Health & Wellness for Life
It is quite obvious that people turn to alcohol and drugs to feel good, or at least to feel better than they naturally feel. Although temporary, the alleviation of stress, anxiety, depression and even physical pain has a powerful allure. Most often, when someone is seeking help for substance abuse, the focus is only on the mental and emotional aspects of the addiction. The St. Gregory Retreat Centers are breaking new ground in understanding the importance of the physical aspects of addiction! Decades of research is finally culminating in the awareness that many of the mental and emotional difficulties in life, especially considering the damage caused by addicitons, are directly impacted by physical issues.
As “world-renowned” functional medicine physician Dr. Patrick Flynn describes: “the body is like a Swiss watch, where the gears, just like each body system, is interrelated to the other. If one malfunctions, it impacts multiple other areas and overall function.”
Each of these issues can create the opportunity for chemical imbalances in bodily and brain chemistry, one of the underlying causes of cravings, relapse and ultimately creating barriers to recovery.
The only way any program can identify and address these issues is to provide extensive assessment and testing of these body systems; physically and cognitively. The St Gregory Recovery Program© is the only program today that not only provides such comprehensive assessments and testing, but also unique programs for healing and world-class recovery – the “new standard for recovery in America.”
In some cases, even before you enter St Gregory Centers, you will complete a Functional Assessment Questionnaire that identifies of all of your body systems. This assessment will also provide indicators for our medical staff of areas of concern that may need further testing.
When you arrive at St Gregory you will go through a full history and physical by our medical staff. In addition, blood work and urine analysis (UA) will be done to identify any other areas that may need to be addressed. (Don’t worry, we assume the UA will be positive for the drugs you have been abusing)
In addition, you will complete a Neurotransmitter Assessment that has been developed to identify possible areas of chemical imbalances based on your substance of choice and how your body responds. In week six you will take an additional neurotransmitter test to direct your plan for returning home.
Research has also found that up to 50% of people that have abused alcohol or drugs have suffered some level of measurable cerebral dysfunction or cognitive impairment (Butters & Cermak, 1980; Grant et al., 1978). To identify if you or a loved one has suffered any impairment, the patient will take a Multidimensional Aptitude Battery-II (MAB-II) assessment. This test will identify any areas of impairment that need to be taken into consideration during recovery and provides the initial information for our Neurocognitive Program.
The results of several of these tests provide the initial information for our proprietary Health Assessment. The results cover 11 risk factors, readiness-to-change, personal and family medical history, cancer screenings, immunizations, and more. The result of this assessment develops the wellness road map patients will follow daily, guided by St. Gregory trainers in developing and tracking workout plans based on cardio, strength, and lifestyle (smoking, eating, activity, etc).
St Gregory’s medical staff, counselors and program address physical, mental, emotional and cognitive issues identified during admissions assessments and testing. This functional medicine model of care proves to be the most effective method of dealing with and addressing barriers to recovery since so many areas of the brain and body are effected by alcohol and substance abuse.
After completing the extensive assessments and testing, you will now have a roadmap to recovery identifying the physical and psychosocial issues that may be barriers to your recovery as you begin the St Gregory Recovery Program© . This unique approach to treatment, exclusively developed by St Gregory’s, will give you the greatest opportunity for a fulfilling, satisfying path to recovery...there is hope!