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Category: Recovery Coaching

Recovery Coaching

Believe Change is Possible

As a recovery coach, I work with people trying to change a habit. We work on finding different ways of responding to a trigger. For some seeking recovery, they want to find an easier, softer way. Others think willpower is all they need to get sober. But that doesn’t always work. As Charles Duhigg describes in his book, the Power of Habit, for a habit to be changed, people must believe change is possible..

Where does this belief come from? Habit change can emerge from a tragedy or from some kind of adversity. Many addictions have been successfully abandoned when an individual hits bottom and finally seeks treatment. Many people give up smoking after a diagnosis of heart disease or when a family member is being treated for lung cancer.

A Harvard study in 1994 examined people that had radically changed their lives. Some had experienced the death of a loved one, divorce or life-threatening illness. Others radically changed their life from observing a friend experience a disaster. Tragedy plays an important part of having an impact on one’s life. But equal to tragedy facilitating change, the same amount of people made change happen in their life because they were surrounded by supportive friends that encouraged change. The Harvard study sites a woman that changed the direction her life when she took one psychology course at a local college and found a group of like-minded individuals. Another man came out of his introverted shell when he joined an acting group. So for change to happen for many, it didn’t take a life shattering event, it simply took a community of believers.

“Change occurs among people”

–Todd Heatherton, Dartmouth College Lincoln Filene Professor

A community of non-smokers talk about how great it feels like to be a non-smoker. How nice it is not to have your hair smell like an ashtray. Your spouse commented on how fresh his clothes smell, now that you have stopped smoking. And co-workers admire you for having the strength to stop smoking. These like-minded people can also resolve some negative feelings, as well. Such as what to do after a meal, when the habit of lighting up a Marlboro is the most strong. Or how to refrain from smoking in your car. These friends are there for you to call, text or email whenever the urge to smoke becomes unbearable. Support from a community and their confidence in you, bolsters the strength you need to believe you will not pick up a cigarette.

For habits to change permanently, people must believe change is possible. This same process makes any mutual support group very effective – the power of a group to teach individuals that they can believe it is possible to change. This belief happens when people come together to help one another to change. Whether the group is Nicotine Anonymous, a grief support group or massive amounts of volunteers descending on New Orleans, post Katrina, to re-build the city to it’s former glory.

Change is easier when it occurs within a community.

December 21, 2015
Changing a Habit
Quitting drinking or drugging is the same as developing an exercise program or winning a football game. Simply by changing a habit, you can succeed in staying sober.

Charles Duhigg investigates this theory in his 2012 book, The Power of Habit. Duhigg uses the classic example of how Bill W., founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, stopped drinking. He expands on this tale, by adding current research verifying the power of believing that the 12-step concept gives an individual the strength to quit a habit.

In his book, Duhigg outlines the addictive process for the reader and asks them to answer these questions:

Identify the Craving

Identify the Cue or Trigger

What Routine does that kick in?

What Reward do you receive from completing that routine?

Yes, many recovering alcoholics will say the answer to #1 is “I am craving alcohol,” but that isn’t necessarily the correct answer. Perhaps the alcoholic is lonely and craves camaraderie, old friends, or being social. Perhaps the alcoholic doesn’t want to spend the evening in his apartment all alone, eating another microwave dinner. So for this recovering alcoholic, his answers to Duhigg’s questions may look like this:
1. Identify the craving — Not being alone.
2. Identify the Cue or Trigger — On my way home from work, I drive by my favorite bar, thinking about stopping in to see some friends.
3. What routine does that kick in? — Stop into the bar, see my friends, and order dinner and a beer.
4. What reward do you receive from completing that routine? — Happy spending time with old friends, and having a better meal than a microwave dinner.
So, we all know how that evening ends.

Duhigg’s suggestions on changing a habit is as simple as substituting a new routine. Yes, the cravings and cues remain the same, and the reward remains the same, as well. The reward, for our alcoholic friend, is spending time with friends. Here is a suggestion for our friend:
1. Identify the craving — Not being alone.
2. Identify the Cue or Trigger — Thinking about seeing some friends.
3. What routine does that kick in? — Go to an AA meeting which is on my way home, that starts at 6:00pm, and see some friends.
4. What reward do you receive from completing that routine? — Happy spending time with friends.
Let’s try this concept on another addiction, such as smoking. I personally have struggled to stop smoking since 2014. I found that I didn’t really crave the act of smoking, I hate the smell and the taste it leaves in my mouth. My craving was to be social. So this is my outline using Duhigg’s Theory of Habit Change.

It is 3:00pm, and I am sitting at my desk. I would like to take a break, and see what my smoking buddy Chiquita is doing. Here is the scenario:
1. Identify the craving — Time for a break from work to socialize.
2. Identify the Cue or Trigger — Its 3:00pm, usually I have a smoke with Chiquita.
3. What routine does that kick in? — Go to Chiquita’s office to ask her to come out to the smoking area, for a smoke.
4. What reward do you receive from completing that routine? — Happy spending time socializing.
What do I do to turn around that routine in order not to smoke?
1. Identify the craving — Time for a break from work to socialize.
2. Identify the Cue or Trigger — Its 3pm, usually I have a smoke with Chiquita.
3. What routine does that kick in? — Option #1 Go to the cafeteria and get a cup of tea, or bottle of water and socialize with the people there. Option #2 — Pop a mint into my mouth, and go down the hall to say hello to a friend that I also have to ask a work question.
4. What reward do you receive from completing that routine? — Happy spending time socializing.
In all of these scenarios, the craving, cue and reward remain the same. The only thing that changes is the routine. As a recovery coach, this is one of the first lessons we teach our clients. Change your routine.

Don’t drive by the bar

Don’t dial the old girlfriend.

Don’t hang out with a drugging buddy

Don’t visit your smoking friend’s desk.

Change your routine.

I know, you are thinking about how difficult changing a routine is. Well, Duhigg knows a few more “tips” to ensure this routine sticks. I will be discussing these tips in my next post.
December 14, 2015
Internet Addiction Disorder- What is it? What treatment is available?

Internet Addiction Disorder- What is it?

Internet addiction disorder or IAD is also referred to as Problematic Internet Use (PIU),[i] Compulsive Internet Use, (CIU),[ii] Internet overuse, problematic computer use, pathological computer use, or I-Disorder,[iii]. IAD is excessive computer use which interferes with daily life.[iv]

Habits such as reading email, playing computer games, or binge viewing every Twilight movie or entire seasons of Breaking Bad are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is often separated by the activity involved in the compulsive actions, such as video or online gaming; online social networking;[i] blogging; online stock trading, online gambling, inappropriate Internet pornography use, reading email;[ii] or Internet shopping.[iii]

A Cyber-Relationship Addiction has been described as the addiction to accessing and using social networking platforms such as Facebook, Linked In, or online dating services such as Match.com and creating fictitious relationships with others through the internet. Along with many other meet-up platforms, such as Tinder or Siren, (mobile phone apps using a GPS that create a way to meet new people), finding online friends has been made very easy, yet very dangerous because there is no way to check the backgrounds of these fictitious friends. These virtual online friends start to gain more importance to the addict, eventually becoming more important than family and real-life friends.

Most, if not all “Internet addicts”, already fall under existing diagnostic labels.[iv] For many individuals, overuse or inappropriate use of the Internet is a manifestation of their depression, anxiety, impulse control disorders, or pathological gambling. According to the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery’s director Kimberly S. Young,[v] “Internet addicts suffer from emotional problems such as depression and anxiety-related disorders and often use the fantasy world of the Internet to psychologically escape unpleasant feelings or stressful situations.”[vi] More than half are also addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, pornography or sex.[vii]

What kind of treatment is available?

Corrective strategies include using software that will control or block the unwanted content, such as porn or gaming sites from an individual’s computer, addiction counselling, and cognitive behavioral therapy.[viii] One might consider placing time limits on smart phone or computer use, such as no smart phone use during homework time or no computer use after 9pm. The major reasons that the Internet is so addicting is the lack of limits and the absence of accountability by parents, teachers, and health professionals.[ix] Professionals generally agree that, for Internet addiction, controlled use is a more practical goal than total abstinence.[x]

Families in the People’s Republic of China and South Korea have turned to unlicensed training camps that offer to “wean” their children, often in their teens, from overuse of the Internet. An internet addiction treatment center was started in Delhi, the capital city of India by a nonprofit organization, the Uday Foundation. In 2009, ReSTART, a residential treatment center for “pathological computer use”, opened near Seattle, Washington. The Ranch, a treatment center in Nunnelly, TN, that focuses on behavioral addictions has an internet addiction program. Dr Kimberly Young directs a treatment program called the Internet Addiction Program as part of the Behavioral Health Services Dual Diagnosis Unit at Bradford Regional Medical Center in Bradford, PA. Dr. Maressa Orzack, has treated addictive behaviors at the Computer Addiction Services unit at the McLean Hospital, in Belmont and Newton Center, Massachusetts. The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery has an Internet Addictions treatment track with locations in Peoria, Normal, Harvey and Springfield Illinois. New Beginnings offers treatment for Internet Addiction with facilities in many states.

For those that are not exactly sure they need treatment for an Internet addiction, there is Online Gamers Anonymous, (OLGA, and OLG-Anon). Founded in 2002, by Elizabeth (Liz) Woolley after her son, Shawn Woolley, committed suicide while logged into EverQuest. OLGA is a twelve-step, self-help, support and recovery organization for gamers (OLGA) and their loved ones (OLG-Anon) who are suffering from the adverse effects of addictive computer gaming. It offers resources such as discussion forums, online chat meetings, Skype meetings and links to other resources.[xv]

References used in this blog

[i] Masters K. (2015). “Social Networking Addiction among Health Sciences Students in Oman“. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 15 (3): 357–363. doi:10.18295/squmj.2015.15.03.009.

[ii] Turel, O. & Serenko, A. (2010). “Is mobile email addiction overlooked?” (PDF). Communications of the ACM 53 (5): 41–43. doi:10.1145/1735223.1735237.

[iii] eBay Addiction”. Center for Internet Addiction, web site: Net Addiction http://netaddiction.com/ebay-addiction/Retrieved 2015-11-16

[iv] Hooked on the Web: Help Is on the Way. New York Times, Dec. 1, 2005.

[v] Young, K. (2009). Issues for Internet Addiction as a New Diagnosis in the DSM-V. Washington, District of Columbia, US: American Psychological Association. Retrieved from PsycEXTRA database.

[vi] “Frequently Asked Questions”. Netaddiction.com. Retrieved 2014-01-30.

[vii] “Frequently Asked Questions”. Netaddiction.com. Retrieved 2014-01-30.

[viii] “University of Notre Dame Counseling Center, “Self help – Lost in Cyberspace”. Retrieved 2009-11-11.

[ix] “Internet addiction and lack of accountability”. internet-addiction-guide.com. 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2011-07-06.

[x] Young, Kimberly S. (2007). “Treatment Outcomes with Internet Addicts” (PDF). CyberPsychology & Behavior 10 (5): 671–679. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9971. Retrieved 2014-03-13.

[xi] Wikipedia, OLGA accessed on Nov 16, 2015- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-Line_Gamers_Anonymous

November 23, 2015
On the Nature of Addiction and the Loss of Hope

Guest post by David Chapman

The normal state of a productive and happy human existence includes a sense of hope. The nature of addiction exhausts all sense of hope.

The sense of hope is based on the understanding that the process of productive effort usually results in some observable, measurable improvement in the quality of one’s life and the lives of those important to the individual. The nature of having an addiction means the loss of this hope.

“I will restore my own sense of hope. I know if I exert control over my environment and my actions I will regain control of my life and I will have reason to be hopeful once more.”

If I chop some large amount of dry wood and keep it dry, my family and I will be warmed throughout the winter, our ability to survive the winter and the possibility of our thriving in the spring will be augmented. The hope of minimizing suffering, increasing comfort and sustaining enhancements in the quality of our lives is significantly based on the belief that the productive effort is worthwhile and that similar efforts in the future will also be worthwhile.

The act of putting rational expectation – hope – into productive effort is based initially on trial and error. As demonstrated by observation and experience, it is then continued in the manner found to be most efficient.

I contend that addiction is more than chemical dependence. It is significantly, I believe, fueled by a sense of hopelessness resulting from the brutalization of our rational, reasonable expectations.

Children who are raised in emotionally irrational or physically violent households have their natural sense of hope altered and sometimes, sadly, destroyed altogether. Hope is similarly damaged in an adult body politic where effort goes unrewarded beyond a level of primitive sustenance and/or when participation in the political process is deemed to be futile and ineffective.

When we attempt to adjust our behavior to what we think are the demands or desires of those exerting control of our physical and intellectual environment, but those irrational behaviors continue, the ensuing sense of hopelessness – hopelessness based on rational observation – will continue and can threaten to become permanent.

The addicted personality may be able to overcome a physical addiction. However, until a sense of rational hopefulness is restored and we can believe that our thoughts and actions will have a beneficial impact on our lives, the spiritual addiction will probably not be overcome.

Dave Chapman is our guest blogger this week. Dave was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in the suburban town of Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He has been a shoe shine boy, a moving man, a golf caddy, a limousine driver, a truck driver, worked retail at The Home Depot, a life insurance agent, a stock broker and financial advisor. He studied the humanities and comparative literature at Ohio Wesleyan University. In addition to his motivational speaking and John Maxwell coaching affiliation, Dave is a freelance writer and teaches several classes in the Humanities as an Adjunct Professor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers University. He can be contacted by email at: davechapman@wellsaiddave.com

November 5, 2015
How can you heal the trauma within?
Trauma changes you. You might not necessarily like that change. How can you heal the trauma within? You have the ability to transform yourself into a healthier person. You have enormous healing potential; the goal is learning to access it—and then to use that potential to heal the trauma, release the addiction(s), and obtain a glorious new life.

Without your consent, trauma can change you, often into a person you’d rather not be. -Michele Rosenthal

Working through trauma can be scary, painful, and sometimes retraumatizing. Because of the risk of retraumatization, this healing work is best done with the help of an experienced trauma specialist. The clinical term for a therapist that has experience in treating trauma is a trauma informed therapist. The therapist will be able to answer questions as to his/her experience in trauma informed care over the phone. You want to ask if they are experienced in EMDR, Light Entrainment or Somatic Experiencing.

Treatment for Trauma

When you are triggered by a trauma memory, your nervous system gets stuck in overdrive. Successful trauma treatment revisits these traumatic memories, and allows you observe the trauma and your “fight-flight-freeze” response. The therapist will establish a sense of safety and help you resolve the past traumas. The following therapies are commonly used in the treatment of PTSD, emotional and psychological trauma:
Trauma Recovery Tips

Recovering from emotional and psychological trauma takes time. Give yourself time to heal and to mourn the losses you’ve experienced. During your trauma therapy here are some self-help strategies to keep you healthy and continue the healing between your therapeutic sessions:

           1: Don’t isolate

           2: Stay grounded

           3: Take care of your health

Don’t try to force the healing process. Be patient with your pace of recovery. Finally, be prepared for difficult and volatile emotions. Allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling without judgment or guilt.
October 29, 2015
Is there a trauma-addiction connection?
Is there a trauma-addiction connection? Adverse childhood experiences (trauma) are well known to significantly increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Ample evidence has shown that childhood trauma endangers the brain’s development, structure and function. Several traumatic experiences could make a person susceptible, later in life, to problems related to memory, judgment, reasoning, and could affect emotional and decision-making skills. Psychiatric illnesses, including schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and addiction, are also linked to adverse childhood traumatic experiences.

Traumatic life experiences, such as physical and sexual abuse as well as neglect, occur at alarmingly high rates in the United States and is considered a major public health problem. Other examples of traumatic life experiences could be witnessing family violence, parental separation and divorce, experiencing a catastrophic weather event such as Hurricane Katrina, losing your home as a result of a wild fire, moving several times in childhood or going hungry.

The link between traumatic experiences and substance abuse has been well-established. For example, in the National Survey of Adolescents, teens who had experienced physical, or sexual abuse or assault were three times more likely to report they had abused a substance than those without a history of trauma.

In surveys of adolescents receiving treatment for substance abuse, more than 70% of the adolescents reported a history of some sort of trauma.

While experiencing a trauma doesn’t guarantee that a person will develop an addiction, research clearly suggests that trauma is a major underlying source of addiction behavior. Founder of HealMyPTSD.com and author Michele Rosenthal culled statistics from a report issued by the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Department of Veterans Affairs to show the strong correlation between trauma and alcohol addiction:
- Sources estimate that 25 and 75 percent of people who survive abuse and/or violent experiences develop issues related to alcohol abuse.
- Accidents, illness or natural disasters translate to between 10 to 33 percent of survivors reporting alcohol abuse.
- A diagnosis of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) increases the risk of developing alcohol abuse.
- Female trauma survivors face increased risk for an alcohol-use disorder.
- Male and female sexual abuse survivors experience a higher rate of alcohol- and drug-use disorders compared to those who have not survived such abuse.
- 27 percent of veterans in Veterans Administration care diagnosed with PTSD also have Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Similar research linking trauma and addiction exists for other habitual behaviors, including sexually compulsive behavior and eating disorders. Delving deeper into the trauma-addiction connection tells us that addiction is a coping mechanism. Addictions often help reduce the sensation of the overwhelming anxiety, stress and fear that trauma triggers create. Individuals participating in the research confirm that addictions are implemented as an attempt to self-manage (or self-medicate) what comes up for them when unmanageable trauma memories appear. These forms of self-management or self-medication are used as a positive survival instinct, but have very negative consequences. The key is to recognize the use of substances to manage trauma responses and to choose another tool for self-management.

Next week’s post will go further exploring the link of addiction and trauma.

References used in this post:

Department of Veterans Affairs Teesson M, Ross J, Peters L (2006) Trauma, PTSD, and substance use disorders: findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;163(4):652-8., http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16585440

Public Interest Directorate- Children, Youth, and Families, An American Psychological Association Directorate-Advancing the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives. Activity Summary- August 2012 – August 2013Website: http://www.apa.org/pi/families/index.aspx

Kilpatrick DG, Saunders BE, Smith DW.(2003). Youth Victimization: Prevalence and Implications [Electronic]. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, National Institute of Justice. Available at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/194972.pdf

Michele Rosenthal (2015) Trauma and Addiction: 7 Reasons Your Habit Makes Perfect Sense, Published on March 30, 2015 in Behavioral Health, Living in Recovery, Living with Addiction and at Recovery.org website: http://www.recovery.org/pro/articles/trauma-and-addiction-7-reasons-your-habit-makes-perfect-sense/

and http://healmyptsd.com/

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October 22, 2015
What kind of credential do I need to be a Professional Recovery Coach?
When I published my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2013, the term professional recovery coach or professional recovery life coach was not in frequent use.

A professional recovery coach is trained in professional coaching techniques, which means he or she has been educated in group dynamics (how people act in a group), how to develop high performing individuals (leadership) or how to facilitate change. Additionally, they have training in the addiction recovery models, motivational interviewing and Harm Reduction. They may use their experiential knowledge of their own recovery to augment their professional recovery coaching faculties. Professional coaches work in many fields: executive coaching, business coaching, finance coaching, wellness coaching or life coaching. Recovery coaching fits nicely into the life coaching model.

International Coaching Federation (ICF)

There is one worldwide organization that is recognized as issuing professional coaching credentials, the International Coaching Federation (ICF), http://coachfederation.org. There are three levels of ICF coaching credentials. The Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential is for the coach who is just beginning in the field, and is the first credential that can be completed with ICF. The Professional Certified Coach Credential (PCC) is for the more experienced coach and the Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential is for the expert coach.

When seeking to be credentialed as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), the coach has to have completed an entire ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP). On the ICF website is a list of all of the accepted training programs from which the ICF will accept training credentials. The ICF does not offer a unique recovery coaching credential, nor a peer recovery-support credential.

There is one organization, Family Recovery Resources, listed in the ICF Accredited Coach Training Program that offers a family-in-recovery coaching course for a family recovery coach certificate. There are no other recommended organizations that offer any recovery coach orientated courses. If a recovery coach has received training from any organization specializing in recovery coaching training, it is likely that the training would not be credited toward an ICF certificate. There is a very interesting selection of courses in the ICF Accredited Coach Training Program, such as executive coaching, end-of-life coaching, divorce coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, wellness coaching, conflict coaching and several other excellent learning opportunities, on the ICF web site.

The ACC applicants must work while they learn, and complete 100 hours of client-to-coach experience during their coach-specific training program. In addition the applicants are required to receive 10 hours of Mentor Coaching, and 100 hours (75 hours to be paid) of coaching experience with at least 8 clients, post training. There is a performance evaluation (audio recording and written transcript of coaching session) and a Coaching Knowledge Assessment (CKA) to complete the ACC credentialing application. The ACC credentialing process costs are dependent on the types of training courses a coach must take to complete the requirements for the certificate. The ACC credentialing process can take from 18 months to two years complete.

It is my hope that the information transmitted in the past few posts will help a person interested in recovery coaching see the path to certification a bit more clearly. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have about the path you should take in seeking your recovery coaching training and credentialing.

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October 8, 2015
What training and certificate do you need to be a peer recovery support specialist ?
I published my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2013. Since then, recovery coach or peer recovery support specialist training has become one of the fastest growing aspects of the coaching field. So, what kind of training and certificate do you need to be a peer recovery support specialist ?

In 2013, the organizations that offered recovery coach or peer recovery specialist training numbered around 50. Today, the number has grown to 250. Many state certification boards have established recovery coach and peer recovery support specialist certifications.

The definition of a recovery coach, and a peer recovery support specialist has changed significantly, as well. Now, the term peer-to-peer recovery support specialist defines a coach that works with people in mental health recovery and/or people that are in co-occurring recovery (co-occurring describes when a person has an addiction and a mental health diagnosis). Commonly the coach in this job is called a “peer.”

Even though most of the state certification boards issue a certificate with the same “title,” (such as certified peer recovery support-specialist) the agencies that are looking for coaches to work with addicts advertise for recovery coaches and the agencies that are looking for coaches to work with people with behavioral or mental health disorders advertise for peers.

In the treatment field it is common to have states use different terminology and acronyms for a certificate of the same job description. For example, the terminology for a certified recovery coach or peer in New Jersey is Certified Peer Support Practitioner (CRSP).The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia calls this credential a Certified Peer Recovery Coach (CPRC). The Minnesota Certification Board offers a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credential. There are several different terms for certificates for the same job description throughout the United States.

As of March 2014, 38 states and the District of Columbia have established programs to train and certify peer-to-peer recovery support specialist working with people in mental health recovery. Eight states are in the process of developing and/or implementing a peer program. For information on locating these agencies go to the International Association of Peer Specialists at: http://inaops.org/training-and-certification/.

The International Association of Peer Specialists web site features a PDF document that is downloadable, with a list of all of the peer training organizations. This document is entitled: Peer Specialist Training and Certification Programs: A National Overview, and was compiled by the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. This PDF breaks down the peer certifications for every state, gives a web site and email contact for the training organizations as well as the required domains to master, in order to receive the certification. As an adjunct to this PDF, an additional list of recognized peer support training providers is available. The link is: http://inaops.org/training-providers/. If your area is not served by training organizations featured in these two documents, email: training@naops.org to find training in your area.

What are the peer recovery support specialist guidelines for receiving certification?

The peer recovery support-specialist application for certification will vary from state to state but essentially the guidelines are similar. Individuals can qualify to become certified peer-to-peer recovery support specialist by meeting the following guidelines:
- Have a minimum of one year demonstrated recovery time from a significant mental health and/or substance use disorder at the date of application.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Must have a minimum of at least a high school diploma or GED.
- Have attended and successfully completed a recognized training curriculum (face to face in a classroom setting or on-line) that totals 40 hours at a minimum and have a valid certificate of completion from that training.
- Have completed an additional 20 hours of training and have valid certificates verifying attendance and participation in the following training categories: Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Person Centered Thinking, Personal Assistance in Community Existence (PACE), Crisis Prevention, Veteran supports and interventions. Applicants can also use other college coursework, if related to the work of a Certified Peer Support-Specialist, if it will enhance the ability to provide services to people with mental health and/or substance use disorders. The applicant must submit an official transcript for review with the application.
- Acknowledge the peer will follow the ethical guidelines of a peer recovery support-specialist by signing a form stating they have read and comprehend the guidelines
- Submit two (2) personal reference letters
What are the costs of Certified Peer Recovery Support-Specialist Training?

Costs for Certified Peer Specialist training range from $400-$1,000. There are several ways to pay for Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) training. There are a number of programs and organizations that sponsor free Peer Recovery Support-Specialists certification training, continuing education classes, and supervisor training classes. As follows, are some suggestions:

Offices of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) help people with disabilities prepare for and achieve an employment goal. OVR has many offices located throughout United States. If you qualify for OVR services, OVR may pay up to $900 for you to receive certification training.

County Mental Health and Developmental Services is another source of possible funding. Some county MH/DS offices contract with training vendors to provide a Certified Peer Specialist class in that county. When this happens, a county purchases an entire class (20 seats) from a training vendor. The county then accepts applications from people who want to attend the training. In these cases, the training is usually only open to people who reside in that county.

The Mental Health Associations of your state may provide low cost Certified Peer Specialist training.

Review the document, Peer Specialist Training and Certification Programs—A National Overview (http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/training/Peer-Specialist-Training-and-Certification-Programs-A-National-Overview%20UT%202013.pdf ). There are many states, Alabama, Ohio, New Jersey and North Carolina, to name a few that offer free training and are listed in this document.

Next week’s blog post will review what certification is required to be a professional recovery coach working as a coach that has a variety of coaching credentials.
October 1, 2015
What kind of training do I need to be a recovery coach?
I published my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2013. Since then, recovery coach or peer recovery specialist training has become one of the fastest growing aspects of the coaching field. So what kind of training do I need to be a recovery coach?

In 2013, the organizations that offer recovery coach or peer recovery-specialist training numbered around 50. Today, the number has grown to 250. Many state certification boards have established recovery coach and peer recovery support specialist certifications.

Many of the organizations that offer addictions recovery coach training or peer recovery support specialist training are listed on my web site: http://www.mkrecoverycoaching.com/recovery-coach-training-organizations/. For many people interested in being a recovery coach, the training costs, deciding on the best training organization and the training necessary to fulfill the certification requirements can be confusing. So I would like to attempt to clear up this confusion and will answer these questions in this post:
- What are the guidelines I must meet to apply for recovery coaching training?
- What kind of training do I need to be a recovery coach?
What are the guidelines to apply for recovery coaching training?

Applicants must meet the following guidelines to apply for a training course in order to be a recovery coach or a peer recovery support-specialist. These guidelines are shared by many training organizations and certification boards across the nation as a standard for what a potential recovery coach must have before applying for recovery coaching training:
- High school diploma, GED or higher
- Minimum of one year of direct knowledge of sponsorship and 12-step programs
- Minimum one year of sobriety from substance use or one year sobriety in co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (self-attestation)
What kind of training should I look for?

Certification boards require the coach to receive outside training that fulfills the requirements mandated by the state board. These requirements are often a certain amount of hours training in topics such as addiction recovery theory and models, coaching ethics, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, nicotine cessation, suicide prevention and HIV-AIDS education. Each state and organization has different requirements. So first check with your state to ensure the course you take will be accepted by the state credentialing board.

There are trainings offered that can give a coach more information that may not be on the state certification board list, but are very helpful. The kinds of training I found helpful as a new recovery coach were: conflict management, anger management, intervention training, co-occurring disorders, behavioral addictions, the pharmacology of addiction, and psycho-pharmacology as well as knowledge about coaching families in relationships with addicted persons. There are also training organizations that offer three different levels of recovery coaching training: novice, intermediate and master-level coaching certificates.

The places in which you receive this training are quite diverse. In the links section of this web site, I list over 250 organizations offering recovery coach training. The courses can be online, or in a classroom. The costs for this training is diverse as well, from free (in Ohio) up to $4,000 per course. The length of the course could be three days or four months.

At no time does taking a recovery coaching course give you an immediate state certification board recovery-coaching credential. It gives you a document (called a certificate) that says you completed the training. There are many coaches who do not seek state board certification, and use this document or certificate from a training organization as adequate proof they are knowledgeable in performing the duties of a recovery coach.

There is one international credentialing organization, the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium, commonly known as the IC & RC(http://internationalcredentialing.org/) that runs many state credentialing boards and has developed an exam for a Peer Recovery (PR) Certification. The IC & RC suggests applicants check with their state credentialing board for specific test taking guidelines.

Are there any additional requirements for recovery coaching certification?

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP) http://www.naadac.org/NCPRSS offer the Peer Recovery Support-Specialist Certification. Similar to the requirements of the IC & RC, the NCC AP recommends, in order to receive certification, a coach read and sign a statement on the application affirming adherence to the Peer Recovery Support-Specialist Code of Ethics. Credentialing boards require supervisors of the coaches-in-training to sign a document verifying they have supervised the coach during the period of the coach’s training. Letters of recommendation are also items required by some credentialing boards. Other state boards require a recent photograph. As always, check with the state credentialing board for specific requirements for credentialing.

Next week’s post will review what certification is required to be a peer-to-peer support-specialist working with people in mental health recovery.
September 24, 2015
What kind of certification do I need to be a recovery coach?
I published my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2013. Since then, recovery coach or peer-recovery specialist certification training has become one of the fastest growing aspects of the coaching field. So what kind of certification do I need to be a recovery coach?

In 2013, the organizations that offer recovery coach or peer-recovery specialist training numbered around 50. Today, the number has grown to 250. Many state certification boards have established recovery coach and peer-recovery support specialist certifications. Yet, for many people that seek to be a recovery coach the qualifications, the training, the requirements for certification, or credentialing seem baffling. So I would like to attempt to clear up this confusion and will answer these questions in this post:
- What is the process for certification as a recovery coach or peer recovery specialist?
- What kind of certification should I be focusing on?
What is the process of being qualified, getting training and then credentialed as a recovery coach or peer-recovery support specialist?

If you are investigating becoming a recovery coach, I suggest you follow these steps:
1. Research the training organizations that offer recovery coach training you can afford. Go to http://www.mkrecoverycoaching.com/recovery-coach-training-organizations/ for a list of addiction recovery coach training organizations
2. Verify that you meet the qualifications to apply for the course (e.g. be 18-years-old, have a GED or high school diploma, one year sobriety from any addiction)
3. Take and pass the course, retain the coaching certificate for future purposes
4. Research places like Recovery Community Organizations or treatment centers to work or volunteer as a recovery-coach-in-training
5. Apply to your state certification board for recovery coach certification (a fee may apply)
6. Complete the recovery-coach-in-training supervised practice hours that are required by the state board
7. Send in your application with paperwork verifying the completion of practice hours to the state credentialing board with a certification fee (fee varies for every state, from $100-$250)
8. Receive your recovery coaching or peer-recovery support specialist certificate
9. In the next 2 – 5 years take the required courses for renewing this certificate. Refer to your state board for more information on courses and renewal time frames. A renewal fee will be required.
What kind of certification do I need to be a recovery coach?

For an addiction recovery coach, the certification and training is prefaced with the terms: peer-support specialist, certified peer-recovery practitioner, recovery coach or peer-recovery specialist. Every state is different and every state uses different names for these certifications. Look for courses that offer the training needed for an addictions coach and a peer working with people in mental health recovery certification. It is the exact same training, in the same exact classroom, for two different jobs descriptions! It may be confusing now, and quite possibly the content and descriptions of these courses may change going forward. But I would have to have a crystal ball to predict that for certain.

I suggest you first take a certification training course. You can make the decision after the training is completed to apply for state board certification. As a coach if you are interested in being your own business person, certification by a training organization should be adequate. If you want to work in a treatment center, with a recovery community organization, social services agency or hospital, certification issued by the state’s certification board or the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) is required by the institution hiring you. If you want to carry professional liability insurance, or be reimbursed by Medicaid for your services, certification by a state certification board is mandatory.

What is a state certification board?

The process for receiving a certificate as a recovery coach is overseen by a state’s certification or licensing board. A state certification board tests and renews practitioner’s (coaches, therapists, nurses, etc.) certificates to ensure their knowledge is up to par. Also, that they have the ethical knowledge to practice in their profession. These processes for certification, such as training, educational requirements, exams and renewal guidelines, varies from state to state. These certification standards are recognized by health care companies, insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare as well as companies that hire these practitioners.

These state certification boards are the same boards that issue licenses or certifications for drug and alcohol counselors, and therapists. Some states have combined licenses and certifications boards all in one office, so it could be the same office in which nurses or hairdressers receive their licenses. I suggest you search the Internet for drug and alcohol certification for your state. Then search for the state board website for recovery coach or peer-recovery support specialist certification. As of May 2008, thirty state credentialing boards had developed criteria for the training and deployment of recovery coaches and peer-recovery specialists, so you should have no trouble finding these boards on the Internet.

What is Reciprocity?

Reciprocity is a term you will see used often on these board sites. When you are certified through your home state’s certification board, you may have the ability to transfer that credential to another state. This is called reciprocity. State certification boards may offer reciprocity to certified coaches in other states. The state boards have the authority to set reciprocity requirements for coaches to practice in their state. Not all certifications are eligible for reciprocity. It is vitally important that you investigate reciprocity guidelines prior to relocating to another state, because it can be a very complicated process.

There are national and international recovery coach certifications available. In 2013, the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) developed a peer recovery credential. The application for the peer-recovery certification appears on the IC & RC web site. An IC & RC credential is accepted by many agencies and treatment centers when they are hiring recovery coaches.

In next week’s post I will review what kind of training you need to have in order to apply for recovery coach certification.
September 17, 2015
What is the difference between a recovery coach, a peer recovery support specialist and a professional recovery coach?
I published my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2013. A recovery coach, a peer recovery support specialist and a professional recovery coach’s job descriptions have expanded significantly since then. The organizations that offer recovery coach training numbered around 50 in 2013. Today, the number has grown to 250. Recovery coach certification training is one of the fastest growing aspects of the coaching field, with many states establishing recovery coaching and peer recovery support-specialist certifications. Yet, for many people who seek to achieve basic recovery coaching information, the process of training, certification, credentialing or licensing are baffling. With all of this growth and change, anyone who is interested in being a recovery coach is very confused about the necessary training, what to call this training and even what to call themselves! I want to make an attempt to clear up this confusion and answer these questions:
- What is the difference between a recovery coach, a peer recovery support-specialist and a professional recovery coach?
- On what kind of certification should a future recovery coach focus?
- What are the guidelines for certification of a recovery coach?
(Some of the answers to these questions will appear in upcoming posts.)

What is a Recovery Coach?

A recovery coach is a person that works with and supports individuals immersed in an addiction(s), and coaches people in recovery from the abuse of alcohol and drugs, gambling, eating disorders or other addictive behaviors. Sometimes recovery coaches who work with people with addictions have been referred to as a peer recovery support specialist, a recovery support specialist, a sober companion, recovery associate or quit coach. In all cases these terminologies describe the same job description; a person who meets with clients in order to aid in their recovery from addiction(s). Even though many certifications for recovery coaches are classified as peer recovery support practitioner certifications. I prefer to use the term recovery coach in describing a person coaching an individual in recovery from addiction, instead of using the term “peer,” mainly because there is no requirement that a recovery coach be a peer (meaning they are an addict in recovery). Although it may be believed having experiential knowledge is a best practice for a recovery coach, it could be a recovery coach has knowledge of addiction and recovery perhaps by knowing an addict, having a family member with an addiction or taking courses in the treatment field.

I have kept the term “non-clinical” out of this definition of a recovery coach because over the course of several years, I have seen drug and alcohol counselors, family and marriage therapists (MFTs), licensed clinical social workers, interventionists (LCSWs), psychotherapists and psychiatrists, train to be recovery coaches and then add coaching to their resume. I hear from these individuals that they embrace the coaching approach, and merge the knowledge they have as a clinician or interventionist with recovery coaching methods.

Some individuals seek recovery and sobriety from addictions by frequenting a recovery community organization (RCOs) or recovery support center. An RCO is an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery. There are recovery coaches at these recovery community organizations. These coaches have very diverse backgrounds. I have met coaches that were addicts, homeless, offenders, teachers, lawyers and highly educated individuals, who choose to help another person in recovery. I have seen these coaches espouse 12-step ideologies as well as non-12-step recovery models such as Buddhist Recovery, Moderation Management, Kundalini Yoga or Harm Reduction. Sometimes, the recovery coaches at these centers receive a salary from the RCO, however, the client is not charged for the recovery coaching services. RCO recovery coaches can also be volunteers, opting to perform their coaching duties for no reimbursement at all.

Lastly, recovery coaches can be employed by treatment centers or sober living homes and receive compensation from them. In cases such as this, the client is billed for the coaching services from the centers or homes. I know many a recovery coach who has opened a transitional living home or a supportive sober living environment. They coach the people who reside at these locations and their presence adds to the quality of the recovery experience.

Is recovery coaching covered by insurance?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no. No independent health insurance company covers the services of a recovery coach working with an individual in recovery from an addiction. There is currently only one state, New York, that has an arrangement with the state’s Medicaid offices to reimburse for recovery coaching for individuals who are diagnosed as dependent on a substance. Other states, Tennessee, Maryland and Massachusetts, are formulating similar Medicaid payment plans, but these reimbursements are not yet in place.

What is a peer to peer recovery support specialist?

A nearly universal definition of a peer to peer recovery support specialist is an individual with lived experience who has initiated his/her own recovery journey and assists others who are in earlier stages of the healing process of recovery from psychic, traumatic and/or substance-use challenges and, as a result, can offer assistance and support to promote another peer’s own personal recovery journey. A peer to peer recovery support specialist is also called a peer, peer support-practitioner, peer mentor, or a certified peer. All of these terms basically describe the same job description. More and more, this job description is focused on the peer to peer recovery support specialist working with a person in mental health recovery.

The certified peer to peer recovery support specialist workforce is relatively new in the behavioral health field, with state-recognized certification programs first emerging in 2001. Within this short time frame, states have recognized the potential of peer specialists to improve consumer outcomes by promoting recovery. Many social service agencies pay the peer’s salary, and the client does not pay for the coaching. In the mental health/behavioral health field, when referred by a social services agency or mental health treatment organization, reimbursement for a peer to peer recovery support specialist is covered by a health plan or Medicaid.

Peer to peer recovery support specialists can also work independently from an agency and be reimbursed by the client or a family. Peer to peer recovery support specialists can also choose to provide these services as a volunteer and receive no financial reward.

What is a professional recovery coach?

A professional recovery coach, is sometimes referred to as a recovery life coach. A professional recovery coach has experience and training in the recovery models, and training as a professional coach. These professional and credentialed coaching programs are sometimes referred to as life coaching training. A professional recovery coach can receive training from any of the 250 organizations that train recovery coaches, and select not to receive the certificate from a state certification board or the IC & RC (see the certification information in next week’s post). A professional coach can receive training from the ICF – International Coach Federation’s accredited coach training programs, and apply for a credential issued by the ICF.

A professional recovery coach can assist a client with a variety of coaching interventions including, but not limited to recovery from addictions, dealing with mental health diagnoses, divorce, financial downturns, grieving, career change and even family relationship issues. The client is billed for the coaching services from the professional recovery coach. Again, healthcare plans do not reimburse for these coaching services.

Stay tuned for next week’s post on certification for recovery coaches.
September 10, 2015
Melissa Killeen Presents Workshop at Association of Recovery Community Organizations (ARCO) Meeting

July 16, 2015
Bob Timmins – A Titan in the World of Recovery Coaching.

Bob Timmins, an addiction specialist who is credited with salvaging the lives of a long list of celebrity drug users by steering them onto the path of sobriety and helping them stay there, died of respiratory failure in 2008 at his home in Marina del Rey after battling years of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 61 [i]. Though little known by the public at large, Timmins was a titan in the world of recovery coaching.

Some of his clients — members of the bands Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith — have spoken publicly about Timmins’ role in helping them battle drug abuse. But most celebrities preferred anonymity, a request Timmins took pride in honoring. “Bob has helped everyone from the owners of sports franchises to heads of movie studios to Grammy-winning, internationally known music idols . . . as well as the most down and out homeless person who comes to him for help,” said Michael Nasatir, a friend, and a criminal defense attorney in Santa Monica, who worked with Timmins early in his career.

What Timmins knew about drug abuse, recovery and redemption was learned from experience

Robert Wayne Timmins was born in Los Angeles on Sept. 27, 1946, the son of a police officer. His mother suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and when Bob was 9 years old, she attempted to murder him. Timmins was placed in foster care, by ninth grade he lived on the streets, was a heroin junky, and as a convicted felon, he spent time in San Quentin. It was in San Quentin that Timmins met Danny Trejo, they were cell mates and prison gang members, these two were familiar with all forms of prison violence. Yet, it was Trejo that introduced Bob to the 12 step rooms. When Trejo left San Quentin, he told Timmins to look him up after his release. Four years later, expecting to start-up exactly where he had left off before entering San Quentin, Timmins showed up at Trejo’s doorstep. Danny Trejo took him to his house, and offered him a spare bedroom to stay in. When Timmins said “Come on, let’s do some things…” in response, Trejo took him to a 12-step meeting. Trejo introduced him to Eddie, his first sponsor, and the rest, let’s say is history. Bob Timmins credits Trejo and Eddie, with turning his life around. Eddie was Timmins’ sponsor until Eddie died with 47 years of sobriety. Timmins said “If I didn’t get a sponsor and jump into recovery, I wasn’t going to stay long enough to get anything.” [ii]

In the years that followed, Timmins helped found and was involved with several organizations, including the CLARE Foundation, Cinco Swim Sober Living Home, the recovery centers Impact House and Cri-HELP in Los Angeles as well as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. Early in his career he began working with troubled youths, including a young Jeff McFarland.

“I met him when he worked at a rehab hospital I was in,” said Jeff McFarland, who is now an attorney. “I was a 19-year-old drug addict and criminal, and he helped me turn things around. He had instant credibility. When you spoke to him, you knew that he had lived the life that you live. And he understood.” Today, McFarland is the chair of The Timmins Foundation [iii]. The Timmins Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of Bob Timmins, whose work changed Jeff McFarland’s and countless other young people’s lives. The Timmins Foundation supports a “Bob Timmins Bed” that provides beds for inpatient treatment or residence in a sober living home for a year to clients that are unable to afford the entire cost on their own. The Timmins Foundation seeks to provide financial support for the early intervention and treatment of substance abuse, which Bob knew could prove to be the difference between a life well-lived and a life wasted. The Foundation goes into the community, seeking out young adults in need of treatment and builds a sense of purpose for young adults in post-treatment recovery [iv].

In courts across the nation, Timmins was an expert witness and a consultant in the development of treatment plans for addiction-related offenders. He assessed drug addicts before they went to trial, he advised them and suggested to the judge to place them into treatment instead of incarceration. Judges and lawyers paid Timmins for his expertise in selecting a proper program for a defendant, “but the amount we paid him was a joke compared to what he did,” said Bernard Kamins, who served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge from 1985 to 2007 and worked with Timmins in the California Drug Court system. “Here’s this guy who for $150 would get somebody straightened out. . . . He knew the right places to put people, and he gave them two things: hope and motivation. As a judge I couldn’t do that,” Kamins said. Timmins steered clients to 12-step meetings and helped them find sponsors. But Timmins did more, drawing from the people he knew and had helped in the past, he could put an addict in contact with a youth homeless shelter, admit them into a treatment center at no cost, introduce them to the president of a recording studio or aid in their admission into USC. Timmins was that type of guy.

Working with celebrities did not leave Timmins star-struck

In the entertainment industry, Timmins influenced the way recording labels treat artists by requesting amenities such as “safe harbor rooms”: hospitality suites that are clean of drugs and alcohol. In the entertainment industry, drugs and alcohol were given freely to the artists to stimulate their creativity and as perks for their performance. As a recovering entertainer this was a very dangerous environment to be in, Bob changed this dynamic in the industry. After the 1995 death of Shannon Hoon of the group Blind Melon from a drug overdose, Michael Greene, president and CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced the first industry wide symposium on the subject of drugs in rock and asked Bob Timmins to help. Beside “safe harbor rooms” and contractual guidelines that advocate sobriety, the symposium and Grammy.org helped Timmins and Howard Owens start the MusiCares Foundation, and MAP, the Musician’s Assistance Program, which provide assistance to musicians, including those suffering from addiction. MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance; services and resources that will cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies for music people in times of need. MusiCares celebrated 20 years in 2013.

In a 1991 article in GQ magazine; he said “I see them as human beings first. I see them in their pain and try to help them through a suicide attempt or whatever’s going on”[v]. Bob Timmins was one of the most influential foundational thinkers in recovery coaching, developing the concepts of sober companionship, recovery coaching and legal services coaching. Through the years he tirelessly helped rock star, millionaire or skid row addict with the same compassion and conviction, whether he was compensated handsomely or graced with a humble handshake and a thank you. Bob was a milestone in the recovery coaching movement.

Hear Bob Timmin’s AA Story, this is a must hear:

http://timminsfoundation.org/Speech2005b.html

References:

[i] Addiction specialist worked with celebrities OBITUARIES / Bob Timmins, 1946 – 2008 March 08, 2008| Jocelyn Y. Stewart | LA Times Staff Writer- jocelyn.stewart@latimes.com

[ii] Christopher Kennedy Lawford “Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction”, Harper Collins NY

[iii] Addiction specialist worked with celebrities OBITUARIES / Bob Timmins, 1946 – 2008 March 08, 2008| Jocelyn Y. Stewart | LA Times Staff Writer- jocelyn.stewart@latimes.com

[iv] The Timmins Foundation, 865 S. Figueroa St., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. http://timminsfoundation.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/the-timmins-foundation/

[v] Addiction specialist worked with celebrities OBITUARIES / Bob Timmins, 1946 – 2008 March 08, 2008| Jocelyn Y. Stewart | LA Times Staff Writer- jocelyn.stewart@latimes.com

July 9, 2015
Hello and welcome to my new web site
Recovery Coach, New York City!

Melissa Killeen

Hello and welcome to my new web site Recovery Coach, New York City!

I am Melissa Killeen, a recovery coach with over 25 years of recovery and 10 years of recovery coaching experience. I also wrote the first book on how to be a recovery coach. And I train others on how to be a recovery coach as well as work with recovering individuals willing to remain sober and fix the collateral damage addiction has caused in their lives.

Every week I will be publishing a blog post on this site. Sometimes I’ll come across an interesting insight, post or article that I will share with you. More often I will write my own posts, based on my experience as a coach. Hopefully, these posts will be helpful for those I coach or for other recovery coaches, therapists or professionals in the addictions treatment field. I invite you to subscribe to my blog and have it automatically sent to your inbox every week. Subscription and comment forms are at the end of each blog post.

To kick off this new web site and blog, I thought I would look into the scientific proof of a classic recovery acronym HALT. Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. I was amazed that science backs up this ancient phrase, fully. Thanks to fMRI imaging, statistical and biological research, scientists have proven it is not good to make a decision when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

In my weekly posts, I will endeavor to offer good ideas for remaining sober. Besides adhering to the HALT concepts, I will suggest following good orderly direction (GOD), and you will have nothing to FEAR (Feelings Every Addict Rejects).

Yours in recovery,

Melissa Killeen

If you are interested in purchasing Melissa Killeen’s new book, click below.

Recovery Coaching
A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions

February 3, 2015