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When you think of a drug rehab center, you most likely think of a clinical and stark place that seems very unfriendly and unwelcoming. You imagine doctors and nurses who poke and prod the patients, administer medications, and perform psychological exams. A place like this is enough to discourage any drug addict from getting the help they need. There is a drug rehab center in New York that is much more warm and friendly and has a higher recovery rate than any other type of drug rehab center. St. Jude Retreat House offers an alternative form of drug rehab that seems to be working well among its residents.
St. Jude’s drug rehab center discards any medical and psychological methods and treats its patients through spiritual and experiential methods. Its Jude Thaddeus program is based on the studies of Dr. Carl Jung. He was one of the leading psychiatrists of the 20th century. His research showed that drug and alcohol abusers needed "huge emotional displacements and rearrangements" for recovery. He said that the best way to achieve this was through spiritual guidance.
St. Jude’s Retreat House has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. From day one, residents are made to feel at home. The actual building is a Victorian style bed and breakfast. The rooms are not stark white like medical facilities. The rooms are designed with rich earth tones to comfort the guests. It is very homey and inviting. The staff is friendly and the teachers are actual recovered addicts. This way, the guests know that the teachers really and truly understand their struggles. It also helps them to realize that they are very capable of recovering from their old addictive habits, because their teachers have recovered. It is easier for the teacher and student to form strong bonds and support one another, because they have a shared experience.
Even though it is important for the teacher and student to connect, it is also very important that all participants at the drug rehab center help one another. There is a fostered sense of community in which everyone can give and receive support and care from one another. Through a variety of spiritual and experiential exercises, the groups learn to count on one another. The Jude Thaddeus teachings promote a healing relationship among the entire group. However, the program also teaches that each individual is responsible for his own recovery. Therefore, the teachers and the group alone cannot help him. He must be committed to becoming drug free. He must want to be at the drug rehab center and he must desire to reach his highest potential as a recovering addict.
Even though this is a spiritually based drug rehab center, it does not promote one specific religion or God above another. It concentrates on the concept of God and a higher power for patients to grasp. The Jude Thaddeus program teaches its participants to change their mind-set and behaviors by turning to their spiritual power and support group. By doing this, they will recover. The entire program is unorthodox. However, it is a proven program that has an 80% success rate which is much higher than other drug abuse programs.
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