Greg interviews Tom Stuber, president and CEO of LCADA Way Wellness and Recovery. Tom reviews the treatment records of Greg’s son Sam and talks about the process of relapse. Greg clarifies that this review is not for the purpose of blaming anyone, but rather to uncover any information that may help other families with a loved one who is addicted.

Tom points out the need for a comprehensive treatment journey across multiple treatment facilities. “The difficulty is that when Sam went into the program in Florida, there was really no connection back to the program that he had at IBH,” Tom says.

Tom also discusses relapse. He encourages parents not to see it as a failure. “All chronic diseases have a similar relapse rate,” he says. “The only difference between one chronic illness and another is what organ it attacks. Addiction attacks the brain… recovery is a very simple equation that’s very difficult to do.”

Tom talks about the need for recovering addicts to know their triggers. It is critical for the treatment plan to account for these triggers. “A relapse will occur anywhere from days to months before actual drug use begins again,” he says. “The individual engages in a progressive pattern of behaviors and attitudes and feelings that are leading them right down the path… there are relapse triggers that are universal. I stop going to meetings, I stop praying, I stop talking to my sponsor—these are universal.”

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