Marty Lythgoe’s Journal
By Marty Lythgoe LAADC-CA, NCAC II, SAP
How is Your Addiction Recovery Capital?
What is Addiction Recovery Capital?Addiction recovery capital refers to the personal assets (things of value) that an individual possesses – the internal strengths that help people build and sustain their recovery. We each have different types and quantities of recovery capital, but we all have some. As a counselor, it is my job to help my clients identify their recovery capital, increase it, and protect it. Three parts of recovery capital might be labeled personal, social, and community.The...
The Jig-saw Puzzle of Life
The Analogy Let me start by saying that I am no puzzle expert. In my limited experience, I have learned that there is a process to successfully completing a jig-saw puzzle. First, identify all the border pieces – the ones with straight edges – and construct the border of the puzzle. This creates the boundaries within which the other pieces must fit.Next, add in the remaining pieces – working from the outside-in. Often, because we have a picture of the finished puzzle on the box it came in, we...
Meaning of Dis-Ease. A Word Study
ease: the state of being comfortable (freedom from pain, discomfort, cares, difficulty, embarrassment or obligation) When we are at ease: We are free from both physical and emotional pain. This might include pain caused from withdrawal or craving; the pain caused from illness related to our addiction; the pain caused by feelings of guilt, shame, worry, stress, embarrassment, fear, etc. We are comfortable in our own skin. We are not overly self-conscious or self-obsessed. We are not constantly...
The Relationship Between Attachment, Detachment, Grace, and Addiction
The Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text says this about addiction: “The physical aspect of our disease is the compulsive use of drugs; the inability to stop using once we have started. The mental aspect of our disease is the obsession, or overpowering desire to use, even when we are destroying our lives. The spiritual part of our disease is our total self-centeredness.” (NA Basic Text, p. 20). Addiction is Progressive Addiction is a progressive condition whose symptoms include tolerance,...
Addiction Recovery is not Humanly Possible
In over 35 years of working in addiction treatment and counseling I have come to the conclusion that recovery from addiction is not humanly possible. You may ask why, then, have I been able to remain employed or why has addiction treatment become a giant industry if recovery is impossible.Why is Addiction Recovery Not Possible?Notice that I did not say recovery is impossible. I said that it is humanly impossible. Our limited human resources – our will power, determination, and knowledge – can...
Cognitive Restructuring: Are you ready for change?
There is a commonly used model for the process of change that incorporates several stages: Pre-Contemplation Contemplation Determination Action Maintenance Relapse Below is a diagram that illustrates the transtheoretical model of change.Do I Need to Change?Many people come to counseling unsure of what needs changing, unsure of how to go about making changes, and often focused on the need for others to change. Any of these beliefs can be good starting points for discussion because...
Just What is Addiction Recovery?
Too often, people mistake abstinence from substance use (or other destructive behavior) as “recovery.” While abstinence is the ticket that gets you into the theater, it is not the movie. Many of the clients I see come to me with an alcohol or other drug problem and I tell them that I do not see their substance use as the problem but rather their solution. They have discovered that using gives them temporary escape from feelings they are unable to cope with and that the real focus of...
Lessons from the Trash Barrel (a recycle from July 9, 2018)
In the city in which I live we are blessed to have a strong ecology focus in our local government. We have separate large barrels for trash, for yard waste, and for recyclable materials. The trash barrel is picked up every week. while the yard waste and recyclable barrels are picked up on alternate weeks. Taking Out The TrashLast week was the week for the recyclables. When I came home from work and began to put the barrels away, I noticed that the recyclable barrel had not been completely...
Trauma & Addiction: How It Can Be Treated
It is estimated that over 70% of those experiencing mental health and substance abuse problems have had a background of trauma. Experiencing trauma, whether as a victim or as a witness, has a profound impact on the brain and the body. Just what is trauma? Trauma is a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury. The symptoms of trauma include: Re-experiencing the traumatic event through memories, dreams, or flashbacks. Avoidance or...
Drug & Alcohol Addiction: Reflections On Mother’s Day
Sounds like a good and worthwhile idea, a holiday set aside to honor our mothers. And yet for those in early recovery, it can be a deadly trap.Early Recovery & Persisting IssuesWe would like to think that stopping drinking and/or drug abuse solves the problems that accompany any addiction – family problems, job problems, legal problems, financial problems – and there is some truth in that. But because addiction is more than the abuse of a substance and recovery is more than abstinence,...
Truths of the 12-Step Program
When I first began my recovery, I was fortunate to choose a sponsor in NA who was part of a “sponsorship line” that passed on some basic truths that have been key to my recovery and have stood the test of time over nearly 38 years. They are still just as true today as they were when I was a newcomer. I pass them on to you in hopes they will enhance your recovery.
Codependency In A Nutshell
Co-dependency is a disease of immaturity caused by childhood trauma. How many people do you know who seem to spend most of their time operating out of an emotional self that seems to be about 15 years old?
3 Step Guide: Addiction Relapse Prevention
Like other chronic conditions, addiction relapse is a common occurence. It is one thing to stop the addictive behavior; it is another thing to stay stopped. It is still another thing to stay stopped and at the same time enjoy full physical, psychological, social and spiritual health.Step 1: Abstinence Is The Stopping Of Addictive Behavior.It is the first requirement toward recovery. It is the beginning. It is the ticket to get into the theater, not the movie we are going to see. Recovery is...
What Constitutes an Addiction?
Biological - Psychological - SocialAddiction is a bio-psycho-social disorder characterized by a maladaptive pattern of behavior or substance use which leads to significant impairment in a person’s life. It is critical to understand addiction as a complex issue with roots that seem to be: Biological – there is clear evidence of genetic predisposition to addiction and evidence of biological differences in the way addicts respond to different stimuli and experience pleasure. Psychological – there...
Addiction and Personality
Addiction and PersonalityThe belief that personality plays a role in addiction – that it may even be the major or sole cause – has a long tradition. In the nineteenth century, alcoholics were thought to suffer from “degeneracy”, an inherited trait that encompassed criminality, feeblemindedness, sexual promiscuity, along with drug and drinking excesses. In the twentieth century one of the prominent psychoanalytic views was that alcoholics and addicts have a dependent personality. We struggle to...
Codependency
Codependency is a condition of lost “selfhood”. Originally the term codependency was used to describe the person whose life was affected as a result of being involved with someone who was chemically dependent. It is a normal response to an abnormal situation. It is born out of our natural inclination to help and has its roots in caring and compassion. Codependent behavior is an attempt to bring some control to an out of control situation.The ProblemCodependency becomes a problem when we focus...
Addiction is More Than a Brain Disease
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in a far-reaching decision, labeled addiction as a “brain disease” several years ago. Their statement, which carried significant clout, was the result of brain research and also opened the door for further research. Looking for a pharmaceutical cure for addiction, millions of dollars have been poured into the development of antagonist drugs to stem the epidemic of substance abuse in this country.Is the brain centrally involved in the development...
The Disease of Addiction
One of the “great debates” in the addiction treatment field is whether addiction is truly a disease. While the American Medical Association classified alcoholism as a disease way back in 1956, many are skeptical and continue to view addiction as a moral issue, a character issue, and even a cop out. So let’s take a look at an accepted definition of “disease” and see if addiction fits. Disease: A morbid process with characteristic identifying symptoms, regardless of whether the etiology...
About My Logo
The two trees of my logo have meaning for me both in the natural and in the spiritual realms. In the initial stages of trying to design a logo for my counseling practice, I had in mind symbols which might represent both recovery from addiction and also living victoriously in Christ. As I experimented with different symbols, I became clear that I also wanted to represent the city of Ventura, where I practice and where I was born and raised. I considered the ocean, the islands and the pier,...