their addiction is severe and they try to detox without medication. Delirium tremens is one serious withdrawal symptom and can mimic symptoms of sepsis or head injury and lead to respiratory failure or cardiovascular collapse if left untreated.
Increases retention in treatment programs. Patients are more likely to continue their treatment as they will not be discouraged by their cravings and withdrawal symptoms. They can begin focusing on their recovery right away and get back to their healthy self much faster than without an MAT program.
Other MAT benefits include decreasing the risk of overdose and death. Men and women who try to quit alone are at a greater risk of relapse when their symptoms peak after 48 hours. If they give in to their cravings, they will likely use more without thinking about their lowered tolerance, potentially leading to overdose and death.
Reduces the risk of unemployment and divorce. Addiction causes people to act against their nature and can cause problems at home and work. Showing up late and poor job performance is common with addiction, and it can fracture relationships and trust.
Improves fertility and the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy. Women who stop their substance use and complete their addiction treatment program are more likely to become pregnant and deliver a healthy child.

Choose Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery to Discover All of the Benefits of Our Medication-Assisted Treatment

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we support men and women with their recovery journey through our outpatient treatment facility. We combine the benefits of medication-assisted treatment with behavioral therapies for a more effective treatment program. The type of therapies we offer include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Individual and group therapy
Family therapy
Neurofeedback therapy
Case management and peer support

To discover all of the benefits of MAT in our outpatient programs, call 833.448.0127 today for more information about our addiction treatment programs.

Preparing for Neurofeedback Therapy

Posted on June 10, 2022 by cmarnew

Neurofeedback therapy is a relatively new, non-invasive treatment option for men and women struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. Preparing for neurofeedback therapy can help you understand what to expect from your treatment and show you how you can change your negative thoughts and feelings. Colorado neurofeedback therapy gives patients a safe and effective treatment option that can greatly improve their mental health.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women struggling with social anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health illness. Our certified therapists use neurofeedback therapy along with behavioral therapies and medication-assisted treatment to give patients the best chances of living healthy and productive lives. Call 833.448.0127 or fill out our online form today to learn what to expect in neurofeedback therapy at our outpatient treatment facility.

What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy, or EEG biofeedback, is a form of therapy that shows patients how they can develop healthier brain activity. It can help change the way you think and feel and make fundamental changes in how your brain perceives different situations. If going out with friends causes you to feel anxious and worried, neurofeedback therapy changes the way your brain reacts to the situation so that you will no longer feel anxious when going out.

The most common forms of neurofeedback therapy include:

Frequency/Power Neurofeedback
Slow cortical potential neurofeedback (SCP-NF)
Low-energy neurofeedback system (LENS)
Hemoencephalography neurofeedback
Live Z-Score neurofeedback
Low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORE-TA)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, our therapists have experience with neurofeedback therapy and can help you prepare for neurofeedback therapy. They will discuss each step with you and answer any questions before beginning your therapy to ease any concerns you may have.

Preparing for Neurofeedback Therapy

Neurofeedback therapy is non-invasive and does not require any medication. It is a holistic form of therapy that uses technology to look at how your negative thoughts and emotions affect your brain and how you can improve your brain patterns.

Here is a brief look at what to expect in neurofeedback therapy:

Before starting your neurofeedback therapy, therapists will discuss your mental health issues and create a game plan for reaching your recovery goals.
During your first session, sensors are placed around your head to display your brainwaves on a monitor. They will get a baseline of your brain’s activity while watching a movie, playing a video game, or doing other activities. They will use this baseline to monitor your progress and go over what each brain wave represents.
During therapy, you will participate in an activity while your therapist watches your brain waves. When there is a positive change in the pattern, you are rewarded. As you continue to make positive changes and receive more rewards, you will create new brain waves that will overwrite your negative ones. This is called neuroplasticity.
You will continue neurofeedback therapy for as long as necessary to reduce your negative thoughts and habits. A typical program can consist of up to 30 to 40 sessions, depending on your individual needs.

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Offers Neurofeedback Therapy to Benefit Your Recovery

What is neurofeedback therapy? At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women struggling with depression or other mental health disorders by showing them how they have the power to change their brain patterns. Neurofeedback is just one type of therapy that we use to aid in our patient’s mental health recovery. The therapies we offer include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Family therapy
Group and individual therapy
Case management
Peer support

Call 833.448.0127 or fill out our online contact form today to see how our neurofeedback therapy can improve your mental health symptoms.

5 Benefits of Neurofeedback Therapy

Posted on June 6, 2022 by cmarnew

Modern science has provided effective ways to treat a variety of mental health concerns that affect millions of children, teens, and adults every year. Neurofeedback therapy is a relatively new form of therapy that promotes neuroplasticity to create new brain patterns. The benefits of neurofeedback therapy are evident in the patients who were able to replace their negative thinking with new, healthy brain patterns that promote a healthy state of mind. A neurofeedback therapy program offers a non-invasive, holistic treatment program for patients struggling with depression, past traumas, or other anxiety disorders.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, our certified therapists have experience with neurofeedback therapy and other types of behavioral therapies. We offer a full range of beneficial therapies through our private outpatient treatment facility in Colorado. We base our treatment programs on each patient’s unique symptoms to form a tailored treatment plan that addresses their needs and recovery goals. Fill out our online form or call 833.448.0127 today to speak with our knowledgeable staff about the benefits of neurofeedback therapy.

What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy is a new form of cognitive therapy that directly affects the brain wave patterns of patients. It is a holistic form of therapy that is non-invasive and does not require medication. Sensors are placed on the patient’s head, and a monitor will show the different brainwave patterns in real-time. Therapists and patients can see their brainwave activity and how it changes while watching a movie, playing a video game, or other mentally engaging activities.

Some of the mental health concerns that neurofeedback therapy can benefit include:

Depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Autism spectrum disorder
Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

What is neurofeedback therapy? At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, our patients see how their positive thoughts affect their existing brain patterns and receive a reward when they make a positive change. Neurofeedback therapy benefits are very helpful for patients to realize the power they have within them to change.

Five Benefits of Neurofeedback Therapy

Neurofeedback therapy benefits include promoting a healthier state of mind with fewer negative thoughts and behaviors that can interfere with a patient’s recovery. It uses positive rewards whenever a patient has a healthy response that replaces any negative thoughts or brain patterns. Over time, the healthy brain patterns will overwrite the negative ones.

Here are five benefits of neurofeedback therapy:

Understanding how neurofeedback works – Therapists will go over the neurofeedback process and explain how each brainwave pattern can change depending on their mood.
Real-time feedback – Patients will see their brain waves on a monitor and see them change in real-time. This can help see how their negativity affects their brain and how they can change those patterns.
A holistic therapy experience – Neurofeedback does not require any medication to participate in the program. It uses patients own thinking to replace their negative thoughts and behaviors.
Discovering their internal strength – Having a visual reference to how your thoughts affect your brain waves can be very beneficial in helping patients realize the strength they have to make lifelong changes.
Building healthy life-long habits – Neurofeedback therapy creates fundamental changes in the way patients view themselves and the world around them. They will find that it becomes easier to learn new habits as they replace their negative thoughts.

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Offers Effective Neurofeedback Therapy

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women struggling with addiction or other mental health conditions at our discreet outpatient treatment facility. We use neurofeedback therapy along with behavioral therapies and medication-assisted treatment for a well-rounded recovery experience.

Men and women in Colorado do not have to struggle with their mental health alone. Call 833.448.0127 today for more information about our outpatient treatment programs and how they can improve your mental health symptoms.

Using Aetna for Your Individual Therapy Program

Posted on May 30, 2022 by cmarnew

Addiction and other mental health concerns are difficult to treat with a one-size-fits-all type of therapy. Some people will need 24/7 care to get help with their symptoms, while others benefit more from outpatient treatment and a less intense form of therapy. An individual therapy program covered by Aetna is an essential part of any treatment plan. Patients work to uncover the root cause of their symptoms and develop coping skills to lead healthy and productive lives.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women struggling with depression or other mental health disorders through individual therapy and other beneficial programs. We accept Aetna and other major insurance plans to cover the cost of treatment and will go over your coverage options when you arrive at our facility. For more information about our individual therapy program covered by Aetna, call 833.448.0127 today to speak with our knowledgeable staff.

What is Individual Therapy?

An individual therapy program is a form of psychotherapy where trained therapists will work with patients in private one-on-one therapy. They assist patients in gaining a better understanding of their thoughts and emotions and how they impact their behavior. Patients will develop new coping skills to replace negative thoughts and behaviors while working on improving communication and relationship skills.

Individual therapy uses various types of psychotherapy to help patients, including:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – This form of therapy helps patients understand the connection between their thoughts and actions and how to change them.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) – This is a form of CBT that focuses on patients with borderline personality disorders. It is also very beneficial in reducing self-harming or suicidal thoughts for patients with other mental health disorders.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) – Patients learn to accept their thoughts and emotions instead of ignoring them and form healthy coping skills to stop harmful habits.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – This is a new form of therapy that uses talk therapy and visual distractions in patients who are struggling with trauma. It works to break the association of the trauma with the negative thoughts that are impeding the patient’s recovery.

What is individual therapy? At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we use individual therapy along with other forms of talk therapy to help patients reduce their symptoms and reach their treatment goals. We offer inpatient and outpatient treatment programs to treat a number of mental health disorders, such as depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders.

Aetna Insurance Coverage for Individual Therapy

Aetna offers coverage for patients who need mental health support through outpatient treatment programs. Many in-network services will have a 0% coinsurance, meaning you will not have to pay a deductible before your insurance kicks in. Plans may only cover 30-50% of the costs for out-of-network treatment centers. Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is in-network for Aetna, and many of our patients have zero out-of-pocket costs.

Aetna offers insurance for the following addiction and mental health therapy programs:

Drug and alcohol detox
Partial hospitalization programs
Intensive outpatient programs
Continuing care programs

Your individual coverage will vary depending on the plan you are on. During your initial evaluation, insurance experts will review your policy and discuss your coverage options along with additional funding for paying any out-of-pocket expenses if necessary.

For an Effective Individual Therapy Program, Choose Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Men and women in Colorado can receive compassionate and effective therapy through our individual therapy program. We tailor our treatment programs at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery based on your individual symptoms. Patients will participate in a number of beneficial programs that include:

Medication-assisted treatment
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Group and individual therapy
Family therapy

Reach out to our friendly staff today at 833.448.0127 to review your Aetna insurance coverage and begin treatment for substance abuse or other mental health disorders.

Creating Goals for Your Depression Treatment Program

Posted on May 23, 2022 by cmarnew

Depression cases have steadily risen over the last few years as men and women try to cope with all of the uncertainty of today’s climate. Instead of getting help, many turn to drugs and alcohol for relief and end up potentially worsening their condition. A depression treatment program can alleviate depression symptoms and get you back to living a productive and happy life. It gives patients the coping skills they need to recognize triggering situations and avoid them.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women from all walks of life create treatment goals for depression that will help them stay focused on their recovery. We know that each person is different and will have various symptoms and goals. That is why we work closely with each patient to develop a treatment plan based on their unique symptoms. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression, call 833.448.0127 today to speak with our caring staff about our depression treatment program for long-lasting recovery.

Why Is Goal Setting Important for Depression Recovery?

Everyone can feel sad or depressed once in a while. That is just the nature of the complicated and stressful lives that people lead. However, depression is a distinct mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of hopelessness. Goal setting is an important part of your depression treatment program as it gives patients something to focus on instead of the endless loop of negative thinking that depression creates.

Without goals, depression treatment will not be as effective and more likely result in a more serious problem. If patients go through depression treatment that fails to relieve their symptoms because no clear goals were set, they are more likely to never seek treatment again.

There are several types of depression that men and women from all backgrounds can experience:

Major depression
Persistent depressive disorder
Bipolar disorder
Seasonal affective disorder
Psychotic depression
Postpartum depression

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we will work with your depression symptoms and create an effective treatment plan based on your goals. We use a combination of behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment to benefit your recovery in our private and comfortable treatment center.

Goals for Your Depression Treatment Program

One of the first steps in a depression treatment program is to understand the unique nature of the patient’s symptoms and the cause of the depression. Therapists will take the time to get to know each patient and have them state the goals that are important to them, such as being a better parent or learning to focus on the present and not the past or future.

While each patient is different, here are some common treatment goals for depression that are very beneficial:

Changing negative thinking – An important goal of depression treatment is to teach patients to love themselves for who they are and stop the endless loop of negative thoughts that bring them down. Patients learn coping skills to stop negative thinking and replace them with positive, life-affirming thoughts.
Building healthy relationships – Many people with depression do not have healthy relationships in their lives. Patients will work on improving their relationship skills and learn to recognize unhealthy behaviors in relationships.
Taking care of your body – Your physical health will suffer while going through depression. Patients tend to turn to drugs and alcohol, overeat, and stop exercising while feeling depressed. A vital goal for depression is to take care of your health through healthy eating, exercise programs, and holistic therapies that include meditation and mindfulness.

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Can Help You with Creating Treatment Goals for Depression

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we help men and women struggling with depression and other mental health disorders. When you first arrive at our discreet facility, we will evaluate your physical and mental health to create an effective depression treatment program based on your symptoms and goals for leading a healthy and productive life.

If you or a loved one is struggling with depression and needs help, call 833.448.0127 today or fill out our online form to begin turning your life around.

Step 12 in the 12-Step Process

Posted on May 2, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP TWELVE

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

Who do you think benefits more from an act of kindness, the giver or the recipient? Most people presume that the recipient receives greater benefit. This makes sense because they have been helped with some problem or their lives have been made easier in some way. Thus, they are likely left with a feeling of gratitude. The recipient must receive more benefit, right? Interestingly, this is not the case.

Studies have shown that, in fact, the giver of kindness receives greater benefit from the act. People have reported increased feelings of confidence, a greater sense of control, boosted self-esteem, decreased stress, and higher levels of overall happiness after performing acts of kindness and service towards others. Further, other studies have shown that kindness facilitates connection with others and reduced anxiety. Aside from inherent moral reasons to be kind, turns out there are a lot of other benefits!

In step twelve, we are essentially asked to carry forward in our recovery with kindness and acts of service. It is this step that is crucial to maintaining our recovery. As the adage in twelve-step programs goes, “to keep it you have to give it away.” In other words, to continue nurturing our sobriety and spirituality, we must assist others in doing the same. This is the premise behind becoming a “sponsor” of someone earlier on in their recovery journey.

In the same twelve-step meeting, you will find people at all different stages in their recovery. Perhaps one person has been sober a few days, another has been sober a few months, another has been sober a few years, and another has been sober a few decades. Some may wonder why people with years or decades of sobriety under their belts continue coming to meetings? Well, it typically has to do with step twelve.

One of the ways in which we can support others who are struggling is to attend meetings. At these meetings, if we show up as engaged, present, and kind, we can have a tremendously positive effect on others’ and ourselves. We may build a community, gain a sense of personal purpose, lead and inspire others in their recovery, feel motivated in our own recovery journey, and become a role-model for someone else in recovery.

I feel it is important to mention that acts of kindness should also extend beyond twelve-step circles. These acts of kindness can be big or small. It does not matter. The important piece is that you are working to make the world a better place. Whenever you have the opportunity, seize it. You could hold the door open for a stranger, pick up a stray piece of litter, give a friend a ride, or begin volunteering with an organization you care about. Once you begin doing it, you will feel the positive effects and seek out other service opportunities. This will help you immensely on your recovery journey. I guarantee it.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

Step 11 in the 12-Step Process

Posted on April 29, 2022 by cmarnew

THE TWELVE-STEP PROGRAM: STEP ELEVEN

STEP ELEVEN

“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”

In working with people that are not in twelve-step recovery programs, I often hear them say something to this effect: ‘twelve-step programs are not for me…I am not a religious person and there is too much emphasis on God and religion in twelve-step meetings.’ I completely understand where they are coming from.

In six of the twelve steps, there is some explicit reference to God or a higher Power. Also, many people in twelve-step programs rely on God and their religious beliefs in their personal recovery processes. I have written this in previous blog posts but feel it is important to readdress. Twelve-step programs are not inherently religious. Rather, twelve-step programs base recovery upon a foundation of spirituality.

You might wonder, ‘What’s the difference between spirituality and religion? Aren’t those two the same?’ Well, you’re not alone. These terms are often conflated with one another. While religion or a belief in God is spiritual, spirituality does not equate to a belief in God or other religious beliefs. Religion is comprised of organized beliefs and practices, whereas spirituality is unique to the individual. No one can dictate your spirituality to you. Spirituality is simply a belief or feeling that there is something greater than our individual selves. Spirituality is about personal meaning.

When we engage with our spirituality, it could mean doing some meditation, praying to our higher Power for guidance, journaling about our experiences, or going for a peaceful walk through nature, among others. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to engage with your spirituality. Like spirituality itself, it will vary from one person to the next. The important piece is that our spiritual practices encourage mindfulness and self-reflection. We pause to recognize where we are and how we are feeling. What is working for me? What is working against me? What fears do I hold? What am I excited about? It is about self-reflection.

When we are mindful, we come into closer contact with ourselves. We become intimately acquainted with our feelings, such that we may begin to understand them. Doing so enables us to let go of some of our existing beliefs that may be interfering with living a fulfilling life. It is our spirituality that we trust to guide us forward. Step eleven encourages us to integrate spiritual practices into our daily lives.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

Step 10 in the 12-Step Process

Posted on April 26, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP TEN

“Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”

We have all been, at one point or another, in a situation in which we said something insensitive or insulting to someone else. Regardless of whether we had ill intentions or not, we immediately realize what we did. Internally, we recognize that our words were damaging. At this point, we reach a fork in the road. There are two paths that people tend to go down.

The first path is that of doubling-down. In efforts to protect our egos, we may try to see how our insensitive words were justified. In other words, we would rather hurt someone else than admit to ourselves that we can make errors and mistakes; that we are imperfect. We connect with our creative side to find any possible reasoning whatsoever that we were right to say what we did.

The second path is that of accountability. On this path, we recognize that we said something hurtful and, albeit difficult, own up to our behavior. We immediately apologize to the other for our insensitive words, acknowledging our transgression. In doing so, we accept that we are imperfect, for we are human beings capable of mistakes like anyone else. This is the path we continually choose to take in step ten.

It is important to note that, just as in step nine, we are owning up to our wrongs not solely for the other person, but for ourselves. When we are aware of the wrongs we have committed but do nothing to rectify them, we place a burden on our conscious. This burden festers and grows into resentments and anger, whether directed at ourselves or others. In recovery, it is not difficult to imagine how this slippery slope leads to relapse.

It is important to accept that some people may not forgive us or remain angry by our actions. While difficult to sit with, that’s okay. Even if the other person continues holding onto their anger, that is not your problem. You did your part to make things right.

Sometimes, you will not recognize a transgression in the moment. Perhaps you start thinking about it later that day, the next morning, or later that week. Regardless of when it happened, the important part in step ten is to reach out to the other person involved and apologize for your actions as soon as you come to realize how what you did may have hurt them. It is difficult to admit when we’re wrong. Our ego works hard to maintain a narrative that we’re self-righteous and perfect. However, we’re not. Nobody is. Although difficult to admit when we’re wrong, we find in step ten that this type of admission helps maintain mental clarity and is essential to our continued recovery.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

The Twelve-Step Program: Step Eight

Posted on April 19, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP EIGHT

“Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Have you ever seen the television sitcom My Name is Earl? In this show, the main character, Earl, decides that he is going to turn his life around. After years of bad behavior, selfishness, and greed, he decides that he is going to be a better person and start putting some good into the world instead. He creates a long list of people that he believes he has harmed over the years with his poor behavior, writes down a corresponding description of how he wronged each person on the list, and seeks each one out to try and make things right with them. Although Earl is not formally working a twelve-step program, the premise of the show does a nice job of capturing the principles of steps eight and nine.

Step nine, perhaps the most well-known step, has to do with the act of making amends. This is the step that much of My Name is Earl depicts on screen. Step eight, however, is essential in setting us up for step nine. If we rush into step nine before thoroughly completing step eight, we put the cart in front of the horse. To complete step eight, we must engage in thoughtful and intentional self-reflection, writing down how our behaviors have harmed others. Without step eight, there is no step nine. Without Earl’s list, there is no show. We must make the list.

People in twelve-step programs often find that step eight can be one of the most challenging steps of the program. In steps one through seven, we are largely focused on ourselves. We reflected on how our lives are currently unmanageable, formed a personal definition of “higher power,” and took a personal moral inventory. We developed an understanding of how our addiction harmed ourselves. However, in step eight, we must begin to look at how our behavior with drugs and alcohol has harmed others.

In making this list, I’m sure there will be certain people that come to mind immediately. Perhaps you can remember exactly what you did and know that your actions hurt them. However, there will also be others where you are unsure of if you hurt them or not. Or, perhaps your actions unintentionally harmed them. For step eight, that does not matter. For anyone that you suspect you may have harmed, intentionally or not, include them on your list. People commonly included on these lists are husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, exes, parents, children, friends, and colleagues, among others.

A crucial part of step eight also has to do with resentments. There will be people on your list that you have harmed, but that you feel have also harmed you. You may not want to make amends or feel they don’t deserve amends. However, holding this resentment is like drinking poison hoping the other person will suffer. Work with a therapist, sponsor, or trusted individual to better understand these resentments and realize what amends must be made. Making amends with those particular people may be one of the most important aspects of your recovery process.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

The Twelve-Step Program: Step Seven

Posted on April 13, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP SEVEN

“Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”

The last few steps of the twelve-step program have largely been focused on self-reflection. We took a personal moral inventory of who we truly are at our core. We then shared our truest selves with another human being. Then, we developed an acceptance and cultivated a willingness to let our character defects go. In step seven, we build upon these steps with a step that is more action oriented.

We take action in that we ask our higher power to remove our character defects that we had previously identified. To reiterate, higher power does not equate to any particular religious figure or notion. Instead, it has an individual, personalized meaning. While a higher power could mean God, it could also mean the natural world, science, or the twelve-step program itself, among others. Whatever the case, we rely on our chosen higher power to instill a sense of trust in life’s events. Life will do what life does. We reject the notion that we control what happens to us, and instead focus on what we can do for the world around us. In essence, we welcome in a sense of humility.

Let me ask you, what do you first think of when you hear the word ‘humility’?

For many people, humility immediately conjures associations to the word ‘humiliation,’ which is typically viewed in a negative lens since it is essentially defined as the degradation of oneself in either their own eyes or the eyes of someone else. It is a loss of pride. ‘Humility,’ on the other hand, is not about public or private ridicule. Instead, it is about freedom from pride and arrogance. It is a sense of humbleness; a modest view of one’s own importance. Humility is something that we must continually foster and nurture. It is essential to long-term sobriety. It is what allows us to live life on life’s terms. Many twelve-steppers refer to this notion as getting “right-sized.”

Well, what does “right-sized” mean anyways?

Have you ever heard the fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears?” In the story, Goldilocks goes through trials and tribulations with bowls of porridge that are too hot and too cold, chairs that are too big and too small, and beds that are too hard and too soft. With each of these items, she eventually finds one that is just right. A bowl of porridge that’s the right temperature, a chair that’s the right size, and a bed that’s the right firmness. In step seven, we do the same thing.

We rely on our higher power to remove the aspects of ourselves that are “too big,” like grandiosity and self-entitlement, as well as the parts of ourselves that are “too small,” such as shame, regret, and unworthiness. In doing this, we become “right-sized,” which allows us to move forward. It does not mean that we won’t experience negative emotions or events. Rather, it frees us up to better cope with negative experiences when they do arise.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA