Providence Recovery Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary

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Since 1997, Providence Ministries has helped thousands of men learn to live free from addiction. On Saturday, October 14, the Drug and Alcohol Recovery ministry will celebrate its twentieth anniversary, beginning at 4 p.m.

The event will feature dinner and testimonies from past clients, who will share how their lives changed due to living sober.

Providence Ministries began addiction counseling when founder and president, Roy Johnson, saw a recurring problem among clients at the homeless shelter. Many of the men staying at Providence’s shelter were there because of their substance abuse.

“It became obvious that providing shelter and locating jobs was not enough,” explains Rev. Johnson, “Many of these men needed to break free from addiction, or they would return to their addiction after leaving the shelter.”

Roy Johnson reached out into the community, seeking help with his plan to develop a recovery program. Reverend Larry Marlin, pastor of Unity Baptist Church heard of Roy’s need and arranged a meeting with Bob Roberson. Bob was a recovering alcoholic, and he had expressed a desire to help others with addiction. After the meeting, Roy hired Bob to help build a recovery program at Providence Ministries. Bob held the title of Chaplin at Providence, and worked with their recovery program until his death in 2000.

Their plan became the Six-Month Men’s Recovery Program, in which men receive counseling from state and nationally certified counselors, using Matrix Treatment Manual coursework, 12 step meetings, life skills classes, and work therapy.

More importantly, men in the program at Providence are expected to explore the spiritual aspects of recovery and discover, or renew their Christian faith.

“Providence Ministries is a Christian organization,” says Rev. Johnson, “We firmly believe that the answer to life’s problems can be solved through building a relationship with Jesus Christ, and addiction is problem with no positive outcomes.”

Since the initial program began, Providence has expanded its recovery to programs to include a transitional living facility, a 90-day Women’s program and a 90-day program for men.

The Men’s Transitional Living is housed in the main building of Providence and an apartment building on Trammell Street. Participants in the Transitional Living program work in the community and are held accountable through mandatory group counseling and random alcohol and drug testing.

Providence Women Recovery Center is designed to address not only addiction, but the specific emotional issues and trauma that often lead a woman to addiction. When these issues are addressed and resolved, long term healing, recovery, and transformation happen, making relapse less likely.  This 90-day program, located in Rocky Face, has become a nationally-known safe haven for women seeking a life free from drug and alcohol addiction. Women have entered the program from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.

The 90-day recovery center for men (known as Our Master’s Camp) is located on a 100-acre farm in Rhea County, Tennessee. The outdoor country atmosphere, coupled with counseling and community interaction through a local church, provides balanced and Christ-focused healing.

The recovery programs are overseen by Wesley Noland, Chaplain/Chief Operations Officer. Wesley joined the Providence staff in 2004, but was involved early in the program beginnings as a counselor and guest speaker. Wesley is an ordained minister and has Georgia CAC II and national MCAC certifications in addiction counseling.

“It is exciting to come to work each day, and watch God transform these men and women into new people,” says Chaplin Wesley, “They are learning that life offers much more than struggling to find the next fix or drink.”

Providence Ministries works to keep costs affordable to most. The programs are subsidized through donations and proceeds from Thrift Stores.

In addition to operating three homeless shelters in north Georgia and operating addiction recovery programs, Providence Ministries also provides three meals each day in their Community Kitchen and clothing to those in need.

For more information on Providence Ministries, how to become involved, visit their website at www.providenceministriesinc.com call (706) 275-0268, or visit their main facility at 711 S. Hamilton Street, Dalton, Georgia.

 

https://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/providence-recovery-center-celebrates-20th-anniversary/

Welcome Video – Our Master’s Camp

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Your Time is Now!

Our Master’s Camp is not a traditional drug rehab or treatment center. We are a spiritual rejuvenation program that helps men renew their souls while they recover from drugs, alcohol, and behavior addiction… all through the power of Jesus Christ.

You have not found us by chance. God has a beautiful plan for your life. He wants to make you an example of His immeasurable love and healing power.

Our caring staff is standing by and ready to meet you where you are, & there is NO condemnation when you contact us.

The number to call is 423-799-4799 or you can use the many communication tools we make handy on every single page of our website. We truly look forward to the chance to speak with you and are praying for you every day even though we haven’t met in person yet. May God bless you on this, the most important journey of your life.

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/welcome-video-our-masters-camp/

Top 5 Reasons Addiction Treatment Fails

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There are many challenges to achieving long lasting recovery. In a video released by addiction professional Keenan Diamond (video here), 5 of the biggest reasons addiction treatment fails is laid out.

REASON #1 – PROGRAM IS TOO SHORT

Often times rehabilitationis too short. 28 or 30 day rehab centers can only go so far in stabilizing a person’s substance abuse addiction.

Our Masters Camp is a 90 day addiction recovery center based on Christian principles. The reason that the program is 90 days is that we believe anything shorter than this amount time is inadequate. It is even common for program participants to stay on past the 90 day point.

REASON #2 – LACK OF TRANSITIONAL PLANNING

The second reason is he explains is that there is a lack of transition planning for when the inpatient or in-house treatment is terminated.  Without a plan for what comes after rehabilitation, many go back to the same temptations, behaviors and lifestyles they had before treatment.

Our Masters camp offers all program graduates the opportunity to either stay on longer at the center or participate in a transition program that is facilitated by Providence Ministries of Dalton Georgia. Learn more about our transition programs here.

REASON #3 – NOT UTILIZING 12 STEPS PROGRAMS

The third reason he explains is a lack of engagement in a 12 step program.  A 12 step program is essentially a fundamental maintenance program for sobriety that can be realistically applied in the “outside of treatment world.”

At Our Masters Camp, 12 step style meetings and step work are incorporated into our program. Although it is more of an introduction at this point, the groundwork is set for when they do go back to their normal lives or into our transitional living program.

REASON #4 – LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT AND WORK RECOVERY

The idea of willingness revolves around accepting your condition of being a person who struggles with an addiction, and having the willingness to also accept the prescribed treatments as a way to arrest the condition. Willingness is also about accepting that recovery really is hard work… though it does get easier as time goes by.

REASON #5 FAMILY DOESN’T GET THEIR OWN TREATMENT

The fifth reason is in regards to the family of the person struggling with addiction. As many of us already know, addiction doesn’t just hurt the addicted person themselves, it’s also extremely destructive to the friends and family members of the addicted.

Our Masters Camp believes very strongly in incorporating the entire family into the recovery process if possible. Family members that truly want to help end the addiction cycle of their loved need to learn how to stop enabling their loved one’s habit. It’s a hard and not fair truth, but they need to heal too, and there are tools and meetings available to help them do that.

IN CONCLUSION

The Top 5 Reasons Treatment Fails Are:

1. Treatment Program is Too Short in Length of Time
2. The Center Or Participant Doesn’t Plan Out a Transitional Process
3. 12 Steps Meetings and Processes are Under Utilized
4. Lack of Willingness
5. Family Needs to Get Heal But Doesn’t Know It or Doesn’t Know How

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/top-5-reasons-addiction-treatment-fails/

Finding Joy in Pain – Overcoming Your Anger Addiction

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Anger addiction, at times known as anger control problems, anger management problems or anger disorders refers to dysfunctional patterns in the manner in which a person handles or reacts to anger. An anger control problem can go out of proportion, be destructive and leads to inappropriate reactions in a given circumstance. Most of the times, dysfunctional anger causes unnecessary harm to others, thus making an individual a danger to other people’s safety.

Certain individuals portray unhealthy ways of expressing and managing their anger in styles that are clearly unhealthy.

EVIDENT TRAITS OF ANGER ADDICTION

• Behavioral Aggression – This is a description of anger expressed in the form of physical behavior towards objects through destruction of property or aggression towards other people. Aggressive behavior includes acts like domestic violence, aggressive driving, fist fights and so on.
• Resentment – This is anger that leads to chronic hostility, ill will, loathing and blaming. An individual shows passive aggressive behavior like rage reactions and acting out, but although there is no physical abuse, it damages one’s health.
• Verbal Abuse – Verbal abuse ranges from reactions such as; verbal rage reactions, temper tantrums, intimidation, bullying to brow beating. People who fail to assert themselves don’t think realistically about what they should do as individuals and they end up repressing their angry feelings. This is what builds up and erupts in the form of verbal abuse.
• Passive Aggressive Behavior – This kind of behavior is expressed in the form of a pattern that starts with sarcasm and eventually, a cold shoulder to loved ones or neglect. Such individuals tend to avoid direct confrontations so that in the event that they cause indirect physical or verbal abuse to loved ones they have a protective cover of deniability.
• Obsessive Anger – This can include envy, jealousy, paranoid fears, including maladaptive fears of rejection, betrayal or humiliation. Anger obsession destroys an individual’s sense of self-esteem and emotional security.

Other signs of anger disorder include; rage, retaliatory anger, judgmental anger, overwhelmed anger and manipulative anger. In case you portray these signs or you know of a friend who does, then dysfunctional anger is present and professional help is required to deal with the disorder.

PRACTICAL WAYS OF DEALING WITH ANGER DISORDER

People with dysfunctional anger should not be isolated or discriminated against; instead, they should seek help in anger management so that they can blend well with the society. It is unhealthy to ignore or suppress your anger; it is healthy to let it out, but in the right way. Aggression and intimidation cannot help one get to the root cause of their anger.

Some practical anger management techniques include:

Think Before You Act Or Speak

In the heat of the moment, we usually find ourselves saying or doing certain things that we end up regretting. Therefore, whenever a person or a situation seems unpleasant to you take a moment to collect your thoughts before you react.

Express Your Anger When You’re Calm

As soon as you are relaxed, you are in a position to think clearly and you can express your anger in a non-confrontational, but assertive manner. Once you have this opportunity, state all your needs and concerns directly and clearly without causing any harm or trying to control others.

Exercise

In case you have problems knowing where to channel your frustrations, physical activity helps you reduce stress that causes you to become angry. When you feel like your anger is about to escalate,you can go for a walk or a run or any physical activity that reduces your frustrations.

Seek Out a Spiritual Foundation

Finding solace in Christ is a way to have a power greater then yourself intervene for you at the spiritual level. This foundation is comprised of bible reading, prayer, and seeking out a group of friends that can help you with having an accountability and balance.

FIND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Instead of focusing on what it is that made you angry, it is better to work on finding a solution to the issue at hand. At times, you can even take a timeout or short breaks in the course of the day during stressful times. This way, you meditate and find a solution to your problem instead of getting angry as it solves nothing.

FINAL ANALYSIS

It is important to note that, not every anger addict has a personality disorder, but the two seem to have a connection in most cases. If the condition escalates, leading to life threatening situations or consistent conflict with the law, it is advisable to seek help from a psychologist who can help one overcome the addiction. Before it gets that serious, the above techniques are not only practical, but they are also effective in helping one express and manage anger in a healthy way.

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/finding-joy-in-pain-overcoming-your-anger-addiction/

Virutal Reality and Addiction Treatment

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One of the more troubling aspects of completing a treatment program for addiction is that eventually most people will need to geographically return home or attend a transitional housing program. For many, this is a great cause of apprehension, but a group of researchers at the University of Houston are using virtual reality technology to recreate the scenes and circumstances a person in recovery may eventually face.

“In traditional therapy, we role-play with the patient but the context is all wrong,” said Patrick Bordnick, an associate dean of research and one of the study leaders.

“They know they’re in a therapist’s office and the drug isn’t there. We need to put patients in realistic virtual reality environments and make them feel they are there with the drug, and the temptation, to get a clearer picture and improve interventions,” Bordnick said.

Read more…The University of Houston study has positioned its virtual reality creation to be highly detailed, intuitive, and realistic, but this is not the first foray of virtual reality into the world of addiction.

In 2013, a Duke university researcher also attempted to use virtual reality environments to both trigger relapse behavior and also voice advice on navigating the scenario.

A person using virtual reality for addiction treatment is hooked up to a simulator, and enters a virtual environment with one of their triggers, such as a crack pipe or bottle of alcohol. Someone in the scene offers them their drug of choice. Researchers slowly add cues to the virtual environment, or change the situation, based on the patient’s history.

A voice tells the person to put down the joystick and look around the room without speaking, to allow their craving to dissipate. The voice asks them to rate their cravings periodically.

Read more…An interesting video on Ted Talks https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDxTalks discusses how virtual reality is helping people deal with real life. This video is not just about addiction, but it raises interesting questions about how we how we are drawn to substances, activities, behaviors, and foods. It is very informational. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfQQw72kus

In summary, these virtual reality applications are a step in the right direction because they are exploring the boundaries of how technology can improve our lives in areas we may be unaccustomed to. Does it work? Well like most treatments, everyone responds differently. The degree of how effective any therapy works can only fully be appreciated after the treatment, but it’s safe to say that simulating situations that are dangerous to sobriety will at the very least, open up their mind to the possibilities, and maybe even help train them on how to better protect their recovery.

Related Post: Virtual Reality Is Being Used to Treat Heroin Addiction

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/virutal-reality-and-addiction-treatment/

Opioid Addiction Cost American Employers Between $10-$25 Billion a Year

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A recent study by the ASAM estimates that American employers lose billions of dollars a year of productivity due to opiate abuse. These losses appear in the form of missed work, injuries related to intoxication, and termination and training of new replacement employees. In some studies, that number has been estimated to be as high as $65 billion dollars per year in the US alone, but the problem is worldwide.

The study serves as yet another example of the reach and devastation related to the American addiction crisis, in its many and often hidden forms.

Nationally, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, employers are losing $10 billion a year from absenteeism and lost productivity due to opioid abuse.

Nearly one in 20 workers who have received an opioid prescription, on average 4.5 percent, have demonstrated a pattern of drug abuse, according to the firm’s research. Among baby boomers, the prevalence of abuse is even higher at nearly 7.5 percent. Read More…

What makes this study unique is its assertion of an exact dollar figure regarding the damages caused by this issue, and the fact that a very large portion of these addicts are highly functional professionals and blue-collar workers. It also further illustrates the ever growing need for affordable drug treatment services and long term treatment centers.

THE REAL FACES OF WORKPLACE DRUG ADDICTION

Michele Zumwalt, an author with 12 years in recovery, explains her own experiences of working while being high on opiates.

Three decades ago, the treatment Michele Zumwalt received for severe headaches involved a shot of the opioid Demerol. Very quickly, Zumwalt says, she would get headaches if she didn’t get her shot. Then she began having seizures, and her doctor considered stopping the medication.

“I didn’t know I was addicted, but I just knew that it was like you were going to ask me to live in a world without oxygen,” she says. “It was that scary.”

Zumwalt didn’t cut back. In fact, over two decades, the Sacramento, Calif., resident got an ever-a

“I could show up at Xerox and put on a presentation, and I was high on Percodan,” she recalls. “I mean, fully out of it. I don’t know how many I had taken, but so many that I don’t remember the presentation. And do you know that people didn’t know?”

Her addiction worsened, eventually forcing her to take medical leave. Read More…

CONTINUED: REAL FACES OF WORKPLACE DRUG ADDICTION

Another interesting case study regarding opiates in the “blue-collar” work place involves a United Steelworker that was fortunate enough to work at a company that utilized an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Anyone who battles addiction knows that it’s much more than a bad habit or a moral shortcoming. Addiction is a compulsion so beyond our control, that we may as well be a feather fighting against a gale-force wind. Luckily for me, people at my workplace pulled me out of the storm.I was a hard rock miner at the time and fortunately my union, the United Steelworkers, had an Employee Assistance Program whose staff guided me to the treatment I needed. They accepted me as a person who has a problem, not a problem person, and put me on the road to recovering my sobriety and my dignity. Read MoreOVERCOMING EMPLOYEE ADDICTIONFortunately, many companies are putting in place programs to address these issues. Coupled with the evolution of the perception of drug addiction being a disease, many resources are available for companies to put in place such programs.

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/opioid-addiction-cost-american-employers-between-10-25-billion-a-year/

Earth Day and Faith

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Today, April 22 is Earth day. It is a day dedicated to increasing awareness of all types of issues related to our environment. While the original founder of this “awareness holiday” was not a Christian, many of the ideas being promoted do align with mandates within the faith

As Christians, we are called to be stewards of the Earth. Right from the very beginning in Genesis 2:15 the Bible says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” And in Psalms 24:1 “The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

Since the entirety of the Earth is God’s, we are called to be good stewards of it, taking care of it, and preserving it. In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that we, as Christians, are to be the salt of the earth. Although Jesus is teaching a theological lesson with this statement, it has environmental implications as well. Salt served as a key component in ancient fertilizers used in the soil, and it serves as a key nutrient in the fertility of soil today. Without that key ingredient, the fruits – both spiritual and physical – would be much more sparse.

Read More…

HOW WAS EARTH DAY FORMED?

A common fear when speaking about history is that if we don’t take time to remember, we forget and repeat past mistakes.

The idea for a national day to focus on the environment came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda.

Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes from Harvard as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land. April 22, falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, was selected as the date. – Read More…

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS CURRENTLY IN THE NEWS

There have undoubtedly been many benefits created by putting in place environmental protection mechanisms that hold people personally responsible for egregious violations against our planet and public safety.

One has to look no further than the Flint Michigan crisis in which water contaminated with lead was knowingly allowed to exist in tap water that people used for bathing and drinking.

We now know that officials with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality decided not to use federally mandated corrosion control in Flint’s water, leading to corroded pipes that leached lead and other toxins into the water.

The crisis has deprived Flint of safe drinking water for two years. Some residents have suffered the effects of lead poisoning. Twelve people died of the water-borne Legionnaires’ disease, which investigators suspect was caused by a lack of corrosion control.  Read More…

CONCLUSION

It is unfortunate that in these days, many environmental issues have political agendas tied to them. But as one evangelical put it in the article entitled, “A Biblical Perspective on Environmental Stewardship”:

We believe sound environmental stewardship celebrates and promotes human life, freedom, and economic development as compatible with, even essential for, the good of the whole environment.

http://www.providencerecoveryplace.org/earth-day-and-faith/