Part 3: Close-Up Talk Radio spotlights Richard Hofman of Chatsworth Pavilion

Montreal, QC – Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, gambling or sex, all addictions begin as solutions. They’re stress-reducers. In order for a successful recovery process to take root, the fundamental emotional need served by this behavior must first be addressed.

“Recovery is a process, not an event,” says Richard Hofman, director of Chatsworth Pavilion. “You have to replace their addiction with a way of living that allows them to better manage their stress without turning to self-medication.”

Chatsworth Pavilion is an addiction rehabilitation center known for its unique three-week residential recovery program, which maximizes treatment by making the group a central component of treatment.

According to Hofman, the most important component to any therapeutic modality is therapeutic alliance: the trust and bond between peers and patients and the therapeutic team. Over 21 days, residents develop trust. They realize their secrets and shames aren’t so unique. The other members of the group are listening and empathizing. They see a similarity in their experiences.

“There’s an emotional component that needs to be addressed – what we call emotional surgery – and we’ve found that’s best done in a residential setting,” says Hofman.

Chatsworth supplements its residential program with a robust outpatient aftercare program designed to dramatically improve their chances for continued recovery. Hoffman says it’s critical for Chatsworth residents continue with therapy. When accountability is set up properly, it increases their chances of success.

“We give them an environment where it’s safe to explore their feelings with the tools to undertake their own healing process,” says Hofman. “Recovery isn’t about quitting your addiction; it’s about falling in love with being well.”