• Home
  • Music
  • About
  • Contact

RichardbBrunner

~ creative arts therapist

RichardbBrunner

Tag Archives: recovery

We walk together

02 Thursday Jun 2022

Posted by RichardB in creative arts therapy, Dance Movement Therapy

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Addiction, clients, meditation, movement therapy, Patients, Psychotherapy, recovery, rehab

In my work with clients/patients I sometimes use the written word to help process what they are feeling and what I am feeling about working with them.  I worked for years at a residential drug/alcohol rehab center and wrote a short poem about one experience.

1. We walk together
toe to heal
In the way we came here

Youngest to oldest – Male to female –
Opiate to alcohol – Forceps to stone

2. We all
Everyone of us
walk for a reason

3. Up the hill
breathlessly
we reach the top

4. around the pond and into the trees
A shelter – A holding
in the environment

5. Close your eyes
Notice your breath – As you inhale – as you exhale
Feel the wind – notice the smells – the scent of the earth

The sunlight and shadows sway back and forth to the rhythm of the branches moving in the wind

6. Don’t be afraid – shiver- cry out – weep – scream
We are all killers inside
We are all healers inside
Our blood runs through the veins of our ancestors
And is here to stay – an echo of times now gone

A dream of times yet to come

Interpretation

1. Today I took my clients outside to the park. We walked in a pecking order; the client with the most time were in front followed by the others in order of time, drug of choice, sex, finally by age. It was a metaphor for their life journey, of their choices and circumstances thrust on them from birth.

2. In the clients (and us all) our journey is a reflection of who and where we came from. Our personality and our history. Our wants and needs. Our understanding of these things. In this residential rehab clients have come because of an intersection of factors, both internal and external.

3. The walk with the clients took us up a sharp and steep hill, the last little leg of our walk before we reached the park and the pond. The walk of addiction is a mighty hard row to hoe in the discovery of the self

4. The clients were very happy to see the pond and dogs and people, and we headed for the trees to find some sanctuary. This little stand of trees I felt would be a good holding environment to do a movement meditation in a public space.

5. I led the group through a meditation in the environment, giving them a chance to be calm/passive and feel nature, with its enormous power. Like that higher power that 12 step teaches. Also nature has a rhythm that we, as earthlings cannot escape, it is deep inside us, with us since the womb.

6. In the mediation I encouraged the group to go to where it was safe and to go a little beyond safety, to a new place. Being different (clean/sober) in a setting (park) that is familiar is challenging. They will face that challenge when they leave the rehab. As addicts they must accept their dark side, and they must recognize their light side. This killer and healer is the story of being human, told by all cultures since we first lit a fire and huddled together. It is this story telling that teaches us to remember the mistakes so we know what to do if we make them and know how to avoid them.

catas

Mindful Yoga and Recovery

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by RichardB in recovery, Yoga

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recovery, research, yoga

With more than 100 people dying from opioid overdoses each day in the U.S., new approaches to treating opioid-use disorders are needed. Emma Rose, assistant research professor with Penn State’s Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, is leading a study that adds twice-weekly, mindfulness-based yoga to treatment plans for patients with opioid-use disorders in rural Pennsylvania.

young woman excercising power yoga

“We hope to impart skills that help people to stay sober and stay in recovery for longer,” Rose said.

The study divides participants who are receiving medication-assisted treatment in three clinics in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, into two groups, with one group taking two one-hour online yoga classes twice per week for 8 weeks, while the control group will walk for exercise for up to 2 hours per week.

Mindful yoga can impact brain systems that play an important role in the success of addiction treatment — including our brains’ abilities to regulate craving, to adapt to new or changing events, and to ignore distractions, Rose explained.

Read the entire article HERE

Dance/Movement Therapy, Mindfulness & Substance Abuse Recovery

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by RichardB in creative arts therapy, Dance Movement Therapy, Embodied, Movement, YouTube

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

mindfulness, recovery, substance abuse

Ten Percent of American Adults Report Being in Recovery

05 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by RichardB in recovery

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recovery

Data Shows More Than 23 Million Adults Living in U.S. Once Had  Drug or Alcohol Problems, But No Longer Do

Survey data released by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) show that 10 percent of all American adults, ages 18 and older, consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse problems. These nationally representative findings indicate that there are 23.5 million American adults who are overcoming an involvement with drugs or alcohol that they once considered to be problematic. 10501634_10152483771078046_6376046067124349017_n.jpg

According to the new survey funded by OASAS, 10 percent of adults surveyed said yes to the question, “Did you once have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but no longer do?” – one simple way of describing recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or addiction.

“The OASAS study is an important contribution to the public’s understanding of recovery, as it represents the actual voices of millions of Americans whose lives have improved because they are living free of alcohol and other drug problems,” said Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “This new learning provides a big reason – more than 23 million reasons – for all those who are struggling with their own, or a loved one’s substance use disorder, to have hope and know that they are not alone. These findings serve as a reminder that addiction is a treatable disease and recovery can be a reality. We are just scratching the surface here and more research is needed in this area, but we are proud to collaborate with New York OASAS in this meaningful process.”

“This research marks a vitally important step for those who are struggling with addiction by offering clear evidence to support what many know experientially – that millions of Americans have found a path to recovery,” said New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It is my hope that this new evidence will strengthen and inspire individuals and those that provide treatment and recovery services to help the broader community understand that treatment does work and recovery is possible.” 

Other self-reported findings from the new data conclude that: 

  • More males say they are in recovery than females (12 percent vs. 7 percent).
  • More adults ages 35-44 report being in recovery, compared to younger adults (18-34) and adults who are 55 years of age or older.
  • The Midwest has a higher prevalence of adults (14 percent) who say they are in recovery compared to adults in the South (7 percent). In other regions of the country, the percentage of adults[1] who say they are in recovery is 11 percent for the West and 9 percent for the Northeast.

The study also found no significant difference between parents and adults without children who say they are in recovery. This demonstrates that parents are as likely as non-parents to be in recovery. 

“This new research also supports findings from a groundbreaking survey done for Faces and Voices of Recovery by Peter Hart Associates that provided the initial evidence that there was a large population in recovery in the United States,” said Tom Hedrick, Senior Program Officer and one of the founding members of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “Those 2004 findings concluded that ‘38 percent of adults have a family member or close friend (or both) who is in recovery from addiction to alcohol or other drugs.”

Ten Percent of American Adults Report Being in Recovery

18 Tuesday Aug 2020

Posted by RichardB in Creative Therapy Tools

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recovery

Data Shows More Than 23 Million Adults Living in U.S. Once Had  Drug or Alcohol Problems, But No Longer Do

Survey data released by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) show that 10 percent of all American adults, ages 18 and older, consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse problems. These nationally representative findings indicate that there are 23.5 million American adults who are overcoming an involvement with drugs or alcohol that they once considered to be problematic. 10501634_10152483771078046_6376046067124349017_n.jpg

According to the new survey funded by OASAS, 10 percent of adults surveyed said yes to the question, “Did you once have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but no longer do?” – one simple way of describing recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or addiction.

“The OASAS study is an important contribution to the public’s understanding of recovery, as it represents the actual voices of millions of Americans whose lives have improved because they are living free of alcohol and other drug problems,” said Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “This new learning provides a big reason – more than 23 million reasons – for all those who are struggling with their own, or a loved one’s substance use disorder, to have hope and know that they are not alone. These findings serve as a reminder that addiction is a treatable disease and recovery can be a reality. We are just scratching the surface here and more research is needed in this area, but we are proud to collaborate with New York OASAS in this meaningful process.”

“This research marks a vitally important step for those who are struggling with addiction by offering clear evidence to support what many know experientially – that millions of Americans have found a path to recovery,” said New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It is my hope that this new evidence will strengthen and inspire individuals and those that provide treatment and recovery services to help the broader community understand that treatment does work and recovery is possible.” 

Other self-reported findings from the new data conclude that: 

  • More males say they are in recovery than females (12 percent vs. 7 percent).
  • More adults ages 35-44 report being in recovery, compared to younger adults (18-34) and adults who are 55 years of age or older.
  • The Midwest has a higher prevalence of adults (14 percent) who say they are in recovery compared to adults in the South (7 percent). In other regions of the country, the percentage of adults[1] who say they are in recovery is 11 percent for the West and 9 percent for the Northeast.

The study also found no significant difference between parents and adults without children who say they are in recovery. This demonstrates that parents are as likely as non-parents to be in recovery. 

“This new research also supports findings from a groundbreaking survey done for Faces and Voices of Recovery by Peter Hart Associates that provided the initial evidence that there was a large population in recovery in the United States,” said Tom Hedrick, Senior Program Officer and one of the founding members of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “Those 2004 findings concluded that ‘38 percent of adults have a family member or close friend (or both) who is in recovery from addiction to alcohol or other drugs.”

1 at a time

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by RichardB in photo, quote

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

one at a time, recovery, step

One step at a time, One year at a time, One month at a time, One week at a time, One day at a time, One hour at a time, One minute at a time, One second at a time.

clocie

8 Essentials for Recovery from Addiction

30 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by RichardB in creative arts therapy, YouTube

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recovery

meditation

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by RichardB in Meditation, quote

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recovery, wellness

Dedicating some time to meditation is a meaningful expression of caring for yourself that can help you move through the mire of feeling unworthy of recovery. As your mind grows quieter and more spacious, you can begin to see self-defeating thought patterns for what they are, and open up to other, more positive options. Sharon Salzberg

feelings-40.jpg

established patterns

04 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by RichardB in photo, quote

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Creativity, recovery

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.  Edward de Bono

10418493_10152339607873046_1744722119002800596_n

Rough Road/Path photos

17 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by RichardB in creative arts therapy, Therapy Photos

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

photo, recovery, therapy

I have been involved in facilitating groups for decades. One of the tools I use for groups of adults, teens, or children are photos. I use photos as a way for folks to become familiar and used to talking and sharing in a group. As a way to indirectly share something of themselves by talking about an image/photo. As a way to begin a conversation about larger issues or deeper issues.

One set of photos I use are Rough Road/Path photos with alcohol addicts and heroin addicts in the beginning of recovery. I spread the photos out on a table and ask the group (usually 10 to 15 men) to pick out one photo that represents their journey in the week or weeks before they came into rehab. Once everyone has chosen a photo I ask them to (one at a time) hold up the photo, describe the photo and why they chose it. The descriptions and stories they tell come from them, their experiences and begin the process of revealing a bit about their lives.

← Older posts

instagram

Tags

About Addiction anger Anxiety asanas asthma bbc behavior Bird Birds brain cats children China Coloring Page creative creative arts therapy Creativity dance Dance Movement Therapy depression diet dmt dogs Economy fall flora flower flowers food handout handouts health history India Japanese Textile Designs latin life Mandala meditation men Mental Health mindfulness money Movement music My Photos news NH pain people pets photo photos Psychotherapy quote recovery relaxation research Science Seguy Art Deco Designs self snow sony Stress therapy trauma TravelTuesday treatment trees wellness winter writing yoga youtube
Follow RichardbBrunner on WordPress.com
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • RichardbBrunner
    • Join 449 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • RichardbBrunner
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...