The effects of alcoholism can be devastating. Recovery is a deeply personal journey. At THE BALANCE, we take our time to understand each individual who comes to us. We build our program around your lifestyle; we adapt in real-time. There is no other luxury rehab center in the world that does this better than we do. We are attuned to the high-performing lifestyles that accompany our clients. The care they need is entirely unique to them. In honor of Alcoholism Awareness Week, we sat down with our head of addiction therapy, Enrique Balasch Torres, to discuss the therapeutic steps to recovery.
Awareness of The Problem
The first step to recovery at THE BALANCE is to gain an understanding of how the mind works when it is addicted to something. There is a scientific explanation for substance abuse and the human behavior that surrounds it. With the advancements of science, we now understand exactly what is happening in the brain when a person is addicted to something.
From the podcast
The moment of asking for help
Araminta Jonsson shares her experience of recognizing alcohol dependence and reaching out for medical help. Her personal account is not a guide to stopping alcohol without medical supervision.
When a client begins their addiction recovery journey, they often come with a lot of shame and regret. “It’s important to remember that a person does not willingly ruin their life. They are not exercising free will when they wake up and do something crazy, lose their job, or scare their children.” The behavior is a result of the change of function in the brain.
When an addict is having a craving, the prefrontal cortex turns off. This part of the brain is responsible for analyzing a situation, being rational, and ultimately making a choice. When an addict is craving, they act upon their internal needs, not their beliefs. This overrides their decision-making process. Once a client understands this change and what is happening, they are able to look inside with a more educated eye and identify how their own mind operates. They can see the internal traps they have set for themselves. When you know what is happening, you take the first step in changing it. Torres says: “Awareness is a crucial part of the recovery process.”
Identify all Triggers
When an individual enters rehab, one of the hardest steps is taken for them just by arriving. In a rehab, all triggers are removed from your life. This allows you to distance yourself from the problem and take the necessary time to reflect and identify what it is that caused your addiction to begin and what has allowed it to continue. The second step in recovery is identifying all triggers associated with the substance. Torres explains: “We have to understand a person’s reality and environment on a deep level. Everything that is emotionally difficult for them needs to be laid out and analyzed.” This is a core aspect of behavioral therapy.
Plan of Action & Executive Function
The next step is creating a plan of action. This is the beginning of a life-long journey. The first year is the most important part. We have to lay out a change of behaviors and dynamics that works for their schedule. This aims to re-balance the brain and give you back control over your decisions. In order to change the brain in this way, we have to counteract their previous behavior. We have to develop skills that control their impulses and emotions. “The best way to do this in behavioral therapy is with the knowledge that actions are more important than thoughts. We have to create a plan of action. If someone has to decide what to do, they will act on their internal needs. That’s why we must break down the day into thirty-minute increments and plan everything. This discipline, over time, changes the way the brain works.”
While at THE BALANCE, this executive function plan is built and evolved with you in real-time. We have an extensive team of experts from massage, acupuncture, and martial arts to art, music, and equine therapy. We explore different practices that ground you safely in the present and allow you to take back control over your body and mind.
Family Therapy
When clients are nearing the end of their treatment programs, we open the door to family and loved ones to visit for sessions together and one-on-one with them. Torres says, “The people who will be with the client when they return home need to understand what is happening and where they are at.” If the schedule of the loved ones allows for it, we invite them into the healing process and prepare them for the imperative year ahead.
Aftercare & Follow-Up
The last step to recovery is to schedule follows ups with the client. We update and identify any new triggers appearing now that they have returned to their environment. Our clients often live high-intensity lives with constantly fluctuating schedules. We have to review the plan of action that we’ve created and see if it still makes sense, making amendments where necessary to stay on track. This is a pivotal part of the healing process.
At THE BALANCE, we understand the lifestyle of affluent individuals. That’s why our program is not a one-size-fits-all but rather built around each individual that comes to us. We are committed to providing care that is completely unique to our clients. Our head of addiction therapy, Enrique Balasch Torres, understands this healing process deeply. He has devoted his life to the recovery of others once he found recovery himself. His approach can be broken down into five main steps for the client. The first step is to understand the scientific explanation of addiction and what is happening in the mind. Once there is awareness, then they can identify the triggers of the behavior and compare and contrast what life looked like before the addiction took hold. They analyze the emotional reasoning behind the substance abuse. Then, a plan of action is created to increase executive function and slowly start bringing the brain back into balance. Once stable, the family or loved ones are invited to come for sessions. A series of follow-up appointments are scheduled to reflect on the plan and make amendments where needed. The recovery journey is not just confined to your stay at THE BALANCE. It is a lifelong process. We jump-start this process and lay a path to healing for our clients.
