The Prairie Recovery Center

The earth's seasons are cyclical, as are our lives. 🌎

Rebirth is also a continuous process—one that echoes in the courage to release what no longer serves us. As we confront the challenges of the past and present, we emerge stronger and hopeful of a new phase in our personal journeys.

Each quarter, The Prairie Recovery Center holds a ceremonial bonfire, where we encourage clients and alumni to let go of whatever keeps them stuck, whether it is a past relationship, a traumatic experience, or a maladaptive behavior pattern. These burning ceremonies correspond with the summer and winter solstices, as well as the spring and fall equinox.

On Thursday 12/21, we invite our clients and alumni to participate in the Winter Solstice ceremony - a ritual that symbolizes death, a natural part of life. In order for us to move forward in our healing journeys, we must release that which holds us back - we allow those things to die so we can make room for our rebirth.

As we gather under the hushed embrace of winter, let's take a moment to honor the healing power of the Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year and the promise of brighter days ahead. ❄️☀️

Join us Thursday evening at 6:00pm as we find the strength to shed the darkness within and emerge into the dawn of a new season.

🌞 Let this be a reminder that is not just about surviving; it's about thriving, growing, and embracing the light that follows the darkest nights.✨

What will you release that no longer serves you?

Where did all the "tough love" recovery stuff come from, anyway?

If I had to guess, I'd say it morphed out of an original 12-Step message, which states we should go out and find other sufferers to help. However, if they are not willing to accept our aid, we should cut our losses and go be of service to someone else.

Makes sense.

But somewhere along the line that message changed into the idea that any time we try to help someone in the throes of addiction, we're enabling them, and causing more harm than good. Instead, we should withdraw our support, hoping the negative consequences of one's addiction will be punishing enough to initiate the desired change.

Aka, the “tough love” approach.

Behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner concluded that punishment, as a method to create long-term positive behavioral change, hardly ever works.

And this certainly seems true with addiction. As a society, we have been punishing addictive behavior for decades, and that strategy has not shown promising results thus far.

It makes sense that these tactics fail, since we now know addiction is a legitimate medical disorder, not a bad habit nor a moral failure.

Gabor Mate says, "At the root of all addiction there is pain." The chemical dependency or addictive behavior is simply a desperate attempt to self soothe unbearable turmoil.

When we look at it through this lens, we can see that adding punishment into the mix only increases the existing pain, deepening the wounds that are ultimately in need of healing.

It's true we can't "fix" anyone, but this isn't about fixing; it's about helping. And helping can certainly lead to healing.

If you or someone you love is in need of a compassionate approach to addiction recovery, reach out to us today. www.prairierecovery.com/contact-us/

Source: NIDA. 2018, October 15. New NIDA Research Reveals the Power of Social Reinforcers.

🍁November Staff Spotlight!🍁

Meet Tyler Ward, our talented and versatile Staff Therapist at The Prairie Recovery Center! Tyler is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and a Certified Grief Counselor Specialist.

Tyler’s work is driven by his passion for assisting individuals and families in achieving recovery from substance use disorders and other co-occurring disorders. Additionally, Tyler works to help his clients heal from trauma and grief while encouraging them to find their purpose and mission in life.

With more than a decade in the counseling field, his personal experience with his own recovery, and his extensive training in experiential ways to treat trauma and grief, Tyler works to heal the whole person. It’s not just about treatment; it’s about holistic transformation.

We are so grateful to have him as an integral member of our family! Thank you, Tyler, for your ceaseless dedication to serving others throughout their recovery journeys.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction or co-occurring disorders, please know that you are not alone. Reach out to us today, and together, we will embark on the road to hope and healing.

www.prairierecovery.com/contact-us/