The Wellness Recovery Connection

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The Wellness- Recovery Connection

• Practical Applications For EAPs and Treatment
  Professionals
• John Newport, Ph.D.

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Importance of Wellness to Recovery
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Wellness DefinedWellness can be defined as the
dynamic process of taking charge of your health
and programming yourself to attain optimal health
and well-being.

• You are in the drivers seat.
• You set your goals and priorities, design and
  implement your wellness program, and determine
  how far you want to go!

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Why Wellness is Essential to Recovery

• Need to repair damage to body, stemming from
  years of excessive drinking and drugging
• A wellness lifestyle provides a valuable
  safeguard against relapse
• Wellness lifestyle becomes a Positive Addiction
  reinforcing ones commitment to sobriety
• Helps clients add decades to their life
  expectancies and experience their recovery in
  full-blown Technicolor

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Positive vs. Negative Addiction (Glasser)

• Negative Addictions ingrained self-destructive
  behaviors that foster unhealthy dependencies and
  decreased self-esteem
• Positive Addictions contribute to improved
  quality of life, heightened self-esteem and
  independence
• Examples Exercise, yoga or meditation, hobbies,
  any challenging activity

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Wellness and Recovery Recent Historical Context

• Escalating Health Care Costs
• Paradox of high levels of health awareness and
  disconnect in health-related behaviors
• Decreased resources for chemical dependency
  treatment Neglected Step-Child Syndrome

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Wellness- Recovery Connection in Preventing
Relapse Relevant Research

• Physical Exercise (Sinyor) Canadian study of 58
  alcoholics completing primary treatment with
  intensive physical conditioning component. At 3
  months following completion of treatment, 69 of
  subjects in fitness group remained abstinent,
  compared with 39 of control group subjects.

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Research Findings (Continued)

• Meditation (Gelderloos) Review of 24 studies
  tracking daily practice of meditation against
  alcohol/drug consumption. All 24 studies
  reported reduced consumption, and increased rates
  of abstinence, among the meditators.
• Other Studies demonstrate reduced risk of relapse
  in conjunction with other components of a
  wellness lifestyle.

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Wellness and Relapse Prevention Authors
Research

• Study Focus Investigating association between
  active involvement in a wellness-oriented
  lifestyle and sobriety maintenance, following
  completion of primary treatment.
• Study Design Two groups of subjects (25 each).
  All subjects were poly-drug abusers completing a
  residential treatment program.

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Study Design (Continued)

• Recovery Group Maintained abstinence for 6
  months or longer following primary treatment
• Relapse Group Relapse to drinking/drug use
  following primary treatment
• Wellness Index Score All subjects completed
  24-item Wellness Lifestyle Assessment
  Questionnaire, focusing on 11 components
  generally associated with a wellness-oriented
  lifestyle.

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Highlights Authors Study Findings

• Mean Wellness Index Scores(Highest
• possible score 90)
• Recovery Group 54.8
• Relapse Group 39.1
• Likelihood of difference occurring by chance less
  than 1 in 1,000

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Statistically significant differences registered
for virtually all component items, including

• How they rated their overall state of health
• Stress levels
• Daily practice of meditation/relaxation exercises
• Smoking behavior
• Social supports
• Overall life satisfaction

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Meeting Attendance

• 88 of subjects in Recovery Group reported that
  they attended 12-Step meetings at least once a
  week, compared with only 36 of subjects in the
  Relapse Group.

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Ramifications of Available Research Findings

• There appears to be a definite and positive
  association between actively pursuing a
  wellness-oriented lifestyle and reduced
  likelihood of relapse AND
• Available evidence also suggests that following a
  wellness lifestyle goes hand in hand with working
  ones recovery program.

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Summary How Living Well Can Help Prevent Relapse

• Helps anchor clients in their recovery,
  reinforcing their commitment to clean and sober
  living.
• Wellness tools are particularly helpful in
  safeguarding against relapse during early
  recovery when mind and body are most
  vulnerable.
• Learning Stress Management helps one require the
  resiliency needed to deal with lifes ups and
  downs.
• Sound Nutrition helps combat the biochemical
  triggers frequently associated with relapse.
• Exercise and other healthy behaviors serve as
  positive addictions, reducing craving for alcohol
  and drugs.

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Practical Applications
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In coaching clients to adopt a healthy lifestyle
Transitioningis the KEY!
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Nutritional Hazards of Alcoholism and Drug
Addiction include

• Disruption of appetite and displacement of
  nutritious foods
• Alcohols toxic effects on the body
• Excessive alcohol consumption leads to
  predisposition to high-fat foods
• Disruption of bodys blood sugar balance The
  Alcohol-Sugar Connection

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Nutritional Foundation for Recovery

• Get the basics down 3 3
• Emphasize nutritious whole foods (fresh
  vegetables/fruits, whole grains/other complex
  carbohydrates, lean sources of protein)
• De-emphasize high fat foods, and go easy on sugar
  and caffeine
• Be aware of your personal junk food triggers
  and consciously transition yourself toward a
  healthy diet.

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Alcoholism and Nicotine as Co-Addictions

• Cigarette smoking is leading preventable cause of
  death killing 440,000 Americans each year
• Between 80-95 percent of Alcoholics smoke
  cigarettes and 70 percent are heavy smokers
• Chronic use of Alcohol and Nicotine produces
  cross-tolerance, or decreased sensitivity to
  effects of both substances
• Many Alcoholics carry their Nicotine Addiction
  with them into their recovery, although the
  majority report that they would like to quit!

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Conquering Nicotine Addiction

• Exercise, Stress Management and other wellness
  tools help to successfully navigate nicotine
  withdrawal
• Medical Support Obtain support from a primary
  physician who is familiar with addictions.
• Nicotine Replacement Therapies May be helpful,
  but use should always be monitored by a physician
  (addictive tendencies)

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Conquering Nicotine Addiction (Continued)

• Group Support Low-cost, group support programs
  offered by American Cancer Society, American Lung
  Association, health plans together with
  Nicotine Anonymous
• Dont Get Discouraged Slips are not uncommon.
  Average smoker quits 5 times before quitting for
  good. Go back to square one and redouble your
  efforts!

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Other Key Dimensions of Wellness and Recovery

• Stress Management Meditation/Relaxation
  Rituals, the Serenity Prayer as a stress mgmt
  tool
• Exercise Three basic forms of exercise. Choose
  a core exercise that you can learn to enjoy, get
  started, and continue raising the bar
• Central Purpose, Spirituality and Life
  Satisfaction Wellness and recovery focuses on
  quality of life in addition to helping your
  clients improve their physical health status.

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Action Planning for Wellness
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Conducting Your Personal Wellness Assessment
Vital Signs and Health Assessment Worksheet

• Components include
• Basic Wellness Vital Signs (body weight, height,
  body mass index, blood pressure, resting heart
  rate, cholesterol level, etc.)
• Personal Health History Strong Points/Weak Links
• Family Health History Strong Points/Weak Links

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Wellness Planning Case Studies

• Joe A recovering alcoholic/addict in his
  mid-40s who wants to give up smoking
• Sam A recovering alcoholic/addict in his late
  30s who is burnt-out and is contemplating a
  career shift
• Ellen A recovering alcoholic in her early 50s
  who is a breast cancer survivor

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Practical Applications for EAPs, Treatment
Programs and Counseling Professionals

• Raising Awareness among Treatment Staffs
• Raising Awareness Among Employers and Health
  Plans (Cost containment, improved health status
  outcomes)
• Continuing Care (Relapse prevention, promoting
  quality sobriety)
• EAPs Use low cost wellness program as referral
  sources and use follow-up counseling sessions
  to reinforce health lifestyle choices

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Practical Applications (Continued)

• Smoking Cessation Actively support clients in
  recovery in quitting smoking
• Burn-Out Prevention for Treatment Staffs at all
  Levels (help them practice what they preach)
• Therapists Consider broadening your role to
  serve as a wellness coach

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To your health!!!