Parvati Magazine February 2014 - Sobriety | Page 12

WELLNESS

HOLISTIC RECOVERY

V

iewers of “Intervention Canada” may recognize the beautiful Muskoka landscapes of the
GreeneStone residential addiction treatment centre, as it has been featured on that show
on multiple occasions. Parvati Magazine spoke with physician William Jacyk, who is the Senior
Clinical Consultant to the Greenestone clinic, responsible for program development and design, education of staff and residents and clinical mentoring and staff development.
Parvati Magazine: What inspired you to train as an addiction physician?
Dr. William Jacyk: I had some personal family experience growing up which was very negative, and I had a very judgmental attitude toward the problem. After medical school, I had
my own experience and then was inspired to look at the problem as a human condition (“disease”).
PMAG: Why do you think people who have experienced trauma are more likely to struggle
with substance abuse issues?
WJ: Survivors of traumatic experiences are often left with some intense emotional reactions
which are not adequately expressed or soothed at the time of the trauma because the focus is usually avoiding greater harm or death. Unfortunately, these emotional experiences
are recorded and stored in the brain and can emerge after the danger has disappeared.
These “delayed emotional reactions” have been perceived as abnormal and, therefore, as
symptoms which should be suppressed rather than processed. Many such survivors learn to
“self-medicate” and continue the process of denial despite the emotions re-appearing repeatedly. Others may actually enable this to continue, with statements such as “you should
be over that by now”, till the first awareness that there are unresolved traumatic experiences
is a diagnosable addiction.
PMAG: What does Greenestone do to help people dealing with addiction and how does a
holistic approach help in this?
WJ: A large component of our program involves proper education as to the nature of the
problem, and what a successful program of recovery can accomplish. The goal in a holistic
approach is to restore the body, mind and spirit to a balanced state so that we are in the best
possible state to manage stress (whether internal or external) in a positive, creative way, so that
we are constantly building more and more resilience. When we handle stress by suppressing

WELLNESS
the symptoms or avoiding
the problems, we are
squandering an opportunity to grow more and
make ourselves even more
vulnerable to illness of all
forms.
Our program emphasis is on
balance and structure. The
structure helps our bodies
to heal and recover. The
physical aspects focus on
proper restorative sleep,
nutrition and exercise. The
intellectual
component
includes correct information as to the nature of any
disorder and addressing
our needs appropriately.
Emotionally, we need to
develop wisdom and discernment when presented
with stress as well as learning how to celebrate our
successes so we can become confident and trustworthy. Spiritually, we must
honor and respect our values and principles and we
must also have a mechanism of reconciliation and
forgiveness so that we
continue to take risks and
grow rather than be hampered by our mistakes and
failures. Finally, the human
condition obliges us to

learn how to live with each
other retaining the principles of respect, dignity
and honor without being
afraid of constructive conflict and disagreement. In
the Greenestone program,
these are referred to as the
“Five Intelligences”- Physical, Emotional, Cognitive,
Spiritual and Relational.
Discontinuing the substance use or addictive
behavior is only the preparation for developing a
healthier, balanced and
fulfilling lifestyle. The real
work begins with letting go
of the instant sense of relief that substance brings,
feeling and responding to
the pain or discomfort and
allowing it to become part
of our wisdom of the experience. The phrase, “learning to accept life on life’s
terms” reflects the work of
recovery. Having the discernment and courage
to change what is in our
power to change is the
challenge of recovery.
PMAG: What is the most
inspiring thing you’ve witnessed in this work?

WJ: The countless people
who have the courage
to keep trying to achieve
both physical and emotional sobriety, despite many
pitfalls and challenges, are
a constant inspiration. They
remind me repeatedly how
precious and sacred our
lives are and can be.
PMAG: What advice would
you give someone who is
questioning whether they
or someone they love may
have an addiction?
WJ: See an addiction as
an illness that is treatable.
Be angry with the problem and not the person.
Give support to someone
struggling with addiction if
they are on a path of recovery, but be careful not
to support the addictive
process. Human beings
actively suffering from an
addictive disorder are not
capable of maintaining a
healthy relationship and
the addictive process can
deplete the energy of a
partner.

Dr. William R. Jacyk, MD, FRCPC is a physician, educator and researcher
who brings over 30 years of experience in treating addictions and
conditions that often co-occur with substance abuse. He has advocated
for individuals who have suffered childhood, adult, domestic and
occupational trauma and for several years was the chairman of the
Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness. He was recognized for his
contribution by receiving the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002. He is a
member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the National
Coordinator for treatment and education for NavCanada and the Senior
Clinical Consultant for GreeneStone. For more information about Dr. Jacyk
or Greenestone, please visit www.greenestone.net.