Treatment Overview
At EMS we believe that individuals who suffer from the disease of addiction not only need to change their habits of use but also change the way they function and succeed in their everyday lives. It is important to discover the source of sickness, while at the same time, building skills to live in the world substance-free.
We understand that it can be stressful to begin the journey to recovery. This important decision to move forward with substance management can bring up many emotions and challenges. The good news is we want to work with you on facing addiction, by building on skills you already have and developing new ones to help manage your substance use.
You don’t have to change everything in your life, but the more you try to hold on to your old way of living, the less well you will likely do. We need to manage our lives differently and, in order to do this effectively, a plan is needed. Recovering from substance use/abuse is not an event, but rather a journey.
Addictions treatment can come in many different forms. Overall, most patients need long-term care to meet their goals in terms of managing their substance use. Our treatment plans range from 4 months to one year with additional recovery management available as well.
Services offered:
Trauma Informed Practice
One of the first things that needs to be accepted in order to have a strong recovery is that you do not recover from an addiction just by stopping the use of your substance of choice. There is much more to this process and at Executive Medical Solutions we have a plan to help. Establishing a solid recovery comes from discovering the reason why you used it in the first place and exploring some of the areas of your life that may have caused you pain. This is an opportunity to recall significant factors that may have had an influence on your life. The intention is to notice what is there without judgment or criticism.
Sometimes looking at painful events can bring up emotions that you may not be comfortable with, but this is the time to allow yourself to experience these discomforts while surrounded by support from your counselor and other EMS staff. It is important that we determine the specific thoughts, emotions, events and circumstances that trigger the desire to use substances. Once we can identify these triggers, we can begin to explore better alternatives for responding to the triggering events.
Abstinence vs Harm Reduction
In Winnipeg, at Executive Medical Solutions addiction recovery does not mean abstinence. While some find abstaining to be a useful tactic, for others, a harm reduction model of substance use can be more effective.
The abstinence-based approach is rooted around those prone to relapse, whose addictive behavior is harmful, or during certain stages in the recovery process. Whereas, the harm reduction approach considers using moderation and management to reduce harmful consequences like medical complications and financial, legal or relationship consequences.
The end goal still surrounds four core principles. These are creating and sustaining motivation, managing urges to use, controlling thoughts, emotions, and actions, and Living a well-rounded life.
The 3 Stages of Recovery
As human beings we tend to be creatures of habit, and as such, change is difficult and often challenged. One of the things that is very clear in the field of addictions, is that the process of healing only begins with a willingness to change and try new ways of thinking and behaving.
It is helpful to consider the stages of recovery and to recognize that treatment is a process. Most individuals who have an addiction need to go systematically through the stages in order too effectively heal and remain free from the symptoms of the disease.
Stage 1: Safety and Security
Gaining control over your emotions, learning to cope with day-to-day problems, and protecting yourself from unhealthy situations to keep yourself substance-free and become a healthier individual.
Stage 2: Grieving
Once one is able to maintain stability free of substances, it is important to grieve the past and look at how you arrive at your addiction. This can be a timely process and it needs to be done compassionately and cautiously.
Stage 3: Reconnection
Once we have established safety and have resolved some of the issues we need to look at, reconnecting with the world in a healthy manner will come naturally. This is indeed an exciting part of the journey and a place that one can anticipate and look forward to. And so, recovery means a lot of different things
