Addiction Councelor talking with young adult

ADDICTION COUNSELING SERVICES

We are proud of our Department of Addiction Counseling Services because everyone works as a team with the goal of giving each participant all the support and knowledge they need in order to truly acknowledge—and develop an individual appreciation for—the role addiction plays in their lives including how it interferes with their ability to discover their own, personal life worth living.

This is true for all addictions whether it is chemical dependency, compulsive overeating/Anorexia Bulimia, Sex and Love addiction, Self Harm, Computer Addiction or anything else that prevents our family of participants from being able to set and persevere at their self appointed goals and “be all they can be”.

Some participants may be recovering from a trauma or struggling with Bipolar Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome or other diagnoses that resulted in the development of an addiction in their attempts to "cope."

Our team helps everyone devise their own, individual plan that includes a real commitment on their part to setting new patterns that will serve them in their renewed lives.

COMPULSIVE OVEREATING/ANOREXIA BULIMIA

These participants work closely with dieticians who help them create healthy meal plans and eat balanced meals.

During individual counseling sessions, participants examine the tools they need help them refrain from acting out on the addiction. Staff members at each apartment are vigilant about decreasing talk about negative body imaging and help motivate and encourage the participants to make healthy food choices on weekly grocery shopping trips.

CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY ADDICTION

It is important that participants struggling with Chemical Dependency create a set of patterns and utilize all the support we offer to help them meet their commitment to continued sobriety.

Traditional, community-based 12-step meetings have always been powerful tools to help with recovery. Participants are driven to a multitude of community-based 12-step meetings that address everything from alcohol/drug abuse to eating disorders.

Those who are unable to embrace the 12-step philosophy take advantage of the in-house addictions groups conducted by our staff.

  • Participants meet individually with a CD Counselor (4 times per month)
  • Group sessions with CD Counselors are held (4 per month)
  • Special social outings take place each month, helping to confirm there is fun to be had without relying on addictive compulsions.
  • Urine drug tests are randomly given each month to all participants in the CD Program and more comprehensive, in-depth, quantitative drug tests are given when appropriate.
  • OPI isn’t suitable for young adults who have used intravenous heroin or other opiates or who are in Stage 4 substance abuse characterized by escalating use of alcohol, drugs or “hard drugs’ accompanied by deteriorating physical condition and inability to control use.

SEX AND LOVE ADDICTION

Participants struggling with sex and love addiction are encourage to attend weekly Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous 12 step meetings with a staff of their same sex, attend weekly addiction counseling group therapy sessions and work individually with their therapist and counselor to create a plan for a life that is free from their addiction.

Computer Addiction

Computer addiction is rampant among emerging adults. The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Medical Assn. has never included a category of machine-human interactions but that changes in 2013 when Internet Addiction Disorder is included (albeit in an appendix tagged for “further study”).

In China, Taiwan and Korea where as many as 30 percent of teens are considered Internet-addicted, the problem is being treated as a grave national crisis.

Peter Whybrow, the director of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA argues that “the computer is like electronic cocaine”.

In the OPI Programs, counselors and therapists work collaboratively with participants helping them create boundaries around appropriate computer usage. We provide numerous opportunities to learn and utilize socialization skills in both group and individual therapy environments.

SELF HARM

Self harm is an addictive behavior addressed in our OPI Intensive Program for young adults with Borderline Personality Disorder or Traits and co-occurring conditions. However it is also dealt with in the Optimum Performance Institute as well as in our Intensive Outpatient therapy program where the obsession to self harm leads participants to compulsive act out their addiction.

At OPI we work with the participants to examine these maladaptive, self-soothing/ineffective coping skills and work collaboratively to recreate new productive, healthy coping skills for living. Self-harm is like any other addiction however, the main difference between self-harm and other addiction is the visible scars. We work with each participant to gain new acceptance and gratitude for the life that they have.

The similarities with all of the addictions that OPI treats is the guilt and shame that each participant carries with them. Here, at OPI, we assist in the recovery process by encouraging participants to let go of their self-inflicted pain and move on to a new and exciting life.