Golden Mend
Welcome to Golden Mend – a modern, holistic approach to therapy
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Dear Margie - Blog

Besides helping to answer your questions, the Dear Margie blog will give you an idea of how our sessions may run.

Dear Margie

“Addiction is not a choice. It originates in a human being’s desperate attempt to solve a problem. The problem of emotional pain, of overwhelming stress, of lost connection, of loss of control, of a deep discomfort with the self.”
— Dr.Gabor Mate

You can send me any questions and I will do my best to answer them. I love to hear from you. Send your problems through to me - margie@goldenmend.com.au
No question is too little, too big or too silly.
Besides helping to answer your questions, the Dear Margie blog will give you an idea of how our sessions may run. It’s so important you feel heard and listened to, that you no longer feel like a victim of your past. Know that you are not alone and it is possible to be free of shame and guilt. You are worth it!

 

I’ve just come out of rehab: I need help to stay clean and sober.

Dear Margie,

I’ve just exited a private rehab for addiction and I’m terrified I’ll pick up again. My rehab gave me a plan and I need help to manage it.

ANSWER 

Well done for seeking aftercare assistance. I’m so glad you have a treatment plan and I am familiar with many programmes at Rehabilitation Centres, so I can help guide you and keep the momentum going.

Despite our body’s natural ability to heal itself, addiction is a tough disease to tackle. Abstinence, detox and dealing with cravings are a huge part of recovery. But abstinence alone will not cure what ails us. Abstinence is just the beginning.

Anyone can quit, but we need to be able to quit for good. That requires that we have a plan in place to help us cope without drugs or alcohol, through good times and bad times. While your situation, your personality, your biology and your history are unique to you, addictive behaviour and its consequence are predictable. And to a certain degree, so is the path you take to find peace and serenity and a fulfilling, productive life.

A good Relapse Prevention Plan will encourage you to cope with whatever stress life throws at you – difficult relationships, pressure at work, loss, success – without going back to chemicals. It’s important to identify your triggers (both internal and external) and have workable coping strategies. 

However, a treatment plan is only as good as the commitment you make to it.

We need to learn how to deal with our discomfort, physical and emotional as a clean and sober person. We need to no longer fear adversity but welcome it as an opportunity to use our newly acquired discipline, skills and values such as honesty and courage to take action with integrity. 

I have worked successfully with many people who have attended Australia’s leading Rehabilitation centres as well as International centres such as The Cabin, Chiang Mai. I am as comfortable working with the most vulnerable as I am with high-functioning professional people.

People in addiction need structure. Successful recovery lies in the doing - not just knowing or studying it. Reconnecting with family who have been trying to cope with the distress and pain of living with active addiction, identifying internal and external boundaries and designing strategies for communicating your needs without guilt or fear can be minefields for people returning from Rehab.

As an Aftercare Coach (sometimes called Sober Living Coach), I can help you set and achieve goals and objectives, identify blocks and fears, balance your relationships and recovery life, assess your core values and passions, work with you to fulfil your emotional and personal needs, and help you to move in the direction of your dreams. I will help you flourish and thrive in your recovery – in body, mind and spirit.

Together we can design an individual proven plan to fully realise your potential and enhance your experience of recovery, while you reconnect to your own inner capacity, resilience and sense of wellbeing.

margie Bauer