EVERYONE is unique. People have different experiences, attitudes, needs, and lessons in life. Although most of us can control our daily activities, some get hooked on some sort of addiction. We just celebrated our 119th Independence Day but to those who struggle with dependence, there is abuse to such freedom as these people continue to battle out for independence from a particular addiction.
Last June 14, Ms. Lisa Mapua invited me to the opening of Bridges of Hope Rehabilitation Center in Angeles City. While taking a short tour of the facility, I thought it was conducive for the residents. The structure and division was well-planned. The building looked well-secured. Instead of glass, the establishment used some sort of polycarbonate material to avoid possible injuries.
The creation of this rehab center is very timely. The strong campaign of the President Duterte against illegal drugs in the country cannot be denied. And just recently, a compulsive casino player who was known to have gambling addiction lost his sanity as he started mayhem inside a huge casino killing more than thirty people including the gunman.
The mission of Bridges of Hope in Barangay Cutcut is to show men and women, along with their families, the way out of the debilitating and deadly cycle of substance and behavioral addiction.
Their services include weekly group therapy sessions, psychological and psychiatric tests, psychotherapy, weekly counseling sessions, monthly TC seminars, resident and family healing dialogues, spiritual enhancement activities, aftercare support groups, 12-step seminars, and marital therapy.
Mapua, who is the executive director of Bridges of Hope in Angeles, knows the challenges and sensitivity of these behavioral cases because she experienced similar situations with a loved one. But instead of letting the problem escalate, she was determined to defeat problem while the fire’s still manageable.
The program of this facility includes withdrawal, detoxification, learning improvement course, and communication course. It is based on the residents’ completion of established, results-oriented treatment goals, as opposed to a set of months in treatment. The residents participate in group activities, counseling, therapy, and workshops inside and outside the facility along with other activities.
Hope is obviously one of the strongest core values of this center because often life’s frustrations leave a silence in our souls but hope uplifts the present and the future.