At Admission
After dropping out of college and struggling to find a job, Rory arrived at The Dorm in New York City searching for stability and a path forward. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and a co-occurring substance use disorder, Rory had a long history of struggling with interpersonal relationships, staying sober, and making sound financial decisions. He knew he wanted to be in a city like New York long term, so he hoped to build roots and establish a sober life right “in the midst of it all”.
Treatment and Life Goals
During his course of treatment, Rory strived to:
- Develop a sober support system and community
- Build new skills to manage impulsive tendencies
- Be more emotionally intimate with himself and others
Treatment Plan and Recovery Journey
Individual Therapy
Rory found a way to stay committed to his treatment goals while engaged in several therapeutic modalities:
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), gave him the skills to practice mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), supported Rory in shift long-held maladaptive thoughts.
- Psychodynamic work, to promote self-reflection around his resistance towards emotional intimacy.
- Role-playing, to practice conversations about how to be vulnerable with those around him
Clinical Coaching
Through various coaching sessions over several months, Rory began to implement new DBT and adaptive coping skills into his daily life, further developing and deepening his relationships, addressing his sobriety, and eventually achieving his treatment goals. One example of a skill he learned in clinical coaching is: GIVE, to improve interpersonal effectiveness — be Gentle, act Interested, Validate, and use an Easy manner when speaking with others.
Group Therapy
Through attending group therapy sessions, Rory was able to create a strong community and support system. Some groups he engaged in included:
- Early Recovery Group, to support him in working through his shame around being in recovery.
- Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT) to help him open up his thinking patterns and deepen therapeutic work.
- The Dorm’s client-led and young adult focused Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group, where he found his community of peers going through a similar sobriety journey.
- Introduction to CoDA, also known as Codependents Anonymous, to assist his BPD-related codependent tendencies.
- Mindful Self-Compassion, a space for developing emotional resilience through concrete techniques and practiced in real-time.
Community Clubhouse & Engagement in the Local City Environment
Rory came to be described by the clinical team and community as “a person with an incredible ability to connect with others.” This was only possible as he faced his own internal struggles through peer-to-peer social engagement and therapeutic work to learn more about his intrinsic wants and needs.
With time, he became more open to others at The Dorm and with his AA peers. By the last summer of treatment, Rory was almost fully engaged in life in his local borough of New York, pursuing personal passion projects in photography with local meet up groups and building new communities of friends in AA. Strong community ties gave him the confidence to maintain his sobriety, envision a stable future, and take steps toward independent living once he secured a job.
Psychiatry and Neuropsychological Support
As a key component of Rory’s care, medication management was crucial to helping manage Rory’s BPD symptoms. Rory’s treatment team worked closely with him on medication compliance, ensuring that he was able to sustain a stable mood and remain open to treatment.
Parent Coaching and Family Therapy
Together, The Dorm’s clinicians also worked with Rory and his family to:
- Address his unhealthy spending habits
- Learn to set and maintain healthier boundaries while developing a more communicative relationship
Health & Wellness
Rory’s strong determination to stay sober was an inspiring force for other Dorm clients—many of whom still look up to him today, several months following his discharge. Additionally, Rory also maintained:
- Daily meditation practice
- Weekly gym sessions
Rory Today: Outcomes
- Upon leaving The Dorm, Rory embraced a career in the visual arts, turning his passion into a fulfilling pursuit. Through personal self-exploration that began at The Dorm, and enriching opportunities available to him in such a dynamic and creative city, he discovered how channeling his creativity into his work could bring deep fulfillment and satisfaction.
- Today, Rory remains connected with clients and friends made at The Dorm through AA meetings, has strengthened his relationship with his family, and actively prioritizes his physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being through regular exercise and meditation.
