3 Critical Reasons to go for intensive Outpatient Treatment

The intensive outpatient program or IOP are important as they address the depression, addiction, eating disorders and other kinds of dependencies which don’t really require any round the clock detoxification and supervision. The normal routine activities of the patients are maintained which is usually not possible with residential treatment facilities. This is one reason why people prefer IOPs since they can work and earn money in order to bear the burden of their treatment. You can breathe free and fresh air at the IOPs and you will want to recover and heal yourself. These IOP detox centers assist you in managing your withdrawals. IOP therapy has a way which lets you maintain your lifestyle and also get you the required help that you need to overcome the addiction. These programs are nothing short of support mechanisms which assist the patient in getting well.

Understanding Emotional Trauma Symptoms for Proper Treatment

Psychological trauma is nothing short of an injury to the spirit which usually happens after going through something distressing or disturbing. Sometimes, people have been through frightening events which may lead to challenges in coping with the issues. You must look for signs and symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma such as emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms, cognitive symptoms, psychological symptoms, and physical symptoms. As a fact, there are a number of people who go through with these traumas all through their life without getting any kind of treatment done. Eventually this leads to shrinking of their friend circle and they become more and more weak. Rather than feeling traumatized and helpless, a person must work towards getting to a better place. It is suggested that professional help must be taken in order to get rid of trauma.

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Gambling Addiction Treatment in Arizona

What many people may not realize is that gambling addiction is classified as an impulse control disorder.

Individuals with impulse control disorders feel increasing stimulation before participating in the act of gambling. While gambling they probably will feel a sense of satisfaction; however, they may feel remorse or shame afterward.

Compulsive gamblers can’t control the urge to gamble, even when they know it has negative consequences that will hurt themselves and their families through strained relationships and financial problems. Unpleasant feelings can worsen the disorder, such as:

• Stress
• Depression
• Loneliness
• Fear
• Anxiety

Compulsive gamblers continue to gamble though they know the odds are against them, and they can’t afford to lose. These individuals may or may not plan to gamble, but it generally fulfills an immediate, conscious need; however, they often feel anguished and a loss of control over their lives from their actions.

Problematic Gambling

According to an article published in the Scientific American, four in five Americans say they have gambled at least once in their lives. With the exception of Hawaii and Utah, every state in the country offers some form of legalized gambling. And today you do not even need to leave your house to gamble—all you need is an Internet connection or a phone. Various surveys have determined that around two million people in the U.S. are addicted to gambling, and for as many as 20 million citizens the habit seriously interferes with work and social life.

Studies have shown that individuals who anticipate winning while gambling appear to react much like a person reacting to euphoria-inducing drugs. During one study subjects who were gambling had blood flow to the brain change in ways similar to that seen in other experiments during an infusion of cocaine in subjects addicted to that drug and to low doses of morphine in drug-free individuals.

The changes varied in accordance with the amount of money involved and a broadly distributed set of brain regions were involved in anticipating a win. The more money involved, the more excited the person became.

Signs of a Gambling Addiction

With gambling, the odds are never in your favor whether it is poker, blackjack, lottery tickets or entering a raffle; gambling is a successful industry because the house always wins.

Common signs of gambling addiction include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Feeling the need to be secretive about gambling
• Having trouble controlling gambling habits
• Gambling when you cannot afford to
• Your friends and family express concern about your gambling
• Anxiety about quitting or stopping
• Strong emotional reaction to gambling or about stopping such as:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Self-harm
• Suicidal thoughts

Other addictions frequently co-occur with gambling addiction as they serve as coping mechanisms for individuals stressed out by their activity. Many gamblers turn to drugs, alcohol, sexual addiction, and other behaviors to alleviate the anxiety brought on by the gambling lifestyle.

Even if a person never experiences a financial loss because of gambling, they may struggle with a substance addiction for the rest of life due to self-medicating to deal with the stress brought on by the lifestyle. Also, relationships are often permanently damaged as a result of gambling.

How To Get Help For Gambling Addiction

Just as alcoholics and drug addicts develop a tolerance to alcohol and drugs, the gambler will need to gamble more and more to achieve the same effect. The continuous search for that “high” ultimately develops into an addiction.

At The Meadows, we utilize cutting-edge therapies and other techniques to help clients change unhealthy gambling behaviors. Problem gamblers learn how to control their urges, deal with uncomfortable emotions and resolve underlying issues that brought about the addiction through individualized gambling addiction treatment.

To learn more about our program or to seek help for yourself or a loved one, please call 866-331-3102 or visit our website today. All communication is kept strictly confidential.

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Welcome Home: Preventing Relapse after Inpatient Treatment

I once heard a client’s family member refer to their loved one’s inpatient addiction treatment as a sort of summer camp.

The family member made this pronouncement with what sounded like envy; they wished they too could have some “time away.”

The thought intrigued me as a therapist. Soon after that session, I presented the idea of inpatient mental health treatment as “summer camp” to the group I was leading, and within moments I was dodging hypothetical tomatoes being thrown my direction.

Over the years, having spent more time in inpatient treatment as a therapist, I can tell you that there are many reasons why the notion that inpatient treatment is like summer camp doesn’t fly with those in recovery. One of the biggest distinctions, however, is in the returning home. Returning home from summer camp, and returning home from treatment are two entirely different things.

As a kid, you go to summer camp to experience new things and meet new friends with the knowledge that you will return home to your parents and your usual mundane surroundings within a few weeks. Nothing at home is likely to change. That is what often makes the idea of being away so appealing.

Your new friend’s primary interest is in coaxing you into the lake after lunch so that they have a swim partner. In fact, at summer camp you may not even think of home very often. Your mind typically stays on the burnt marshmallows, and the weird lanyard thing you work on at night before bed that you plan to present your parents as a token of your love and gratitude.

None of this sounds like inpatient drug and alcohol addiction treatment.

What Going Home Means After Inpatient Treatment

You probably will make friends during your inpatient addiction treatment. However, unlike summer camp, the friends you do make will be made by sharing your innermost, and most painful personal failures and struggles—struggles that you thought could be kept secret forever.

When you do think of home, you may feel a sense of loss or confusion. Your thoughts might range from “Where is home?” to “Will I ever really be home again?”

After inpatient addiction treatment, home is a place where you carefully put on your life vest of newly acquired coping skills to keep from drowning in the old habits and patterns of behavior that your brain so strongly associates with drinking or using.

Building a New and Better ‘Home’

The home you return to after inpatient or residential addiction treatment must be built on the foundation of a solid relapse prevention plan. Before you leave treatment, you should have a plan in place for…

• Managing cravings and triggers.
• Preventing a momentary slip from turning into a full-fledged return to substance abuse.
• Relying on a strong diversified support system that can include family, friends, and mental health professionals.

“Relapse prevention” is a term that frequently gets thrown around during an inpatient treatment stay. While in treatment, each patient begins to identify what their own relapse prevention plan will be. However, no one can possibly identify every potential trigger beforehand. It is critical that patients talk about and even practice their plans before leaving treatment. But, practice is never exactly the same as real-life experience.

That’s why, in addition to having a relapse prevention plan, you should also get familiar with the stages of relapse, so that you can identify who the best people to reach out to would be if you, unfortunately, found yourself in one of these stages. If you are prepared, you will find that slipping into one of these stages doesn’t mean the end of your recovery. Rather, an expected slip can be an opportunity to apply one of your newly-acquired coping skills and pull yourself back into a manageable place.

The three, progressive stages of relapse are:

1. Emotional

During this stage, you may start reacting to the same triggers that lead to your drug or alcohol misuse with feelings of anxiety, anger, isolation, mood swings, and changes in eating or sleeping habits. The most important thing you can do at this stage is to reach out to your support system. Contact your sponsor, therapist, or visit your support group, or attend your 12-step meetings.

2. Mental

In this stage, you start to fantasize and rationalize. You might start to dream about using again. Then, you will start to come up with reasons why using again would be “no big deal.” Once you’ve reached this stage, it’s absolutely critical that you talk to your sponsor or addiction counselor.

3. Physical

This is the stage where you give in and reach for the substance or process that you have worked so hard to quit using. This is why it’s so critical to recognize when you’re in stage one or two of a relapse and get help before you go down this dangerous path.

Knowing—but not anticipating—that relapse is often part of a successful recovery will help you to maintain and restore hope if you find yourself struggling through any these stages.

Maintaining your primary focus on the better life that lies ahead through recovery keeps us taking that “next best step,” “one day at a time.” As you continue on your journey “home” remember that awareness plus action is change. This change can be applied no matter where you are on your journey. If you find yourself slipping, take action, reach out, and push forward towards your new home sweet home in recovery.

Ease the Transition Home in an Outpatient Program

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is often recommended when an individual requires a “step down” from one level of treatment to the next before they are ready to return home and apply their recovery skills to everyday life.

At The Meadows Outpatient Center, we teach time-tested recovery skills and help remove the blocks that produce a life full of joy, gratitude, and acceptance. These skills promote loving, healthy relationships free from active addiction in an ongoing, permanent and successful recovery.

We are a comprehensive outpatient program that offers 18-20 hours of services and treatment per week—more than twice the amount of services provided in a typical IOP. We are also in-network with both Humana and Blue Cross Blue Shield. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our program and help you determine if The Meadows Outpatient Treatment Center is the right place for you. Give us a call at 866-562-9559.

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Join Us for Mindful Mondays

Why do we struggle in life? That’s a question that many religions, philosophers, and scholars have tried to tackle for centuries. You’d be hard-pressed to find any human being who hasn’t experienced their fair share of pain and difficulty. It often comes in the form of trauma, abuse, neglect, break-ups, betrayals, disappointment, failures, illnesses, loss, and grief.

Regardless of the type or severity of their hardships, people typically find ways to survive. But, unfortunately, some of the ways we adapt our thoughts and behaviors in order to survive get in the way of our ability to thrive.

When we feel pain or discomfort, we tend to try to avoid it, suppress it, or repress it; or, we find some distraction through drugs, alcohol, food, sex, or any number of other substances and activities.

Mindfulness is about bringing unconditional, nonjudgmental attention to our experience in the present moment. Its aim is to help us learn how to tolerate, accept, and even appreciate our pain, and emotional experiences. Mindfulness work teaches us how to really show up in our lives without being constantly distracted by fears of fantasies and without wishing for things to be other than they are.

So, how do we go about this work? There is no one “right” way, but many people begin to cultivate mindfulness through the regular practice of meditation. Many experts believe that you can begin to notice changes in your moods and perceptions with as little as 10 minutes a day of meditation.
That’s why each Monday The Meadows will offer you the opportunity to meditate with one of our experts. Watch The Meadows Facebook page for a live, 10 to 15 minute, guided meditation every week.

 

Guided Meditation on Forgiving

Joyce Willis will be leading our first Mindful Monday session on Oct. 24 at 12:30 Mountain Standard Time (3:30 p.m. Eastern) Joyce is a therapist at The Meadows with 18 years of experience with mindfulness and meditation practices. She began her journey in 1998 when a doctor told her she needed to slow down after suffering a severe asthma attack. She realized that she had spent years trying to be superwoman, and didn’t quite know how to slow down. This led her to pick up Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book Full Catastrophe Living.

Since then, she has trained with Kabat-Zinn and other leaders in the field of mindfulness like Jack Kornfield and Ronald Siegel. Through her Mindful Monday sessions, she hopes to help people connect their emotional, spiritual, mindful, and physiological selves with compassion and respect.

 

Want More Mindfulness?

The Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows offers an incredible, transformational, 5-day workshop on mindfulness called Mind & Heart: A Mindful Path to Wholehearted Living. It is led by The Meadows Medical Director, Dr. Jon Caldwell, whose clinical practice is rooted in the timeless teaching and contemplative traditions of mindfulness meditation.

During the workshop. Dr. Caldwell leads participants through several enlightening presentations and experiential exercises focused on cultivating mindfulness and compassion. Ancient and scientifically-verified practices will be applied in unique ways to help heal past wounds. People with various levels of experience with mindfulness and meditation can benefit from the workshop.

All that is needed is a curious mind, a willing heart, and an intention to heal!
For more information on the Mind & Heart Workshop or on any of The Meadows personal growth workshops, please call 866-457-3202, or reach out online.

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Don’t Miss The Meadows Alumni Retreat

By Aleah Johnson, The Meadows Alumni Coordinator

I am thrilled to announce that registration for the 2017 Meadows Alumni Retreat is now OPEN! This is one of my favorite times of the year. This year's retreat was my first one at The Meadows and I can honestly say that it was one of the most impactful weekends I have had. My aha moments from this year's retreat involved a lot of surrender, a lot of being open to trying things someone else's way, and allowing myself to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The moments, fellowship, laughter, tears, and smiles shared with fellow alumni, as well as The Meadows staff, will be something that I take with me in the years to come.

Here is what some other alumni have to say about it:
"I come because it's like a family reunion with a Meadows re-fuel!" – Amy B.

"When I go to the retreat, I immediately feel a sense of belonging, that this is exactly where I am supposed to be at that time. It’s a great validation and acknowledgement of my time and commitment to my own recovery, being of service, and showing up for others. Hearing about others' journey through recovery is inspiring and an important reminder that I’m not alone!" – Greg F.

"We go back to the retreat because it is a great way to start off the year, we feel inspired and energized from the event. It's also a great way to find out what other programs are being offered by The Meadows." – Chris B.

"I came to the Meadows in September of 2015 with a broken heart & severe depression over the ending of my 27 year marriage. I knew The Meadows was my last resort in healing my heart and learning to live in my new normal. When I came home, my daughter said I was a new person, and I was. From that point forward, I knew I wanted to attend the Alumni Retreat yearly. Seeing old friends, making new friends, and the resources made available to us was phenomenal. It’s an event that will be on my calendar yearly. I don’t want to miss it!" – Lori B.

There is so much to learn, regardless of your time in recovery or the time you have supported someone in recovery since attending Family Week; we offer something for everyone!

Click here for more information and to register - we'll see you there!

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The Meadows Intensive Outpatient Program Partners with Blue Cross Blue Shield

Two years ago, we opened the Meadows Outpatient Center in Scottsdale, Arizona with the goal of taking everything we’d learned throughout our 40 years of delivering world-class, quality treatment programs at The Meadows, and applying it to an outpatient setting.

Today, we are thrilled to announce that The Meadows Outpatient Center is now an in-network provider for all Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance carriers. Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the largest managed care companies in the United States. By partnering with them, we can make the cutting-edge services and resources we offer through The Meadows IOP more accessible to more people than ever before.

The Meadows Outpatient Center offers comprehensive outpatient treatment programs for emotional trauma and related mental health issues like drug and alcohol addiction, mood disorders, personality disorders, and co-occurring disorders. There are also programs available that focus specifically on the needs of young adults (ages 18 – 26) with addiction and mental health issues, and men and women who are struggling with sex addiction.

Services at The Meadows Outpatient Center are based on the renowned Meadows Model for treating trauma and addiction. They include 12 hours of group therapy per week, individual counseling, psychiatry consultations, Neurofeedback, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, art therapy, trauma-sensitive yoga, acupuncture, family therapy, and yearlong aftercare.

"We are extremely proud of the quality and caliber of service offered at the Meadows Outpatient Center,” says Meadows Behavioral Healthcare CEO Sean Walsh. We truly feel that it is unlike any other outpatient program in the country. Our in-network relationship with Blue Cross Blue Shield is an exciting step which allows us to be a resource to a greater number of those in need."

The Meadows Outpatient Center is available to all patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield effective immediately. So please don’t hesitate to call one of our Intake Specialists at 866-356-9801 or chat with us online to learn more. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our outpatient program and your Blue Cross Blue Shield benefits.

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Do I Really Need an Intensive Outpatient Program after Treatment?

 

 

Once you’ve completed an inpatient addiction and mental health treatment program you may be eager to finally go back home and start a brand new life in recovery. Though you got off to a rough start, your treatment has gone remarkably well. You now feel that you’ve finally gotten your unwanted behaviors under control, and have all the tools you need to manage any negative emotions or conflicts that come your way without drinking, using, or slipping back into old unhealthy habits. 

 

As you are drawing near the end of your treatment program, your therapist says to you “I recommend that you spend some time in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) before you go home.”

“But… I’m fine now.” You say. “I’ve gone through this program with flying colors! I am like a brand new person now! Why do I need more treatment?”

 

Should I Go To An IOP?

The first few months—sometimes even the first few years—of recovery is a vulnerable time. It is not uncommon for those new to recovery to relapse soon after completing inpatient treatment. Even people who were very dedicated to getting sober and left inpatient treatment feeling like there was no way they would ever relapse, often end up relapsing.

Good inpatient treatment programs are designed to remove any outside obstacles, temptations, or distractions that might get in the way of your recovery. You don’t have access to alcohol or drugs in treatment, like you would in the “real world.” You aren’t surrounded by people, places and things that you associate with your addiction or disorder. You don’t have to deal with the usual day-to-day stresses of life. You don’t have to cook meals, drive through rush hour traffic to get to work, or manage difficult relationships with your partner, children, or roommates at home.

This is not to say that everything is always sunshine and rainbows in rehab—you will have bad days, conflicts will come up, and you’ll be overwhelmed sometimes by your emotions and fears. But, when those things do come up, there are always staff and peers available to support you through them, and to make sure you are in a safe and secure setting.

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Turning Setbacks into a Comeback

By Aleah Johnson, Alumni Coordinator at The Meadows

 

Setbacks in recovery are pretty much inevitable; nobody is immune to them or their unforeseeable effects. They can range from major occurrences, such as the loss of a loved one, to minor ones, such as having a headache to the point where you cannot function effectively at work.

We so often hear about icons—CEOs, musicians, artists, politicians, etc. — who have given in to temptations; some have had setbacks so big that it has cost them their entire career. But, setbacks do not necessarily have to be a death sentence; nor do they have to be an excuse for not reaching our goals and dreams.
Setbacks can be powerful catalysts for major comebacks. They can, for example, put you in a position where you have a clearer perspective on life, and even bigger drive to overcome your obstacles.

Stay Accountable

A setback is an event that delays your progress or reverses some of the progress you have made. In the context of addictive disorders and recovery, we also call this a relapse.
When you have experienced a setback or a relapse, it is important that you don’t downplay or ignore what has happened. Instead, take accountability, and try to make sense of the situation.
A wise somebody once said, "...you cannot conquer what you cannot confront." How true that is! Denial will hamper any progress that can come from putting things into their proper perspective.

Assess the Situation

Once we have studied our enemy (addiction) and understand it, then we can be on the lookout for the people, places, or things that can put us back into the hole that we are trying to climb out of in the first place.
The best tool you could possibly have for avoiding a relapse is a realistic action plan that will ensure that you do not find yourself in places or situations that intensify your temptation to engage in self-destructive behaviors.
When a setback or relapse has occurred, it is very critical that you begin to ask these very important questions:

• What caused the relapse?
• Can the relapse be traced to old, self-destructive behavioral patterns you slipped back into?
• Were there any other factors that led to the relapse?

Once you have analyzed the situation and have come up with a possible explanation, strategize and devise a sustainable, preventive plan for the future so that the unwanted behaviors will not be repeated again.
For example, if you relapsed by drinking alcohol during a night out with friends, you might need to consider no longer going to night clubs, even if your intention is only to dance and drink sodas.

Sharpen Your Relapse Prevention Tools

Here at The Meadows, we are very committed to equipping each patient against setbacks. We make sure everyone leaves our programs with a set of relapse prevention tools so that when temptations arise, they can hold their ground and resist them.
If a relapse does happen, remember that there is always a second chance: analyze the situation, put it into its proper perspective, and create an action plan to prevent it from happening again in the future.
And, if you need a little extra support getting through the next stage of your recovery, you can always call us. We have an intensive outpatient program and series of outstanding workshops that help keep you on track. Call 800-244-4949 or send us an email.

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Get in the Recovery Zone

By Aleah Johnson, Alumni Coordinator at The Meadows

It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through summer! This time of year can be a glorious one for some and stressful one for others. Many people have kids who are out of school, family trips and vacations, and longer days with an abundance of activities to take part in.

With the heating up of temperatures and the heating up of schedules, we must make the time to take extra care of our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. This is especially true for people in recovery.

The Recovery Zones

At The Meadows, we encourage working the process of recovery zones. You may find yourself sliding in out of each of these zones throughout your recovery, and that’s okay! Anytime you feel that you are getting off track, take the time to assess and re-enter any of the zones.

Stay in the Zone!

Recovery has its challenges, but so does everyday life - life is in session and we all know that some days get ahead of us. Sometimes, “trust the process” is easier said than done. However, we must not let that skew our recovery. Don't let one day throw you off track. It is important for us to stick to this path and stick to the journey.

Do what you can do to live a long and healthy life; this will help not only you, but also others in recovery. We have all spent too many past years being active in our lives but not actually living it with purpose; you are worthy of a life you love.

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The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Adult Sexuality

By Cassandra Rustvold, LMSW, MEd, Trauma Therapist at Gentle Path at the Meadows

 

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has the potential to transform the trajectory of one’s life in a multitude of ways. While the effects of childhood sexual abuse are largely individualized and can manifest at different points throughout the lifespan, commonly reported symptoms and long-term effects include dissociation, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, relationship difficulties, and addictive or compulsive patterns of behavior (Aaron, 2012).

The sexual functioning and sexual identity in adolescence and adulthood is a particularly vulnerable factor in survivors. When a child suffers sexual abuse, sexual arousal becomes activated prematurely and can largely impact the survivor’s sense of autonomy over their body and sexual sense of self (Roller, Martsolf, Draucker & Ross, 2009). 

 

It can also draw early connections in the neural networks of the child’s brain that associates sex with power, fear, shame, confusion, secrecy and/or pain. It is not difficult to imagine why those whose sexuality has been impacted are more vulnerable to struggles with intimate relationships and sexuality.

When attempting to reconcile one’s abuse, a particularly confusing component for survivors of CSA is the experience of pleasurable physiological responses to their abuse, in conjunction with their emotional and psychological distress. Children who have experienced these positive and pleasurable feelings often report feelings of shame and responsibility tied to their abuse and sexuality, and may experience an overall distrust of their bodily reactions (such as arousal) or physical dissociation (Hunter, 1990 & Long, Burnett & Thomas, 2006).

This fusion of shame, secrecy and pleasure has the potential to predispose one to sexual aversion, sexual anorexia, dysfunction, or compulsion; thereby deterring them from developing healthy sexual scripts in adulthood.

The Link Between Sexual Abuse and Sex Addiction Three commonly experienced symptoms of childhood sexual abuse are also cornerstones of sexual addiction: compulsivity (the inability to control one’s behavior), shame, and despair.
In sex addiction, shame and despair act as a precursor to the beginning of future cycles, where the need to keep emotional pain at bay leads to mental preoccupation as an escape. The result of this addictive cycle often includes isolation, anxiety, alienation from loved ones, a breaking of one’s own value system, and secrecy; all things that often increase feelings of despair and a yearning to escape and repeat the cycle.

When an individual is struggling with intrusive thoughts of their sexual abuse or insidious negative self-talk as a result of their abuse, the lure of escape through addictive patterns of behavior is not only compelling but sometimes a means of psychological preservation.

In Dr. Patrick Carnes’ book The Betrayal Bond, eight trauma responses common among individuals who meet the criteria for sexual addiction are identified: trauma reactions, trauma pleasure, trauma blocking, trauma splitting, trauma abstinence, trauma shame, trauma repetition, and trauma bonding.
These patterns of behaviors are often unconscious attempts to reconcile, reframe, or repair the abuse that happened in youth. Unfortunately, they do not always accomplish this task and can result in perpetuated psychological and emotional damage.

The Role of Gender Gender differences also appear to play a role in how these difficulties manifest in adulthood and whether or not someone will seek out help.
Even in 2016, boys and men are still provided with narrow cultural and familial messages about what it means to be a masculine. This narrative includes such things as devaluing emotional expression and vulnerability, while prioritizing promiscuity and maintaining control.

Research has found that male survivors are less likely to report or discuss their trauma and more likely to externalize their responses to childhood sexual abuse by engaging in compulsive sexual behaviors (Aaron, 2012). For a male survivor of childhood sexual abuse, these expectations are in large conflict with the need to shatter the secrecy of their trauma and/or obtain and maintain healthy sexual relationships; both of which require an open and honest dialogue.

Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse and Redefining Your Sexuality

For men struggling with childhood sexual abuse and sexual addiction, learning to abstain from problematic sexual behaviors that reinforce abusive sexual scripts is just as important as learning how to develop healthy intimate bonds and create a sexual identity that is affirming. 

 

For someone attempting to face these complex issues the importance of having acceptance and unconditional, non-judgmental support cannot be understated. It is the abusive and negative interpersonal interactions that created the pain and it is the supportive and affirming ones that have the power to lift it.

At Gentle Path at The Meadows, we specialize in creating this space while offering a host of trauma-based services that are informed by the most current understanding of the nature of trauma and its impact on the person as a whole. Additionally, the therapeutic focus at Gentle Path includes not only learning to identify which components of one’s sexuality are subtracting from the quality of their life but also identifying or creating ones to enrich it.
Give us a call today at 800-244-4949.

References

Aaron, M. (2012). The pathways of problematic sexual behavior: a literature review of factors affecting adult sexual behavior in survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 19(3), p. 199-218. Carnes, P. (1997). The Betrayal Bond. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Hunter, M. (1990). Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Long, L. L., Burnett, J. A., & Thomas, R. V. (2006). Sexuality counseling: An integrative approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Roller, Martsolf, Draucker & Ross (2009). The sexuality of childhood sexual abuse survivors. International Journal of Sexual Health, 21, p. 49-60.
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