Supporting a Loved One’s Road to Recovery from Addiction

taya vonnahme

For concerned friends and family of those struggling with addiction, getting the help their loved one needs can be a three-fold challenge: knowing where their role starts and stops in an addict’s recovery journey, supporting them with a mindset that leads to lasting recovery, and helping them find treatment that is a good fit.

taya vonnahme“The fundamental thing to understand is they have to come to their own decision about sobriety. You can’t make it for them,” advises Recovery Center Director, Taya Vonnahme, MSN, RN, ARNP, CADC. “If you want to influence them to seek help, talk to them clearly and calmly about your concerns. Make repeat offers to help find information about rehabilitation programs. Don’t nag and try to force them; gentle encouragement can go a long way.”

Vonnahme also points out that those supporting someone struggling with addiction need to take care of their own mental and physical health. Setting personal boundaries and knowing when it’s time to take a step back is necessary in getting them the help they need to fight this disease. If your health or safety are suffering because of their actions, cutting ties completely may be the rock bottom a loved one needs to get help.

Support for Lasting Recovery

Individuals who have watched loved ones suffer from addiction share that one of the most important things to do as a support system is help the addict know they are not alone or being judged. We know addiction is a disease and not a choice.

Showing empathy towards the addict as well as what got them to this point is also crucial. Past abuse or trauma, loss of identity due to retirement or a job loss, stress from family circumstances, and feelings of letting people down are all common examples of things that can push someone over the edge into the downward spiral of addiction.

“It’s important for people to get their stories out there and have them be heard,” notes Angela*, who has lost loved ones to addiction. “That’s the whole point of this process. They need to speak their truth, and they need to get their trauma and experiences out there and feel safe doing so. There’s just a lot of fear for addicts that there’s going to be judgement.”

The Right Fit

Finding support in community is one side of the coin for lasting recovery; finding proper treatment is the other. And that’s where options like MRHC’s Recovery Center come in.

“Many clients who come into the Recovery Center at MRHC start out thinking that they’re in this alone,” says an MRHC Recovery Center counselor. “They might not have the best family support or the best friends, some may have even led them down this path in the first place. At the Recovery Center, we like to reinforce that we’re all in this together and that every single person here has experienced an addiction in one way or another. All our counselors have had experience with addiction, whether it was our own personal addiction or an immediate family member’s. Clients find themselves able to truly open up and feel safe talking about it because we’ve all been there. We know how to get them through it.”

Uniquely located inside a hospital, MRHC’s recovery center bases their treatment, care, and support around the principle that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to recovery. Licensed counselors build relationships with each client to better understand who they are and where they are coming from to determine what strategies will best help them reach their drug or alcohol-free goals.

If you or a loved one needs help, contact the Recovery Center at (712) 655-2300.

*This individual’s name has been changed for privacy.

Bolin Uses Personal Experience to Make a Difference at Recovery Center

Emmalee Bolin

Emmalee BolinEmmalee Bolin works as a counselor at the Recovery Center at MRHC and shares that her personal experience with addiction and recovery is what inspires her to help others.

“I actually attended the Manning Recovery Center in 2014,” said Bolin, LBSW, CADC. “I gained so much knowledge and understanding through my own experiences as an addict that I wanted a career where I could help others who also struggle.”

Following her own journey to recovery, Bolin worked as a Parent Partner with the DHS Mentor Program for three years before becoming the coordinator. In 2017, she received her associate degree from DMACC and went on to Briar Cliff for her bachelor’s degree in social work. After moving to Templeton in 2020, she accepted a position at the MRHC Recovery Center, saying, “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work where it all started.”

“Emmalee is a hard worker, she is always willing to jump in and cover when something needs to be done, and she is the first to volunteer to learn something new or obtain an additional license,” said Recovery Center Director, Taya Vonnahme, MSN, RN, ARNP, CADC. “You always know when Emmalee is around because we can hear her laugh throughout the Recovery Center. She is a wonderful person to have here!”

Bolin works as a counselor at the Recovery Center, a role that consists of leading group therapy sessions and following up with her case load of inpatient and outpatient clients.

“We work on the root causes that brought them to using drugs and alcohol,” explained Bolin. “I get to connect with clients and give them a sense of hope that they can get and stay clean and sober too. If I can make an impact on one person and help others to consider there is a better way of life than living in active addiction, then all my effort is worth it. Coming from experience, I want to help people who are going through addiction and show them a new way. I am tangible evidence that recovery is possible.”

In addition to utilizing her personal experience with addiction to help Recovery Center clients, Bolin points out that the support from others also makes a big impact.

“We have such a good recovery community here that embraces the clients and really cares about them,” said Bolin. “Our rural community, although small, has welcoming, thriving, and active recovery members. We have speakers from the area and past clients who come to share their experience, strength, and hopes to current clients. If it wasn’t for the recovery community in the Manning area, I don’t think we would be such a highly regarded facility.”

Bolin also has a great support system at the Recovery Center to help her do her job to the best of her ability. “I truly feel like we have a good team atmosphere,” said Bolin. “We all communicate well and when something happens or a coworker is out, we take charge of what needs to be done for our clients. I feel like my coworkers are my family.”

While it is important for Bolin to work in a positive team environment, she also appreciates the way the recovery process is structured as well as how clients are treated in Manning.

“I feel like we truly treat clients with respect. The Recovery Center staff treats clients as human beings who have an illness, not as criminals,” Bolin said. “We provide them with outlets like recreation and outside 12-step meetings. Although our clients may have a past, we truly believe through staying clean and sober they can become better people in society.”

While Bolin’s goal for all her clients is to help them achieve lasting sobriety and leave the Recovery Center with the knowledge and tools to live healthy, drug-free lives, she has no intention of leaving any time soon and is ambitious about the future of her career.

“My goal is to eventually get my masters in social work,” Bolin shared. “I am a good leader and have always been in management throughout my years of employment. I would love to be the director of the Recovery Center one day.”To join the MRHC team, visit www.mrhcia.com/careers or call (712) 655-2072 for more information on current job openings.

Recovery Center Services

The Recovery Center is a 16-bed, co-ed chemical dependency facility located in Manning. Services include detoxification, residential treatment, outpatient treatment and consultations or evaluations. Recovery Center staff have adapted treatments to meet addiction issues from alcoholism to meth to the abuse of prescription painkillers. If you or someone you care about has problems with substance abuse, call (712) 655-2300. For more information, visit www.manningrecoverycenter.com

Recovery Center Works to Prevent Overdose Deaths

overdose

In 2020, 91,799 people died from a drug overdose in the United States, increasing by 31% from the year prior, according to the CDC. And nearly 75% of those deaths involved opioids, making August 31st, Overdose Awareness Day, more important than ever.

“Overdose is something everyone should be aware of,” shared Recovery Center Director, Taya Vonnahme, MSN, RN, ARNP, tCADC. “Not only is overdose a concern in the addiction world but also in general practice. We see overdoses all the time for various reasons – alcohol, opiates, and drug related. Some are unintentional from prescription pain medications that were accidentally taken incorrectly.”

The Recovery Center at Manning Regional Healthcare Center is dedicated to raising awareness of drug overdose and helping prevent future deaths caused by an overdose.

“Everyone should educate themselves on the signs of a possible overdose and know what to do if it is suspected,” Vonnahme recommended.

Typical signs of an overdose can include one or several of the following:

  • Unconsciousness
  • Seizure
  • Severe headache
  • Chest pain
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Extremely paranoid, agitated, and/or confused
  • Snoring or gurgling

Seek emergency help by calling 911 if someone is exhibiting these symptoms. Prior to emergency personnel arriving, follow these steps:

  • Administer *Naloxone if available
  • Support breathing by ensuring their airway is clear and giving breaths
  • Monitor their response
  • Do not forcefully try to awake them
  • Don’t try to make them vomit

When help arrives, it is vital to provide as much information as possible about the overdose. Information such as what type of drug and how much was taken and how long ago it was taken can help save a life.

“One of the best things I have seen that can assist someone who has overdosed is Naloxone,” Vonnahme said. “It saves lives every day and anyone can learn how to use it. It is also available to anyone who may need it no matter the reason. If you know someone who uses any type of opiate, prescription, or recreational drug they should know about this and learn how to use it.”

*Naloxone is a non-addictive, life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Given as a nasal spray, auto-injector, or injectable, naloxone can be purchased from most pharmacies without a prescription. If you or someone you know is at increased risk for opioid overdose, you should carry naloxone and keep it at home. People who are taking high-dose opioid medications (>50 morphine milligram equivalents per day) prescribed by a doctor and people who use opioids and benzodiazepines together should also carry naloxone, according to the CDC.

Opioid Education

To help educate about the dangers of substance abuse, MRHC will be hosting a variety of trainings in partnership with New Opportunities of Carroll in the upcoming weeks. The first training will be held on Monday, August 29th from 6-7pm in MRHC Conference Room 1. The first half hour will teach about common misused drugs, how drugs impact the body and brain, and the risk factors of a substance use disorder. The second half hour will focus on the “Stigma Associated with Substance Use Disorder”, in which participants will learn what stigma is, the consequences of stigma, and what you can do to change stigma.

The next training will take place on Monday, September 26th from 6-7pm. It will teach what an opioid is, types of opioids (licit and illicit), consequences of opioid misuse, and what resources are available to address opioid misuse in your community. Participants will also learn about the effects of opioid and stimulant polysubstance use on individuals, the intentional and unintentional reasons for polysubstance use, and the community level strategies to reduce the risks associated with polysubstance use.

Recovery Center Services

If you or someone you care about has problems with substance abuse, help is available. The sooner a person can get help, the better the long-term chance for recovery. If you feel that you need help or guidance, contact the Recovery Center at (712) 655-2300.

The Recovery Center is a 16-bed, co-ed chemical dependency facility located in Manning. Services include detoxification, residential treatment, outpatient treatment and consultations or evaluations. Recovery Center staff have adapted treatments to meet addiction issues, from alcoholism to meth to the abuse of prescription painkillers. For four decades, staff have helped clients take their first step toward healthy, drug and alcohol-free lifestyles. For more information, visit www.manningrecoverycenter.com.