Holistic Addiction Recovery New Paradigms Offer Hope and Healing


by Linda Sechrist “A


ddiction is a lifelong disease, and to many who are caught in its web, it can seem like finding the right treatment takes just about as long,” says Harold C. Urschel, III, M.D., author of Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary Science- Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery System. According to Urschel, most people know very little about addiction, and what they do know (or think they know) boils down to this: Addicts can quit if they really want to; all they have to do is commit wholeheartedly to their treatment, which consists largely of “talking therapy”—individual or group psychotherapy or 12-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.


“This is the sum total of most people’s knowledge of


addiction treatment, but it is not enough and is the main reason that the success rate for treatment is currently only 20 to 30 percent,” advises Urschel, who is the chief medical strategist for Enterhealth, an adult residential addiction treatment center in Texas. “This means that 70 to 80 percent of the participants in any given addiction treatment program will not be successful. While 12-Step programs and psychotherapy are an important part of the treatment process, a more well-round- ed approach can yield a higher success rate.”


Life Coach Universe’s Holistic Addiction Recovery Program David Essel, founder of the Life Coach Universe and the Holistic Addiction Recovery Program, based in Fort Myers, Florida, agrees with Urschel’s assessment of the public’s lack of understanding regarding addiction recovery. The master life coach and Hay House author has developed a program that helps create a total mind/body/spirit-based re- covery system for each individual, based on his or her spe- cific needs and circumstances. Nutrition, diet and supple- mentation; spiritual practices; exercise; emotional support systems and even financial management are synergistically combined to ensure ultimate success in all areas of life. A man who has walked more than a mile in a recov- ering addict’s shoes, Essel began his own healing from an alcohol and cocaine addiction in 1996 and today,


David Essel


approaches his life-changing work with gusto. During the past 20 years, he has helped thousands of individuals become free of all types of addiction. “Throughout my recovery process, I found that a full mind/body/spirit pro- gram was essential for long-term recovery,” advises Essel, who advocates using meditation, motivation, behavior/belief change techniques and steps 1, 2 and 3 of the 12-Step model. Essel trains coaches, ministers, teachers and parents to use his program and says, “From my personal experience, I believe that the 12-Step program has to evolve to align with more positive self-talk and the Universal Laws, such as the Law of Attraction.”


He suggests that one aspect that could benefit from tweaking is the introduc- tion at the beginning of each 12-Step meeting. “Going to meetings declaring, ‘I’m an alcoholic,’ or whatever the addiction, is limiting [an individual’s] thinking and


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an affirmation that attracts more of the same,” he explains.


“I know that the 12-Step program is a crucial part of recovery, but it’s only one part, and so much more is needed to approach addiction holisti- cally,” enthuses Essel, who notes that his program’s supplementation includes Gabatrol. “This is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotrans- mitter that reduces muscle tension, stress, anxiety and depression and promotes well-being.”


Harold Urschel


Through the power of Essel’s coaching practices, such as pattern writing, individuals discover not only the “whys” of their addiction, but also the “hows” needed to move to a new sense of self. He notes that pattern writing is an essential part of recovery because it helps an addict to see his or her life accounts and thoughts. “It shows them beyond a doubt, in their own words, how their thoughts and addiction have power over them, thus limiting their growth,” he advises. Urschel also believes in setting aside 15 to 30 minutes each day to record reflections from the previous 24 hours in a “Thought Notebook,” in order to identify the inaccurate and irrational thinking of addiction. “Inac- curate, pro-addiction thoughts are by definition invalid, although they seem absolutely true to the addicted person,” Urschel explains. “They are based on the belief that you will fail or get hurt, and the only way to succeed, or at least avoid the pain of failure, is to blot out the situation or the feeling by drinking alcohol or using drugs.”


Urschel suggests that it is especial- ly important to write out thoughts that brought up uncomfortable feelings or preceded cravings for drugs or alcohol. “Until you realize that you have such thoughts, you can’t start to change them or substitute healthy and more accurate pro-recovery responses,” he says. “Here’s an example of substituting an inaccurate thought with a healthy


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