The V.O.I.D. Workshop: Overview & Program Outline

The V.O.I.D. Workshop (Victory Over Incomprehensible Demoralization) is a specialized program designed to bridge the gap between clinical detox/rehab and the adoption of a sustainable recovery lifestyle tailored to the individual.

Our curriculum focuses on the neuroscience of alcoholism and addiction, common sociological factors, and exposure to diverse peer-to-peer support communities. Participants explore various recovery paths including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Recovery Dharma, and SMART Recovery through structured readings, worksheets, and peer-to-peer sharing.

Course Format:

• Duration: 12-hour comprehensive course.
• Flexibility: Available as a 12-week virtual series. *We are also exploring an intensive weekend workshop and a self-directed online course at SOARNP.org. Join our newsletter to be notified of updates.

V.O.I.D. Course Syllabus

Week 1: Am I Really an Addict or Alcoholic?

• Focus: Understanding Substance Use Disorder (SUD) as a chronic brain disease.
• Activities: Clinical and neuroscience overview, Q&A discussion, and personal definitions of addiction.
• Resource: Neuroscience of Addiction Video
  
  

Week 2: Overcoming Previous Failures in Recovery

• Focus: Clinical causes of relapse and the role of dopamine spikes in habit reinforcement.
• Activities: Worksheet for identifying personal triggers and patterns; group sharing to prevent future relapse.
  
  

Week 3: Acceptance and Diverse Recovery Models

• Focus: The role of acceptance in problem-solving.

• Comparison:

  • AA: Daily practice and the 12-step model.
  • SMART Recovery: Empowerment, habit-based behavior change, and personal choice.
  • Recovery Dharma: Buddhist teachings and peer-led empowerment.
    
    

Week 4: Identifying "Insanity", Rational vs. Irrational Thoughts

• Focus: Addressing "insanity" and delusions in active addiction.
• Curriculum: AA Big Book (pp. 37-42), SMART Recovery locus of control, and Recovery Dharma’s concept of Moha (delusion).
  
  

Week 5: Core Practices of Peer-to-Peer Groups

• Focus: How different programs achieve long-term sobriety.
• Speakers: Perspectives from 12-Step, SMART (4-point recovery), and Dharma (8-fold path) practitioners.
  
  

Week 6: The Role of Support: To Have a Sponsor or Not?

• Focus: Comparing AA sponsorship with the peer-led, egalitarian structures of SMART and Dharma.
• Activities: Q&A on mentors, facilitators, and wise friends.
  
  

Week 7: Workshop: 4th & 5th Step Work

• Focus: Taking inventory (AA Big Book, pp. 65-69).
• Activities: Mini-demonstrations of the 4th and 5th steps followed by Q&A.
  
  

Week 8: Behavior Analysis (SMART Recovery)

• Focus: Practical application of SMART techniques.
• Activities: Behavior analysis demonstration and worksheet completion.

Week 9: Inquiry and Investigation (Recovery Dharma)

• Focus: Mindfulness and meditation in recovery.
• Activities: Basic meditation techniques and the "Inquiry and Investigation" practice.
  
  

Week 10: Navigating the Stages of Early Sobriety

• Focus: Understanding the transition phases.
• Stages: 1. Disruption | 2. Reorganization | 3. Integration.
  
  

Week 11: Boundaries and Relationships

• Focus: Managing "people, places, and things" during the first year.
• Skills: Setting healthy boundaries, using "I" statements, and the power of saying "No."
  
  

Week 12: Short and Long-Term Goal Setting

• Focus: Planning for a sustainable future.
• Activities: Interactive workshop to define and share personal sobriety goals.