Addiction, Treatment and Recovery

Last week, while on the road, a fellow professional in the addiction/treatment field approached me and said he had a question. “Is the Betty Ford Center old-fashioned?” he wondered.

For a nanosecond, I was a little taken aback. But then the answer came quickly, “I certainly hope so!”

If being “old-fashioned” means that the customer (ie, patient) comes first, then I’m mighty proud to say, we are indeed old-fashioned.

If being “old-fashioned” means we’ve been steadfast in focusing exclusively on our 20-year-long quest to treat persons addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs, then I plead guilty without remorse!

If being “old-fashioned” means acknowledging that the foundation of everything we do at the Betty Ford Center is based on the 12-Step philosophy, then count me in!

The Betty Ford Center is a treatment provider that believes in the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of patient care. Our mission is to assist every man or woman who comes through our Admitting doors in Firestone Hall to achieve a life free of mood-altering drugs. A life that is whole.

We are that rarity: a licensed addiction hospital. We’ve always had a full-time medical director and an extensive medical staff. More than one astute observer in the field has described us as “the Minnesota Model with a Medical Department.”

We believe passionately that research into the causes and effects of addiction is critically important. We lobby privately and publicly for the funds necessary to support more and better research so we can build on our existing knowledge of this disease of the brain and sickness of the soul. The Betty Ford Center was a pioneer in the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Clinical Trials Network.

In terms of new psychopharmacological developments vis-à-vis addiction and new medications available to assist alcoholics and addicts, we study these developments very carefully. We are always on the lookout for medications that can improve our detoxification protocols, but we’re cautious.

When it comes to medications for recovering men and women to be used on a continuing basis, we err on the side of being conservative. If there is an alumnus or alumna who simply cannot stay clean and sober, then we think they need to discuss possible medications with a physician. There is evidence that drugs like Naltrexone may assist the chronic relapsing patient.

Nearly 60,000 patients and their families have come through our doors over the past 20 years. We want every one of those folks to have the best chance possible to restore their life and their family.

Our brief four-word motto says it all: “Serving Patients, Saving Families.”

That’s our business. That’s our passion.

Old-fashioned? You betcha!

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