ACTION BASED INDUCTION THERAPY

ABIT

Action Based Induction Therapy, abbreviated "ABI",  is a combination of neurobiological restructuring by way of physical activity and “Psychosocial Group Therapy” used to develop optimal prefrontal cortex function.  These two things work interdependently to treat various types of maladaptive behaviors.  This therapy unites the team of individuals participating in it; providing them with deep interpersonal connections. One of the therapist’s primary goals is in ABI therapy to help nurture powerful bonds that become a lifelong support system for each individual participant they are treating. 


Purpose/Use

Treatment of Addictive Pathology

Active addiction shuts down the part of the brain responsible for establishing and maintaining human connections. This prefrontal cortex shut down, tears families apart, unravels relationships and over time robs the addict of any meaningful form of social interaction.  The addicted person eventually ends up isolated with nothing to connect to but more of the mind altering substance that got them there in the first place.  Without the physiological ability to connect, the addict grows sicker and sicker falling deeper into isolation.  This isolation further destroys the prefrontal cortex and perpetuates social deconstruction. 


Action Based Induction therapy teaches addicts how to reestablish and maintain healthy human connections.  The activities that establish these human connections are powerful training exercises for the prefrontal cortex.  They develop the physiological ability and sociological skills necessary to reconnect with all that was lost during active addiction.  

ABI Therapy uses a combination of psychosocial group therapy and action-based thinking exercises that promote healthy neuroplasticity at the same time as identifying and adjusting maladaptive behaviors that perpetuate active addiction. 


History/Overview

THE THREE FOUNDERS OF ABI

Action Based Induction Therapy (ABI Therapy) was created and first used by Neil Trusso, Robert Funk, and Justin McMillen in 2013 for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction.  The original vision for this form of therapy was to utilize various team exercises and activities to take otherwise prone to isolation recovering addicts and help them to learn their place on a “team”.  The intention was for these teams to be developed during treatment and then carried over into everyday life.  These teams would then serve the individual as the ultimate long term support system that the patient needs to stay “connected” and therefore sober for a life time . The survival of each team member depends on clear, honest, quality connections to other team members for as long as possible.   

LEARNING TO USE TEAM WORK TO REBUILD SOCIAL FUNCTION

Developing teams that are this connected and effective in helping each indIvidual stay sober presented many challenges.   Some of the questions that arose were; How do we get the team to connect?  How will the team stay connected over time?  Who has done this before?  and lastly and perhaps most importantly.  “What are the most connected, most powerful, most effective teams in the world?”  The answer was simple. The SEAL Teams. They are world renowned for their use of small units in unorthodox situations with successful results. The SEAL Teams have shown us that small teams of organized individuals with common beliefs and high functioning work ethic are able to accomplish exponentially more than a single individual. This was the interconnectedness that we were striving for.   


US NAVY SEAL NEIL TRUSSO BRINGS TEAM WORK

It is no secret that at the heart of this treatment approach sits a man who truly understands the effectiveness and solidarity that a team can bring to an individual’s life.  Neil is a US Navy SEAL team 3 Naval Special Warfare Operator.  His first hand experience and countless hours of training were utilized as he developed and grew ABI therapy into what it is today.  Neil provided ABI therapy with a rare and priceless connection to one the most powerful team establishments in the world utilizing training methods and ideology that give ABI therapy an edge that is very unique and highly effective. 

SURF PASSAGE AS TREATMENT

Although ABI therapy can be used to treat patients in many different environments through many different activities, the most common and possibly most effective platform used to administer ABI therapy is through “Surf Passage”drills.  These exercises are a staple of Navy SEAL training and are done during the screening process to unite teams of men who wish to become SEALS.  The exercise involves a soft bottom inflatable rubber raft with seven individuals riding in it.  This raft is paddled by six people (all in treatment) and is steered by the coxswain.  The raft is paddled directly out into and through the ocean surf line.  The task of passing through the surf is both challenging and exhilarating.  These drills require significant coordination, trust and communication, all of which are the essential building blocks of teamwork. The coxswain leading 6 crew members strive for a common goal, fight through diversity as a unit and unite as a byproduct of this collective struggle. 

9  Core Principles

The following 9 Core Principles are the foundation under which Action Based Induction Therapy has been built.  Understanding these principles in their entirety is essential to understanding this treatment modality.

  1. Healthy neurobiology is essential to establish and maintain quality interpersonal relationships

  2. The human brain has plasticity and physically changes by way of  thought stimulation

  3. Changes in the physical structure of the brain alter brain function and therefore behavior

  4. Identification of maladaptive social or psychological behaviors is best done in group settings

  5. It takes a team of therapists to clearly model healthy team dynamics

  6. Situational stressors are a powerful catalyst for psychological and sociological growth

  7. A.B.I therapy works best coupled with Psycho Education* and one on one psychotherapy

  8. The most effective way to treat behavioral issues related to chemical dependency is without     the use of medication mood or thought altering substances.

  9. There is a  recipe for healthy thought.