Probation and Supervision

Many of our clients are put on probation or supervision during their recovery time. Some are coming right from the half-way house, sober-house, or even jail and prison. In some cases some are still incarcerated, and take part in our addiction services groups at their facility. Other clients are given one more chance to glean and work our program who were court appointed. What ever the case, when it comes for self to work through their probation or supervision, depending on if it is a state probation or a federal government supervision, there are hurdles to jump. We teach our  clients not to make things bigger in their head. We try and emphasize this point first, when they are in custody, and teach them how self can stay in their health, balance their thoughts, utilize their own higher power (what ever that may be) and have fun know matter where they are in a healthy, appropriate way! The hardest thing for these clients is being able to continue a healthy routine which allows them to transition from a highly monitored situation, to back on the streets, learning how to balance their probation and supervision with their own freedom. I can't tell you how many times I have this very talk with each client who is waiting to discharge their probation or supervision, or just beginning their probation and supervision. The point being, do not deviate from your routine. Keep it real. Don't get overwhelmed with with a probation officer who does not see eye to eye with you or think you are not in control of your thoughts. Exercise is something that you implemented when you may have been incarcerated or you began to exercise when you got on probation or supervision, keep that healthy routine up.  One thought at a time, appreciate all of the hoops you continue to jump through, and give self credit for making it through, one thought at a time. Remember, you are not on probation or supervision for ever, but you are learning how to handle those urges and cravings, and not act upon them which did not help you in your past, sometimes may have even contributed to your breaking the law. Impulsive behavior did not help you! Use your probation and supervision to help self stay balanced, accountable, and begin to recognize that your old, dysfunctional, addictive behavior, is something that you are not doing. Recovery is the goal! It does not matter where you start to recover, locked up or not. Don't make your probation or supervision, as bad as it needs to be. You control those thoughts, the reward of being off probation and supervision is that you did it clean, and you will continue to be clean, when self makes positive decisions with positive energy. This positive energy for you can start when you are incarcerated or when you are on probation or supervision. Self can control these thoughts. Stay in your health, stay in the moment.