Sunrise at Campobello

Innovative Chemical Dependency Treatment Center Helps Find Tools To Build New Lives

J

oe floated away from the phone

booth (a converted shower) and

beamed.

    “I just found out I’m a grandfather!” he shouted with palpable joy. “Can you believe it? “There is so much I’m going to

give to this little boy. The cycle of

alcoholism stops with me! “My father and grandfather didn’t know how, but I’m going to do right by my new grandson.”

And so it goes at Campobello, an

innovative chemical dependency

treatment center nestled in the Sonoma

County farmlands.

    In an idyllic atmosphere, drug

addicts give up their stashes, alcoholics go on the wagon and people discover themselves, sometimes for the first time.

    Residents of Campobello’s 30-day

treatment program come from all walks of life: wealthy socialites, single mothers, single young men, middleaged married men, professionals, union members, teachers, salesmen, journalists and politicians.

What is Chemical Dependency?

“Chemical dependency” describes

the progressive disease of addiction to

psychoactive substances (drugs and

alcohol), together with a psychospiritual

living problem that makes life

unmanageable.

    The educators and case managers at

Campobello view chemical dependency as a three-fold problem that needs a three-fold solution.

    Campobello has an extraordinarily

high success rate among its graduates,

approximately 85 percent. The staff

attributes the low relapse rate of clients

who finish the treatment program to

the program’s unique approach to

education.

    “Alcohol (or drugs) is simply a solution to a problem with living,” says Bill Twitchell, Campobello’s president. “If we take away the

alcohol, the problem is still there. We have not done our job if we take away a solution without offering another.”

Call Campobello at

(800) 805-1833

All calls are confidential.

Denial of an addiction problem is a huge barrier to the healing process.

    There are three stages of denial. The

first is a person’s inability and/or unwillingness to acknowledge a problem

with drugs or alcohol. Many users feel their abuse is “totally under control” or that using is a conscious choice that can be eliminated at any point.

    The second stage is the denial of

the need for others. One of the first concepts taught at Campobello is that recovery from chemical dependency requires more than abstinence. It requires transference of dependency from self to others for the ongoing maintenance of sobriety.

    The third stage of denial involves a

person who may simply be going through the motions of recovery, but without sincere actions. A relapse in this sort of person is not uncommon.

Second Half of the Journey

Getting clean and sober is only half

of the journey at Campobello. The

next half involves the complete

integration of a lifestyle based on “The

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”

created by Alcoholics Anonymous

(A.A.) in 1939.

    A.A.’s Twelve Steps are spiritual

principles that, when practiced as a

way of life, can expel the obsession to

drink [or use] and enable the sufferer

to become a happy and useful member

of society.

    Remaining clean and sober without

the support of a program like A.A. (or

an equivalent such as Narcotics Anonymous) is often referred to as “white knuckling” and, in a majority of cases, results in relapse, usually involving more severe drinking and/or abusing.

‘After-Care’ Programs

Another reason for the high level of

success of Campobello graduates in

the real world is the “After Care”

programs that are offered throughout

Northern California.

    “Our clients feel loved and accepted by everyone,” Twitchell said.

“Sometimes it’s the first time they’ve

experienced this kind of understanding

and compassion. They are seduced by

the beauty and serenity of this place

and make friendships that last a lifetime. It’s an invaluable part of the healing process.”

    “We are experts in the treatment of

chemical addiction, but the way I see it is that we’re in the business of salvaging human beings,” said Kathy Willis, clinical director at Campobello.

“They come to us feeling like they’ve

done something wrong, shameful about

the bad people they’ve become. We show them that they have a disease, and with work, dedication and commitment, there is hope.”

Official publication of UFCW 8-Golden State Jacques Loveall, President