Mark Hushen of Ashley Addiction Treatment On How to Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety

An Interview With Wanda Malhotra

Be a Spiritual Transformer: Be responsible for the energy you bring into the spaces of your lives. Where there is hatred, bring love. Where there is sadness, bring joy. Where there is injury, bring pardon. Where there is darkness, bring light. Where there is despair, bring hope. Where there is error, bring truth. Where there is doubt, bring faith.

In a world where the journey towards sobriety is often challenging and deeply personal, understanding the pathways and strategies for achieving and maintaining sobriety is crucial. This series aims to provide insight, encouragement, and practical advice for those who are on the road to recovery, as well as for their loved ones and support networks. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mark Hushen.

Mark Hushen joined Ashley Addiction Treatment in 2007 and currently serves as Vice President of Spiritual Care and Wellness. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in spirituality, recovery and wellness to the care of Ashley’s patients and families. In his role, he oversees all Spiritual Wellness Services including prayer, meditation, worship, retreat work, yoga, spiritual counseling, grief counseling, art therapy, massage, acupuncture and recreational activities. Prior to joining Ashley, Mark served as the Director of Clinical Pastoral Care at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science from Penn State University, State College, his Master of Divinity from De Sales School of Theology, and his Master of Arts in Counseling from The Catholic University of America. For 30 years, Mark served as a Catholic priest involved in education, church leadership, recovery retreats and addiction treatment. After completing the life transforming pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, Mark requested a dispensation from the ministry. Currently, Mark lives with his wife, three step-children and four dogs all the while bringing hope and the joy of living to Ashley patients, alumni and staff.

Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?

I grew up, one of eight children in Delaware County, PA just outside the great city of Philadelphia! To this day, I remain a loyal Eagles and Phillies fan. Family, faith and friendship are the most important values in the Irish Catholic community where I got my start. After high school, I pursed my education at Penn State. At PSU, I played rugby and learned to “party hardy.” Looking back, that’s when my addiction to drugs and alcohol progressed rapidly. It is a miracle that I even graduated. I was a lost soul running from my true purpose, drowning in a sea of alcohol and drugs. I got sober in 1988, completed two Master’s Degrees and was ordained a Catholic priest. Today, I am happily married, raising three great children and enjoying the company of my dogs. I was once lost, now found. My primary purpose is living my motto — “It’s all about love and service, baby!”

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?

I have had the privilege of being mentored by two spiritual giants in the field of addiction treatment — Father Bill Hultberg, OSFS, and Father Joseph Martin, SS. Both of these men became my teachers and friends. I miss them dearly.

Fr. Bill, a legend at the Caron Treatment Centers, was instrumental in helping me get sober, and later, getting me into the field. He taught me the art of “Intensive Encounter.” This means to meet someone where they are, listen, assess the need and respond accordingly. He developed and perfected this approach as an Army Chaplain in Viet Nam. Today, I call it the Ministry of Presence.

Fr. Martin, whose “Chalk Talk on Alcohol” opened the door to sobriety for tens of thousands, welcomed me to Ashley Addiction Treatment (Ashley) when I was hired as President and CEO. Fr. Martin had the rare ability to educate and entertain at the same time. He mastered the art of healing with dignity. Today, Fr. Martin’s spirit animates my message that compassion is Ashley’s superpower. Compassion matters and compassionate care heals the body, mind and soul.

You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Live joyfully, love deeply, serve gratefully. These six words capture the character traits that are at the heart of who I am as a sober man.

Joy: I’ve heard said in many AA Meetings, “we absolutely insist upon the joy of living.” I believe connection is the key to recovery. Living our values fosters connection to self. Utilizing a robust support system cultivates connection to others. Finding purpose and fulfillment enriches connection to a power greater than self. Get connected, stay connected, it will decide everything. No doubt, the spiritual energy of connection creates opportunities to tap into a wellspring of joy that is transformational. So today, I live joyfully!

Love: The progression of the disease destroyed my capacity for love. It resonated deep within me when I heard someone say, “the alcoholic takes a drink, the drink takes a drink, the drink takes the alcoholic.” Drugs and alcohol became my primary relationship. Recovery restored my ability to be available and present in relationships. With trust and credibility restored, I now know the deep blessing of giving and receiving love. So today, I love deeply!

Gratitude: Fr. Martin taught me that gratitude is the hinge upon which the sober life swings. The experience of getting sober fulfilled a deep need, a hunger and thirst, a longing in my heart, a spiritual yearning. Having such a deep need satisfied generates an overwhelming source of gratitude that expresses itself in service to others. So today, I serve gratefully!

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?

Thinking about compiling my sermons, lectures and musings into a daily companion for living the spiritual life in recovery. Creating a tool like this would simplify how to live the spiritual life. The AA Big Book declares, “what we really have is a daily reprieve contingent upon the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” I translate this as “spiritual people do spiritual things” or in the service of simplicity. Be spiritual!

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. How would you advise individuals who are contemplating the journey to sobriety but might be hesitant or unsure about taking the first step? Are there key considerations or strategies that can make this initial phase more manageable?

Consider this idea: The forecast for untreated addiction always calls for pain. The pain can be mental, emotional, physical, social, financial, legal, etc. Beginning the journey to recovery offers a way out of the pain. Because addiction is a complete sickness (body, mind, emotions and soul). Treatment and recovery need to address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of life. I would encourage a person seeking freedom from addiction to get honest with their pain, ask for help, seek professional resources that integrate the science of medicine with the art of healing, take suggestions and follow directions. There are many links to resources on the internet:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.
• Faces and Voices of Recovery.
• Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health.

Sobriety often comes with its unique set of challenges. Can you share insights on how individuals can effectively navigate obstacles or triggers that may arise during their journey? Are there specific tools or support systems that you find particularly helpful in overcoming these challenges?

Stay engaged in a continuum of care for a year. The more support, the better. Utilize all the tools in the toolbox: AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Dharma Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, twelve-step spirituality, medication-supported recovery, group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, acupuncture, massage, exercise, good sleep hygiene, proper nutrition, yoga, meditation, faith community, community support, stable living environment, laughter and financial independence.

Maintaining sobriety is a long-term commitment. From your experience, what are the essential factors that contribute to the sustained success of individuals on this journey? Are there lifestyle adjustments or mindset shifts that prove crucial for the ongoing pursuit of sobriety?

The journey to recovery is filled with mindset resets. For example:

• Once I am a pickle, I will never be a cucumber again.
• We can do together what I can not do alone.
• Living our values is the only path to authentic and genuine happiness.
• Acceptance and surrender, when cemented together with honesty, open-mindedness and willingness, form an unshakeable foundation upon which a sober life can be built.
• Self-centeredness gives way to spirit-centeredness which leads to other-centeredness.
• Spirituality creates opportunities for cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, behavior change and spiritual awakening.
• Show me your gratitude, don’t just tell me about it.
• Fear, resentment, self-pity, guilt and shame fuel the engine of addiction. So, do a 4th and 5th step and empty the gas tank.
• The collective wisdom of the recovering community resides in its slogans and acronyms.
• Train the mind, change the brain. Change the brain, change the game!

Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety”?

1. Be a Spiritual Transformer: Be responsible for the energy you bring into the spaces of your lives. Where there is hatred, bring love. Where there is sadness, bring joy. Where there is injury, bring pardon. Where there is darkness, bring light. Where there is despair, bring hope. Where there is error, bring truth. Where there is doubt, bring faith.

2. Be a Flow Rider: Meet challenges with character strengths and recovery skills to find your flow. Master your behavior and live in the solution. Use spirituality to ride the energy of love that flows through the universe. Be in the Flow, Rida!

3. Be a Relationship Builder: Develop positive social networks that remain tethered to the WE of the recovering community. Learn how to listen with openness and respond with the language of the heart. Say what you will, the heart speaks to the heart, the tongue speaks only to the ears.

4. Be a Meaning Maker: Create structure, order and discipline through the practice of daily activities that support sobriety, health and wellness. Finding fulfillment in a purpose driven existence. Meaning makers make it. Give love, create beauty, find peace.

5. Be a Goal Achiever: When our lives are rooted in gratitude, steeped in humility, clothed in love, guided by hope and filled with the light of goodness we possess a vital spiritual energy that I call “spiritual swagger.” Such swagger has the power to transform dreams into reality, challenges into accomplishments, a lost soul into an awakened spirit. Get your swagger on!

Community support plays a vital role in the journey to sobriety. How can individuals find and engage with supportive communities or resources that align with their specific needs and goals? Are there online platforms, local groups, or initiatives that you recommend for fostering a sense of connection and understanding during this process?

I like the resources provided by Faces and Voices of Recovery and Recovery Research Institute.

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

Connect with Ashley Addiction Treatment on social media.

https://www.ashleytreatment.org/

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.