Recurrence in Substance Use Recovery Robert Hilliker, LCSW-S, LCDC

There is often so much shame around substance abuse relapse. We
have framed it as a failure, but what if we looked at it as an
experience that those who have slipped back into addiction can
use when beginning their journey of sobriety again? This is just
one of the valuable lessons that today’s guest, Robert Hilliker,
LCSW-S, LCDC, shares with us. Robert has 17 years of experience
in the field of addiction and mental health. His work spans
private practice, clinical supervision, and the creation and
management of clinical programming. Additionally, he also
co-founded The Lovett Center in 2014 and Ethos Wellness in 2018.
In this episode, Robert shares how his personal and familial
struggles with addiction led him to this line of work. We talk
about why it is important to think about addiction through a
disease model lens rather than villainizing it. So often, people
think about addiction as bad behavior but as something that
requires treatment. We also touch on the need to reframe
addiction and why it is necessary to remove the shame around it.
Our conversation also delves into how the pandemic has impacted
people with substance abuse problems, how families and friends of
those who have relapsed can deal with it, and we end with a story
of hope from Robert.





Key Points From This Episode:


Get to know Robert and how he came to work in substance
abuse. 

What Ethos Wellness Center and Prairie Recovery Center offer
and how they differ from similar centers. 

Moving past the pejorative understandings of relapse. 

Insights into the disease model behind substance abuse and
addiction. 

Five key areas of brain activity that are influenced by
addiction. 

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to treating
addiction. 

Rethinking addiction as an attachment disorder; what we can
learn from this. 

It really is very difficult to stay sober if you started
using substances early in life. 

When people look at addiction from the outside, they want to
make it seem logical, but it’s very much an emotional
issue. 

We cannot criminalize people who struggle with addiction;
it’s a disease. 

What Robert has seen about reframing relapse as
recurrence. 

Talking about recurrence openly removed the stigma around
it. 

Yellow flags that are common when it comes to recurrence.
 

It is important for practice and treatment theories to evolve
and be exciting. 

How the pandemic has affected people’s relapsing or others
turning to substance abuse. 

Why hopelessness is what is most worrying to Robert. 

The pandemic has taken away those in recovery’s role
models. 

There are so many new scenarios that are happening in the
pandemic. 

It is so important for families to be vulnerable and feel the
fear, not only the anger. 

A story of hope from Robert to end the show.






Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:


Robert Hilliker


Robert Hilliker on LinkedIn


Robert Hilliker Email — rhilliker@ethosvhg.com


Ethos Wellness


The Lovett Center