The SEA’s Model of Recovery from Alcohol
and/or Substance Use Disorders
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Treatment for Alcohol & Substance Use Disorders A Training Resource
By Jim Messina, Ph.D., CCMHC, NCC, DCMHS-T
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Prologue:
Before you review what the SEA's program for recovery from Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders has to offer, watch this video from Johann Hari entitled: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong at: http://go.ted.com/bHNk
If you would like to read more about what Hari had discovered in his research on the subject of addicition have a look at his book: Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs available on B&N by Clicking Here
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SEA’s Model of Recovery
The SEA's Model come from the Tools for Coping Series by Jim Messina available on www.coping.us.
The Tools for Coping are:
- The SEA’s (Self-Esteem Seekers' Anonymous) Manual
- Laying the Foundation
- Tools for Handling Loss
- Tools for Personal Growth
- Tools for Relationships
- Tools for Communications
- Tools for Anger Workout
- Tools for Handling Control Issues
- Growing Down-Tools for Healing the Inner Child
- Tools for a Balanced Lifestyle
The Self-Esteem Seekers Anonymous model of recovery is very applicable to people with alcohol and/or substance use disorders.
- The model is a set of tools which make recovery a workable process for anyone committed to making changes in life
- The SEA’s 12 Step Model is built after the AA 12 Step Model
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The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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The 12 Steps of the SEA’s Program
1. We admitted that we were powerless over the behavioral consequences of our low self‑esteem; that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that our self‑esteem could heal and grow by our cooperating with a power greater than ourselves who is our Higher Power.
3. We made a decision to develop a spiritual life in which our wills and lives would be open to the healing graces of our Higher Power.
4. We made a searching and fearless inventory of our strengths and achievements as well as of our weaknesses and failures.
5. We admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to others the exact nature of our strengths and weaknesses and of our achievements and failures.
6. We were entirely ready to assist our Higher Power to affirm our positive and remove our negative behavioral traits.
7. We humbly asked our Higher Power to give us the strength to let go of our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such persons whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or ourselves.
10. We continued to take a personal inventory and affirmed our goodness while promptly admitting our wrongs.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, praying for knowledge of what we are capable of becoming and the power to carry this out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening or renewal as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others hurting from low self‑esteem and to practice these principles in our life.
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THE SEA’S TOOLS FOR RECOVERY
TEA System
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
ACTIONS
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T Thoughts
First, you need to analyze your thoughts about your life and identify all irrational and unrealistic beliefs, thinking, or ideas which are at the root of your alcohol and/or substance use disorder and other problems in your life. Once you have identified the "sick'' thoughts, then you need to replace them with healthier, more rational, and realistic thinking, beliefs and ideas. It is at this point that you begin to develop daily self-affirmations which encourage you on the road to recovery from alcohol and/or substance use disorder.
E - Emotions
Second, after your thoughts have become healthier, more rational, and realistic, you then need to identify all of your "sick'' emotions and feelings which were based on your old "sick'' thoughts and then integrate your "new'' healthier thoughts with your emotions and feelings. That way you have healthier, more rational and realistic emotional and feeling responses to your life and you begin to feel better about yourself and your ability to handle your alcohol and/or substance use disorder. It is at this point that you work at incorporating the self-affirmations you have been telling yourself and experience feelings of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-deservedness.
A - Actions
Third, only after you have altered your “sick” thoughts and “sick” emotions can you change your “sick”actions and behaviors. Once you have developed a healthier, more rational, and realistic thinking and emotional life, you can take actions and exhibit behaviors which are healthier, more rational and realistic and result in increased recovery from your alcohol and/or substance use disorder and result in a healthier lifestyle of coping.
WARNING: You cannot change your actions or behaviors before you have changed your emotional and feeling responses to your alcohol and/or substance use disorder. When people change their actions because it is the “correct” thing to do without feelings which go along with them, then their recovery falls flat and dies. You need to change your thoughts and emotions before your actions become “authentic” and have greater “staying” power.
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ALERT System
ASSESS
LESSEN
EASE OUT
RELAX
TAKE STEPS
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ASSESS
1.Stop what you are doing
2.Try to figure out what is causing your stress, or desire to use or abuse alcohol and/or other substances
ASSESS: Identify Alcohol and/or Substance Use Thinking
- It is my right to use alcohol and/or drugs
- I do not have problem with alcohol and/or drugs
- I do not hurt anyone by my use of alcohol and/or drugs
- Alcohol and/or drugs help me relax
- Alcohol and/or drug use has not hurt me so far so why worry about it
LESSEN
1.Identify what thinking needs to be changed
2.Think about what you are doing
3.Hold your tongue until you can figure out what is the right thing to do
LESSEN: Identify what is unhealthy in your thinking
- It is my right to use alcohol and/or drugs – BUT it is illegal to use drugs and if you are underage it is illegal to use alcohol and they cost money to get which money you often have to commit crimes to get
- I do not have problem with alcohol and/or drugs – BUT Drugs and alcohol are addictive and I could be building up to becoming an addict
- I do not hurt anyone by my use of alcohol and/or drugs– BUT I could be hurting myself by use of alcohol and/or drugs
- Alcohol and/or drugs help me relax– BUT Alcohol and drugs affect my body in unhealthy ways
- Alcohol and/or drug use has not hurt me so far so why worry about it – BUT I have no idea what alcohol and drug use is currently doing to my body and brain.
EASE
1.Identify what new thinking you need to get out of this stress you are feeling
2.Decide what you need to be doing to accomplish the goal you want to accomplish
EASE: identify new messages to ease out of the unhealthy thinking
It is my right to use alcohol and/or drugs
- NEW MESSAGE: It is my right to take care of my body and my health and prevent from getting sick.
I do not have problem with alcohol and/or drugs
- NEW MESSAGE: To prevent from having any problems in the future I will avoid abusing and over using alcohol and drugs.
I do not hurt anyone by my use of alcohol and/or drugs
- NEW MESSAGE: I will prevent hurting others in my pursuit of alcohol and drugs by eliminating over use and abuse of them.
Alcohol and/or drugs help me relax
- NEW MESSAGE: I will find new ways to relax and enjoy life which do not require the use of alcohol or drugs.
Alcohol and/or drug use has not hurt me so far so why worry about it
- NEW MESSAGE: I chose not to be in denial about the negative affects of alcohol and drugs and commit to no longer over using and abusing them.
RELAX
1.Relax, slow your self down
2.Breath in and breath out - take five deep breaths
RELAX: Use self-affirmations, to relax stress and anxiety to use
- It is my right to take care of my body and my health and prevent from getting sick.
- I will avoid abusing and over using alcohol and drugs to prevent from having any problems in the future.
- I will prevent hurting others in my pursuit of alcohol and drugs by eliminating over use and abuse of them.
- I will find new ways to relax and enjoy life which do not require the use of alcohol or drugs.
- I chose not to be in denial about the negative affects of alcohol and drugs and commit to no longer over using and abusing them.
TAKE STEPS
1.Decide what you need to do to best get you out of this stress
2.Decide what you need to do to get you to the goal you want
3.Do what you have planned in this process
TAKE STEPS: Identify steps to insure you will not over use
- I will avoid people, places, and situations, which lead me to consider the use or abuse of alcohol and drugs.
- I will focus on maintaining a healthy body.
- I will find alternative ways of relaxing and entertaining myself.
- I will find alternative outlets when I am feeling bored or restless.
- I will seek the support of others when I am feeling the desire to use or abuse alcohol and drugs.
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ANGER System
ACCEPT
NAME IT
GET IT OUT
ENERGIZE
RELEASE
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ACCEPT you are angry
- Do not deny your anger
- Give up your denial & get in touch with your negative emotions
- Face your anger head on!
NAME IT
- Name the trigger of your anger which would lead you to use or abuse substances to get rid of this feeling
- Figure out what is going on to get you so angry
- Try to name the unresolved old anger that this current trigger is bringing up for you
GET IT OUT
Get it out of your system by:
- Yelling silently in your head about what is making you angry and why it leads to your desire to use alcohol and/or substances
- Screaming in your head at your object of anger
- Writing down in a journal what your angry at and then reading it over and over again until you are no longer angry about it
ENERGIZE
After you aggressively ventilated and experienced an emotional release of the anger
- You will energize yourself to feel calmer, more relaxed, less anxious, less tense and less stressed
- Which emotional release will make you relaxed enough to not go back and use or abuse alcohol and/or substances
RESUME
Once your anger is out & you are energized
- You can resume your involvement with the person or situation, which was stimulus for your anger
- You now will be able to deal with the person or situation in a calm, cool, rational manner and not need to use or abuse alcohol and/or substances to maintain your cool
ANGER Journal Entry
- Accept: In your jourjal identify what got you so angry that you used substances to chill out:
- Name it: In your your jouranl, identify what was really getting you so upset and angry at the time:
- Get it out: in your jouranal rant and rave how upset you were with people, situations, or conditions, which were source of your anger:
- Energize: exercise your rights and in your journal identify what you could have done differently in situation in which you used or abused alcohol or other substances:
- Resume: In your journal make a commitment to use ANGER System to rid self of anger so you do not resort to alcohol and/or other substances to calm yourself.
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LET GO System
LIGHTEN NEED
EXERCISE RIGHTS
TAKE STEPS
GIVE UP CONTROL
ORDER LIFE
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THE LET GO SYSTEM
- Lighten the Pressure to control and have things in life be the way you want them rather than the way they really are
- Exercise Your Right to let go of control over what you cannot change or control
- Take Steps to accept your personal responsibility for your own life and to let go of complaining about how life is supposed to be
- Give up the Need to control people, places, and conditions and take responsibility to control just your thinking, feeling and behaving
- Order Your Life by stop blaming and controlling and grow in inner peace and serenity
LET GO Journal Writing
- Identify situations you cannot change or control:
- Identify people you cannot change or control:
- Identify places or conditions you cannot change or control:
- Identify behaviors you engage in by which you try to control and change the uncontrollable and unchangeable people, places, and situations in your life and state if they are successful in doing the control and changing which you want:
- Identify alcohol and/or other substances behaviors you engage in when you cannot control and change other people, places or situations in your life:
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CHIILD System
CALM
HEAL
INFORM
LIGHTEN
DIRECT
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CALM DOWN
Gain a healthy, rational & realistic outlook on what is happening to when you are depressed, lost, hopeless and ready to give up which could lead you to use or abuse alcohol and/or other substances.
Journal work:
Identify situations in which you have felt abandoned, isolated, neglected or forgotten and you were ready to give up on yourself so you used or abused alcohol and/or other substances:
HEAL
Through self-affirmation and self-direction tell yourself to carry on in life with your goals to achieve so you can use your goals as your road map to success
Journal work:
Identify what can you do in situations to make yourself feel relaxed, calm and motivated to keep on trying without the use of alcohol and/or other substances:
INFORM:
Inform yourself about your positive attributes competencies, skills and abilities to help you handle any crisis, challenge, or tribulation which comes your way
Journal work:
Identify what messages do you need to give to yourself when you were feeling down, forgotten, neglected, or abandoned so you will not resort to using alcohol and/or other substances to help you feel better about yourself:
LOVE:
Love yourself unconditionally so that you do not lose faith in yourself, so that you are strong enough to handle any disappointment, failure or setback, which comes your way
Journal work:
List your positive competencies, skills, abilities and attributes which you can rely upon as a shield from over use and abuse of alcohol and/or other substances when you are feeling badly about yourself:
DIRECT:
Direct your thinking and emotions so that you do not allow yourself in future to fall into self-pity or self-destructiveness so you can overcome any sense of loneliness, abandonment, or being forgotten which comes your way
Journal work:
What thinking do you need to change so that you do not lose faith and trust in yourself and to keep your from resorting to use of alcohol and/or other substances to make you feel better about yourself:
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RELAPSE System
RECOGNIZE
EXERCISE
LEARN
ACT
PROTECT
SUPPORT
EVALUATE
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RECOGNIZE:
Recognize when you are in relapse and gone back into the old pattern of unhealthy thinking, feeling and acting in relationship to alcohol and/or other substances
Identify what is “sick” in your current thinking, emotions and actions
Journal work:
Identify what thoughts do you need to keep from coming back into your head, which would cause you to think in an unhealthy way about alcohol and/or other substances:
ESCAPE:
Escape – Use the ALERT system to assess, brainstorm, organize, relax and take action to escape from your current relapse of thinking, emotions or actions
Journal work:
Identify what feelings come over you, which can lead to unhealthy or “sick“ emotions, which could result in you experiencing a relapse event such as resorting back to alcohol and/or other substances:
LEARN:
Learn – once you have escaped your relapsing thoughts, emotions and/or actions, you need to learn what variables let to this relapse event
Journal work:
Identify what actions you fall into which end up leading to relapse events with alcohol and/or other substances use?
ACT:
Act – Once you learn what leads to your relapse events you need to make plans and act to modify your current efforts at recovery by fine-tuning your thoughts, emotions and actions
Journal work:
Name triggers which lead to your desire to relapse with alcohol and/or other substances:
PROTECT:
Protect – to keep yourself from repeating the same type of relapse events you need to protect yourself by developing new self-affirmations and self-scripts which recognize it is human to fall back into old habits of thoughts, emotions and actions and to GET BACK ON THE WAGON OF RECOVERY
Journal work:
Identify what affirmations you need which can keep you from relapsing back to your old alcohol and/or substance use:
SUPPORT:
Support – seek support from your friends and 12 Step recovery teammates and review what happened in your relapse events and sort out what you need to change or modify in your recovery efforts to avoid such relapse events in the future
Journal work:
Identify people who will be great support people who will help you from relapsing in your use of alcohol and/or other substances.
EVALUATE:
Evaluate – continuously evaluate your thoughts, emotions and actions for old “sick” patterns – keep vigilant and alert for signs potential relapse into alcohol and/or other substance use
Journal Work:
Identify in your journal: how well am I doing in my recovery efforts and what changes do I need to make to insure that I do not relapse when I return home or when I am faced with challenging events in my life:
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