Recovering from addiction in a homelike setting; NDFW on Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil McGraw (better known as just, Dr. Phil) referred a young woman named Melanie from Connecticut to New Directions for Women. Melanie, rightfully so, was initially resistant to going to treatment because she thought it would feel institutional, like a hospital or a psych-ward. As Victoria Herbert shares, New Directions is a tranquil, home-like setting on a cul-de-sac in Southern California, steps away from Newport Beach’s Back Bay Nature preserve and only a few miles from Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. There are gardens, meditation spaces, fountains, and multiple healing spaces in our home. Victoria has been a part of our Intake Team for over a decade and is passionate about helping women who have been in hospitals and psychiatric wards find a different solution to heal from addiction in body, mind, and spirit. Many women come to us after having had multiple treatment episodes. They may struggle with chronic relapse, and remissions of their disease of substance use disorder. What we do differently is help women only (and women with their children, and pregnant women) work on the things in their lives that women specifically struggle with, such as relationships. We do it in a safe cocoon that allows for transformation.
A full transcription of the video is below.
Dr. Phil:
Okay. The question now becomes what to do. And I’m gonna tell you what I think you need to do, and then you can make a decision whether you want to do it. And you can discuss it with your mom. This is Victoria Herbert right here. Hi, Victoria.
Victoria:
Hi.
Dr. Phil:
This is Victoria right here. And she is from an organization called New Directions for Women. And New Directions for Women is exactly what I’m describing. It’s a dual-diagnosis program. It’s a program that says, “I’m not gonna treat just an addiction, I’m gonna treat the whole woman.”
And it’s a beautiful facility down in Costa Mesa, California. And I’ve made arrangements with Victoria and her people there to offer this as our gift to you for you to have the opportunity to go there and work with these people, and have a full and complete evaluation, diagnostic workup to give you the opportunity to get this jumbled wiring in your brain unjumbled.
Melanie:
Is it really like that?
Dr. Phil:
It is like that. It’s very much like that. And I think that’s why you feel confused. I think that’s why some of your reasoning jumps around. And I think that we need to detox you in a very careful way.
Melanie:
I hate hospitals.
Dr. Phil:
This isn’t a hospital.
Victoria:
This isn’t a hospital.
Melanie:
I hate psych wards. I hate –
Victoria:
This isn’t a psych ward.
Dr. Phil:
This isn’t a psych ward.
Melanie:
I feel like I’m just getting scooted along to wherever anybody wants me. I just feel misunderstood.
Dr. Phil:
Well, this is an effort to understand you very carefully; biochemically, neurologically, psychologically, sociologically – every possible way to really take the time to understand you and for you to understand yourself. Will you sit down and talk with her?
Melanie:
If I have to, sure.
Dr. Phil:
No, you don’t have to. No, you don’t have to.
Melanie:
No, I’m willing to. Sure.
D. Phil:
Okay. That’s good. That’s – because you don’t have to. [Applause]. But I want you to. I think you will. And, Victoria, you think you guys can really help her, right?
Victoria:
I really do. And, Melanie, I do hope you accept this offer to be in this gift. New Directions for Women, like Dr. Phil said, is a beautiful place. It’s very home-like and safe, and a loving environment. It’s not a hospital. It’s gonna be a good fit for you.
Dr. Phil:
And you can be there, if she wants you to, or not. Just whatever you want to do. But, I want to arrange for you all to sit down and talk backstage and do what you want to do. You’re running this. From this point forward, do whatever you want to do. Fair enough?
Melanie:
Uh-huh.
Dr. Phil:
Okay. Deal?
Melanie:
Uh-huh.
Dr. Phil:
Okay. I want to thank all of my guests today. A special thanks to New Directions for Women. You can learn more about New Directions for Women at NewDirectionsforWomen.com, which can be found on the resource page at DrPhil.com. If you want to weigh in on today’s show, log on to DrPhil.com, share your thoughts on our message boards, or use DrPhil and erraticlife on Twitter and Facebook. Thanks for being here. So long.
