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When was the last time you did something creative? Maybe you don’t consider yourself to be a creative person, or maybe you haven’t found the time to pick up your old paintbrushes or dust off the old guitar in a while.

Life gets busy, and we often allow the hustle and bustle of everyday life to distract us from making time for things and activities we need to maintain wellness. Spending time being creative is not only enjoyable but can be very therapeutic.

Creative outlets allow us to relieve stress, process thoughts and emotions, and improve our communication skills. Sometimes, art or music can be the only way we are able to understand certain feelings or express thoughts that may be otherwise difficult to communicate. Even if you don’t enjoy art or music necessarily, you can still benefit from exploring what expressive art therapy can offer.

At Enlightened Recovery, we believe that art and music can play a significant role in the healing process. During treatment for substance abuse, tapping into your creative side can be very helpful. You are going to need things to do that you enjoy, and you are going to need to make every effort to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Expressive arts may be just what you need!

Art Therapy

How do you feel when you finish a project? Do you feel a sense of accomplishment? Maybe you experience an overwhelming feeling of pride or success. Using art to help process and express thoughts and feelings can generate a similar feeling.

When you create something, you are present in that moment. You can focus all of your attention on the task at hand. Often, art therapy encourages creating something representative of yourself, your emotions, or your situation. This can allow for a release of tension and open the door for healing.

Art therapy can include many different activities and art mediums. A few examples could include painting, drawing, and sculpting. Throughout the process, many find that they are better able to communicate through art and feel more comfortable doing so. At Enlightened Recovery, our art therapists are trained to help you use the experience to better understand yourself and develop strategies for coping with stress and other difficult emotions.

Sometimes, people feel relieved after finally finding some sort of understanding of how they were feeling and what to make of it. Others may feel a sense of empowerment and courage as a result. As mentioned by Heather L. Stuckey and Jeremy Nobel in her 2010 article, “The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature,” “Art helps people express experiences that are too difficult to put into words.” In reference to trauma that often accompanies substance abuse, using art as a means of expression can be extremely beneficial.

Music Therapy

Music can be another excellent creative outlet for many during treatment and recovery. Music has a way of helping us understand ourselves by allowing us to relate to the words and stories we hear. Music therapy can involve a variety of activities, including listening to music, playing musical instruments, dancing, singing, and more.

Playing instruments can be very therapeutic as well, even more so than listening to music for some. Whether you have been playing for years or are just learning to play an instrument, the act of doing so can help promote relaxation and reduce stress.

When it comes to co-occurring disorders often found among those with substance use disorder (SUD), music therapy can be particularly helpful. Studies show that better results are produced when music therapy is incorporated as part of treatment than when treatment is provided without it.

Writing/Poetry

Writing is something that is encouraged during treatment and recovery. Journaling is known to help with processing and expression. Creative writing can serve as an excellent outlet during treatment. There is something about writing down your thoughts and emotions that feels freeing. Some may choose to write or read poetry. This, like music and art, can promote better communication and expression.

Expressing your creativity during treatment can not only be healing, but it can help you develop new hobbies and interests. Staying busy and engaging in healthy activities that encourage growth and healing throughout treatment and recovery is key. By sampling various creative outlets during treatment, you can determine what activities you may want to incorporate into your life during recovery.

We all have the ability to be creative. Sometimes, it just takes a little encouragement to get our creative juices flowing. By engaging in things like art therapy, music therapy, or creative writing during treatment, you are bound to discover something you are good at or at least enjoy. You might surprise yourself! Let the music, art, or words help you heal and stay on track to recovery.

Getting creative during treatment and engaging in expressive arts therapy is a great way to increase and reinforce what you are learning and achieving throughout the treatment process. Art, music, and creative writing allow you to better process thoughts and feelings, express yourself, and communicate things that may otherwise be difficult to convey. At Enlightened Recovery, we incorporate many creativity-focused activities into our program as we believe in the value of expressive arts and the role they can play in healing. We offer a variety of art mediums and methods for engagement in music therapy or creative writing and encourage clients to explore what interests and works best for them. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder and could benefit from our program, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Reach out to Enlightened Recovery today at (833) 801-LIVE.

Working provides a sense of purpose. Of course, it helps pay the bills too. Once you reach a certain age, your life seems even to revolve around, or at least be impacted heavily by, the work you do. For so many, it can be the reason to get up each day. There will always be good and bad days, but work is usually something most people are somewhat motivated to do.

Work and Addiction

Addiction can create major disruptions at work. Substance use affects things like focus, motivation, and sleep. A lapse in any of one of these areas could cause you to become less efficient and effective at work. Imagine all three areas being impacted. You become less productive, less reliable, and less likely to advance. If your supervisors or coworkers don’t catch on immediately, they will likely notice that something is off eventually.

Despite the distractions and deficits that substances can create when it comes to work, many still manage to remain employed. However, this is usually temporary. Employment can serve as a barrier to seeking treatment at times. You may feel as if a leave of absence would surely cost you your job. Or, you may be afraid of what your superiors or coworkers would think if they knew you had an addiction. Maybe you are the breadwinner in your family, and your income is essential.

These are all very valid concerns. While using work as an excuse to avoid treatment could be justified with any of the reasons mentioned above, things will likely continue to spiral the longer you wait to get help. It is important to address your addiction as soon as you discover you have a problem. While leaving your job may seem like a huge hurdle and inconvenience, you can rest assured that it will seem like far less of a sacrifice when you experience the opportunities that await you in recovery.

Growth During Treatment

Let’s say, hypothetically, that you decided to seek treatment and take a leave of absence from work. Maybe you were promised a position when you returned, or maybe you put in your notice and quietly exited without disclosing why. Either way, returning to the workforce following treatment is possible.

Beginning something new following treatment can often be a good thing. Often, returning to old environments and surrounding yourself with the same people can bring back memories relating to your addiction, which could be detrimental to your progress.

Throughout treatment, you will engage in various programs to assist you in returning to life outside of treatment. There will be groups that help you with interpersonal skills such as communication and coping with conflict. You will also develop new life skills in reference to teamwork, networking, and collaboration, all of which can certainly come in handy when it comes to working during recovery.

Taking advantage of volunteer and experiential therapy opportunities throughout treatment can introduce you to skills and interests you may not have considered. For example, gardening or farm work is an excellent way to discover an interest you may have in planting, harvesting, or even cooking with fresh produce and herbs.

You can be introduced to programs that will even serve as a transitional opportunity during treatment. These programs are designed to help you build confidence, increase employability, develop new skills, and bridge the gap in employment that treatment can create.

Work After Treatment

By putting in work to discover your abilities and hobbies without drugs or alcohol, you will leave treatment with a better understanding of who you can be and what you can achieve moving forward. Take advantage of the opportunities to try something new. You may learn something about yourself!

If you choose to immerse yourself fully into the treatment process by keeping an open mind and participating in skill-building activities, you will leave feeling confident, resilient, and capable of taking charge of your life in recovery. Having a clear mind, a healthy body, and a renewed sense of self can make a tremendous difference when it comes to your career. You will have more confidence going in for interviews, feel better mentally and physically on the job, and feel more secure and settled overall.

Treatment can serve as an opportunity to heal, learn and grow. You can get your career back after rehab. Maybe, you will choose to pursue a brand new career path after some self-discovery and enlightenment you are sure to experience. Working is possible after treatment, and you can be successfully and happily employed in recovery.

Work is a huge part of life for most people. Whether it’s a Monday through Friday nine to five, or a nights and weekends gig, most adults spend a good percentage of their time at work. Leaving a job to seek treatment can be scary. The thought of losing out on income or leaving a job behind to get help for your addiction can be very intimidating. Try to look at treatment as an opportunity to improve in all areas of life. You will heal your body, mind, and spirit, allowing you to become the best version of yourself. At Enlightened Recovery, we focus heavily on self-discovery and learning to cope with conflicts and barriers that may be present in your life. We facilitate activities to help you advance your skills in various areas, which will leave you feeling more confident and capable. Call Enlightened Recovery today at (833) 801-LIVE.

How do you cope with conflict or challenges that come your way? Everyone faces adversity at some point in their life. How you respond to and handle adversity is critical for your health and wellbeing.

At a young age, we are often taught to shake things off or take a walk to cool down when we are feeling stressed or upset. The truth is, as we age and encounter more difficult situations, these simple solutions may not always have the therapeutic effect they once did. When it comes to drug or alcohol addiction, there are many things that can come your way that may cause distress and hardships. Relapse can be difficult to avoid at times, especially when cravings strike or you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

In these instances, it is necessary to come to battle prepared with skills and strategies for coping with the urge to use. These can be developed and strengthened over time. With practice and determination, you can reduce the chances of relapse by using skills learned in treatment. At Enlightened Recovery, we focus on relapse prevention.

Potential Challenges

Let’s take a moment to discuss potential issues that could arise during recovery that could make you consider relapse. These could be small things, large problems, unexpected incidents, or even minor setbacks to your progress.

For instance, say you lost your job suddenly. This can not only create stress for you but could also create stress for your family members who may be counting on you to pay the bills. Maybe you have an argument with your partner or family member. Familial conflict can be a huge trigger for many and can often create immense stress.

Spending time with others who may be a poor influence or aren’t supportive of your new lifestyle can also create issues. You may feel pressured or feel as if you don’t belong. These emotions can lead to the consideration of using again to ease these feelings of isolation. We all have bad days, right? However, a bad day for someone in recovery can result in relapse if they are not prepared with strategies for staying on track.

Building Coping Skills in Treatment

Coping skills can be developed through therapy and group learning and practice during treatment. Many would consider coping skills to be some of the most important things to carry into recovery. The more prepared and confident you are in your ability to stay on track during recovery, the more successful you are likely to be.

How do you build this confidence? The answer lies in feeling well equipped to take what you have learned in treatment and apply it to life in recovery.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy sessions allow you to really open up and explore your trauma, barriers to recovery, and behavior patterns that do not serve you. By addressing these things one-on-one with a therapist, you are able to develop skills for navigating these potential barriers to your success.

A few examples of skills you might develop through individual therapy could include boundary setting, mindfulness, methods for self-care, and more. Putting the skills learned to practice outside of sessions is key.

Group Therapy

Group therapy, while less individualized, can create a sense of community and a feeling of belonging. When you feel like others have your back, you feel more confident and comfortable leaning on others for support. Sometimes, having the support of peers can help you cope with conflict and avoid relapse.

Group therapy also provides an opportunity for you to practice the skills you learned during individual therapy sessions. Practicing these new skills in a safe space with others who share similar goals can be less intimidating and can allow you to really sharpen your abilities prior to integrating them into your life outside of treatment.

Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy involves using fun and often fellowship-driven activities to promote skill-building and practice. This can serve as an additional step following group therapy for you to practice your coping skills in real-life settings. Some examples of experiential therapy can include gardening, fishing, surfing, or hiking.

Consider the skills involved in these activities. You might need patience, focus, and determination. Many may also require teamwork and leaning on others for support. All of these skills can help you cope with stressors and challenges that could trigger a relapse.

Coping skills come in handy in many situations. Whether you need to overcome a difficult situation with work or you need to process an unexpected loss, coping skills are essential. When it comes to avoiding relapse and staying on track throughout treatment and recovery, how you respond to adversity will make all the difference.

Coping skills are crucial when it comes to staying focused on your goals throughout treatment and recovery. By engaging in individual therapy, group therapy, and other experience-based therapies you can develop specific skills for coping with stressors and obstacles you are bound to face in treatment and recovery. At Enlightened Recovery, we offer various forms of therapy to address your specific needs. We take a trauma-first approach to treatment, meaning we aim to address underlying trauma and help you heal mentally, spiritually, and physically as you move forward with your goal of sobriety. Let us help you develop skills for a successful and healthy future. Through our programs, you can build the confidence and skills you need to thrive in recovery. If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, give Enlightened Recovery a call today at (833) 801-LIVE.

Relationships are an essential part of life. We all need human interaction. Friends and family members are great to have around during happy times, and especially during tough times.

Knowing the value of positive relationships, it is important to learn how to identify them. How do you build healthy relationships, and what makes some healthy and others unhealthy? This can be determined by how you feel and behave and whether they support and encourage positive aspects of your life.

If you are or have struggled with substance abuse, likely some, if not most, of your relationships during that time were not healthy. Typically, those battling addiction surround themselves with others living similar lifestyles. As a result, your social circle will likely change as you enter treatment and progress through recovery.

Impact of Others

The company you keep can have a huge impact on you. Those around you can be more influential than you might think. For instance, spending time with people who prioritize healthy eating makes you more likely to follow a healthy diet. You tend to conform to similar interests and activities. This can be a good thing or a bad thing.

When it comes to addiction, your behavior can often be reinforced by those you spend time with. Individuals that use substances tend to hang around others that also use substances. This can be for a variety of reasons. This could be out of convenience. Accessing substances may be easier in specific environments. Individuals that use substances may also spend time together because there is a lack of judgment felt when others around them are engaging in the same behaviors.

As you enter treatment and begin your journey to recovery, you will find that many, if not all, of the individuals you used to spend time with will fall off. Without drugs or alcohol, you may find that you don’t have much in common with these people. You will now be interacting with others who may be going through treatment or are already in recovery.

Connecting During Treatment

Building relationships in treatment can create a sense of community and reassure you that you are not alone. You are surrounded by others who are going through the same process and can likely share your perspective. Health and wellness groups are often held in a group setting, helping to facilitate new friendships and connections during treatment. Many programs will include skill development specifically to assist you in building and repairing relationships.

Equally important as connecting with others during treatment is connecting with yourself. This bond could even be considered to be the most important. It can be common to lose touch with yourself as a result of addiction. You may forget who you are and become very disconnected from the things and people who really matter. Treatment is an excellent time to re-establish your internal connection and build new habits of checking in with yourself regularly.

Connecting in Recovery

Some relationships may carry over from treatment to recovery as a result of the bonds created with peers during the experience. You will also begin to form new relationships following treatment. These relationships are very important. As mentioned previously, those you spend your time with can have a huge impact on your life.

Choosing your friends and connections wisely is more important than ever. Aim to identify like-minded people. This can be done by attending recovery meetings and continuing to remain involved in programs as an alumnus.

This is often a time for rebuilding broken relationships that may have been damaged due to your addiction. Many times, bonds with close friends and family members become strained due to your behavior while using drugs or alcohol. It is important to take steps to reconnect with those who care about you and support your recovery, as they can help you remain on track and encouraged.

Facilities, such as Enlightened Recovery, often elect to involve friends and family members in the treatment and recovery process. Studies show major advantages to having a strong support system following treatment. As mentioned by Henning Pettersen, Anne Landheim, Ivar Skeie, Stian Biong, Morten Brodahl, Jeppe Oute, and Larry Davidson in their article, “How Social Relationships Influence Substance Use Disorder Recovery: A Collaborative Narrative Study,” “[Substance use disorder] treatment providers should involve clients’ networks to a greater extent when designing new treatment approaches. They should invite significant others, family, and friends of the client to treatment programs in the interest of promoting and prolonging positive relationships relevant to establishing sobriety.”

This supports the value of positive relationships in recovery. By attending regular meetings and staying involved, you can continue to build your support network following treatment and throughout recovery.

Building relationships is not always easy. In fact, the older you get the more difficult it seems to become. Addiction can cause you to damage positive relationships and develop negative ones. When you make the decision to enter treatment, your social circle is bound to change. Enlightened Recovery offers group therapy and classes to encourage connectedness and facilitate group learning and healing. Many activities involve learning communication skills, conflict resolution, and other abilities that will help you build new healthy relationships after treatment and throughout recovery. Our health and wellness groups are always held in a group setting, as we find great value in creating a sense of community and learning new things as a team. If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, make the decision to seek help today. Call Enlightened Recovery at (833) 801-LIVE.

DBT stands for dialectical behavior therapy, a technique used to treat many mental health disorders. Initially, it was created to aid those with suicidal ideation. Developed by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, DBT was created to address and encourage two things: change and acceptance.

DBT has since been used to treat other disorders such as borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, and more. DBT has proven to also be useful in treating co-occurring disorders. As described by Linda A. Dimeff and Marsha M. Linehan, in their article “Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Substance Abusers,” which appears in the Addiction Science and Clinical Practice journal, “When DBT is successful, the patient learns to envision, articulate, pursue, and sustain goals that are independent of his or her history of out-of-control behavior, including substance abuse, and is better able to grapple with life’s ordinary problems.”

The use of DBT for those with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring disorders continues to grow. The principles of acceptance and change presented in DBT are consistent with the emphasis on both throughout the 12-Step process. This correlation allows recipients to relate therapy to their learnings in 12-Step groups and apply similar strategies throughout treatment. At Enlightened Recovery, we incorporate both the Twelve Steps and DBT into our treatment programs.

It is important to recognize that DBT is a comprehensive treatment approach rather than a single treatment strategy. Every client is different, having different needs and circumstances that may require some adaptation and special attention. Because DBT can be used to treat various disorders, settings and specifics surrounding treatment can vary.

Functions of DBT

Despite any variations or adaptations, DBT provided for SUD or co-occurring disorders should always address five specific functions. As discussed by Alexander L. Chapman in his 2006 Psychiatry journal article, these five functions of DBT include:

Enhancing capabilities
Generalizing capabilities
Improving motivation and reducing dysfunctional behaviors
Enhancing and maintaining therapist capabilities and motivation
Structuring the environment

#1. Enhancing Capabilities

Typically, those receiving DBT are in need of developing skills in a few key areas. These areas include interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and tolerance. It is important for those with co-occurring disorders to enhance these abilities in order to succeed in recovery.

Many times, these skills are addressed through group therapy. This allows for discussion and practicing of these skills with others working on similar goals. Additionally, therapists may assign homework to encourage practicing the skills between group sessions.

#2. Generalizing Capabilities

This function refers to the transferability of the skills learned to the lives of those receiving therapy. Individual sessions are offered to individualize strategies and offer guidance regarding ways to integrate these new skills into daily life. Homework assignments provide opportunities to practice skills such as emotional regulation and mindfulness in real-life situations.

#3. Improving Motivation and Reducing Dysfunctional Behaviors

This function involves self-assessment of behaviors and tracking patterns between individual therapy sessions. This allows the therapist to identify persisting issues and prioritize the behaviors according to risk and consequence. The therapist will determine why the behaviors are occurring and will work to develop strategies for change.

#4. Enhancing and Maintaining Therapist Capabilities and Motivation

It is important for DBT providers to remain focused, compassionate, non-judgmental, and supportive of their clients. This function involves consistent collaboration among therapists to promote problem-solving and offer encouragement. Treating those with co-occurring disorders can be delicate; thus, therapists must be able to navigate difficult and sensitive situations.

#5. Structuring the Environment

For those with co-occurring disorders, it can be common to have people or places that may be triggering. It is important to ensure the environment created is free of triggers and is supportive of the goals of the individual. Therapists may encourage a change in social circles or modifications of certain environments to encourage success.

DBT in Treatment

As mentioned, DBT focuses on change in behavior and acceptance simultaneously. It is important for therapy recipients to work to change behavior patterns that resulted in their addiction while also accepting the things that they cannot change.

DBT offers opportunities for skill development essential for coping with your diagnosis while successfully navigating treatment and recovery. By developing skills such as emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal efficacy, and mindfulness, you can better cope with your current situation and come prepared to handle obstacles you may face in the future.

DBT techniques can be incorporated into all aspects of treatment and are most effective when this is the case. Co-occurring disorders can determine how you may experience, respond to, and understand substance abuse. The adaptability and generalization of skills associated with this treatment method make it beneficial for those with substance abuse disorders and mental health diagnoses. DBT can help you heal and learn to cope with what lies ahead in recovery.

Substance use disorder often co-occurs with other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. While it was created to be a treatment for people with suicidal ideation, DBT, or dialectical behavior therapy, is now often used by treatment facilities to address substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. DBT is a method or program designed to evoke change and promote acceptance. Enlightened Recovery incorporates DBT in every aspect of treatment. The skills developed through DBT help with developing positive relationships, coping with conflict, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and being present. At Enlightened Recovery, we conduct a thorough assessment at intake to determine if you have a co-occurring disorder. This allows us to formulate a personalized treatment plan to address your specific needs. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse and could benefit from treatment, give Enlightened Recovery a call today at (833) 801-LIVE.

Food and mental health, how do they relate? There is actually a very close relationship between the food we eat and the way we feel mentally. The truth is, how we feel can affect our decisions about food, just as the food we eat can affect how we feel.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, making healthy food choices can become second nature once you develop a habit of making them. When it comes to mental health, eating a nutrient-dense balanced diet can contribute tremendously. There have been countless studies on the ways in which various diets affect functioning and overall health. Fad diets come and go, but organic, balanced, and nutrient-dense foods will always be your best bet.

Life can be hard, and everyday stressors can take a toll on your mental health. Even more difficult can be the challenges faced as a result of substance abuse. There will be many ups and downs along the path to recovery, but there are ways to ensure you are in your best state to cope with them. You have to eat, right? Why not make choices that support good mental health?

Planning Ahead

Sure, it’s easy to pull through that drive-through and grab something quick on your way to work or to run errands. Sometimes, it’s not as convenient to actually cook or prepare something a little more nutritious. Meal prepping is always a good idea. This takes the guesswork out of it and allows you to grab and go. Planning ahead and creating meals and snacks ahead of time can feel like a little extra work upfront, but it makes things so much easier throughout the week and on busy days.

Impacts of Unhealthy Foods

Eating healthy makes you feel good. When you feel good, you’re more likely to be more active, focused, efficient, and productive overall. Eating unhealthy foods that are filled with processed sugars and ingredients can leave you feeling less than your best and significantly impact brain health. Unhealthy foods, or junk food, can often increase levels of stress hormones and result in a lack of energy, motivation, and focus. As further explained in the article “Food and Mood: How Do Diet and Nutrition Affect Mental Wellbeing?” by Joseph Firth, James E. Gangwisch, Alessandra Borsini, Robyn E. Wootton, and Emeran A. Mayer, “Although mood itself can affect our food choices, plausible mechanisms exist by which high consumption of processed carbohydrates could increase the risk of depression and anxiety—for example, through repeated and rapid increases and decreases in blood glucose.”

Good Nutrition During Treatment

Good nutrition is important for everyone. It’s particularly important for those who are trying to heal from substance use disorder (SUD). Addiction takes a toll on your mental, physical, and spiritual health. It takes time and intentional efforts to repair the damage caused by abusing drugs or alcohol. Eating healthy, organic foods during treatment and throughout recovery can help promote more complete and faster healing.

Maintaining a healthy diet throughout treatment and recovery is important for a variety of reasons. In order to get the most out of your treatment experience, you need to feel your best. A lot goes into feeling your best, but a large component of that is determined by what you put in your body. Drinking enough water and choosing to eat healthy foods and balanced meals can make a huge difference. You are better able to focus on learning during your therapy sessions and group meetings. You will be more motivated to stay on track and will stay aware of your goals. You will also have more energy to try new things and engage in other health and wellness activities that also promote better mental health.

Healthy eating can actually be fun! As you become more comfortable with trying different healthy foods, it can be fun to create new recipes using more organic and nutritious ingredients. You may find that you really enjoy cooking and preparing healthy meals. Engaging in cooking classes and wellness activities during treatment can help you develop habits and hobbies to carry with you throughout recovery.

Like anything else, healthy eating can sometimes take practice. Your appetite may have been significantly impacted by your substance abuse. Often, you develop an unhealthy relationship with food during this time. It could be that you were eating way too much of all the wrong things, or maybe you weren’t eating enough. Either way, treatment is an excellent time to allow your body to reset and fill it with healthy organic foods.

After eating this way for a while, it can become second nature. Habits, good or bad, can be easily formed and difficult to break. Once you break habits of poor eating and make it common practice to make good food choices, it becomes easy to maintain and implement into your routine throughout recovery.

Good mental health is so important. Achieving good mental health and maintaining it can certainly be challenging at times. Eating healthy can help. By making good nutrition a priority, you can feel better, look better, and function at your best. When you feel good and are in a good space mentally, you can better focus on your recovery and making the most of life. You can achieve a healthier lifestyle and promote better healing by choosing a treatment center that prioritizes organic and nutrient-dense foods. Enlightened Recovery offers a full menu composed of locally grown organic foods, many of which are grown on-site at the Enlightened Farm. Healing begins from the inside out. Let us help you restore your health and begin your journey to recovery. If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, give Enlightened Recovery a call today at (833) 801-LIVE.

When was the last time you practiced yoga? Maybe you had a great practice just yesterday, or maybe you have always wanted to try it but feel a little intimidated. The great news is that yoga can be adapted to all abilities and experience levels. When used as part of the treatment process for substance use disorder (SUD), yoga can help promote healing and can reinforce the 12-Step process.

Yoga is something that has been used for centuries and provides many benefits. These include advantages to your mental health, physical health, and spiritual health. Yoga began in India over 5,000 years ago and is still used today because of its many benefits. With time, the practice has evolved, and several forms have developed with varying levels of difficulty and intensity.

You can find the practice in many different settings. These days, yoga studios can often be found in city centers and suburbs. Yoga instruction can take place in educational settings such as schools and universities. You can also find yoga classes being taught in more clinical spaces, such as rehab facilities like Enlightened Recovery, and as part of therapeutic programs.

Yoga was created to connect the body and mind with the understanding that without this connection, one cannot be fully well. The idea was always to encourage awareness and mindfulness of the present. This was believed to create a higher sense of consciousness.

Today, yoga continues to serve these purposes and many others. The body-mind connection continues to serve as the primary intention and, if achieved, can impact many other areas of function and well-being.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is beneficial to the body in many ways. Yoga is an effective yet gentle form of exercise. This makes it ideal for anyone just beginning their fitness journey or recovering from an injury. It can also be adapted to challenge more experienced athletes. Yoga promotes better strength and flexibility, improving general wellness and overall quality of life.

Practicing yoga has various advantages when it comes to mental health and processing as well. Because yoga encourages a mind and body connection, practicing can help with understanding and accepting different thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Better sleep, focus, and increased patience/calmness are also often experienced.

Yoga and the 12-Step Process

Let’s briefly discuss the 12-Step process. This process for recovery was created by founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous and is a widely used method among treatment programs and facilities worldwide. Each of the Twelve Steps involves a different gradual focus toward seeking sobriety and entering recovery. While each step is different, they all incorporate change and strength mentally, physically, and spiritually.

So, how can yoga help with understanding and reinforcing the 12-Step process? This is done by associating each of the Twelve Steps with specific yoga poses. You are making a mind and body connection that allows you to understand and process each specific step fully. Many people learn best by “doing.” This is because you are forming a mind and body correlation to whatever the task may be. This reinforces the information and new strategies you are learning and helps store them in your memory.

Both yoga and the 12-Step process involve mental and physical strength. Each requires awareness of self and the surrounding world. Yoga 12SR classes encourage you to push beyond your limits physically, just as therapy and the 12-Step process encourage pushing beyond your limits mentally. Essentially, you are connecting the cognitive efforts outside of the studio with your physical efforts in the studio.

Yoga and Addiction Recovery

Addiction can often leave those impacted feeling isolated or disconnected. You may feel lost or unsure of who you have become. Yoga helps re-integrate the mind, body, and spirit and can promote healing from the inside out. Because addiction impacts physical, mental, and physical health, this can be very helpful.

Yoga promotes mindfulness, which is crucial during addiction treatment and recovery. It can be difficult to process the changes you experience mentally, physically, and spiritually throughout the process. It can be easy to get distracted or consumed with focusing on past mistakes or feelings of shame and guilt. Yoga serves as an outlet for understanding, expressing, and healing.

Yoga teaches you to check in with yourself and make a habit of doing so regularly. Much like the Twelve Steps taught throughout treatment at Enlightened Recovery, yoga is and should be a long-term practice. Whether you enter the program as an experienced yogi or have never tried it before, you will leave with a better understanding of yourself and how to use the practice to enhance your treatment and recovery experience.

Yoga integrates the mind, body, and spirit. This connection is essential for long-term success in recovery, and for overall well-being in life in general. Building a good yoga practice can help you remain connected to yourself and mindful. Creating correlations between the 12-Step process and yoga can help reinforce the principles. At Enlightened Recovery, we incorporate yoga as part of our program for many reasons. Our instructors will help you develop a practice that works well for you and promotes internal and external healing. We incorporate the 12-Step process into our yoga practice to allow for a connection between the cognitive work you are doing in therapy and the physical work you are doing in the yoga studio. If you or someone you love is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, make the decision to seek help today. Give Enlightened Recovery a call at (833) 801-LIVE.

At Enlightened Recovery, we believe in holistic care and offer a safe space for all, regardless of one’s diagnosis. At the very beginning of your time spent as our client, we evaluate you to see if you have any co-occurring diagnoses, but we still treat you as a whole person. We know that with proper care and healthy practices, you can overcome your struggles with addiction to alcohol or other substances or behaviors. We also know that overcoming any other diagnosis is possible. We believe in every single one of our clients and their ability to recover from their addictions and mental health diagnoses.

Choosing Health

When you choose treatment at Enlightened Recovery, you are choosing wellness. We offer many resources to ensure you are at your best when you leave our New Jersey treatment facility. As part of your treatment, we want to help you learn how to best take care of yourself so that you are ready to tackle life and live the life you want when you return home. We encourage and provide you with the resources to eat healthy, exercise, and engage in therapy before we consider medication needs for your co-occurring diagnoses. We want you to have the life you always imagined and wanted. We know struggling with multiple diagnoses can be challenging, and we want to set you up for success.

Healthy Diet

As part of your treatment at Enlightened Recovery, we offer clients sustainable food. We provide organic and healthy meals as part of our resources for your treatment. We utilize our own gardens as part of our therapy options and use the foods we grow as part of the healthy diet we provide to clients. We want to ensure you achieve your best health, and we begin by ensuring you eat wholesome and sustainable food.

Exercise

Exercise promotes endorphins, which improves mood and combats anxiety and other mental health diagnoses. We utilize various forms of exercise in your treatment, including yoga and walking in nature. We recognize that movement therapy will help your recovery and improve your mental stability, making recovery easier to manage and more sustainable.

Therapy

As part of your treatment at Enlightened Recovery, you will work with an individual therapist and participate in other groups to learn how best to manage your symptoms and navigate recovery. You will learn how to set goals and meet with your therapist weekly to discuss your progress and any changes that need to be made to ensure your progress in meeting your goals for adequate management of your co-occurring diagnosis.

Is Medication Necessary?

Sometimes, medication is necessary, but at Enlightened Recovery, we want to ensure you can live your best life and know that sometimes medication can cause unwanted side effects and be frustrating to the person trying to overcome their diagnosis. We begin by establishing wellness goals to help you find balance. If medication is necessary, we will help you find the right medication and help you learn how to balance your life with the side effects. When you leave our campus, we want you to be able to greet your life with whole wellness and not just depend upon medication for your well-being. We treat you as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.

Retrain the Brain

Managing a co-occurring disorder is difficult. You may have utilized your struggle with alcohol or other substances or behaviors to manage your symptoms. Understanding what to do when met with a diagnosis or challenging symptoms can seem overwhelming and uncertain. At Enlightened Recovery, we help you develop solutions to “retrain your brain” and develop more positive coping strategies to enhance your well-being and develop a healthier life.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in promoting one’s well-being and enhancing one’s wellness. At Enlightened Recovery, we utilize mindfulness in everything we do. Being mindful is just one part of our holistic treatment and has been shown to support a healthier life.

Cognitive Restructuring

Part of retraining the brain requires examining your thinking. Some refer to problematic thinking as “stinking thinking.” Stinking thinking often gets us into trouble and makes us more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors and sets us back in our recovery. Examining our thoughts and adjusting them according to the truth and reframing those thoughts in a helpful manner will help you have a more successful recovery, not only from addiction but also from any co-occurring diagnoses.

Remember Your Unique Strengths

Having a co-occurring diagnosis does not define you, just as your addiction does not define you. You are always a person first. You are defined only by what you want and allow. You are a person with unique strengths and challenges. Having a history of addiction to alcohol or other substances or behaviors is not the essence of who you are, just as having a co-occurring diagnosis does not define you.

Life with a co-occurring diagnosis may seem impossible to manage, but at Enlightened Recovery, we believe life can still be enjoyed and lived wholesomely. We believe in wellness and retraining the brain to live in a sustainable way that enriches your life and the lives of others, no matter your diagnosis. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction to alcohol or other substances or behaviors, hope is available. At Enlightened Recovery, we recognize that addiction sometimes happens with a co-occurring diagnosis, and we are ready to treat the whole person, not just one aspect of your struggle. We believe in your ability to overcome addiction and any other co-occurring diagnosis. You are a person first at our treatment center. If you want to overcome addiction or a co-occurring diagnosis, call us at (833) 801-LIVE and learn how to live your best life.

Anxiety is something that many people experience throughout their lifetime. Some may struggle with it daily, while for others, it may come in waves or be situational. Studies show that over 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder, a little more than 19% of the population.

This number doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands of people who are likely undiagnosed, chalking their symptoms up to circumstantial stressors. The truth is, some degree of anxiety can be normal, and can even be a good thing in moderation. When symptoms become excessive, however, it can become problematic.

Treatment for anxiety can vary widely. Some may choose to manage symptoms with medication. Others may opt for psychotherapy or counseling. Many elect to receive a combination of both medication and therapy.

How to Identify Anxiety

Temporary fear or worry about things such as finances, family, or health issues is totally normal. An anxiety disorder is present when the worry or fear does not pass, increases over time, or interferes with day-to-day life such as work, school, or relationships.

There are several different types of anxiety disorders. These include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders. Symptoms can vary for each type, but a few common symptoms of each can include:

Feeling restless or on edge
Being easily fatigued
Struggling to focus
Irritability or mood shifts
Aches and pains such as headaches, muscle aches, stomach discomfort
Feelings of worry or dread that are hard to control or irrational
Insomnia or difficulty falling or staying asleep
Feeling self-conscious
Increased heart rate
Excess and uncontrollable sweating
Shaking
Chest pain
Feeling a loss of control
Increased heart rate
Trouble with eye contact
Feeling judged

Benzos for Anxiety

Anxiety is often treated with benzodiazepines, more commonly known as benzos. These medications are also widely prescribed for insomnia, stress, epilepsy, and for sedation purposes. With anxiety and the other mentioned challenges being so prevalent, benzos are among the most frequently prescribed medications in the United States.

Benzos work by slowing down the central nervous system as they increase the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. This produces a calm feeling and can even lead to drowsiness. It is for this reason that benzos can also be used to treat insomnia.

Benzos are only to be used temporarily or for short periods. This usually involves only a few days to weeks of usage at a time. Unfortunately, however, some providers continue to prescribe them to be used for longer durations. This creates a tolerance for the suggested dosage, often resulting in the misuse of the medication. More is required to get the calming effect once achieved with the prescribed dosage. Just like that, a habit is formed. There is also the risk of overdose when mixing benzos with alcohol or other drugs.

Alternative Treatment Options

Benzos should be considered a small piece of the full treatment plan for anxiety – if included at all. Psychotherapy is an excellent addition to medication therapy or an alternative form of treatment for anxiety. Psychotherapy can include techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), experiential therapy, and holistic therapy. Each of these options can be highly effective in treating anxiety and can be used to supplement, reduce, or replace the use of benzos for treating anxiety and related symptoms.

CBT increases cognitive awareness and encourages eliminating negative thought patterns. This form of therapy creates an increased understanding of how one’s thoughts and emotions are affecting their actions and behaviors.

Experiential therapy involves the reenactment or recreating of significant events or experiences in a person’s life. Various activities, tools, or props are often used in this form of treatment. Role-playing can commonly be incorporated to help one re-live and process the experience. Activities could include horseback riding, surfing, kayaking, acting, and more.

Holistic therapy refers to treating the whole person. This approach focuses on the mind, body, and spirit and is very integrative. Examples of holistic treatment modalities could include art therapy, music therapy, chiropractic, yoga, meditation, and consuming organic foods. Holistic therapies often involve lifestyle changes and healthy routines to improve one’s overall quality of life.

Depending on the source, severity, and frequency of one’s anxiety, choosing a therapeutic approach may be just as beneficial as prescription anxiety medication and, in many cases, can be a more sustainable treatment option in the long term. Knowing the habit-forming risks of benzos, it could be worth considering alternate options to treat anxiety before or in addition to seeking medication. At Enlightened Recovery, we offer a range of evidence-based therapies to treat addiction to prescription drugs, including benzos.

Benzodiazepines are the most frequently prescribed medications in the United States. They are very commonly prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and several other disorders. Because of the risk of misuse, addiction, and even harm when taken in excess or combined with other substances, other more natural options should be considered. Therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, experiential therapy, and holistic therapy can serve as an excellent addition or alternative to benzos for the treatment of anxiety. Enlightened Recovery specializes in holistic therapy, and utilizes treatments such as art therapy, music therapy, and yoga, in addition to chiropractic, meditation, and organic food programs as part of individualized treatment plans. Our highly trained staff encourages healing and restores hope through these treatment modalities and can assist you in regaining control of your life. If you or someone you love could benefit from our treatment offerings, call Enlightened Recovery today at (833) 801-LIVE.

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