Summary: 2023 roundup, more software updates coming soon in 2024, remembering that addicts often need support (& what the ONE system does not do).
Hi everybody. It's 2024 already! Time goes so fast nowadays. For many people these are very stressful times as government around the world seem to become ever more extreme in the way they treat their employers (we, the people!) and also many people are struggling financially right now as the worldwide banking system collapses. Also, many people are facing personal challenges too. With so much stress around the reliance on drugs or alcohol is even more intense if you are an addict. Sufferers of PTSD too aren't exactly helped by wondering how they are going to pay their next rent or mortgage payment. Fortunately the ONE system is one of the new technologies that is coming along which can hopefully start to make a difference to some lives.
To that end we have just released the December 2023 build of the ONE, also known as 2023.12 (see here for specific information about that release). Actually there were three releases during that month as some practitioners were very diligent about giving feedback - many thanks for that. This is a big tidy up that fixes several quality issues, particularly with setting top-up schedules, so the software seems to be working very well now. This build also sees the completion of the facility to edit client details and associated telephone numbers. On this occasion the install program needs to be specifically downloaded and installed because one of the bugs that needing fixing was a problem with the auto-update mechanism itself. Some people will be able to update the current installation in-place whereas others will need to uninstall what is already there and re-install anew. If you have any further problems then please restart Windows and run the setup program again. The installer technology is the new Microsoft-provided method of installing applications built for their platform but it does still seem to be evolving. However, from here on the update process should be simple and unobtrusive.
We have several more immediate updates planned for 2024 so hopefully there will be a quick rollout of new features in the first few months, such as the ability to create top-up devices without them being associated with a specific client, and to optionally receive daily/weekly email notifications of when top-up schedules will expire. There will also be more features for managing the list of clients, such as marking a client record as Archived so that it doesn't show up in the main selection listing, and also the important "Forget Me" requirement that a client can make to ensure that his/her personal details are removed from the system. The very next release will see treatment receipt PDF generation as some clients need documentary proof of having their participation for insurance payment purposes.
Although we had a small number of people gaining early experience of the ONE system while it was being constructed we finally got to launch the software in February 2023, initially to our existing e-Lybra community and with a video targeted at that group - and then in June we introduced our main presentation video for general viewing to the wider community:
The reaction to the system so far has been very positive. Just this week somebody started an email to me with the words "I am absolutely LOVING the ONE system, and having some fantastic results but really learning a lot through other people and their issues. Also keen to fill in some feedback forms when you are ready.".
Over the next few days or weeks it is my intention to refilm the basic "how to" and "software installation" videos as these were originally created a couple of years ago before we had settled on a consistent styling for our videos. Plus of course the screen designs themselves have changed a bit as the construction of the app has evolved.
Comments on the addiction programs
I've had a lot of chats with actual and potential owners of the ONE system and it is necessary to clarify a specific point. First of all, of course, with the current level of oversight by the trading standards and medical authorities we cannot actually make any kind of claim as to the efficacy of the ONE system, nor of the e-Lybra technology as a whole. We also have to use language like "give support to", or "is designed to" rather than give overt statements that it might in anyway be helpful to the wellbeing of the client. However, what I would like to discuss is that any process which is intended to help an addict or somebody who is suffering with some kind of trauma is not a process that will produce perfect results to an exact timetable. The general feedback from practitioners is that "the improvements are palpable", and indeed some practitioners have already formed enough confidence in it that they have built a business around it (e.g. https://www.theonetherapy.co.uk). Anecdotal comments are generally favourable, but the system is only an aide to addiction recovery and each client will show different rates of recovery and will need different levels of support.
So of course, to start with the positive - there are times when an addict will show fairly rapid reduction of addictive cravings, whether that be of recreational drugs, alcohol, or smoking (nicotine). Cases like that are great news all round and make for excellent testimonials. Other clients may notice an initially encouraging reduction of cravings for a few days, but then have a relapse and will seemingly be back where they started. One case reported to me recently was an alcoholic who was doing well after a few ONE sessions but then gave into temptation, went into a bar and started drinking again.
The ONE system cannot be relied upon to "cure" an addiction after just four sessions. Each person is different, some will respond quickly and others might need a lot of work over a long period of time. In many cases the concept of a client having a "sponsor" is still valid, in that somebody might need to give constant encouragement and support to not walk into that bar. The focus of the ONE system is to try to dissolve the engram (see video for explanation) that, in our opinion, is a primary driver for succumbing to an addiction or to constantly experiencing the anxiety of a PTSD condition. An addiction is not just a chemical issue that needs time to clear after going dry for a period of time, there is a whole framework of learned behaviour and subconscious issues going on here too. The practitioner must learn to recognise what the other drivers are in each individual case - it is primarily chemical, or to bury trauma, or is it largely driven by the company that the addict associates with?
Some addicts can, with effort, wean themselves off a substance without external assistance - although this can require tremendous willpower and focus. However, the success of any process that releases a person from addiction can be improved with various forms of support, such as direct encouragement from other people, group support sessions and personal "sponsors", and (may we humbly suggest) the ONE system. As explained in the introductory video (see above) the system works on an entirely energetic basis; this is an area that most "conventional" addiction therapists have no awareness or experience of. The energetic therapist sees a significant part of the addiction as an energy matrix (engram) of very strong intent which acts in a similar way to a computer virus by causing adverse actions to happen that are contrary to healthy lifestyle. The ONE System seeks primarily to dissolve this adverse energy matrix in order to provide a reduction in the number of factors that keep the addict active in this regard.
Important note: although the ONE System seeks to diminish the energy matrix that drives the urge to take the substance, it cannot create an alternate drive within the addict to NOT take the substance. Hence, the role of the practitioner, family, friends, or maybe a sponsor is still required. If an alcoholic has a few ONE treatments and then finds himself walking past his favourite bar then will he succumb and still go in and have a drink? Quite possibly. Being free of the active part of the chemical dependency and of the engram that the ONE system seeks to address is the complex psychological factors that also govern behaviour of the client. For example, the addict must actually have an inner drive to kick the addiction because without that drive there is no real impetus not to relapse.
What drives an addiction?
Chemical dependency when the substance is in the system. This has to be stopped and purged from the system, although anecdotally we have observed that the horrors of going "cold turkey" do seem to be drastically reduced when an intense series of ONE sessions are also being conducted.
The energetic engram. This is the primary focus of the ONE System. Using our experiences with blockages and unhelpful thought forms trapped in the energy levels over the whole physical body we have designed the ONE System to dissolve these interferences. Typically this energy patterning does not degrade over the passage of time without any external action so by default they will be in place for life, which is why an addict is never fully regarded as being free of the addiction.
Trauma. The act of taking a mind- altering substance can often be a form of self medication, in which the addict attempts to dull and emotional pain. This pain can be clearly of some kind of trauma such as having been in an automobile accident, or it can be a softer issue such as loneliness, shame, fear, or physical pain. This will impede any resistance the addict might otherwise have to stay in clean and is where the other specific forms of support are required, such as counselling and sponsorship. At the psychological level we expect the behavioural side of the addiction to fade as a result of the ONE sessions, but this is a process which can take a bit of time (maybe a few months) and where positive support by others can be a major contributing factor.
Social pressure. Clearly, it will be much more difficult for an addict to make much progress if close company is kept with other active addicts. All forms of therapy will still be useful to some extent but breaking free of the addiction is not easy when there are people in the same circle still using and, quite probably, still urging the addict that "just one won't do any harm".
So how should a ONE practitioner deal with a situation where an alcoholic has received three or four ONE sessions (for example) and seems to be doing well up to that point, but then relapses and goes on a drinking spree?
First and foremost, contain your disappointment and continue the ONE sessions if the client is willing. An energetic matrix of addiction can be multilayered and tough, and they can take quite some effort to dissolve. Some people beat the addiction quickly but we do emphasise that it can take quite a lot of effort to really breakdown the engram that continually exerts a strong influence to continue relapsing. By multi-layered we mean that the most active layer of the engram can be dissolved, leaving what we can only describe as "shadow copies" of the same engram. Once the primary engram is dissolved the next shadow version comes to the fore and becomes dominant and, over a little time, can strengthen itself. However, continued energetic therapy to dissolve these layers does, in our experience, appear to weaken the shadow layers until eventually the entire engram dissolves. The time it takes to do this, and the number of ONE sessions required, is not something that can be estimated - although we do expect practitioners to see improvement in enough cases to have confidence in the system.
Remember the top up device. At the moment we only offer a card but more device types are being researched. A top up card is carried about on the person of the addict as much as possible. When the card is active it will hold a gentle version of the programme that is given at greater intensity then during a session with the wrist straps. This additional programme plays an important part in helping to prevent the energetic addiction matrix from regaining its strength. This will reduce whatever energetic influence remains that might contribute to a relapse between connected sessions. If there are continual relapses but you feel that the client is sincere in wanting to be free of the addiction then a period of more frequent connected sessions might be called for. Everybody will be different.
Could a trauma be the underlying reason for the addiction? If so it might be worth dividing the session time for the main part of the programme to be 50% of the addictive substance and 50% of the time being spent on the trauma and PTSD programme.
And finally...
Please do let us know if there is anything that you would like to see in the ONE System that you haven't seen mentioned anywhere else (including my opening comments about the forthcoming versions). But of course, also please let us know if there is anything about the system that you don't like - but please base your comments upon the 2023.12 build as there is a big tidy up of known issues here.
And so the WDS team wish you a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2024!
Victor, Sharyn & Jon