Standing majestically high above the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California; Passages Malibu Cure Center looks more like a Hollywood movie set than a place to overcome a severe Alcohol Dependency. Near the entrance of the $23 million mansion is a well-stocked Koi pond, two stone-carved lions with gargoyle-like faces guard the marble walkway to the imposing front door, which is framed by a Parthenon-style stone portico and supported by eight 20-foot-high Ionic marble columns.

The main house of Passages Malibu is spacious (over 15,500 square feet), exquisitely detailed and finished with exotic woods and marble, several fireplaces, a juice bar, a library, chef’s kitchen, a dining room to seat thirty people, eight bedrooms, treatment rooms for massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, and the other modalities, a large family room for informal meetings, a fully equipped glass enclosed gymnasium filled with trainers waiting on you hand and foot, an arts and crafts room, a media room with a flat screen 65 inch television screen, an auditorium with stage for the production of plays and readings that seats approximately 80 persons, and a large living room for informal meetings and relaxation by a fire. The grounds are spacious (just over 3 acres), with a beautiful, peaceful view overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The 29 luxury Tempur-Pedic mattresses here are currently filled with patients who pay $67,550 a month for them. Passages, owned and run by Chris Prentiss and his son Pax, is the most expensive, luxurious and controversial residential drug-treatment center in the world. Prentiss explains that his cure techniques simply involve intense around-the-clock therapy. When asked why he charges $67,550 a month for this cure, he says, “These are the finest therapists on the planet, and when you start to hire that kind of people, they cost a lot of money.”

5 Comments

Jenna’s Story: Part II continuation:

No matter how much I didn’t listen, they still talked to me and tried to get me to see how screwed up I was.  Nine hundred and ninety nine times out of one thousand, I didn’t listen to them…. Even though I said I did. I knew I had to get control of my life and quit drinking. 

I had tried quitting a few times on my own but it was never enough.  I needed help and reaching out was both the hardstand smartest thing Ive ever done.  I couldn’t go it alone, but thankfully there are others… also recovering addicts who share the burden and ease the transition from addiction to recovery.

I learned a lot about myself in rehab and I feel like it has given me a purpose.  I’ve enrolled into college again and I want to be a social worker and help kids in the same situation as me.  It’s not easy getting beyond your habits, but support groups with a special person are a big part of making it. I want to be that person. I want to succeed.  I want to be sober.

1 Comment

Alcoholism affects many people in the US and has quickly become one of our fastest growing dependencies to date. Over 18 million adults suffer from alcohol use disorders. Some argue, why it is that Alcoholics develop the problems and issues that they do and a big part of it is internal issues that may be related to broken relationships, childhood abuse, neglect and/or abandonment can lead to a life of alcohol abuse as a way to somehow ‘ease’ the pain.

Some often argue that problems in ones childhood can leave a ‘void’ within ones spirituality and can lead to a rather difficult life of constantly trying to find things to fill that void. Alcohol, drugs, sex and many other common addictions become a common part of ones life in this never ending pursuit to fix all the things you may feel are ‘wrong’ with your life.

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system. This can lead to a decrease of activity, anxiety, tension and inhibitions. Another well known fact of Alcoholism is that alcohol affects other body systems as well. Gastrointestinal tract irritation can happen with erosion of the esophagus and stomach linings, causing nausea, vomiting and even bleeding.

Whatever is to blame for your Alcohol related problem, there is no time to waste. If you or someone you know suffers from an Alcohol Dependency, help is out there. You just have to be able to step up to the plate and take it.

2 Comments

Jenna’s Story: Part I

Hi, my name is Jenna and I’m a recovering alcoholic.  I’m twenty-two years old and it’s been sixty-three days since my last drink.  I guess you could say I liked to be the funny popular girl that was up for anything and knew how to party.  So that’s exactly what I did. 

What I found out is that being the ‘life of the party’ isn’t nearly as much fun for the person doing it as it is for the enablers watching it. I wrecked two cars, dropped out of college, lost my boyfriend.  I saw my friends moving up and moving on. 

They moved out, and made lives for themselves.  I stayed in, got high and my life stagnated. Same town, same scene, same bars… different choices.

I know I’m young, and now I also know that I am an addict.  The weird thing about addiction is that everyone around you can tell you that you’re screwing up, that your life is running out of control, that you’ve got to stop drinking but it doesn’t matter until you can tell yourself that and know that it rings true. 

Sometimes you can even see it and you know what they’re saying makes perfect sense but you just can’t stop.  My family and my real friends never gave up on me.  No matter how much of an ass I was, they were always there.

Story to be continued… Stay Tuned!

2 Comments

Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction.
By David Gregson, Jay S. Efran, G. Alan Marlat

The word “tao” is usually translated as “way”, “road”, “method”, “technique” or “principle”. As a concept, Tao is the most important topic in the philosophical Taoism (tao-chia).

The Tao of Sobriety is a great read for people in Recovery. One review by Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D. and author of Helping Women Recover and A Woman’s Way Through the Twelve Steps describes The Tao fo Sobriety as “A clear, accessible, and insightful guide that draws on the profound wisdom of the Eastern world.”

Taoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. These traditions have influenced East Asia for over two thousand years and some have spread to the west.

The friends and family of a drug or alcohol addicts are often left out of the recovery process. The timeless wisdom of the Tao has been adapted to gently change those who are suffering into peaceful, healthy, self-confident humans, ready to fully rejoin life in a serene and harmonious way. The author’s personal understanding of the recovery process and Taoism culminate in this essential guide to self-rehabilitation.

1 Comment

Around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, the LAPD ordered Tommy Lee’s personal pilot, David Martz, to land his helicopter after they observed him flying erratically directly underneath an LAPD police chopper observing a structural fire.

After asking the helicopter to land, police, who intended to give David Martz a field sobriety test found that both Tommy Lee and his pilot were no where to be found. After looking for the pair for over 10 minutes in the airport, authorities found Martz and Tommy Lee in nearby hotel, drinking vodka.

Since Tommy Lee was only a passenger in the helicopter, he was apprehended and then quickly released. Although David Martz finally took the field sobriety test, the results of the test were not released. LAPD never charged David Martz. However, the LAPD did release a statement noting that their investigation will be forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration which will then decide if they will take action against Martz.

2 Comments

Sometimes admitting to yourself and others that you need help can be one of the most difficult steps to take on your road to recovery. As the The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says in it’s information:

“Acknowledging that help is needed for an alcohol problem may not be easy. But keep in mind that the sooner a person gets help, the better are his or her chances for a successful recovery.

“Any reluctance you may feel about discussing your drinking with your health care professional may stem from common misconceptions about alcoholism and alcoholic people. In our society, the myth prevails that an alcohol problem is somehow a sign of moral weakness.

“As a result, you may feel that to seek help is to admit some type of shameful defect in yourself. In fact, however, alcoholism is a disease that is no more a sign of weakness than is asthma or diabetes.

“When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you a number of questions about your alcohol use to determine whether you are experiencing problems related to your drinking. Try to answer these questions as fully and honestly as you can.

“You also will be given a physical examination. If your health care professional concludes that you may be dependent on alcohol, he or she may recommend that you see a specialist in diagnosing and treating alcoholism. You should be involved in making referral decisions and have all treatment choices explained to you.”

Here are 12 questions to consider when selecting an alcohol or substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation program, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment:

1. Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you?

2. Is the program run by state-accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals?

3. Is the facility clean, organized and well-run?

4. Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)?

5. Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services?

6. Is long-term aftercare support and/or guidance encouraged, provided and maintained?

7. Is there ongoing assessment of an individual’s treatment plan to ensure it meets changing needs?

8. Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?

9. Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual’s ability to function in the family/community?

10. Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen, if appropriate?

11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help guide patients back to abstinence?

12. Are services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand addiction and the recovery process to help them support the recovering individual?

2 Comments

Standing majestically high above the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California; Passages Malibu Cure Center looks more like a Hollywood movie set than a place to overcome a severe Alcohol Dependency. Near the entrance of the $23 million mansion is a well-stocked Koi pond, two stone-carved lions with gargoyle-like faces guard the marble walkway to the imposing front door, which is framed by a Parthenon-style stone portico and supported by eight 20-foot-high Ionic marble columns.

The main house of Passages Malibu is spacious (over 15,500 square feet), exquisitely detailed and finished with exotic woods and marble, several fireplaces, a juice bar, a library, chef’s kitchen, a dining room to seat thirty people, eight bedrooms, treatment rooms for massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, and the other modalities, a large family room for informal meetings, a fully equipped glass enclosed gymnasium filled with trainers waiting on you hand and foot, an arts and crafts room, a media room with a flat screen 65 inch television screen, an auditorium with stage for the production of plays and readings that seats approximately 80 persons, and a large living room for informal meetings and relaxation by a fire. The grounds are spacious (just over 3 acres), with a beautiful, peaceful view overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The 29 luxury Tempur-Pedic mattresses here are currently filled with patients who pay $67,550 a month for them. Passages, owned and run by Chris Prentiss and his son Pax, is the most expensive, luxurious and controversial residential drug-treatment center in the world. Prentiss explains that his cure techniques simply involve intense around-the-clock therapy. When asked why he charges $67,550 a month for this cure, he says, “These are the finest therapists on the planet, and when you start to hire that kind of people, they cost a lot of money.”

5 Comments

Jenna’s Story: Part II continuation:

No matter how much I didn’t listen, they still talked to me and tried to get me to see how screwed up I was.  Nine hundred and ninety nine times out of one thousand, I didn’t listen to them…. Even though I said I did. I knew I had to get control of my life and quit drinking. 

I had tried quitting a few times on my own but it was never enough.  I needed help and reaching out was both the hardstand smartest thing Ive ever done.  I couldn’t go it alone, but thankfully there are others… also recovering addicts who share the burden and ease the transition from addiction to recovery.

I learned a lot about myself in rehab and I feel like it has given me a purpose.  I’ve enrolled into college again and I want to be a social worker and help kids in the same situation as me.  It’s not easy getting beyond your habits, but support groups with a special person are a big part of making it. I want to be that person. I want to succeed.  I want to be sober.

1 Comment

Alcoholism affects many people in the US and has quickly become one of our fastest growing dependencies to date. Over 18 million adults suffer from alcohol use disorders. Some argue, why it is that Alcoholics develop the problems and issues that they do and a big part of it is internal issues that may be related to broken relationships, childhood abuse, neglect and/or abandonment can lead to a life of alcohol abuse as a way to somehow ‘ease’ the pain.

Some often argue that problems in ones childhood can leave a ‘void’ within ones spirituality and can lead to a rather difficult life of constantly trying to find things to fill that void. Alcohol, drugs, sex and many other common addictions become a common part of ones life in this never ending pursuit to fix all the things you may feel are ‘wrong’ with your life.

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system. This can lead to a decrease of activity, anxiety, tension and inhibitions. Another well known fact of Alcoholism is that alcohol affects other body systems as well. Gastrointestinal tract irritation can happen with erosion of the esophagus and stomach linings, causing nausea, vomiting and even bleeding.

Whatever is to blame for your Alcohol related problem, there is no time to waste. If you or someone you know suffers from an Alcohol Dependency, help is out there. You just have to be able to step up to the plate and take it.

2 Comments

Jenna’s Story: Part I

Hi, my name is Jenna and I’m a recovering alcoholic.  I’m twenty-two years old and it’s been sixty-three days since my last drink.  I guess you could say I liked to be the funny popular girl that was up for anything and knew how to party.  So that’s exactly what I did. 

What I found out is that being the ‘life of the party’ isn’t nearly as much fun for the person doing it as it is for the enablers watching it. I wrecked two cars, dropped out of college, lost my boyfriend.  I saw my friends moving up and moving on. 

They moved out, and made lives for themselves.  I stayed in, got high and my life stagnated. Same town, same scene, same bars… different choices.

I know I’m young, and now I also know that I am an addict.  The weird thing about addiction is that everyone around you can tell you that you’re screwing up, that your life is running out of control, that you’ve got to stop drinking but it doesn’t matter until you can tell yourself that and know that it rings true. 

Sometimes you can even see it and you know what they’re saying makes perfect sense but you just can’t stop.  My family and my real friends never gave up on me.  No matter how much of an ass I was, they were always there.

Story to be continued… Stay Tuned!

2 Comments

Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction.
By David Gregson, Jay S. Efran, G. Alan Marlat

The word “tao” is usually translated as “way”, “road”, “method”, “technique” or “principle”. As a concept, Tao is the most important topic in the philosophical Taoism (tao-chia).

The Tao of Sobriety is a great read for people in Recovery. One review by Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D. and author of Helping Women Recover and A Woman’s Way Through the Twelve Steps describes The Tao fo Sobriety as “A clear, accessible, and insightful guide that draws on the profound wisdom of the Eastern world.”

Taoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. These traditions have influenced East Asia for over two thousand years and some have spread to the west.

The friends and family of a drug or alcohol addicts are often left out of the recovery process. The timeless wisdom of the Tao has been adapted to gently change those who are suffering into peaceful, healthy, self-confident humans, ready to fully rejoin life in a serene and harmonious way. The author’s personal understanding of the recovery process and Taoism culminate in this essential guide to self-rehabilitation.

1 Comment

Around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, the LAPD ordered Tommy Lee’s personal pilot, David Martz, to land his helicopter after they observed him flying erratically directly underneath an LAPD police chopper observing a structural fire.

After asking the helicopter to land, police, who intended to give David Martz a field sobriety test found that both Tommy Lee and his pilot were no where to be found. After looking for the pair for over 10 minutes in the airport, authorities found Martz and Tommy Lee in nearby hotel, drinking vodka.

Since Tommy Lee was only a passenger in the helicopter, he was apprehended and then quickly released. Although David Martz finally took the field sobriety test, the results of the test were not released. LAPD never charged David Martz. However, the LAPD did release a statement noting that their investigation will be forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration which will then decide if they will take action against Martz.

2 Comments

Sometimes admitting to yourself and others that you need help can be one of the most difficult steps to take on your road to recovery. As the The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says in it’s information:

“Acknowledging that help is needed for an alcohol problem may not be easy. But keep in mind that the sooner a person gets help, the better are his or her chances for a successful recovery.

“Any reluctance you may feel about discussing your drinking with your health care professional may stem from common misconceptions about alcoholism and alcoholic people. In our society, the myth prevails that an alcohol problem is somehow a sign of moral weakness.

“As a result, you may feel that to seek help is to admit some type of shameful defect in yourself. In fact, however, alcoholism is a disease that is no more a sign of weakness than is asthma or diabetes.

“When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you a number of questions about your alcohol use to determine whether you are experiencing problems related to your drinking. Try to answer these questions as fully and honestly as you can.

“You also will be given a physical examination. If your health care professional concludes that you may be dependent on alcohol, he or she may recommend that you see a specialist in diagnosing and treating alcoholism. You should be involved in making referral decisions and have all treatment choices explained to you.”

Here are 12 questions to consider when selecting an alcohol or substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation program, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment:

1. Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you?

2. Is the program run by state-accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals?

3. Is the facility clean, organized and well-run?

4. Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)?

5. Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services?

6. Is long-term aftercare support and/or guidance encouraged, provided and maintained?

7. Is there ongoing assessment of an individual’s treatment plan to ensure it meets changing needs?

8. Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?

9. Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual’s ability to function in the family/community?

10. Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen, if appropriate?

11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help guide patients back to abstinence?

12. Are services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand addiction and the recovery process to help them support the recovering individual?

2 Comments