Welcome
To the March issue of Chronic Pain Solutions. We hope everyone is having a productive and exciting first quarter of 2011. Our big news is the private practice and training space we rented in October 2010, just in time for a successful 20 hour Addiction-Free Pain Management training that was held in November. Certification trainings in Sacramento will be limited to small groups which supports lively interactions between participants. Ellen worked hard executing her design vision for the space and created a warm, welcoming environment for our clients and training participants. We are thrilled that we can now offer more certification trainings throughout the year, as well as a variety of presentations, relapse prevention groups, psychotherapeutic and coaching services to the community.
Our most recent APM training on February 24-26 brought together 14 professionals from Oregon, California, Michigan, Mississippi, and Florida. A big Thank You to everyone for their enthusiastic participation and level of sharing that added so much to the training experience. We would also like to take this opportunity to announce that the next APM Certification training will be held on August 11-13, 2011. Please join us and learn skills that are vital to working with clients who are suffering with chronic pain and co-existing disorders, to increase your understanding, empathy and compassion for this greatly underserved population, as well as to improve your marketability in the treatment industry. Check out the training and registration information below, as well as testimonials from two physicians who attended the February training.
For the first time in years, Terence T. Gorski’s Relapse Prevention Therapy Certification training is coming to the West Coast in March and May. As an added bonus, Terry Gorski will be joining Dr. Grinstead for the May training. If you have never seen these two professionals work together, you are in for a treat! You will be blown away by the quality of the training experience and the information you will go home with. Training and registration information is listed below.
We hope to see you in Sacramento!
Celebrating Our New Office & Training Space
If you live in the Sacramento Area, please join us on Friday, March 18th, 2011 from 2:00-9:00 pm.
To introduce you to our work, Dr. Grinstead will offer a presentation at 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm to talk about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Treatment System and how it can be an effective treatment strategy for patients with chronic pain and coexisting disorders including addiction.
Free continuing education credit (1 CEU hour) will be provided for BRN, BBSE, and CAADC.
We will also have two raffle prize drawings (a portable DVD player and an MP3), food and refreshments.
If you are new to Chronic Pain Solutions, Dr. Grinstead is the Developer of the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Treatment System, a licensed therapist with a Doctorate in Addictive Disorders and over 28 years of experience in the field. He specializes in challenging cases focused on chronic pain with coexisting psychological disorders, including addiction. He believes in a collaborative treatment approach to increase positive treatment outcomes and is looking forward to creating referral partner-ships with the healthcare and mental health community in the Greater Sacramento area.
Dr. Grinstead and his team offers:
- Pain Focused Psychotherapy
- Alcohol/Drug Treatment Including Relapse Prevention Planning
- Assessment & Treatment Planning Services
- Individual, Family & Couples Therapy
- Empowerment Recovery Coaching
- Training, Consulting & Workshops
We are located in the PS Business Parks at 4200 N. Freeway Blvd., Suite 3, near the corner of N. Market Blvd., and N. Freeway Blvd. in Sacramento, CA 95834-1235 • 916-575-9961.
Our office also has an ideal training/workshop/meeting space that is available to rent.
Relapse Prevention Coaching
Relapse Prevention Coaching Services is individualized coaching for anyone who is in recovery from any addictive disorder and the use of self-defeating, self-destructive behaviors and wants to learn how to recognize and effectively manage situations that put their recovery at risk. The foundation of our Relapse Prevention Coaching Program is the evidence-based work and 40 years experience of Terence T. Gorski's Developmental Model of Recovery.
As an Advanced Relapse Prevention Specialist and Director of Training and Consultation for the CENAPS® Corporation, Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead's expertise in denial, relapse prevention and co-existing disorders underlie his biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary approach utilizing an ongoing continuum of care that incorporates strategic, cognitive-behavioral skill building exercises in conjunction with powerful solution-focused and strength-based coaching methodologies.
It is especially helpful for individuals who have had relapse episodes, but anyone in recovery will find it useful. We combine the Gorski-CENAPS® relapse prevention methodology with personal empowerment coaching strategies to create a powerful foundation for long-term stable sobriety.
With the assistance of Dr. Grinstead and the support of a Certified Coach, clients will experience the seven clinical processes that help them to quickly identify and manage high-risk situations that cause relapse. They will receive expert guidance in setting powerful recovery goals and implementing specific actions plans to facilitate their continued recovery.
Check out our Coaching
Questionnaire
which is the first step of deciding if you or someone you know is ready for APM Relapse Prevention Coaching,
or call 916-575-9961for a confidential interview.
Addiction-Free Pain Management
20 CEU Certification Training
Please Join Us in Sacramento on August 11-13, 2011
4200 N. Freeway Blvd., Suite 3 Sacramento, CA 95834-1235
Chronic Pain Solutions subscribers are offered the rate of $350 if they registered by May 1, 2011; that’s $75 savings off the full $425 training fee.
APM Training Overview: Healthcare professionals as well as mental health and addiction treatment providers are on the front line to accurately assess, intervene upon and develop appropriate treatment plans for the impaired patient with a chronic pain condition. This can become more difficult when prescription drug abuse/addiction is present. For years the numbers of people experiencing chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders, especially addiction, have been increasing significantly.
Here's what two physicians said about the February APM Training:
"Chronic pain patients and their issues are complicated and the margin for error is huge. Dr. Grinstead’s Addiction-Free Pain Management® training is a must for any practitioner who will be treating chronic pain patients. It borders on malpractice to not get training at the level of quality Dr. Grinstead’s training provides."
Ricardo J. Whyte, MD, Medical Director Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center, Loma Linda, CA
"This is the most complete system of effective pain and addiction management that I have trained in during my 30 years of medical practice. It is of great assistance with the population who are some of the most difficult people to treat."
Edward Allen Schlies, MD, Oakland, CA
Please join Dr. Stephen Grinstead to learn skills that are vital to working with these clients, to increase your understanding, empathy and compassion for this greatly underserved population, as well as to improve your marketability in the treatment industry. After this training, you will have the option of earning the APM™ Competency Certification through Dr. Grinstead and the CENAPS® Corporation. To receive this credential, you must complete the training and then submit an APM™ Certification Portfolio Package with an additional $95 portfolio review fee. Details and user-friendly directions will be covered at the end of the training.
To Register: Pay with a credit card via PayPal using our Online registration page, then download the Registration Form and fax it to 916-575-9961. Or mail the form and your check (made out to Stephen F. Grinstead) to P. O. Box 340626, Sacramento, CA 95834-0626.
From Our Readers
Question:
What do you do if a loved one is addicted to pain meds and will not admit it? How do you help that loved one?
Answer:
Many of my patients and my colleague’s patients are referred because of this exact question from family members. Although your two questions are straight forward and very familiar to us, the answer is much more complicated.
Most people with a pain condition do not start out hoping to get addicted to their pain medication; they just want some relief from unrelenting pain. Many of them are often misdiagnosed, or are either undermedicated or overmedicated by their physician. Many people are being given opiates that can, over a long period of time, actually cause pain, which is called opiate-induced hyperalgesia. If they were my client, the first task would be to find out if they really do have an addictive disorder.
Sometimes people can start using pain medication for non-medical reasons so I would look at whether or not there is a physical pain condition present that they started using pain medications to address. When the medication is given for legitimate pain management I work with the person to find out if their condition is medication abuse, pseudoaddiction, or actual addiction. Please take a look at one of my articles posted on our website titled Differentiating between Addiction and Pseudoaddiction.
In order to help your loved one, you first have to help yourself. First, I would suggest that you, and other family members, learn as much as you can about chronic pain and co-existing disorders. We have lots of information in the Articles and News and Research sections of our website that can get you started. If your loved one has had a long standing chronic pain condition, try understanding it from their perspective. Think back to a time when you hurt yourself and were in a lot of pain. Now imagine you had that same pain, day after day, week after week. You would do anything you could to find relief. If you are burnt out from care giving, it can be very challenging to find compassion and empathy, but with some education and understanding it’s not an impossible task.
It’s also important for you and other family members to take very good care of themselves. Consider going to Al-Anon or another self-help program for friends and family members with an addictive disorder so you can get the support that you need. Here are the Four Cs of Al-Anon: you didn’t CAUSE it; You can’t CONTROL it; and You can’t CURE it.
Let your family member know how much you love them and are concerned for them. Talk about how you feel, not what you think. Ask them to reach out for help. Refer them to our website or ask them to contact us for a brief free phone call at (916) 575-9961.
New Article
Below we've included a brief introduction from the newest article on our
website. For the complete content please visit the
articles page.
Unnecessary Obstacles in Chronic Pain Management:
One of the challenges I face as a healthcare provider dealing with the management of chronic pain is that many of my patients cannot receive certain treatment interventions that are medically indicated for their condition. One major reason is that they are often denied needed multidisciplinary chronic pain management treatment services by their insurance company. In our down-sized economy many people don’t . . . .
Live with Intention
by Mary Anne Radmacher
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard. Laugh. Play with abandon.
Practice wellness.
Continue to learn. Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Lead or follow a leader.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.
__________________________
