RECOVERY TERMS
People, places or things that cause thoughts associated with substance abuse. Can be internal and external.
What are triggers?
These are volunteers you can sign up to be assigned to you while you are in residential treatment at CAT, people you can call to ask advice, catch a ride to a meeting, or just have someone to talk to in recovery.
What are peer mentors?
These are the names of this weekend's counselors.
What are PJ and Siobhan (yes, that's spelled correctly. And yes, it's pronounced with a "V" sound)?
Once one of the Brat Pack and star of “The Outsiders,” this actor entered treatment for substance use in 1990 after “hitting bottom” when he missed a call from his mother about his grandfather’s heart attack.
Who is Rob Lowe?
These help us manage our emotions and thoughts when experiencing difficult times with triggers of any kind.
What are coping skills?
The process by which the body rids itself of drugs.
What is detox/withdrawal?
This is someone who has worked a peer support program, like AA or NA, who leads you through the twelve steps of recovery as they understand them.
What is a sponsor?
This aftercare service takes place three hours a day three times a week for 12 weeks, and continues the process of learning about the disease of addiction and learning new life skills.
What is Intensive Outpatient (IOP)?
Now 78, this singer/songwriter experienced a 20-year drug and alcohol addiction that he said saw him spending about $16,000 a week on heroin in the 1970s.
Who is Eric Clapton?
This skill involves regulating one's breathing patterns to slow down an emotional reaction.
What is deep breathing?
A disease involving continued substance use despite significant substance-related problems. Involves loss of control over substance use, social and occupational problems, risky use, and physical problems.
What is addiction?
This is a professional you might meet with on a weekly basis to seek help dealing with addiction, other mental health concerns, or managing daily stressors.
What is a counselor/therapist?
These are the names of CAT's peer supporters.
What are Matt, Terrence, and Sarah?
This actress has celebrated over 20 years sober after being addicted to pain pills from a cosmetic surgery. Her film debut was in the 1978 movie Halloween.
Who is Jamie Lee Curtis?
The acronym HALT.
What is hungry, angry, lonely, tired?
These substances alter brain chemistry, perception, mood, awareness, thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
What are drugs?
Drugs and alcohol want to do two things: isolate you and kill you. This is the solution to isolation.
What is connection?
This aftercare program is offered during multiple time slots and consists of 1 ½ hours a week of continued addiction education and life skills learning for 12 weeks.
What is Recovery Peer Group (RPG)?
This famous British comedian starred in two movies as the rock star Aldous Snow, was arrested more than 12 times due to his drug-related shenanigans. He has been sober since December 13, 2002, and now hosts a podcast about sober living.
Who is Russell Brand?
This coping skill can be simplified as being in the present moment, and can include activities such as meditation, watching clouds in the sky, urge-surfing, and using the mental conveyor belt.
What is mindfulness?
Returning to regular substance use after a period of sobriety.
What is relapse?
Name three sources of social support other than 12-step meetings or sponsors.
What are family, friends, church or religious affiliations, case managers, food stamps, pets, community organizations, coworkers, teachers/professors, etc...?
This is the Director of Clinical Services.
Who is Jacob?
This American rapper hit charts with “Thrift Shop,” had a brief relapse 3 years into his recovery, and rallied to appear in Obama’s 2016 weekly address to talk about addiction to opioids and headline 2018’s Recovery Fest in Rhode Island.
Who is Macklemore?
A distress tolerance coping skill, this DBT acronym reminds us to stop, take a step back, observe what is happening, and then proceed mindfully.
What is the STOP skill?