An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
Know Your Triggers: Be cautious of the people, places and situations you experience. When you are early in your sobriety, it’s really difficult to say no to that particular drug when it’s right there. For example, if somebody knows they won’t use a drug until it’s offered to them, then that’s a known trigger and it’s imperative to do your best to avoid it.
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 Amanda Higgs.
Amanda Higgs serves as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Crossroads Treatment Centers. She draws on over 20 years of nursing experience including geriatric, women’s and children as an RN and Family Practice and medication assisted therapy as a nurse practitioner. Higgs holds a master’s in nursing education from Walden University and a post-master’s Certificate in family practice nursing from Shenandoah University. At Crossroads, Higgs manages patients across the full spectrum of recovery, from intake and induction to long-term medication-assisted treatment (MAT). She works to stabilize patients in crisis, individualizing treatment plans with a range of modalities including methadone, buprenorphine, suboxone, injectables such as sublocade, and counseling. As a Winchester, VA native, Higgs intimately understands the local impact of substance use disorders. She collaborates with community partners to expand access to evidence-based treatment and advocates for patients, particularly amid justice system involvement.
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 currently serve as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Crossroads, specializing in opioid use disorder treatment. I have over 20 years of nursing experience, including geriatric, women’s and children as an RN and Family Practice and medication assisted therapy as a nurse practitioner. At Crossroads, I manage patients across the full spectrum of recovery, from intake and induction to long-term medication-assisted treatment (MAT); and work to stabilize patients in crisis, individualizing treatment plans with a range of modalities including methadone, buprenorphine, suboxone, injectables such as sublocade, and counseling. As a Winchester native, I’m passionate about treating opioid use disorder and understand the local impacts of substance use disorders, collaborating with community partners in order to expand access to evidence-based treatment and advocates for patients, particularly amid justice system involvement. Outside of work, I’m married with four children and in my free time I love to craft, read and attend my kid’s sporting events — all of which keeps me pretty busy!
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
When I started working in addiction medicine, my goal for every patient was to get sober. I learned from my patients that my goals have to align with their goals. Some of my clients were very comfortable where they were in terms of, ‘I’m using less and I’m not overdosing.’ To me, that sheds some light on how I was going to manage each patient as an individual and meet them where they are in recovery because not every story is the same. For that person, they were comfortable using on occasion, in that moment, because they could afford clothing, they had a place to live and in their mind, all of that amounted to success. That taught me we all have a journey we must go through to identify our own personal version of success.
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?
- Persistence: It’s hard to do hard things. When I went to school I was a single mother, and during my time there, I got married and had another child, but I still continued my journey as there were many goals I wanted to achieve — that took persistence. I also had to believe that I could, leading me to the second trait you need to have: a strong belief in yourself.
- Believe you’re capable: There were times I felt defeated — it was hard going to school with young children and I was tired. But the times where I was struggling or I thought I should just stop and take a break, my family and support system reinstilled that confidence and belief in myself so I could move forward.
- Support from family and friends: When I felt like I couldn’t continue, my family and friends were there to cheer me on and reassure me that I could achieve my goals.
Without these three things — persistence, a belief that I was capable, and support from family and loved ones — I couldn’t have completed each of the programs I did or achieved the success I’ve had in my career.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
At Crossroads, we’re working heavily with our community engagement team so we can help individuals at whatever point they are within their journey. That may mean they are incarcerated, that’s a big platform for me. I want people to be able to seek and receive treatment while they’re incarcerated because we’re seeing it’s working. We’re finally starting to see some results. For example, we just had the jail call for one of our patients who is incarcerated and is on methadone and asked us to get that methadone to them, which was really exciting because up until a week ago, we weren’t seeing that. Now we’re seeing prison systems wanting to engage with us — whether it’s our clinic or one of the clinics in the area that houses all of the patients while they’re incarcerated. I just want to be able to bridge that gap, so that’s what we’ve been working on. Letting the community know we’re here and in whatever capacity we can be.
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?
When somebody is considering the type of treatment that is right for them, they need to assess what kind of time they can put into treatment — are they able to go into an inpatient facility? Maybe they need more extensive treatment than what they can get from a day-to-day clinic. Would a partial hospitalization program work for them? Or is the day-to-day methadone clinic the best approach because they’re the primary provider in their home and they can’t afford to go inpatient?
When they decide they’re approach, most often, they know somebody that’s in recovery, and they utilize that person as a resource to bounce questions off of. Things like, how was it? How hard was it? Perhaps you can even go with someone to a clinic and talk to a counselor there — just because you show up at a clinic, you don’t necessarily have to do the intake — you can ask questions and if it isn’t for you, we’ll be happy to provide whatever support you may need.
I’d also advise going to a meeting and hearing the personal stories of those on the journey you’re wanting to begin. When you’re ready to consider your own recovery journey, make sure to find someone who is in it — -a lot of times, your questions will be answered by them and you’ll be able to find the approach that’s best for you. We find this to be especially true at Crossroads — a lot of times we’ll hear from patients, ‘my friends come here.’ When you find somebody who has walked that path, they can reassure you that it’s possible.
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?
One of the tools we offer patients in treatment is being cautious of the people, places and situations you experience. When you are early in your sobriety, it’s really difficult to say no to that particular drug when it’s right there. The other thing I recommend is knowing your triggers. For example, if somebody knows that they won’t use a drug until it’s offered to them, then that’s a known trigger they should do their best to avoid.
The other thing that’s really crucial to sobriety is leaning on the people that build you up. Lean on family that is lifting you up in your sobriety, go to meetings and lean on those people that have been through it. It’s really important to understand that sobriety is hard work from day one, and it’s hard work on day 11 and it’s hard work on day 100. It’s something you have to do. Recovery is an activity that you have to be active in. If you don’t actively participate, it won’t work. Peer support can be a fantastic element of that recovery because individuals like to know that somebody has been through it and there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and hope does exist.
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?
Maintaining sobriety can be a challenge, but the ways to maintain success within your sobriety are by change: changing your daily routine — getting up, getting dressed, taking a shower, if you can. If you’re capable, find a job or a hobby, something to fill your day. Boredom is a huge trigger for most patients, and they tend to use because they have nothing better to do with their time. Other things that are imperative are eating better (or the best you can), making a conscious effort about your diet, exercise, getting enough sleep, getting outside and getting sunlight — all of these things are crucial to our mental health and part of the healthy habits we need in order to change our lifestyles.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety”?
1. Seek Resources: When you’re ready to consider a journey to sobriety, find somebody who’s in it — -a lot of times, your questions will be answered by them and you’ll be able to find the best approach that is right for you.
2. Consider Your Time: When somebody is considering what type of treatment is right for them, they have to be able to assess the amount of time they have to put into treatment — are they able to go into an inpatient facility? Would a partial hospitalization program work for them? Or is the day-to-day methadone clinic the best approach because they’re the primary provider in their home and they can’t afford to go inpatient? Considering the time and resources you have to put into treatment will help you find the right approach for you.
3. Know Your Triggers: Be cautious of the people, places and situations you experience. When you are early in your sobriety, it’s really difficult to say no to that particular drug when it’s right there. For example, if somebody knows they won’t use a drug until it’s offered to them, then that’s a known trigger and it’s imperative to do your best to avoid it.
4. Change Your Routine: Maintaining sobriety can be a challenge, but the ways to maintain success within your sobriety are by change: changing your daily routine — getting up, getting dressed, finding a job or hobby, eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep — all of these things are crucial to our mental health and we need to have healthy habits in order to change our lifestyles.
5. Lean On Your Support System: Whether that’s your family, friends, peer recovery, other support groups, lean on the people who are lifting you up and supporting the best version of yourself.
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?
In our clinic setting, one of the main goals is referrals, and a lot of times that involves community resources, whether it’s geared towards recovery, or something they can take their family to that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol.
In Virginia, where I’m from, the Northwestern Community Services Board has great resources for mental health care, especially for those who have state insurance and have free medical clinics. Other local resources include the Rehab Substance Abuse Coalition, which is a local group that has a lot of community engagement, peer recovery and peer support — all of which are critical factors in recovery. It’s really about finding something that works for you. If you are religious, going to church can be a huge support and a place to find a variety of programs and community activities.
What we’ve seen at Crossroads is that when individuals are new in their sobriety, we really need to focus on them and what their needs are, and they don’t have the capacity to be a source of support to others until they’ve gotten a little deeper into their recovery, but once someone is further along on their journey, getting involved in the community and finding ways to support others on a similar journey is really important.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Readers can learn more at CrossroadsTreatmentCenters.com.
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.
Amanda Higgs Of Crossroads Treatment Centers On How to Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.