Addictions come in many forms in this modern age. Some are addicted to substances and some hooked on a process. We think that alcohol and drugs are the most harmful when gambling, computer games, and sex are intoxicating, too. Will you take a three-months journey to sobriety?
How would you like to change your routine to a wake-up call at 6:30 a.m., breakfast from 7 to – 8 a.m. \, meditation and morning circle from 8 to 9:30 a.m.;psychoeducation from 10 to 11 a.m.; and holistic health from 11 a.m. to noon. Lunch is 12 noon to 1 p.m.; nap or free time is 1 to 2 p.m.; psychoeducation/yoga/ or writing assignments is 2 to 3:30 p.m.; snacks is 3:30 to 4 p.m.; individual counselling/ family sessions/ group activities/ writing assignments or creative arts 4 to 5 p.m.;freetime is until 6:45 p.m; dinner is until 7:30 p.m.; evening circle is until 8:30 p.m.;journaling until 9 p.m.; and lights out at 10 p.m.
This may sound pretty regimented but one path to recovery is a fixed schedule, which in essence is self-discipline. This is the most important element that we lose to a substance or a process until we lose everything and everyone that we love. This point they say is when we know the addiction is serious.
This is how Milestone Health & Wellness begins the journey of 90 days in the first phase of recovery. This fixed home schedule puts one back into a rhythm so that everyone keeps pace with himself and shares it with others. There are options in terms of activities that will fit the individual interest in some time slots, but the tempo remains to condition the behavior, as psychology puts it. With this setting, a sequence of self-discoveries is supposed to come to fore. It is this understanding of the ticking that will help any person know himself/herself and how they relate to others. One resides in Maria Basa, Baguio City for this duration.
In touch, the connection to family and supportive friends remains.
Eddie Castillo, managing director, admits that sometimes the family is the root or stimuli of this emotional and psychological trauma that supports the substance addiction. The family sessions via Zoom foster the continuity of the link, wherever these families are. At the end of this phase, there is a ritual of thanksgiving for the changes, of welcoming back to the familiar faces and places from where they came and of opening a new chapter in life.
Laila Ramos, partner and co-founder, says there must be willingness on the part of the individual to stay in the program because there are no gates to bar entry or exit from the five-room house. Some have been surrendered by their families because they have lost control of themselves, but when they see that they have their own rooms and see that there are no high walls, they submit to it. She says that they are not equipped to handle the violent ones because the care for those persons belong to a medical facility.
Robert Nassr, partner, helped design and repair their residence for the treatment process. He conceptualized the office space at the center of the living room with high tables and chairs and glass sides. Indeed, this workspace is open too giving anyone a feeling of welcome and encourages trust. It’s like seeing through a person and there are no secrets to hide.
Psychiatrists are behind the medication and medical needs of the residents of Milestone. There is constant feedback on the effects of drugs on those who are taking them to ensure sobriety. Psychologists are responsible for the psychotherapy and the activities that counsel those who are in the program. It is health and wellness that they ensure in those hours and days in Baguio.
The doors of Milestone are open for adults who need help in resetting their ties with people they love and the real world. Not just for drugs and alcohol dependence but also those who need to cut the operant conditions set by gambling, games and even pornography. To get in touch, www.milestonehealthcenter.com.
