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Best Essential Oils For Overcoming Challenges In Recovery

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction Recovery, Alternative Therapy, Healthy Living, Mental Health. No Comments on Best Essential Oils For Overcoming Challenges In Recovery

Essential oils are an ancient practice using the most healing properties of herbs, flowers, and plants. Either rubbed onto the skin or through aromatherapy, essential oils can be supportive to therapeutic efforts in recovery, mind, body, and spirit.

ORGANGE

For: Getting out of a funk and shaking off the blues

Orange is an invigorating smell. As an essential oil, orange is good to shake off going through a funk or feeling a case of the blues. Recovery, especially early recovery, is full of ups and downs. As the brain and the body regulate, it isn’t uncommon to go through periods of depression. Life can be that way outside of recovery as well. All kinds of circumstances can bring us into a funk or a down time in our energy, mood, and emotional state. It is important in recovery to learn to let things pass, feel feelings, and learn from everything. However, a funk and the blues can become too overwhelming. When they do, there is a risk of returning to old feel-good behaviors which can be harmful and a threat to sobriety.

EUCALYPTUS

For: fighting off chronic early recovery colds, detox, PAWS, general relaxation

Eucalyptus is an ingredient used in many trusted cold remedies. Brand name products like Vick’s Vapo Rub use the natural menthol of eucalyptus for clearing up the nose and throat for relief during congestion. Eucalyptus is good for purifying and cleansing, which makes it a very essential oil. Early recovery can come with regular rounds of colds and flus. Everybody has a compromised immune system as their bodies are fighting hard to restore health after years of substance abuse. In addition to helping out during a cold or the flu, eucalyptus oil can help with detox and withdrawal symptoms which are ongoing. Symptoms of post acute withdrawal syndrome can last up to 24 months.

SANDALWOOD

For: working on your fourth step, clearing negative energy, trauma work

Sandalwood is an essential oil used in different religions and spiritual practices. It’s used to clear negative energy and sanctify an object or a process. Using sandalwood during a fourth step of the twelve step process is helpful in clearing away the surging negative emotions which can come from writing about resentments and harms done. Trauma work with a therapist and in group setting can also bring up old negative emotions which are difficult to process. Sandalwood will create a sense of grounding while healing the energy.

 

Enlightened Recovery Solutions strives to bring clients transformative healing of mind, body, and spirit. Our integrative treatment programs fuse the best of holistic and alternative healing with clinical therapy and twelve step philosophy. Providing partial care programs, we welcome clients seeking to recover from addiction, alcoholism, and mental health issues. For information, call us today at 833-801-5483.

How an Overactive Chakra Can Negatively Interfere With Your Recovery: Part One

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Recovery. No Comments on How an Overactive Chakra Can Negatively Interfere With Your Recovery: Part One

The chakras are a series of energetic hubs which align the body from the top of the head, through the spine, to the base of the tailbone. Each chakra has energetic meaning which can interact with how we live our recovery. Here we discuss the first three chakras and how, when they are overactive, they can negatively interfere with recovery.

OVERACTIVE ROOT CHAKRA

The root chakra is located by at the bottom of the tailbone at the very core of your being. Represented as red in color, the root chakra is associated with your sense of foundation. “Grounding” exercises commonly refer to activating and healing the root chakra to feel more connected to the chakra system, the earth beneath your feet, and the world around you. When the root chakra is overactive, it can interfere with your recovery by causing you to resist change and act with more greed. The world is constantly changing. There are changes happening every single second which are essential to our survival and would be catastrophic if they stopped changing; for example, the earth is constantly rotating on it’s axis. If the earth stopped rotating, we would lose our sense of gravity and everything would start floating around, colliding, and causing a disaster. When we become resistant to change in recovery, we become resistant to growth. Continual growth is essential for long term recovery. It is natural and acceptable to want to keep things as they are, especially when they feel so good. Holding onto to pleasure is a characteristic of addiction. The spiritual approach, however, is recognizing that this too shall pass and there is always more to come.

OVERACTIVE SACRAL CHAKRA

The sacral chakra is located within the abdomen, by the sacrum of the spine. Represented as orange in color, the sacral chakra is associated with acceptance. Acceptance is a widely discussed theme in all of recovery, especially twelve step philosophies. The popular “serenity prayer” asks a higher power of your understanding to grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change. Losing your ability to be in acceptance quickly leads to resentments toward people, places, and things which you want to control, feel you need to control, but ultimately cannot. You have to accept. Feeling out of control and detached from one area of life can lead to compensating by attaching to another area of life. Too often, that can result in reattaching to drugs and alcohol.

OVERACTIVE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

The solar plexus chakra is located in the upper abdomen, near the stomach. Represented as yellow in color, the solar plexus chakra supports your confidence and the second part of the “serenity prayer”. After asking for the serenity to accept what you cannot change, you ask for the courage to change the things you can. Primarily, you can change yourself and take control of yourself in your own life. An overactive solar plexus chakra can result in becoming aggressive, taking too much control, and trying to change everything. As a result, you lose sight of what you truly can change. Being overactive in the solar plexus means acting out of insecurity and fear through pride instead of confidence and humility.

Integrative healing is the primary principle of treatment at Enlightened Recovery Solutions. Our mind, body, spirit approach brings together the best of clinical therapy, holistic healing, and twelve step philosophy. For information on our partial care programs for addiction, alcoholism, and dual diagnosis issues, call us today at 833-801-5483.

3 Qualities You Should Look For In A Healthy Sponsor

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Finding a sponsor quickly in early recovery can help you get started on the twelve steps as soon as possible. Choosing the right sponsor is easy by looking for these three qualities about the way they sponsor people. In addition, they should be someone you feel you relate to, whose life in recovery is something you admire, and who you feel you can trust.

 

  1. They Are Generous With Time And Knowledge: Once upon a time your sponsor was in the same position as you. New to recovery, uncomfortable with feelings and cravings, not sure how to make it through another day sober. A sponsor reached out to them offer generous amounts of time and knowledge about recovery, the Big Book, the twelve steps, and more. Sponsors in a relationship with a sponsee are supposed to give their time and knowledge generously as it was given to them. If a sponsor is holding back or creating requirements to “earn” what they know, they are not the right person.
  2. They Do Not Sugar Coat Things For You: A sponsor does not have to be rigid, rude, and confrontational on the borderline of emotionally abusive. Likewise, a sponsor does not have to be gentle, soft, cooing, and affectionate. Ideally, a sponsor should have a healthy balance of realism and optimism, compassion and empathy, with some healthy boundary settings. Your sponsor is not your therapist or your parent. Your sponsor is someone who dedicates their time to showing you how to live a clean and sober lifestyle of recovery. As a result, they should be realistic and assertive with you when necessary. Addiction is a sneaky disease which can quickly turn the brain. Sponsors are there to help you realize when your thinking has gone astray and put it back on track.
  3. They Are Loyal And Maintain Confidence: Going through the twelve steps with a sponsor means that individual will b getting to know you on a deep and intimate level. Sharing your fourth step, your moral inventory, with your sponsor means going through some of your darkest moments together. A sponsor should be committed to your relationship with them, not anything else. Too often, sponsors have a tendency to talk about their sponsees and what their sponsees are going through to other people. Understand, your sponsor is not a perfect person. At times, they will need to seek outside advice so they can best guide you in their recovery. This is an important quality which teaches you that it is always okay to ask for help.

Enlightened Recovery believes in the spiritual principles and lifestyle of the twelve steps. Our partial care programs for addiction and dual diagnosis issues bring together the twelve step philosophy with proven clinical treatments and holistic healing modalities. For more information, call us today at 833-801-5483.

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Mindfulness And Music Go Hand In Hand

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It’s easy to get lost in music. You might like the rhythm, the beat, the bass, the lyrics, or just the sound of the instruments. Music has a powerful ability to transport the mind to other places. Listening to music and making music have meditative properties which are healing to the mind, body, and spirit. Music therapy in treatment for addiction and dual diagnosis issues can help clients access emotions and memories which might otherwise be blocked. Through lyrics and emotional sounds, music helps clients become more mindful of their emotions. Mindfulness is a spiritual practice by nature which has gained clinical renown for its ability to reduce stress and symptoms of challenging mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Becoming aware of the present moment through the tasks of noticing and paying attention are the foundation of mindfulness. Until people become aware they usually aren’t aware of how unaware they have been. Why don’t we notice the world around us or the world within us more often? We simply aren’t taught to do so. Mindfulness practices help train the brain to be more aware which and keen to noticing. Music is a way to enhance mindfulness by practicing mindfulness in music oriented situations.

For men and women in recovery, music can become a powerful tool. Discovering new music tastes, finding songs which define new feelings, learning to play an instrument, and attending music shows are transformative experiences. Here are some ways to bring music and mindfulness together in your recovery:

  • Go to live music shows with friends: At first it might feel intimidating to go to venues where alcohol is served and not drink. Ask for a soda or a water to have something to hold onto but mindfully focus on the music and the environment. Notice how your thoughts might drift to depression or anxiety. See if you can become aware of how often you leave the present moment and what helps you come back. Focus on your breathing and feel the vibrations of the PA system through your body. Notice how many of your sense are activated by attending a live music show.
  • Listen to new kinds of music you have never explored before. What feels different and uncomfortable about it? Try to notice your thoughts and any physical tension which arises from the music.
  • Pay attention to natural music. Take a walk and notice all the different sounds around you. See how many different sounds are happening at once, each at their own tempo.
  • Take a walk listening to music. Have you ever noticed the way life tends to move to a beat? Create a soundtrack to your day as if it were in a movie and notice how music helps move your energy and keep it going.

Enlightened Recovery brings together the healing therapies of holistic treatment with the proven effect of alternative therapies in addition to evidence based clinical treatments. Our partial care programs for addiction and dual diagnosis issues heal mind, body, and spirit while helping clients create a new life in recovery. For more information, call us today at 833-801-5483.

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The Four Flower Based Essential Oils You Need For Treating Anxiety

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Recovery, Sober Living. No Comments on The Four Flower Based Essential Oils You Need For Treating Anxiety

Essential oils are not a cure for anxiety. When you notice anxious feelings developing or find yourself in the middle of an anxiety attack, essential oils and aromatherapy can be helpful. By absorbing through the skin, the natural properties of essential oils work into the bloodstream and circulate quickly through the body. As inhaled through the nose, smell, the strongest memory recall senses, immediately alerts the brain to relax. Calming down is one important tool for getting through anxiety. Observing anxious thoughts, understanding triggers for anxiety, and creating a plan for moving forward are equally as important. Until the urgency of anxiety subsides, it is challenging to investigate more deeply into the mind. Here are four flower based essential oils which can help you return to your focus on the breath and create a state of calm during anxiety.

Jasmine Oil

Have you ever walked down a summer street and smelled a sticky sweet perfume that permeates the air? Likely, it was a kind of jasmine. Jasmine is an ancient and potent flower regarded for its perfume and its healing properties. Research has found that jasmine influences the nervous system by causing relaxation and alertness. Though anxiety can feel like being too alert in a hypervigilant manner, jasmine oil can help stimulate mindfulness by becoming alert regarding one’s own anxiety.

Lavender Oil

Lavender is often regarded as nature’s miracle flower. An antiviral, antibacterial, and deep relaxant, it is little wonder as to why almost every product sold for relaxation has lavender in it. As aromatherapy, and essential oil rubbed into the skin, or a scent in any soap or tangible product, lavender is instantly relaxing. Try using lavender in a warm cup of milk, on top of toast, or in any other dish.

Roman Chamomile

Chamomile, like lavender, is synonymous with sensual relaxation. Most popular in a tea from, chamomile is known for being relaxing and soothing. Roman chamomile has been proven to be more potent than regular chamomile as both a tea and an essential oil.

Rose Oil

The smell of roses is sweet and awe-inducing. Nature’s most perfumed product captures millions with their perfect beauty and different scents. As an essential oil, rose oil acts as an anti-depressant and a calming agent, helping to soothe the mind and the body.

Holistic treatments and alternative therapies set the partial care programs at Enlightened Recovery apart by truly focusing on healing mind, body, and spirit. For information on our programs for addiction and dual diagnosis issues, call 833-801-5483.

Holistic Treatments Are Slowly Replacing Painkillers

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The widespread toll of the opioid epidemic has served as a wake up call to doctors to be more attentive to the specific needs of each of their clients and seek alternative therapies for relieving pain before prescribing narcotic opioid painkillers. Opioid painkillers like brand names Hydrocodone and Oxycontin are highly addictive and habit forming drugs. Without abusing a prescription, patients become chemically dependent upon the medications for relieving pain. Slowly, they lose their ability to experience pain relief without the medication, except the medication no longer provides pain relief. Instead, the opioid medications have actually compromised the brain’s ability to create pain relief, thereby enhancing the sensitivity to pain. Desperate for pain relief, patients innocently take more than their prescription, or at their pleas, their doctor increases their dosage. A relentless cycle of addiction begins, leading many to heroin, overdose, and death.

Doctors have undergone a true spiritual experience when it comes to the responsibility they bear in treating their patients. Many have seemed to wake up to the idea that other treatments are more beneficial for relieving pain. Doctors have called for prescribing mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and other holistic treatments. Emergency rooms have massage therapists and energy healing practitioners on site to provide relaxation and pain relief. Though the drastic and euphoric effect of opioid painkillers is not quite the same experience for holistic healing treatments, doctors have found that overtime, holistic practices provide recovery. Releasing tension in the body and the mind, holistic healing practices bring a holistic approach to pain. Opioid painkillers do not target specific pain or any emotional underlying issues which might be contributing to physical pain. The mechanism of opioid drugs is to create overall pain relief, which is why the drugs are so powerful and alluring. Newer medications are pain-specific, meaning they target the site of pain and treat that one area. Holistic treatments like acupuncture, massage, yoga, as well as meditation can target specific pain areas and provide healing.

It may not be possible for holistic therapies to completely overtake the popular trend of prescribing opioid painkillers. However, there is a growing movement of awareness and mindfulness when it comes to treating pain. More lives can and will be saved.

If you or a loved one are struggling with opioid addiction, there is help available. At Enlightened Recovery, we approach addiction recovery holistically, providing compassionate care for healing mind, body, and spirit. Call 833-801-5483 today for more information on our partial care services and programs.

The 5 Best Holistic And Natural Therapies For The Recovering Body And Mind

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Healing mind, body, and spirit requires a mind, body, and spirit approach. Holistic and natural therapies help heal all three areas at once.

  1. Acupressure Massage: The body is full of pressure points which are connected to the natural flow of energy in the body. When activated through pressure, each point releases energetic blockages and releases tension in the muscles. Acupressure massage can be extreme and sometimes extremely painful. However, the benefits are tremendous for mind, body, and spirit. Releasing toxins and blocked energy helps clear the mind and detoxifies the body. Emotional processing is common with acupressure, helping to heal the spirit.
  2. Acupuncture: Acupuncture is a proven treatment for recovery. Similar to acupressure, acupuncture works with specific channels, meridians, and points of energy throughout the body. Each acupuncture point, activated by the insertion of a small needle, connects to the function of a major organ, which has importance in emotional and energetic regulation. Acupuncture can release muscles and energy, helpful for relieving aches and pains. In addition, acupuncture can help with sleeplessness and stress in addition to detoxifying the body and creating deep relaxation.
  3. Aromatherapy: Essential oils can be used for healing in many different ways, all of which are considered to be part of aromatherapy. Just putting a dab of essential oils on specific pressure points like the wrists or the temples can be therapeutic. Inhaling the scent of essential oils has numerous properties for the mind, body, and spirit. Lavender can be calming in times of stress, while citrus sells can be uplifting. Eucalyptus is helpful in clearing the nose, the chest, and detoxifying the body from illness.
  4. Hydrotherapy: Whether in a hydromassage chamber or standing in a hot shower, spending time being touch by water is healing for the body and the mind. Our natural pH levels align with water. Water helps relax our bodies, our minds, our muscles, and our joints simultaneously. Soaking in a jacuzzi or a tub, washing the face, or taking a plunge in a pool are all healing forms of hydrotherapy.
  5. Massage: Massage has become a common healing modality offered in treatment centers for addicts and alcoholics in recovery. Healing touch is soothing and therapeutic for those who have experienced abuse and trauma. By releasing tension in the muscles, it becomes easier to focus on the mental work of therapy and release the pain of detox.

Holistic healing and natural alternative healing remedies are essential for fully recovering the mind, body, and spirit. At Enlightened Recovery we conjoin the best of holistic care with clinically proven therapy and spiritual healing. Call us today for information on our partial care programs and recovery services. 833-801-5483.

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Depression In The Technological Age

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Clinical depression has found new technological sources for triggers and catalysts towards worsening conditions as a result.

Social Media Depression

Social media has been consistently linked to higher rates of depression, low self-esteem, and poor body image. Seeking an escape from depression can lead to spending excess amounts of time engaged in social media. Unfortunately, engaging with digital versions of people is not the same as engaging with real people. Isolation can be a complicated part of depression as someone wants to be connected with other people but feels it is impossible to do so. Getting lost in social media might not even include engaging with others. Instead, hours are lost to mindlessly scrolling through other’s profiles, groups, or just a news feed. Detached from reality, detached from the self, and detached from others, social media can worsen depression.

Sleep Depression

Until recently, the main prescription for a healthy amount of sleep was a minimum of 6 hours to healthy 8 hours. Now, doctors are warning that Americans especially are low on sleep. A lack of sleep can become a greater and greater problem over time. 8 hours is the new minimum amount of sleep, with 9-10 hours being the prime amount of time in deep REM sleep open could be able to get. Anything over ten hours could greatly upset the natural circadian rhythm. Oversleeping is a common side effect of depression as energy is low and fatigue is easy to come by. Too much sleep deprives the body of essential nutrients it needs from the sun, energy the body needs from movement, and food the body needs from getting up to et. Though sleep is essential and is good for the body to heal, it can be detrimental when the body is struggling with depression. Trying to cope with daily stress of working with phones, computers, and other technology, in addition to the stress of depression, or other emotional stress can be taxing. Spending off hours or weekend days, any extra time, sleeping is not coping with a problem but avoiding it. The combination of excess sleep and stuffing painful emotions can create or worsen a depression.

Problematically, depression is often co-occurring with substance abuse. Turning to substances to cope with depression can lead to a dual diagnosis issue. If you or a loved one are in need of healing from depression and co-occurring substance abuse issues, call Enlightened Recovery today. Our partial care programs bring together the best of clinical therapy, holistic healing, and 12 step philosophy. For more information, call us today at 833-801-5483.

Do Both Men And Women Face Body Image Issues?

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Body image is widely popularized as a specifically female problem. Citing the high standards of the fashion industry, an entire commodity marketplace focused on beauty, and the objectification of males, the female from falls under a lot of scrutiny. However, the female-identified body is not the only target of scrutinous eyes. The male-identified body also receives high expectations. Pressure to be strong, muscular, lean, sculpted, and more, make up the male body image standard to which many men feel they cannot compare.

Body image issues are not restricted to anyone gender. They also don’t discriminate based on race, age, socioeconomic background, or fashion choice. Body image issues can spring from unseens pressures and obvious ones. For example, receiving commentary in childhood about body, weight, and beauty can create skewed beliefs about the way one looks. Misinformed ideologies about what it means to be a “woman” or be a “man” can cause someone to feel like they aren’t “woman” or “man” enough, forever changing the way that they view themselves.

Social environments and culture during adolescence can contribute to body image issues in both males and females. Being around growing and developing bodies in puberty highlights how different each body can be. As young minds are expanding, they are also being inundated with targeted advertising, telling them how they should look, what defines how they look, and how they should feel if they don’t look that way. Typically in adolescent social settings, social circles are categorized where those who are considered “beautiful” receive more attention. Those who might have body types which differ from the “norm” can be bullied, gossiped about, and ridicules, leading to lifelong insecurities.

Throughout adulthood, the security one feels about their body can be threatened. Ending relationships, sexual rejection, sexual trauma, and other factors can contribute to a sudden insecurity about one’s body and one’s self. Both men and women are vulnerable to hearing the wrong message and developing a harmful belief about how they look.

Too often, body image issues lead to disordered eating and exercise behaviors, causing an unhealthy obsession in the way one regards their image. To cope with the emotional pain of rejection and insecurity, both men and women turn to drugs and alcohol. Co-occurring addiction and body image issues are common in men and women. Thankfully, recovery does not discriminate either. There is a solution. Healing is possible.

If you are struggling with body image issues and have turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, there is hope in recovery. At Enlightened Recovery, we bring together the best of clinical therapy, holistic healing, and 12 step philosophy to help clients heal mind, body, and spirit. For information on our partial care programs, call us today at 833-801-5483.

Are These 3 Common Habits Worsening Your Mental Health?

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Managing mental health is essential for managing recovery. Relapse is often caused by neglecting our mental health needs through the development of unhealthy habits. Thanks to our practices of mindfulness, we can be aware of when it feels like our mental health is struggling, then notice what habits might be causing the distress. Here are three of the most common habits which might be weighing you down.

  1. Your Phone Is Causing You Stress: There are many ways our phones are causing stress, aside from the fact that we use them too often. We might be getting too many phone calls, which is causing us to be more anxious. On the other hand, we might not be getting any phone calls, which is causing is to be more depressed. You’re either checking social media too often, or you are completely disconnected from others. Technology has provided us with a platform for connecting to others, yet that constant connection, or lack of connection, can be overwhelming. Finding a balance of interaction with the phone is essential. Respond to calls and texts with a short canned response. When you’re lonely, reach out to others. Create fulfilling and enriching habits like reading, exercising, and hobbies which distract you from the distraction of your phone.
  2. You Don’t Have A Routine: In recovery, routine is everything. During treatment, you get used to having a strict routine, dictated by other people. Your routine helps you to know what is coming next, organize your time, and most importantly, schedule time for self-care. Without a proper routine, you’re missing out on some of the most important parts of your day. Most likely, they are the parts which help you meet your needs. Going an extended period of time without getting your needs met can cause serious emotional distress. Until you find a remedy and start putting some of your tools into practice, you run the risk of relapse.
  3. You Consume Too Much Caffeine: Stimulant substances are highly recommended in the beginning of recovery. There’s a reason most AA and NA meetings include coffee and doughnuts or other treats. After the initial detox period has worn off, there is a time for consuming caffeine and time for not consuming caffeine. Being “high” on caffeine can cause you anxiety and make coping with life feel more stressful. Coming down off of caffeine can leave your depressed and deprived of natural energy. Switch up your caffeine habit by drinking first caffeinated teas, then switching to herbal teas. Opt for natural sweeteners instead of sugar.

There is a solution for drug and alcohol addiction. At Enlightened Recovery, we are showing our clients how to live a healthy and holistic lifestyle of recovery. For information on our partial care programs, call us today at 833-801-5483.