The Living Room Cardiff provides various substance misuse services across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, including:
1. Admitting we have a problem (the evidence is all around us)
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Recognition of addiction as a problem
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Gain insight into and confront denial
2. Recognising our need of help (that we can’t do it on our own)
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Recognition of need and ability to change
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Asking for help
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Identifying and managing feelings appropriately
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Identification of negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviours
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Choosing to develop new attitudes and behaviours
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Establish hope
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Begin self-worth building
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Development of spirituality
3. Get to know ourselves – warts and all (fully comprehending our true condition)
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Rigorous self-examination – life story (individual work, e.g. anger, shame, guilt, grief, control, transference of addiction)
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Preparation for ‘cleaning house’ and letting go of ‘baggage’ (mini-groups: areas of change, how to change behaviours, options, family, social services)
4. Become risk takers – by becoming vulnerable and accepting our humanness (changing our behaviour patterns)
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Deepen awareness of current stage of personal development – wellness plan
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Identify personal blocks, self-defeating behaviours / beliefs / feelings
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Prioritise changes to be made
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Commit to specific changes
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Implement changes
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Monitor changes
5. Toughening up – and realising that we’re survivors and not victims (imposing positivity on ourselves and setting goals)
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Monitor personal progress
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Own mistakes and implement change
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Continue to deepen awareness of personal assets
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Set goals for personal development
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Implement plan of action to fulfil personal potential
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Relapse prevention assignments
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Confirmation of aftercare plans and dates
6. Becoming “givers” instead of “takers” and carrying the message of hope to others (becoming recovery advocates)
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Become role model for recovery within peer group
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Become active member of chosen Fellowship/s if appropriate
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Make positive contribution to wider community activities
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Seek employment which makes social and financial contribution to wider society
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Ability to manage independent living.
Living Room Cardiff also challenges the following assumptions: People with Addictions don’t recover
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Those seeking treatment have too many problems to expect long term recovery
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Recovery is distinct from treatment
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Those with Mental illness and Addiction can only be addressed in acute care settings
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That prevention only needs to happen before treatment
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That treatment can only get better if you throw more money at it otherwise you can change very little.
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All the services anyone would need meet a diagnostic code and can be billed for
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The role of the professional is to direct the care and the client
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Recovery is somehow going to undermine professionally driven Treatment
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Recovery comes after treatment or one does not need treatment.
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Treatment relationships are helping relationships
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Treatment programmes exist apart from the community and can’t afford to do outreach
The only requirement for membership of Living Room Cardiff is that you say you’re in recovery or have an interest in recovery