The Dedication and Determination of Staff at Driftwood

A care team must have the flexibility and experience to cope with unexpected challenges. Clients rely on staff to help them navigate whatever circumstances they encounter during treatment. Studies have shown that during treatment, “every problem can have many solutions and . . . the input and ideas of colleagues lead to creative approaches.” The staff at Driftwood Recovery are dedicated to encouraging clients and one another. The team works together to create a supportive and nurturing environment for individuals in recovery.

Staff at Driftwood Practice Empathy and Transparency

Dedication and determination ensure staff members at Driftwood Recovery react appropriately to any challenges they encounter. Every care team member practices empathy, transparency, and honesty. By openly communicating needs and expectations, staff members reduce the risk of miscommunication with clients and coworkers. The staff members at Driftwood Recovery dive deep into each client’s care to ensure they provide every individual with the most relevant and appropriate level of care.

Reacting With Grace When Things Do Not Go to Plan

Every client will have some form of complication or face an unexpected challenge, and the care team must help them navigate those moments. Staff members are trained to recognize and manage potential issues without negatively impacting the client’s recovery.

Some challenges staff may encounter when working with clients include:

• Intermittent attendance
• Severe mental health symptoms
• Disruptive behaviors
• Quiet and withdrawn clients
• Trust issues
• Violence or aggression
• Relapse
• Ambivalence about treatment

Everyone responds differently to stressors, conflict, and uncomfortable interactions. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff to remain curious and nonjudgmental when interacting with clients. Finding positive ways to reframe situations and using potential obstacles as learning moments help clients and staff grow. Studies have shown that “[I]dentifying and overcoming barriers that discourage the client from engaging in treatment” improves the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.

Staff at Driftwood Prioritize Client Safety and Comfort

Client safety, comfort, and privacy are essential to the recovery process. People are more likely to engage more fully in their treatment if they feel secure and supported through every step of the process.

Clients have access to a wide range of services and program features, including:

• Case management
• Alternative holistic therapies, including acupuncture and yoga
• Personalized treatment planning
• Referrals to outside services
• Medication management
• Pain Clinic
• Aftercare planning

The dedicated care team ensures these services enhance the client’s overall experience, improving outcomes and creating a positive environment for healing. Each staff member has unique skills and training to ensure clients experience a well-rounded treatment program. Driftwood Recovery understands that every client has different expectations for recovery and different preferences during treatment. Staff members accommodate whenever possible to ensure clients feel safe and comfortable.

Adapting Treatment Plans to Client Needs

Everyone responds differently to treatment. Tailoring therapeutic modalities to each client’s specific needs and preferences ensures they feel heard, valued, and respected. According to the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, personalized medicine and care plans “improve overall treatment efficacy by targeting particular treatments to those individuals most likely to benefit.” Personalized treatment programs build trust between clients and staff, reduce stress, and encourage greater engagement in recovery. Tailored care plans also make it easier for staff to adjust treatments as needed to meet client recovery goals or address unexpected complications.

Personalized treatment plans make it easier for the care team to do the following:

• Monitor trends in mental and physical health
• Adjust the treatment plan as needed
• Track progress on specific recovery goals
• Ensure the client feels heard and understood
• Address issues unique to each client
• Prepare clients for aftercare and long-term recovery

Individualized plans allow the care team to dig deeper and help clients identify and process the root causes of addictive behaviors.

Staff at Driftwood Recovery Go the Extra Mile to Help People Heal

The staff at Driftwood Recovery have years of experience helping people through multiple levels of care and stages of recovery. Every team member takes the time to build a genuine connection with clients, going the extra mile to help people heal from the effects of substance abuse. Driftwood Recovery identifies factors affecting recovery that other programs may have missed. Clients achieve greater self-awareness and self-confidence as they learn to recognize and process issues impacting their day-to-day lives and long-term recovery. According to the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, clients “tend to utilize treatment and support services more in SUD treatment clinics that practice and emphasize patient-centered care.”

Facing Challenges Head-On

Experienced and determined staff members are not afraid to face challenges head-on by doing the following:

• Consulting with experts in addiction recovery
• Providing clients with additional resources and education
• Researching alternative methodologies to meet client needs
• Developing additional skills through training and continuing education

The dedication shown by staff members sets Driftwood Recovery apart from other treatment programs and facilities. Clients know they can rely on their care team to help them successfully navigate early recovery.

Dedication and determination provide staff members with the motivation and energy to overcome challenges, establish deeper connections with clients, and create a more positive work environment. Clients often respond better to treatment when staff members show through their words and actions that they are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure clients receive the support and services they need to successfully heal from substance abuse. Driftwood Recovery understands the importance of developing a relationship with clients to ensure they feel comfortable speaking up about concerns or asking for help when they feel overwhelmed. Staff members work together to create a safe, welcoming space where clients feel comfortable learning and growing. To find out more, call us at (512) 759-8330.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 70 million adults in the U.S. have substance and or mental health challenges. Specifically, 29 million adults have difficulties with substance use disorder (SUD), and 58.7 million face challenges with mental health disorders. However, 72.2% and 66.5% of individuals with SUD and mental health disorders, respectively, consider themselves to be in recovery. The prevalence of recovery stems from the process of continual growth and building connections through a robust, sober community.

At Driftwood Recovery, we know fostering a connection with your peers through a sober community is vital to building a strong foundation for sustained recovery. With a commitment to attachment as a core feature of our treatment model, you can find the connection and sober community you need to heal. Through an attachment approach, our sober community has learned to impart compassion, understanding, and guidance to each other.

However, in the early stages of recovery, it is understandable to feel doubt about maintaining your recovery. Emerging from your treatment program back into the stressors of daily living can feel daunting. Therefore, understanding early recovery is important for dispelling and navigating your fears for recovery.

What Is Early Recovery?

Early recovery does not have a specific time frame or follow a particular set of parameters. For many people, early recovery can be anywhere from the first 90 days to a year after treatment. However, regardless of time, early recovery is often a tumultuous period when the chance of relapse is at its highest. As noted in Substance Use: Research and Treatment, the first year in recovery is a crucial time to address risk factors to prevent relapse. Yet, you may wonder what kinds of challenges can arise in early recovery.

The Challenges of Early Recovery

As noted in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, a key feature in relapse prevention is understanding that relapse is a gradual process. Much like the process of recovery, a relapse does not happen overnight. The stages of relapse can include emotional, mental, and physical relapse. An emotional relapse happens when you are in denial that negative thoughts and behaviors are disruptive to your healing.

Whereas the transition to mental relapse happens when your resilience to thinking about using substances starts to erode. Then comes the physical relapse, which happens when you find a window of opportunity to start misusing substances again. The negative thinking and behavior patterns that occur with the emotional and mental stages of relapse highlight the need for a sober community in recovery. Without a strong, sober community, you can find yourself returning to that cycle of suffering.

Listed below are some of the challenges that can come up during early recovery:

• Trying to find new meaningful activities to replace the time spent using substances
• Being near people and places associated with your past substance use
• Learning to set boundaries and remove harmful relationships from your life
• Actively using your new healthy coping skills
• Managing life stressors after transitioning from treatment
  • Household responsibilities
  • Finding or going to work
• Taking time to foster new relationships and repair old ones

Much like bills, doctor appointments, and interpersonal conflict, the challenges of early recovery cannot be avoided. However, with the support of your sober community, you have a network of peers who offer insight and other resources for lasting recovery. Although connection is a vital part of an alumni sober community, there are some additional benefits. A robust sober community also gives you access to goal-setting tools and sober activities to support you in challenges and when you are thriving.

Sober Community Healing: Setting and Achieving Goals

As the Journal of Lifestyle Medicine notes, goals act as a mental representation of your desired outcomes. Yet, setting goals on your own can feel overwhelming. When you are overwhelmed, it is easier to doubt your ability to set or achieve goals. However, with the encouragement of your sober community, you can set goals and have mutually supportive peers who hold you accountable to achieving your goals for a life in recovery.

Moreover, as Mental Health America (MHA) states in “Setting Goals for Recovery,” the process of goal setting helps you envision the life you want to lead in recovery. When you envision your sober life, you foster hope that empowers your motivation to build a fulfilling life without substances. Furthermore, the impact of the sober community on your sense of hope can also promote your sense of belonging through sober activities.

Finding Sober Activities for Healing in a Sober Community

One of the major challenges in early recovery is finding meaningful ways to fill your time without substances. Another key factor in a deeply interconnected sober community is access to activities for connection, meaning-making, and belonging. Some of the many sober activities you can engage in to support lasting recovery include:

• Volunteering
• Cooking classes
• Art classes
• Time in nature
• Game nights
• Alumni meetings
• Exercise
• Book club

The variety of sober activities you can engage in showcases that you truly can lead a fun and purposeful life without substances. Moreover, discovering your sense of purpose and belonging blossoms from a desire to a reality with a sober community.

Building Sober Community Connections at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we believe access to a peer-driven network gives you the tools to thrive after treatment. Through a strong and vibrant sober community, you can find the service, accountability, and encouragement needed to thrive in every stage of recovery. Thus, with an engaged and supportive alumni program, we are dedicated to helping you reintegrate into the real world to lead a courageous life in recovery. Whether you are looking for weekly check-ins or opportunities to connect with peers and even your family, joining a sober community can give you a life-changing experience.

Early recovery can be an exciting and tumultuous time. Various challenges come with recovery that can be disruptive to the healing process and lead to relapse. One of the biggest challenges of early recovery is finding new, meaningful ways to spend your time without substances. However, engaging in a supportive sober community in your alumni program can give you the support, tools, and resources to maintain your recovery. Through your sober community, you can uncover opportunities for connection, goal setting, and sober activities, among many others, to heal. Therefore, at Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a life-changing experience at every stage of recovery for you to thrive with purpose. Call us at (512) 759-8330 today.

There can be a lot of apprehensions a person can feel once they achieve addiction recovery. They now need to begin their new sober lives by utilizing the skills and tools learned in treatment. Some may feel as though they have to take this important step by themselves now that they have completed treatment. This may also cause someone to feel anxious and worried about their possible future. They may gasp tightly to control, worried that any mistakes will undermine their hard work.

Thankfully, people don’t have to achieve addiction recovery alone. Having support from both peers and loved ones is vitally important for a successful recovery. This allows someone to find joy and meaning in their lives while giving them the room to be simple people. People can and do make mistakes. It’s part of being alive, especially in addiction recovery. Care must be taken to not let the desire for control overshadow your life and damage relationships. Understanding the difference between connection and control allows alumni to find a healthy balance in their addiction recovery.

Forging Connections in Addiction Recovery

Connections are incredibly important for those in addiction recovery. It’s well known that having encouraging support is a key aspect of seeking and completing treatment. These connections can be made up of several groups of people. They can be made up of family, both biological relatives and chosen family and friends. Peers are also important, especially for alumni. They know what it’s like to struggle with addiction and go through treatment as well. Having a strong support network of fellow peers can give you insight into the unique challenges of addiction recovery.

Driftwood Recovery encourages all clients to create healthy support networks while undergoing treatment. This allows clients to practice and learn the ins and outs of relationships under the guidance of mental health care professionals. There is always something to do within or around the Driftwood Recovery community, allowing clients to try new experiences. Addiction recovery doesn’t have to be a boring or frightening experience. By allowing yourself to make these connections, you find a steadfast ally you can count on when you need them the most.

Letting Go of Control in Addiction Recovery

It can be hard to accept that there are some things you cannot control in addiction recovery. Cravings, triggers, and more are something that will always be a part of your life. For many people, there is a desire to control these things so they don’t feel as though they somehow failed in their treatment. The fact of the matter is that you are not a failure to experience these things. They are a normal part of addiction recovery. Everyone who has ever been in addiction recovery has felt similar feelings to yourself. What matters is how you choose to cope with your feelings.

An unhealthy way to cope is to lock yourself away because you are afraid of encountering addiction triggers and other things that may upset you. Some people go as far as to try to control the lives of people around them to remove these upsetting parts of life. Though it’s good to establish healthy boundaries in your own home and space, it’s an entirely different matter to try to control the world around you. The world cannot be controlled, no matter how much you wish it to. Instead, it’s healthier to embrace the uncontrollable.

This can be done by going out and living. There are so many spontaneous wonders one can experience once one chooses to let go of control. Many people choose to rely on their friends and support network. Once you put yourself out there, it becomes easier to overcome the fear of losing control.

Finding a Healthy Balance

It’s possible to find a balance between control and connection in addiction recovery. Most addiction treatment programs will go over important coping skills needed for long-lasting addiction recovery. Part of this is learning to let go of what cannot be controlled by learning to trust in those you care about. Yes, you cannot control that there will be addiction triggers in public. But what you can trust is that you can contact a member of your support group to help you.

Clients at Driftwood Recovery spend time learning to place trust in others. It begins by trusting your treatment providers to never harm or judge you. Once your trust has been rewarded, it becomes easier to trust your peers and family. Eventually, it becomes possible to live your life in peace, confident that you can meet any challenge with your support ready to help you. It has been said that the absence of control is connection, which allows clients to let go and not be so hard on themselves. Mistakes will happen in addiction recovery, and that’s okay. With your support by your side, you can overcome anything. So, let go of trying to control life and focus on living it.

For those struggling with addiction, it can be hard to form connections with others. It’s also hard to cope with the absence or overabundance of control, especially when you feel helpless and alone. With the unique challenges faced by those living with addiction, it can be scary to seek help. Here at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, clients find compassionate and quality addiction treatment. With an emphasis on judgment-free treatment, clients find the community and support needed to overcome addiction and achieve recovery. Anyone can recover from addiction with the right help, including yourself. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, don’t wait to get help. Call Driftwood Recovery today at (512) 759-8330.

When people struggle with addiction, one thing that becomes more difficult is pain management. In most cases, they can’t take the opioid pain medications that doctors usually prescribe. As a result, they have to count on a more holistic approach to pain relief such as exercise. Aerobic exercise, in particular, can be beneficial in reducing the severity of chronic pain, improving overall physical and mental health, and aiding in weight loss. However, does exercise for pain relief really work? It is important to consult a doctor before starting an exercise program to ensure it is safe and tailored to individual needs.

Exercise for Pain Relief

Exercise for Chronic Pain Relief: Does It Work?

When people suffer from pain, doctors say that one of the best ways to manage it is to keep moving. This is because tendons and muscles get weak and stiff when people don’t use them. The design of the body is for performing activities rather than just sitting.

As a result, exercising is a great way to manage arthritis, as well as back, leg, and other pain, naturally. Best of all, people can manage their pain without taking potentially addictive medications. It’s the perfect option for those struggling with addiction.

Exercise for Pain Relief

A lot of people don’t understand how exercise helps them manage pain. One reason is that it releases endorphins in the brain. This chemical triggers a reward response and blocks pain signals throughout the body.

Since exercise releases endorphins, it’s a good way to manage drug cravings too. Because of that, the benefits of exercise are twofold for those who struggle with both drug problems and pain. It can be hard to believe that something as simple as exercising can bring relief. However, it’s true.

Get Into a New Habit

Beyond pain relief, exercising also gives people a new hobby to enjoy. Finding new hobbies is ideal for those who are in recovery from addiction. They need something to fill the void that drug or alcohol use leaves behind when they stop using. Exercising is a wonderful way to feel better, relieve pain, and fill idle time.

Health Benefits Beyond the Body

Exercise for pain relief provides more benefits than just the physical ones. People who exercise typically enjoy spiritual and mental benefits as well. Exercising is also an excellent method of reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. In general, they feel better about themselves after they exercise.

Find Out More About Holistic Treatment

At Driftwood Recovery, we know how important holistic pain relief is. Whether you need pain relief that fits addiction recovery or just natural, holistic pain relief, we can help. In fact, we offer a number of fantastic programs to suit your needs. Some of our programs and services include:

• Residential treatment
• Holistic recovery
• Intensive outpatient rehab
• 12 Step treatment
• Group counseling
• Individual therapy

Find out how exercise for pain relief can help you manage pain without medication. Remember that you don’t have to live with pain just because you can’t take traditional pain medication. Call us today at 866-426-4694 for more ways that we can help you.

“Trauma is any difficult experience that rises to the level of Changing the Brain.”

Whether it’s through reduced functioning, hyperarousal, or changes in mood, thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors, trauma impacts how we interact with the world around us. Unfortunately, we can get so caught up in defining the minutia of “what constitutes trauma” that it can be easy to lose the forest for the trees. Simply put, trauma is a neurobiological issue with psychological consequences. Neuroscientists can now measure observable changes in the brain that are the direct result of traumatic experiences – and those changes have a considerable impact on how we perceive threats in our daily lives. As the Driftwood clinical team undergoes extensive training around EMDR protocols this summer, I was curious to learn more about why EMDR is so effective at treating trauma and a whole host of psychological issues. So I sat down with senior clinician Natalie Hisey to discuss the training she facilitated with her supervisor and EMDRIA-certified instructor, Lillian Ramey.

HOW DOES TRAUMA CHANGE THE BRAIN?

Natalie explained that typical memories are stored in the part of the brain called the hippocampus. In the event of a trauma or accumulation of traumas, the amygdala (responsible for our fight, flight, freeze response) overwhelms the brain. It prevents the hippocampus from properly storing difficult memories. The hippocampus serves as our memory’s receptionist, cataloging and holding events from the day during REM sleep. When memories are not filed correctly, they remain blocked or unprocessed – like a misplaced folder jammed into the wrong filing cabinet.

The result is a limbic system that reacts like it’s constantly in danger, even when the perceived threat has long passed. Logic, perspective, and clear memories take a back seat, and emotion takes the wheel. Effective trauma treatment should re-train our brain’s receptionist to store these troubling experiences in a way that doesn’t disturb normal brain function. One of the most effective and efficient ways to heal the limbic system is through EMDR therapy.

WHAT IS EMDR?

If changes in the brain characterize trauma, trauma treatment should address those brain changes. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is one of the most researched psychotherapy methods proven to help the brain recover from trauma and distressing life experiences. According to EMDR International Association, when distress from a disturbing event remains, the disturbing images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain reprocess these maladaptive memories and allows routine healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the original event’s fight, flight, or freeze response is resolved.

EMDR utilizes a process known as bilateral stimulation. Practitioners instruct clients to think about a target memory while tracking the therapist’s fingers from left to right with their eyes. Bilateral stimulation mimics the process that occurs during REM sleep; this side-to-side motion has been found to enhance memory reprocessing, improving the speed at which clients can recover and find peace around unimaginable pain.

EMDR therapy is broken into eight phases. The first phases involve gathering information around the memory, assessing emotional distress, and creating a safe place (a resource for calming the system back down after entering the target memory.) Then, reprocessing and desensitization occur, where the therapist and client bring up the trauma, initiate eye movement, and install a new, more positive belief associated with the memory. The final phases are about all about how the client will respond to that trauma in the future, with the goal of “turning down the volume” on the client’s emotional reactivity.

WHY IS EMDR SO EFFECTIVE?

The message from EMDR is this: “Your trauma is over and can remain in the past. You are safe in the present moment.” The result is a desensitization of the specific emotional reaction and reprocessing of the memory in a more positive light. Clients can process through distress quickly and develop a robust treatment plan without needing much language to describe what’s bothering them. They are not forced to spend too much time digging around in the trauma but rather target specific emotional reactions to a perceived threat. It’s amazing how well the brain responds to EMDR – it’s as if the brain wants to heal itself, it just needs the facilitation of a skilled practitioner and a safe place to do the healing.

EMDR is appropriate across all lifespans and can help treat many mental health conditions in addition to trauma, like eating disorders, substance use disorders, and relational issues. By the end of the summer – thanks to Natalie & Lillian – Driftwood clinicians will be trained in EMDR protocols for trauma, substance use, chronic pain, and couple’s therapy. Click here to learn more about EMDR protocols and training through EMDRIA or contact admissions for more information about working with an EMDR-trained Driftwood clinician.

The Limbic System

Image courtesy of Psychosocialsomatic.

While the rest of us were sleeping, Driftwood clinicians Jacob Umanzor, Michelle Whetstone, Natalie Hisey, and Vanessa Kennedy logged on to a London-based webinar at 3:30 AM to train in a treatment modality few therapists genuinely understand. This training aimed to equip mental health professionals with the necessary skills to undertake mentalization-based work with families. Vanessa, Natalie, Jacob, and Michelle represented a minority of American providers confident enough to take on this often-elusive subject. So, what is Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), and how does it apply to family work at Driftwood?

Mentalization-Based Treatment with Families (MBT-F) – developed by psychologist Peter Fonagy – is an imaginative mental process that supports clients and family members in overcoming relational roadblocks and gaining a deeper understanding of each other’s points of view. Because mentalization-based work occurs at the core of all effective therapeutic processes, the therapist’s role is to understand, model, and reinforce effective mentalizing.

The training was hosted by the Anna Freud Centre, a leading UK research hub for mental health interventions with children and families. Named for the daughter of Sigmund Freud and founder of child psychoanalysis, the center builds on Freud’s legacy of transmuting psychoanalytic theory into evidence-based practices for family work. Michelle, Natalie, Jacob, and Vanessa learned new methods from Fonagy and his colleagues for engaging clients and families in activities and exercises that confront and alter problematic relationship patterns.

I enjoyed watching these clinicians turn their insights into action during this month’s Courageous Family Program, Driftwood’s monthly two-and-a-half-day workshop for clients and their family members. Here’s what I learned:

What is Mentalizing?

Mentalizing refers to our capacity to interpret behavior in relation to mental states, such as needs, desires, thoughts, and feelings. We say it is an imaginative mental activity because it requires us to conceptualize what’s going on inside the mind – what goals, intentions, or reasons lie beneath human behaviors. Mentalizing extends beyond empathy because it requires us to make sense of the complexities of our own mental states and the mental states of others. Self-awareness is a crucial first step in mentalizing, but it doesn’t stop there.

Mentalizing is a skill we all naturally possess. It is crucial to our sense of self, emotional intelligence, social resiliency, and cognitive flexibility. However, mentalizing veers off-course when we assume the mental states of ourselves or others without curiosity. Difficulties with mentalizing play a role in a wide range of common mental health challenges like depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and personality disorders.

Why is Mentalizing Important for Family Work?

The treatment team’s first task in family work is to understand the entire family’s dynamics and how they intersect with a client’s mental health condition. For example, there may be dynamics within the family that inhibit a client’s ability to progress in their recovery. In a dysfunctional family dynamic, this might look like unspoken expectations, passive-aggressive communication, enabling behaviors, or judgmental assumptions.

In childhood, we’re taught how to mentalize by our primary attachment figures. As adults, we may still mimic the judgments, assumptions, and non-verbal cues modeled by our parents. If we haven’t learned how to mentalize effectively, it’s because we haven’t seen it enough in action. We can heal from ineffective mentalizing with the help of a skilled therapist. Effective MBT-F practitioners slow down communication between family members and model emotional vulnerability in real-time. Therapists step into the role of the attachment figure and use mentalizing as a platform to heal these primary attachment wounds. The result is a working model for how this family can interact in a healthy manner.

Courageous family work requires a curious, non-judgmental approach to the familial patterns that blind us. It creates an environment where family members can express themselves without previous roadblocks to communication. Healthy dynamics might look like direct and kind communication, transparency, taking responsibility for one’s own emotions and responses, and expressing appropriate boundaries.

What are the core principles of effective mentalizing?

I wanted to learn to mentalize my own family like a pro, so I asked Driftwood Clinical Director and Mentalizing Guru Jacob Umanzor to give me a few tips that he learned from his MBT-F training. The following are some of the core principles of effective mentalizing in family work:

1) Genuine Curiosity. Curiosity means entering a childlike state of wonder. The challenge is to proceed as if everyone we interact with is the expert of their own mind. It is not our job to tell others how they feel. But, if we can leave our assumptions at the door, we’re creating a safe space for everyone to share vulnerably.

2) Awareness of Impact on Others. Mentalizing goes beyond empathy. It creates an understanding of the impact of one’s behavior on the people around us. Unfortunately, instability in mental health and substance abuse can make it hard for us to be aware of our impact on others. Shame, guilt, and remorse will naturally come up when our behavior doesn’t align with our values. When we feel reactive, the challenge is to sit with that shame and ride the wave of discomfort.

3) Perspective Taking. If our minds are too rigid, we limit our ability to see from someone else’s eyes. Holding space for and being open to others’ experiences helps increase our understanding of them as fallible human beings, just like us.

4) Capacity to Trust. To create a sense of safety for others, we must first trust one another to be honest. For example, if another person states the intention behind their behavior, we should take them at their word.

5) Narrative Continuity. The typical family culture is to not talk about breakdowns in communication or conflicting narratives about the past. A shared family narrative can add to a sense of connection – but we can’t know someone else’s experience until we ask.

Want to learn more about Driftwood’s approach to family work? Read about the Courageous Family Workshop and find links to family resources.

Maintaining sobriety following treatment can be arduous work, but at Driftwood, we believe life must be enjoyable to sustain long-term recovery. According to Mason Aselage, Director of Recovery Services, “Recovery is about more than abstinence. It’s about building relationships, having new experiences, and most importantly – rediscovering what we love about life.” Along with Alumni Coordinator Evan Thornton, Mason has developed a philosophy of enjoyment for Driftwood’s Alumni Program that doesn’t take itself too seriously. As a result, alumni meetings, social gatherings, and service opportunities are characterized by joyful reunions and fits of uncontrollable laughter. The fun, relaxed atmosphere that Evan and Mason have created brings necessary levity to the heavy, emotional work of early recovery.

As of March, Mason and Evan have organized a series of sober hangouts with increasing success: from wakeboarding, to paintballing, to awareness walks, to party barges. This month, they undertook their most ambitious challenge: leading a four-day camping trip in Big Bend National Park.

Last Thursday, fourteen former clients and Driftwood staff set out from Austin, TX, on an eight-hour drive west. The group’s energy was electric from the start; everyone was giddy to get going and had no complaints about the long journey ahead. Some in the group were experienced hikers; a few had no experience camping sober. This range in mastery led to hilarious moments as the group pitched their tents in the Chisos Basin, but everyone came together with incredible teamwork. Of course, no outing would be complete without the Driftwood Culinary experience, so the Drifters were lucky that chef, Peyton, agreed to come along to help cook meals by the campfire.

The group rose early for a 14-mile hike around the south rim of the basin. From start to finish, the weather was perfect for early fall in the desert. Most alumni had never hiked such a long distance before, so there was a collective feeling of accomplishment by the end of the day. That night, Mason led a recovery meeting where alumni reflected on the day’s experience. In addition, each person wrote a letter to themselves that they would send out in one year, with words of compassion and encouragement to help them through times of struggle.

The highlight of day three was a guided rafting trip on the Rio Grande. What would usually take a full day took only half the time because the water was so high. The group was all laughs as they sped down the river between towering, red canyons. The day concluded with a two-mile hike to Balanced Rock, followed by live music and country cooking at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua.

As the vans pulled out of the campsite on Sunday, an alumna thought to herself that the only low of the trip was not seeing a bear. The group observed a snowy white owl the night before, and expectations had become very high between the perfect weather and the clear, starry skies. As she thought this, one of her friends pointed out the van’s window to a black bear outside their campsite. Mason had given them the challenge of creating their own joy, and by the end of the trip, the Driftwood alumni group had proven themselves powerful manifesters.

About her colleague, Evan Thornton says, “I am so grateful for Mason. He is a joy to work with, and his guidance and ideas have made the alumni program grow exponentially.” The same may be said for Evan, who has stepped into her new role and navigated challenging circumstances with maturity and grace. Together, Evan and Mason make an unstoppable team – proving that outside the heavily structured treatment environment, opportunities for fun and connection abound!

Driftwood’s Alumni family is a peer-driven network that provides accountability, service, and encouragement for long-term recovery post-treatment. Our Alumni Coordinator, Evan Thornton, and Director of Client Services, Mason Aselage, encourage Alumni to remain engaged with the Driftwood family by organizing ongoing meetings, socials, and service opportunities.

Upcoming Events

• Family Support Group with Lauren Walther: 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:30 CST
• Six Flags Fright Fest in San Antonio on 10/14 @ 6 PM
• Paintballing in November (date TBA)
• Holiday Party at Driftwood on 12/10 from 5 PM – 8 PM
• H&I Meetings Weekly on Mondays @ 7 PM CST – on campus and online.
• Alumni Meetings Weekly @ 7 PM CST – in person and virtual.
• Quarterly Workshops featuring consulting psychologists like Ted Klontz and Stevie Stanford.

Connect with Us

• Download the Driftwood Recovery App – which consolidates all alumni information in one place. To learn more about upcoming events, visit the events page in the app or the community tab to see announcements in your feed.
• Request Access to the Private Facebook Page.
• Email ethornton@driftwoodrecovery.com or maselage@driftwoodrecovery.com for more information.

“The most important lesson I learned in 2021 is that human beings can reconstruct their narrative with more ease than one might think; we just need to take the time to implement a few simple practices. Often, people in recovery harp on acceptance as the key to emotional health. But it’s important not to slide into resignation, expecting life to happen to us (as if we have no power over the outcomes in our life). Pain prompted me to seek out others who achieved the growth I craved – spiritually, physically, and financially. I observed what these spiritual titans were achieving and emulated their daily practices. With a bit of repetition, the changes were remarkable.”

Paul Manley, Executive Vice President & Partner at Driftwood Recovery, tells us why 2021 turned out to be his best year yet, and how we can all implement life-changing strategies to shift our narratives in 2022.

Spend enough time around someone who has a clear sense of who they are, and that infectious energy starts to rub off on you. The stories they tell about themselves and their comfortability with owning their identity have a sort of gravitational pull. The inevitable question becomes unavoidable: “If this person is so confident about who they are, what kind of person am I?”

Paul Manley is just this sort of person. His enthusiasm for self-improvement is magnetic. So, we were surprised to learn that he struggled to discover his sense of purpose in early adulthood. What prompted his shift from pain to progress over the past year? We asked him to share a few practices he established in 2021 that helped him level up to his next stage of spiritual healing:

Five practices that changed my life this past year:

1. Make time to understand what you want. When people set goals, their first mistake is not setting aside time to figure out what they want. It’s essential to be intentional. I’ve found journaling to be a valuable exercise for discovering short and long-term goals. I still set aside time in the morning to write down what aspects of my life I want to improve. Writing down my vision makes it more tangible and gives me a good jumping-off point. If I do not understand the desired outcome, I cannot create the road map to achieve my goal.

2. Make your vision clear. Once I determine what I want, I write my vision down in the form of an extremely specific intention statement. The vision statement helps me create a story of who I am that I can turn back to; this is the essence of my new narrative. Rather than writing “I want to be a person who….” I write, “I am a person who….” Wanting comes from a place of incompleteness but acting as if makes it so. Establishing this core sense of identity is essential because it reinforces the type of person you want to become.

3. Access your emotions. Ask yourself: How would I feel if I started to check off the goals on my list? Get as specific as possible. It helps me visualize myself taking small steps to accomplish my vision: what my environment looks like, what thoughts I might have about myself, what I’m wearing, etc. When I have difficulty accessing the emotions related to a specific goal, I turn to intentional meditation to access my gratitude for every stage of the journey. Taking that extra time to get quiet and turn inward allows me to feel whole and appreciate every step along the way.

4. Put your intention statement somewhere you can see it. Create a visual cue to accompany your vision you can review every day, multiple times a day. This visual stimulus is critical because what catches your attention creates intention. Placing my intention statement in plain sight allows me to stay grounded in the outcome and not lose sight of the result. Understand that your goals may change along the way; what’s important is the feeling that the intention statement elicits. I hang up words and pictures on my bulletin board that define success for me: adventure, love, leadership, and so on. These are values that I can aspire to every day that make me feel more complete.

5. Remember: structure comes before freedom. Long-term growth does not always produce immediate results. I must establish the routine of acting before starting to feel the benefits. The most effective change comes from repetition. It’s a common misconception that structure and routine are the antitheses of freedom. In reality, structure begets freedom. When every action comes from genuine intention, you create meaning in the mundane and free yourself from practices that no longer serve you. I have also found that when I am consistent with structured spiritual practices, my relationship with time changes. It no longer feels like there are not enough hours in the day. Instead, things start to fall in place with exceptional timing.

Driftwood’s Culinary Director, Jason Donoho, provides us with festive mocktail recipes as we plan for the holiday season.

Pear Rosemary Tonic

Ingredients

● Ice as needed

● 2 oz Pear Rosemary Syrup (Combine 1 diced pear and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary with 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Bring to a simmer and let infuse off the heat for 30 minutes. Strain and store in the fridge for up to 30 days.)

● 1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

● Fever Tree Tonic Water or your favorite brand to Top

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the order listed in a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Ginger Orange Punch

Ingredients

● Ice as Needed

● 2oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

● 1oz Ginger Simple Syrup (Combine 1 cup peeled fresh ginger slices with 2 cups water & 2 cups sugar. Bring to a simmer and let infuse off the heat for 30 minutes. Strain and store in the fridge for up to 30 days.)

● Ginger Beer or Ginger Ale to Top

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the order listed in a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

Spiced Coconut Golden Milk

Ingredients

● 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk

● 1 tsp Turmeric

● 1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

● 4 Tbsp Honey

● 1 pinch Sea Salt

● 1 pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, careful not to boil. Serve warm in a mug with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to top.

Pineapple Coconut Mojito

Ingredients

● Lime juice as needed for the rim of the glass

● Coconut Flakes as needed for the rim of the glass

● 4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

● 2 oz fresh lime juice

● 4 oz fresh pineapple juice

● 4 oz Coconut Water

● Ice as needed

Instructions

Dip the rim of a glass in lime juice and then the toasted coconut, fill with ice. Place 4-6 fresh mint leaves at the bottom of the glass with the lime juice and muddle to lightly crush the mint. Add the coconut water and pineapple juice. Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of the mint.

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