Cognitive Restructuring

[RN0441]

I learned about this last night from my therapist and thought I'd share.

Actually, I think it's the easy child term for "brainwashing".

As many of you know our son is in a long term (13 month) faith based program. He has done MANY short term rehabs and did okay for a while but not long term. I never really saw a big change in him like I have always known has to happen. I always knew in my gut that he was not done with it all even though he thought he was.

My therapist is an addictions specialist which is key for me to better understand what we are dealing with and my role in all of this.

She feels that long term cognitive restructuring is what is happening to my son now and is the best chance for him to be successful. I had told my son many years ago before I even knew much about addiction that he really needed to change and I never saw how that was even possible; his thinking was so skewed that it was frightening and did not line up in any way with how he was raised or how our other boys live their lives.

I'm hoping that letting his brain literally be forced a full year without drug use will enable this to happen and I know that some here have had success with this so I'm hoping that it the case for us too.

 

[New Leaf]

I so hope and pray this works for your son, RN.
I am thinking that with going through the horrors of addiction with our loved ones we all need a bit of “cognitive restructuring”, learning how to rebuild and strengthen ourselves for whatever the future may bring.
The ups and downs and sideways of this can be so stressful.
It is as much a journey for us, as well as them.
Learning new ways to deal with everything that comes along with loving an addict.
It is tough stuff.
Prayers for all of us and our beloveds to seek and find our purpose, meaning and potential.
(((Hugs)))
Leafy

 

[Sam3]

I have been following along and I am so glad that your son has backed himself into this good long chance, RN.
I agree that time is the best gift they can receive.

I’ve often wished I could Matt Damon my son to Mars to allow time for his brain to heal and mature.

As for me, I’m pretty confident that I’ve restructured my cognition, to accept that this is our territory, and that comes with many hard times and hard choices.

I think I might be in need of cardiac resuscitation, though.

The heart has its limits. I can’t tell whether mine have been irrevocably breached, or whether my heart is in hibernation. And I’m only slightly curious at the moment, which.

 

[Littleboylost]

RN
My son will be entering into the same type of program. It is not faith bases but farm based. Although it is miles from nowhere to encourage the attendees to stay some have been know to book it out on foot even in the dead of winter. Addiction is a terrible beast.

I do think it is such a good sign that your son is staying put.

This is not an easy task for him I am sure. It will be his best chance.

Knowing you and learning your story made me push for nothing but a long term program for my son. It is their only hope. I beleive their are those that dabble in drugs and lose their way and there’re sre those that have true upregulation of mental and physical addiction. My son is in the latter of these groups. Like you I had this intuitive sense from the start.

Best of visits to you. I do hope it goes very well.