Drug Rehab Blog

Most people don’t think of horses when it comes to addiction treatment.  At Cirque Lodge, horses are very much a unique and effective piece to alcohol and drug  rehab. Blended in with the traditional and clinical forms of rehabilitation,  Our experiential program has shown a very successful and life changing ability. The horses are a foundational piece to this experiential learning. The recovering alcohol/addict can have very intimate lessons in trust, communication, establishing boundaries and learning to ask for help. This all comes from working with horses.

Horse therapy in addiction treatment can be a process for the alcoholic/addict.  In this situation, the bigger, stronger, faster horse will not allow the individual to get their way. The process is putting aside the mindset and behaviors of addiction and utilizing a mindset that asks for help and establishes boundaries. This can be a process for some. However, in the end, a strong connection can be made between the individual and the horse.  

The interesting thing about the equine portion of Cirque Lodge is that it can have a varying effect on people. One individual may get a completely different experience out of it than another. Nonetheless the experiences still have a deep impact on the individual. It is a lesson that can be  used as a skill set in communication; things that can be used within the recovery process.

Treating alcoholism or drug addiction can be less effective with a generalized program.  Individuals can have specific needs when it comes to care. Some individuals can be dealing with traumatic experiences or suffering from grief, this is in addition to chemical dependency. Cirque Lodge looks to meet the needs of the individual with a personalized addiction treatment program.  This personalized treatment begins in admissions and is carried through a continuing care plan after the client leaves the facility.

At the core of all this is a focus on the individual. Those with cocaine addictions have different needs than those struggling with alcoholism. A business professional may require different levels of care than a college student. The Cirque Lodge approach is to thoroughly assess each individual when they are admitted into the addiction treatment program. This assessment is tailored into a treatment plan to address individual needs with the proper forms of alcohol and drug rehab therapies. This treatment plan is not set in stone. It is continually adjusted and tailored to meet the needs of the individual.

Therapy is also personalized for the client. One-on-one therapy sessions are provided throughout treatment. This is the environment for dealing with traumatic experiences and grief. Caring counselors are assigned to each client when they are admitted. They oversee the treatment plan, they provide the personal therapy, and they understand the client’s needs.  Cirque Lodge is committed to the highest levels of clinical care in an addiction treatment program. This is found through a personalized approach and the specific care of individuals.

Upon admission into the Cirque Lodge addiction treatment program, each resident is assigned a counselor. Cirque counselors are licensed and certified for the highest elements of addiction therapy. They work with residents in different programs, workshops and lectures. Most importantly, counselors work with each individual resident in a one-on-one personal setting. Not all struggles and addiction related problems are meant to be shared in group. Personal one-on-one sessions are an ideal environment for discussing and dealing with the underlying conditions of addiction.

Counselors make up just a part of a very dedicated addiction treatment staff here at Cirque Lodge. Our staff meets together throughout each day to discuss residents, and how to better improve the experience for each individual resident. The addiction treatment counselor is oftentimes an integral piece to the more intensive elements of therapy. They work with residents during family week, and provide needed counsel to the family for the recovery process. We always strive to find the most dedicated and devoted individuals as our primary counselors. Their commitment to care reflects our commitment to providing the very best from an alcohol or drug recovery center.

Yoga and other elements of exercise are offered to individuals in addiction treatment at Cirque Lodge.  In addition to traditional rehabilitation efforts and our experiential program, exercise helps with physical recovery and is an excellent recovery strategy. Yoga is a healthy practice of balancing body, mind and spirit. This balance can be a positive for the recovery process. Exercise can replace the cravings brought on by the addiction with positive physical aspects that are healthy.

Time is set aside each day for residents to participate in physical recovery. Residents can work with a personal trainer, or get a work out in our exercise facilities. Experiential work is a foundational part of Cirque’s addiction treatment program and also provides needed physical recovery. During the week, residents can participate in yoga classes as well. Staying active with exercise can be a powerful relapse prevention tool.

Alcohol and drug addiction can be quite damaging to an individuals physical well being. A lot of individuals enter rehab in pretty bad shape, in body, mind and spirit.  Yoga, exercise and experiential work help on many fronts. It brings a balance to the individual. It provides physical fitness and helps in building wellness. It provides a tool for the recovery process. Addiction treatment is a balance of a lot of things. Our hope is that it prepares individuals for a long term and successful recovery.

Cirque Lodge offers addiction treatment in the most private of settings. The serenity and the privacy of the mountains just seem to be an ideal location for alcohol and drug rehab. Individuals can anonymously enroll and receive effective treatment and care for alcoholism and drug addiction problems. Resident confidentiality is at the forefront of our facility and treatment is personalized to supply this confidentiality. Both Lodge and Studio locations of the Cirque are on private property and free from outside influences.

A private setting provides a safe haven away from the struggles of the outside world. The individual can leave those things behind them and focus on getting well again and the addiction treatment program. For those in need of the very highest levels of privacy, Cirque offers personal accommodations. The 12th tradition of 12-step program emphasizes anonymity in all of recovery. We allow our clients to have an anonymous treatment stay and treat them as an individual in need of an addiction program.

Alcohol and drug rehab at Cirque Lodge consists of many different elements. This effective balance provides the things needed for proper rehabilitation and the recovery process. Balanced into this addiction treatment approach is the use of experiential activities and a spiritual focus on recovery. The alcohol or drug rehab program is sensitive to the needs of the individual. Each resident works through their own program, with their own personal treatment counselor. Personal one-on-one therapies are used to address the concerns of each individual.

Group and family elements are introduced as a part of addiction treatment. This can help the individual to build support for the recovery process. The family program instructs family members on ways they can provide a supportive home environment. The alcoholic/addict must always know they are never alone with their problems. There is always help and support available. Cirque Lodge is based on a 12-step modality, and continuing the 12-steps after alcohol and drug rehab is an effective measure for a lasting sobriety.

The use of experiential activities provides a completely different light to addiction treatment. It makes the entire experience a little more enjoyable and meaningful. Indoor and outdoor activities are used to teach recovery lessons. The alcoholic/addict benefits and learns from the experience. A large part of this is the use of nature and our mountain environment. Residents can find answers for their problems in the spirit and serenity of nature. It can speak peace to the chaos that is drug addiction or alcoholism. Experiential activities teach concepts of the 12-step program and also lessons for life. It provides a unique and effective balance to our addiction treatment program.

At Cirque Lodge, we personalize therapies to meet resident needs. The alcoholism or drug addiction can be a result of medicating away more deeply rooted issues. Individuals can be suffering in many different ways. Personal one-on-one therapy is provided to get to the heart of these matters. This creates a therapeutic environment for addressing traumatic experiences, or individuals who are grieving in some from. This plays a part with the other elements of alcohol and drug rehab to provide an overall effective recovery experience.

Another reason to personalize the program is to treat the individual on the level they require. Each person comes from a different walk of life. What they need from an addiction treatment program can be different. A mother of four from the East Coast with a prescription problem can have very different requirements than a college student from Texas. Personalizing the program gives each of these cases exactly what they need from a treatment standpoint.

Personalizing care also can help individuals with 12-step recovery. Once again, you are dealing with different individuals and their views on spirituality. We are sensitive to this. The program is tailored to help residents find the best course to their higher power and a greater spiritual plane. This is one of the reasons we use the mountain and nature. Individuals are invited to make their own connections to a power greater than their own, however they conceive that power.

Where Cirque Lodge takes a little different approach to alcohol and drug rehab is with our experiential program. Experiential activities are used in part with the more intensive elements of addiction treatment and therapy. Cirque Lodge provides an active approach to the recovery process. The alcoholic/addict can develop skills they need for dealing addiction through hands on developmental and therapeutic activities. Experiential work can challenge the mindset of addiction. The individual in rehab learns ways to deal with their behavior and can develop support from others.

The integral element to experiential work comes from the experiences themselves. At Cirque, we want to give those in alcohol and drug rehab every opportunity at an internal, spiritual change. Nature, horses, and the mountain are used in teaching concepts of the 12-step program. These concepts are based in find and reconnecting to one’s higher power. Such spiritual experiences can be a change in conviction. The mindset to seek and use drugs or alcohol is replaced with new influences. Residents are given time on the mountain to think, reflect and make those connections to a power greater than their own.

Experiential work also provides a fun and enjoyable element to addiction treatment. Let’s be honest, overcoming addiction is a challenge, and parts of treatment and therapy are intensive and difficult. A chance to get out on the mountain every day, can give the alcoholic/addict time to reflect on things and make those important life changing decisions. It can show the individual ways they can have fun in their sobriety, and show them activities they can perform to stay connected to a higher power.

Those who struggle with addiction can also struggle with other conditions. Psychiatric disorders are a major influence on the development of a chemical dependency. The delicate chemical structure of the central nervous system is affected by the disorder. When addictive chemicals are introduced, the disorder can take on a whole new life. Drugs and alcohol are used to suppress the feelings spurred on by the disorder, and in no time at all, the individual has developed a chemical dependency to the substance. Alcohol and drug rehab can offer treatments for the addiction and also the disorder.

The addiction treatment program at Cirque Lodge is dual diagnosis. The program is tailored to help individuals on their own level. Those suffering from a mood disorder (depression, anxiety, bi polar) are provided a treatment plan that addresses this condition. This is offered as a piece to an already highly effective addiction treatment element. Addiction and disorders are similar in make up. They are not conditions that are fixed, they are simply recovered from. The program used helps with arresting these conditions and surrounding the individual with all the measures of loving support.

Each treatment day at Cirque Lodge helps residents with taking responsibility and helping them with structure. The day starts with breakfast and then is followed by a community meeting. Community gets the residents focused on the addiction treatment day. It starts with a meditation and then the schedule is discussed. Residents are accountable for their attendance to what is scheduled. The structure helps them focus on the alcohol or drug rehab program they are undertaking.

Alcoholism and drug addiction brings with it a lot of chaos. There are no boundaries left to cross and the alcoholic/addict never takes responsibility for their actions. The structure of addiction treatment helps to establish boundaries. As each resident works through their program, they begin to see the need to take responsibility in their lives outside of rehab. These are things needed for the recovery process. Accountability to ones self, the group, family and even higher power can be integral to successful and long term sobriety.