Drug Rehab Blog

Recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is a process and not an event. An individual must continue to work at their sobriety and manage their lives in a way that makes the lifestyle easier to maintain. There is help along the way for this process. It comes in many forms. Prior to leaving alcohol or drug rehab at Cirque Lodge, each resident works with the aftercare staff on a Continuing Care Plan. This is a plan of action for the recovery process. It provides a continuance of treatment and care and programming according to what the resident needs.

Central to this plan is continuing to work on the 12-steps of recovery. Cirque Lodge will coordinate with local recovery groups of a resident’s community and prepare the way for them to get involved in meetings. This includes working with sponsor and being a part of different group efforts. Some individuals can require a transition period before going back to their day-to-day lives. They may need a sober living environment or companion. Prior to leaving alcohol or drug rehab, these elements can be coordinated to make the transition simple. Additional therapy groups and personal therapies are also prescribed through a resident’s Continuing Care Plan when required.

The Continuing Care Plan is solid measure of relapse prevention. However, it is still voluntary and up to the individual whether they take part in this recovery effort. Members of the Cirque Staff and counselors will provide follow-up services with former clients to see if there is anything else that is needed to help with the recovery process.  In time, and with a personal sacrifice, the choice of sobriety can become second nature. The recovered alcoholic/addict can then continue to work their 12-step process by assisting others to achieve the same.

Not all parts of Cirque Lodge’s indoor ropes course are high climbing elements. Some ropes activities take place on the floor of the giant 17,000 foot sound stage that houses the climbing and challenge course. These low ropes activities are intended to challenge some of the cognitive functions that are affected by alcoholism or addiction. Simple things like logs, bricks, ropes, tires and boards are all used to challenge individuals with problem solving exercises. Some require the support and help of the group to accomplish the task.

Part of this process is to get the individual to ask for help in some way. This can also help the individual in recognizing whether they take the lead in these problems or are better as someone who takes instruction. Through a difficult process, the group can get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ and can accomplish the task at hand with help and support. These activities are usually completed with a sit down discussion. Residents can discuss what they learned from the exercise, and how it applies to the recovery process. The balance of exercises with Cirque’s experiential program provides a very effective learning experience.

Treatment within the Cirque Lodge program takes on many forms. An entire spectrum of programs is needed in providing the alcoholic/addict with what they need for recovery. This week is dedicated to helping the residents of Cirque Lodge and their family members. Family Week is a very important and special part of the programming. It helps to educate the family member on their all important role in the recovery process. It also gives the resident and family a chance to address their concerns with licensed professionals.

Each day of Family Week provides a different array of workshops, activities and therapy. On this, the opening day of the family program, the workshops are geared to better educate family members on the nature of addiction. In the morning there is an introductions workshop where family members discuss codependency and its influence in the behaviors of alcoholism and drug addiction. Lectures are also provided to address the disease concept of addiction, thw family system and enabling, and the importance of aftercare.

Special sit down sessions are also arranged for family members and their loved ones. Process groups are used to address a number of struggles and provide help and support from other families who are attending the program. Each resident’s primary counselor will also schedule personal family sessions during this week. For a lot of alcoholics and addicts facing their family is a difficult struggle. Family Week at Cirque Lodge strives to make this process a therapeutic one. The hope is that in the long run it can be tool for continued successful sobriety.

Cirque Lodge offers a very private and exclusive addiction treatment and rehab program for its residents. We understand that for some individuals the utmost of privacy and discretion is needed for their recovery experience. This is provided in a quiet mountain Lodge and a private accommodation. It is taken even farther with a confidential, personalized alcoholism or drug rehab program. It is facility and treatment experience that is effective and sensitive to individual needs.

The facilities offer fine living for residents during their treatment stay as well. The process of overcoming alcohol and drugs is quite difficult on its own; the facility shouldn’t be. No expense has been spared in providing residents with a facility that is homelike, and at the same time, unlike anyplace they have ever been before. When coming down from drug or alcohol addiction, one can be taken through an emotional rollercoaster. The different amenities that Cirque Lodge offers can be influential in reducing unwanted stress and dealing with addiction withdrawal.

 One part to Cirque Lodge that makes it a special place for those seeking recovery from alcoholism or drug abuse is the dedicated staff. The treatment, experiential activities and nice facilities wouldn’t be what they are without the commitment of the staff. From when the client is admitted to when they are discharged, they are surrounded by a knowledgeable, experienced and supportive team of treatment professionals. Cirque Lodge offers a facility with privacy and world class comfort. It is also a place where many find lasting recovery with the assistance of a dedicated and effective treatment program.

Residents of Cirque Lodge are provided some nice comforts during their alcohol and drug rehab stay. One of these comforts is a delicious culinary experience. The Cirque kitchen is staffed with culinary experts who provide a number of well balanced meal options for residents. The food reflects that of a luxury and exclusive mountain retreat.  Residents are treated to three meals each day, and the kitchen is always open for a snack or a drink. The culinary experience is a part of Cirque Lodge that is highly praised by those who have graduated the program.

These meals are also play a part in treatment and recovery from addiction. Alcoholism and drug addiction has a negative impact on a person’s physical well being. Many who enter treatment are undernourished and in need of nutrients to replenish their body. The fresh and delicious meal options are well balanced, and snacks all provide needed nutrients. Sometimes residents can have special dietary needs and our kitchen staff can prepare options to meet these needs. With proper notice kosher, diabetic and vegetarian options can be prepared for clients.

The dining area at the Lodge and Studio are equipped with large floor to ceiling windows. These provide very stunning views of our surrounding mountains. Residents can enjoy a delicious meal while taking in the special spirit that these majestic mountains offer. It can be difficult entering into an alcohol or drug rehab program for the first time. At Cirque, we strive to make the resident feel welcome and comfortable in their surroundings. The culinary experience provided definitely adds to this level of comfort to those seeking a lasting recovery from their addictions.

After being in treatment for a time at Cirque Lodge, residents are given the chance to begin attending 12-step meetings.  Being involved with a 12-step fellowship is a strong foundation of courage, guidance and support for the recovery process. Those who are new to the 12-step program and sobriety are assigned a sponsor to help them with working the steps of recovery. Cirque Lodge residents work with a temporary sponsor during their time in alcohol and drug rehab. A sponsor is an individual who is in successful recovery who is experienced in working the program and sober living in general.

When treatment is completed, an aftercare plan is set into action to help with the recovery process. Aftercare staff seeks out appropriate 12-step fellowships for the graduates of the Cirque Lodge program. This is based on their home community or whether they are choosing a new sober start somewhere else. In this case, a new sponsor is assigned to help and support the individual fresh out of rehab.  This can be a vital crutch in preventing relapse. The initial stages following treatment can be the most critical.

Treatment is a foundation for getting an alcoholic or addict onto sober paths. However, it is the personal commitment of that individual and many times the dedication of their sponsor that help them find lasting sobriety. Overcoming the struggles of alcoholism and addiction is a long term process. It begins with treatment to put the disease into remission. After treatment, the individual must continue to work and set boundaries for themselves to obtain a lasting sobriety. This process is made a little easier with the continuing help and influence of a dedicated sponsor and working towards a life changing experience.

Alcohol and drugs are sometimes used as a means to medicate away other issues and problems. It is used as a way to numb away traumatic experiences or grievances. In the long run this abuse can lead to a chemical dependency to the substance. The difficulty is that the problems with the trauma and grief are still ever present. At Cirque Lodge, treatment is used to address the chemical dependency. This is accompanied with caring therapies to address the underlying struggles of addiction.

This process begins with the individual. The struggles of addiction and underlying struggles are assessed in a case-by-case basis. Clients of the Cirque are provided a licensed treatment professional to oversee their efforts in alcohol or drug rehab. This professional counselor is also the individual who works personally with them in addressing the underlying concerns with personalized therapy. Both of these elements require a recovery effort to overcome. Caring therapies in a healing environment can be what is needed to addressing these internal struggles and finding solutions for recovery.

Accompanied with this effort is support. The addict/alcoholic is never alone in their struggles, either with the addiction or the underlying struggles. Prior to leaving treatment at Cirque Lodge, a plan is developed for the recovery process. The alcoholic/addict continues their recovery effort through continued therapies to address the underlying concerns. These things do take time to overcome, just like the addiction. With the efforts of continuing the recovery process one can find healing solutions for the underlying struggles and a long term sobriety.

The experiential program at Cirque Lodge gives residents in alcohol and drug rehab a different approach to recovery. Experiential activities give individuals a chance to apply what they have learned with the traditional efforts of rehab. At Cirque Lodge, residents are started on the path of the 12-step process. This includes the traditional elements to the 12-step program that are combined with the more intensive developments of cognitive and behavioral therapies. With the experiential program they are given a number of venues for applying these elements to their lives.

Venues like a ropes course, a horse arena and many spots in nature are utilized for developing skills for the recovery process. The 12-step program is spiritually based, and the mountain provides a venue for this type of work.  Members of our experiential team will take residents out onto the mountain and give them opportunities for spiritual connection. Experiential activities also provide cognitive teaching for the mental processes. Working on ropes course challenges or with horses is accompanied with lessons on how they apply to the cognitions of the addicted mindset, and more importantly how to overcome them.

Experiential activities also provide an element of fun and excitement to alcohol and drug rehab. The clinical parts to the addiction treatment program can be quite intensive. Experiential time can be used as a release from the rigorous parts of therapy and recovery work. After the completion of rehab, similar activities to the experiential work can be used as positive recovery tools. Those in recovery can find the joys in their sobriety and ways to have fun without the need for drugs or alcohol.

Addiction treatment at Cirque Lodge is tailored to meet the needs of the individual. How this comes about is with a thorough assessment process upon admission. A huge battery of tests and examinations are used to determine individual needs. A multiphase inventory is utilized in determining traits within the individual. This also can provide insight into an individual’s vulnerabilities and areas of need from therapies. This assessment is then used in creating a treatment plan and assigning members of staff to that particular case.

The alcohol and drug rehab program at Cirque Lodge is a balance of many kinds of treatment, therapy and activity. Much of this is emphasized on individual needs. Members of staff work personally with clients throughout their treatment stay. Primary counselors work one-on-one with clients to address any underlying struggles with caring therapies. At Cirque, we feel an internal change is needed. A personalized approach to treatment allows the individual to come to terms with their struggles. 

Resident needs change during their drug rehab stay. Once individuals begin to work the process of recovery, these needs can be greatly modified by personal progress and maintaining sobriety. The personalized approach to Cirque Lodge is continually tailored to meet the needs of the individual and to prepare them for a long term recovery. Once again, members of staff work closely with residents to help them with this progress and in developing the skills needed for a life of sobriety.

Today the Cirque Lodge helicopter was used as a part of the experiential program. The weather was nice and it was ideal for taking residents on a private flight.  The helicopter flight is a unique piece to alcohol and drug rehab at Cirque Lodge. Residents who are working on their 3rd step of recovery are given a chance to take a trip into the mountains within this luxury flying machine. Nature and the beautiful landscape are seen from an entirely different point of view.

The 3rd step focuses on turning one’s will over to a higher power. At Cirque, the mountain is used as a safe haven for making connection to a power greater than one’s own. The Cirque helicopter lands upon a remote ridge in the mountains and residents are given some time to themselves for meditation and spiritual connections. It can be quite the process to turn a will over to a higher power. One can need spiritual experiences and an internal change to accomplish such a thing. At Cirque Lodge, activities like the helicopter flights and excursions into the mountains strive to provide such experiences.

A top this mountain peak, residents are encouraged to leave a promise or message. They take markers and pens and leave these promises on the stones of the mountain. In the beginning the stones were piled into a small cairn.  With the expansion and growth of the Cirque drug rehab program, the stone cairn of promises has become quite the impressive mound. Some leave messages of hope for themselves, their higher power or a loved one. Some are humorous, some are serious, but all have intended messages of recovery. It is the combination of these unique things with the traditional parts of addiction treatment that makes the Cirque such an engaging recovery program.