MONTANA Model: Addiction Recovery for Men
MONTANA is an acronym: Men Of New Thought And New Awareness.
To sustain long-term recovery and find fulfillment in life, a man must change how he perceives himself and the world around him. The process begins with awareness that there is a problem and that life isn’t working out too well.
The MONTANA Model helps men move from awareness that there is a problem to a place of inner peace, joy and fulfillment by addressing five core components of one’s life: Physiological, Psychological, Spiritual, Family, Career/Social.
The MONTANA Model of addiction recovery for men is a life long process rather than a quick treatment fix. It is an integrated framework that one adapts to rebuild his life from the ashes of addiction into a meaningful life with purpose and inner joy.
The MONTANA Model integrates twelve-step principles with evidence-based practices, allopathic and naturopathic medicine with mindfulness and meditative practices to help men evolve from their societal learned ego-based selves to their authentic spiritual Selves.
12 Steps Foundation
The twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is the foundation of the MONTANA Model. We employ the Minnesota model that treats the individual with dignity and respect, as there is no shame in having a disease. Society looks down upon the alcoholic/addict as if they are weak and immoral. The truth is that addiction is a treatable disease with classic symptoms as defined by medical authorities.
While we practice dignity and respect for the individual, we treat the client’s alcoholic/addict behavior with clear, firm boundaries. We know from experience that the addict’s behavior is self-centered and focused on one thing: intoxication, whether actively or passively. The only way for the addict to become aware of his unacceptable behavior is through direct, healthy confrontation, so we do not hesitate to call the client out when his behavior warrants a confrontation.
In addition to the classic symptoms of the disease, there are often symptoms from a co-occurring disorder that are present. Whether the co-occurring disorder preceded the addiction or is brought about as the result of the addiction, it too must be treated simultaneously.
Co-Occurring Disorders
A co-occurring disorder includes the addiction and the accompanying disorder. An example may be alcohol dependence with a depressive disorder, or opiate dependence with an anxiety disorder. The MONTANA Model effectively treats clients with a co-occurring disorder with an appropriate blend of psychiatric, psychological, naturopathic and spiritual practices to help one stabilize and heal in body, mind and spirit.
Recreation
To learn to think differently, one needs to act differently; therefore, recreation and exercise therapy are key elements of the MONTANA Model. We incorporate physical exercise with outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, wilderness adventures and more to help our men recover
Nature
Most men spend their lives being busy with work and little time recreating. When they do take time to play it’s often with toys powered by big motors, or with electronics that place them in a fantasy world. We unplug men from their toys and electronics and put them in the wild so they can unwind and renew their relationship with nature. Our bodies are made from elements from the earth and it is necessary to spend time re-connecting with Mother Nature for the renewal of our soul. As our founder often says: “We spend a lot of time sitting on rocks.”
Meditation and Spirit
Nature helps reconnect us with Mother Earth and meditation helps us reconnect with Spirit, so it is by design that meditation is a key component to the MONTANA Model, for it is a highly effective experiential method of becoming aware of one’s spiritual essence. We teach men how to meditate through breathing and mindfulness exercises so that they may continue the practice long after completion of the Arrowhead Lodge Recovery experience.
One of the benefits of a gender specific program is found in meditation. By eliminating the female distraction, our men are able to practice meditation without a sense of needing to do it right in order to impress themselves with women. Through trial and error, clients in our program of addiction recovery for men discover their true nature during meditation and begin to believe that life without drugs or alcohol may be fulfilling.
Nutrition
One final component of the MONTANA Model and our program of addiction recovery for men is nutrition, for without proper nutrition, the physical, emotional and spiritual suffer. Many men eat unconsciously, meaning, they are not aware of the importance food plays in a balanced life. It is often said that “you are what you eat.” Most of us do not realize that many of the symptoms we experience that cause pain are due to improper diets.
Poor nutrition combined with substance abuse perpetuate disease in body, mind and spirit and one cannot achieve long term sobriety and lasting happiness without changing the way one consumes food and beverage. We teach men the value of good nutritious meals and snacks with an emphasis on organic food. We are not espousing vegetarianism; we are promoting good, healthy, organic and balanced diets so that the body has an opportunity to heal from years of neglect.
For more information about our addiction recovery center for men or our MONTANA Model of treatment, please reach out to us.
