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Staying Connected When You Travel

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Recovery, Sober Living. No Comments on Staying Connected When You Travel

A new year’s resolution for many people in recovery is to travel more. Given the gift of life, they are inspired to set out and see the world. Drug addiction especially tends to isolate people to their locations. For fear of not being able to purchase drugs and having to suffer withdrawals, many don’t travel. While both drugs and alcohol are available worldwide, it can be much more risky to buy drugs internationally. Alcohol is globally celebrated and normalized. In advanced stages of alcoholism, alcoholics are too sick to leave their houses while not intoxicated. As a result, they miss out on experiencing life beyond inebriation.

Traveling Sober

Traveling while sober is a wonderful experience. Not spending money on drugs, alcohol, parties, or other related things gives someone the ability to truly enjoy the world. However, traveling requires responsibility and accountability. Temptation is everywhere! Many people fear that once they get sober they will not be able to have fun anymore because they won’t be able to resist the temptation of drugs or alcohol anywhere they go. This simply is not true. By staying connected and committed to your sobriety, there is little you cannot do and few places you cannot go.

“Assuming we are spiritually fit, we can do all sorts of things alcoholics are not supposed to do,” write the authors ofThe Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. “Our experience shows that this is not necessarily so,” the authors assure the readers. “An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status.”

Get Connected

Maintaining that “spiritual status” of sobriety is easy to do when traveling. Alcoholism is a worldwide disease, meaning that recovery is a worldwide solution. Meetings of alcoholics anonymous exist all over the world. You can find information and schedules about them online, or by asking a local when you arrive to your destination. For personal support, make sure you are able to get in touch with your therapist, counselor, or twelve step sponsor as well as your closest recovery peers. Everyone will be supportive of your recovery inspiring you to get out and see the world. Should you run into temptation or difficult times, you know you have a support system back home, and global network of people who also struggle, everywhere you go.

Enlightened Recovery is multilevel treatment program offering residential care, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and more. For information on our programs and how we can help you live the life you’ve been waiting for, call 833-801-5483.

Starting The New Year On Step One

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Recovery, Sober Living. No Comments on Starting The New Year On Step One

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.” This is the text within the list of twelve steps which dictates the infamous “first step” of solving any problem- admitting you have one. Step one is step one for a very important reason. It is impossible to carry on treatment for, or healing from alcoholism if one doesn’t admit that alcohol is a problem. Any attempt to rectify a problem that hasn’t yet been distinguished as a problem would be considered a moot cause.

First Steps First

In the primary text of Alcoholics Anonymous,The Big Book, step one is listed on page 30 in a chapter titled “More About Alcoholism”. The text reads, “We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people or presently may be has to be smashed.”

The delusion of whichThe Big Book authors Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith speak of does not exclusively apply to alcoholism. Part of the “work” done in recovery is to expose the underlying issues which have contributed to one’s development of alcoholism in their lives. These other issues are commonly called “ism’s” of which many alcoholics suffer. Each day is an opportunity to confront more than the problem of alcohol, but the many problems so many of us face due to our humanity, our struggles, our personalities, our pasts, and more.

Reflection

December is usually a time of year for reflection. We take the time to reflect on the last 12 months of the calendar year. Did we meet our goals? Have we exceeded our expectations? Can we easily see where we could have done better and need to improve? Are there sore spots in our lives which need attention? Taking a look at our year, we can see where we need to fully concede to our innermost selves we are in need of help yet again.

Constantly returning to step one is not an indication of failure, inadequacy, or shame. Rather, it is a mark of courage and determination to stay committed to bettering oneself. Step one holds a hidden secret to resolve this feeling of suspicion or self-consciousness. In both the 12 step text and the text from the book, there is the word “we”. You are not alone in your endeavors to stay sober. Identically, you are not alone in your mission to find where you are weak and resolve to make yourself more strong in that area. Step One is a demonstration of your willingness. After all, you have to get through step one to actually change.

Enlightened Recovery wants to help you make and keep that new year’s resolution to get and stay sober. Our program incorporates 12 step philosophy with holistic healing and traditional, proven therapeutic methods. For more information on our programs of treatment, call 833-801-5483.

Meditation Better Than Opioids

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Recovery. No Comments on Meditation Better Than Opioids

In an opiate-based world for treating pain, how do you treat pain without opioids? As the opioid overdose epidemic worsens around the world, health practitioners are looking for alternative treatments for pain. For chronic pain patients who rely upon opioid based medications to provide them pain relief, the sudden governmental campaign against opioid use is detrimental. Chronic pain patients are rightfully frightened to lose their sense of security and relief during the day. Not every person who takes opioids will end up abusing them. Even when abused, not everyone who abuses a substance becomes addicted. some doctors argue it is heinous to take opioid medication or limit opioid medication availability to patients who do not abuse the drugs. Others are encouraging the scientific community to more research in an effort to prove opioid medications are not, and never have been, necessary.

Medication Assisted Therapy

The treatment industry for mental health rehabilitation and substance abuse rehabilitation faces the same argument. Medication assisted therapy or drug substitution therapy uses prescription medications which still have trace amounts of morphine- or- cause an opioid-like effect. While some argue that taking a pill is better than, say, shooting up heroin, others argue that the ongoing presence of opioid substance in the body is harmful. Treatment for opioid addiction includes a vast variety of methods and modalities of care. From traditional talk therapy to innovative biofeedback, mental health practitioners and scientists have collaborated to find what works best to end the life threatening chemical dependency on opioids.

Mindfulness Alternative

Mindfulness meditation is one of the alternative methods used to treat addiction. It has even been suggested to show significant results of symptom reduction in chronic pain patients. As the struggle to find opioid-free pain relief treatments carries on, mindfulness meditation poses itself as a considerable candidate. Recent research published in the Journal of Neuroscience discovered that in patients whose opioid receptors were actively being blocked and those whose were not- the daily practice of meditation reduced pain by over 20%. 20% less pain in chronic pain patients is an astonishing accomplishment. Chronic pain patients are not the only population who benefit from this finding. Withdrawal from opioid drugs is painful, causing muscle aches, spasming, weakness, discomfort, and even the feeling of brittle bones. Mindful meditation can support the withdrawal from opioids both on a neuroscientific level and on a basic physiological one.

Enlightened Recovery is a unique treatment center offering a hybrid approach to the rehabilitation of men and women from addiction to drugs and alcohol. Combining holistic healing and spiritual methods with traditional twelve step philosophy and progressive scientifically backed treatment methods, Enlightened Recovery provides an integrative approach to treatment. For more information on our programs, call 833-801-5483.

Massage For Addiction Treatment

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In 2015, more than 20,000 people suffered from a substance use disorder. Substance use disorder is the general, blanket term given to describe addiction and alcoholism. Addiction to various substances and alcohol use disorder can affect up to 23,000 people per year in the United States. Problematically, only a small percentage of those people are able to receive any kind of treatment.

Multiphase Approach

Treatment for drug and alcohol addiction needs to be multi phased in its approach. Most treatment centers, like Enlightened Recovery, has found that a holistic approach to treatment is the most effective in providing healing, learning, growing, and skillbuilding. Treatment must combine healing the body, healing the mind, and healing the spirit to encourage lifelong recovery. If someone does not physically feel good, is mentally unwell, and spiritually void, they are less likely to find meaning in recovery or feel healthy enough to try and continue staying sober.

Massage Helps

Massage therapy has become a normalized part of addiction treatment. Once considered a luxury accommodation unnecessary for treatment, research as proven the contrary. Massage therapy has a evidential effect on patients undergoing detox, residential inpatient treatment, and other levels of health care for their addictions.

A therapy provided through human touch, massage can help heal negative effects of trauma, abuse, and isolation. Healing touch has been shown to increase feelings of being loved and accepted which in turn promotes confidence in therapeutic work. Massage releases tension in muscles while also releasing toxins stored in them. During the early treatment months of recovery, the body needs support in clearing out the harmful toxins left over from chronic substance abuse. Providing deep relaxation, massage therapy can reduce symptoms of stress and distress which often arise in treatment. Anxiety is common both as a symptom of withdrawal as well as a co-occurring mental health diagnosis with substance abuse. Creating a sense of peace and calm, massage therapy provides numerous benefits to those in need.

Enlightened Recovery incorporates the healing modality of massage as well as other holistic treatment modalities as part of the solution to the problem of addiction and alcoholism. We believe a combination of twelve step philosophy in addition to holistic healing is the answer to lifelong sobriety. For more information on our programs, call 833-801-5483.

Billboards Have Nothing On Instagram For Body Image Damage

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“Put your best face forward” is a cliche which has taken on a whole new meaning in the age of social media. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been criticized for promoting body shaming, and pro-anorexia communities. Instagram especially comes under fire as the “news feed” for the social media platform is 100% photos. It is easy to fill one’s newsfeed with nothing but photos of idealized perfection in models, celebrities, and more.

Self Editing

For the ultimate Instagram photo, there is a lot of editing involved. People even buy special backlit photo cases to be able to take the perfect “selfie”. Apps help people digitally edit their faces or their bodies to make it look more “perfect”. Many people argue that social media is damaging to self-esteem because people portray their real-life identities to the online identities of others. Recent research suggests that instagram might be more damaging to body image than big media mediums like billboards.

Social Media Comparison

According to theSydney Morning Herald, “research found women rarely compare their appearance to others’ in magazines or on billboards, and only sometimes compare their appearance to others’ on TV.” Women are more apt to make social media comparisons than any other, the research found, and social media comparisons describe the way young women are comparing themselves all the time.

The results of the study were startling. Women were asked to report how often they compared themselves to other women and social media and what their mood, body image perception, and thoughts about diet and/or exercise were like. “Women reported being in the worst mood after social media comparisons relative to other comparisons,” the study explains. “When women made social media comparisons, they also reported being unhappier with their appearance.” In addition, women were more “motivated” to start drastic weight loss regimens. All of these reactions were more extreme when women compared themselves against images on social media.

Body image can lead to a damaged sense of self-esteem and encourage extreme behaviors which can lead to the development of an eating disorder. Spending too much time online can be problematic. If you or a loved one are concerned about body image issues leading to an eating disorder, call Enlightened Recovery today. We provide dual diagnosis treatment for body image, eating disorder, and co-occurring substance disorders as well. For more information, call 833-801-5483.

Being Busy: Modern Society’s Favorite Drug

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In the spiritual commentary text The Tao Of Pooh, author Benjamin Hoff has Taoist conversations with one of the world’s most beloved philosophical thinkers: Winnie the Pooh. Among many other topics, one day, Benjamin and Pooh discuss business. Hoff describes the “Bisy Backson” (young human Christopher Robin’s childish note meant to say busy back soon) who is always busy doing something. Notably, he suggests, people who stay busy have favorite activities which require being active. There is always something to do. As a result, there is always little time. Busy people have to put great effort into focusing on saving time in order to have more time, so that they can make the most of that time. “The main problem with this great obsession for saving time is very simple: you can’t save time,” Hoff eloquently asserts. “You can only spend it wisely or foolishly.” A busy body, or, a “busy backson,” Hoff elaborates, “has practically no time at all, because he’s too busy wasting it by trying to save it.” “And,” he poignantly concludes, “by trying to save it, he ends up wasting the whole thing.”

Preoccupation

Mindful.org wrote an article asking, “Are You Addicted To Doing?”. The authors write that in truth, “action addiction”, or the addiction to being busy is actually “an advanced sort of laziness.” “The busier we keep ourselves,” the authors describe, “the more we avoid being confronted with questions of life and death. As we keep ourselves occupied with tasks, important or not, we avoid facing life.” Additionally, the authors later emphasize, “The busier we get, the more energy flows to the head and away from the heart.”

Stillness to Busyness

Modern society has taken giant leaps away from stillness and dove head on into busyness. The more busy one’s schedule is, the more accomplished they have become. Trying to avoid the stress of their schedules they assert that they aren’t “busy”, but that their lives are “full”. Full or busy, it is critical to practice slowing down. Take time out of each day to meditate, practice mindfulness, and be aware. Make sure to get enough rest, practice self-care, and stay connected to others. As the infamous Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for awhile, you might miss it.”

Enlightened Recovery wants to show you how to make the most of your life in recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling from addiction or alcoholism, call Enlightened Recovery today. We have a solution to the problem of addiction. 833-801-5483.

Be Of Service This Year

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alcoholism, Healthy Living, Mental Health. No Comments on Be Of Service This Year

“Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail.”  This is written in the chapter “Working With Others” in the primary text of Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The informative chapter describes numerous situations in which an alcoholic can help another. Connecting with alcoholics who might still be struggling is an essential part of being a recovering alcoholic. It is, after all, how Alcoholics Anonymous began.

Cravings

Bill Wilson had finally gotten sober after a lifetime of miserable alcoholism. On a business trip to Ohio, he found himself in the hotel lobby pacing back and forth in front of the hotel bar. He had worked so hard to stay sober and was actually enjoying his sober life. Yet some phenomena was overtaking him. He had an intense craving for alcohol, even though he knew how tragic it would be for him to drink. Suddenly, a thought hit him. He needed to speak to another alcoholic. Only another alcoholic could understand what he was going through. By way of fate he ended up in the house of an older man suffering from alcoholism by the name of Dr. Bob Smith. At the end of a long’s night discussions regarding alcoholism and Bill’s recovery- both men had been helped. Bill was no longer craving alcohol and Bob was inspired to get sober. Alcoholics Anonymous, and the importance of being of service was born.

Recovery is a Gift

The new year is an opportunity to refresh your service hood. Recovery is a precious gift which, many who have recovered have found, must be given away in order to be kept. Being of service to others in recovery can take many forms. Make a list of the ways you would like to give back this year. There is little doubt you will not regret it. Here are some of our favorite ideas at Enlightened Recovery.

  • Complete the 12 steps
  • Sponsor another person through the 12 steps
  • Take a service commitment at a meeting
  • Speak at H&I meetings (hospitals and institutions)
  • Donate a small amount to your favorite charity, organization, or cause
  • Pick up some small etiquette practices like showing up on time, writing thank you notes, and being courteous to all
  • Help the less fortunate

Enlightened Recovery believes the philosophy of the 12 steps offers a spiritual and philosophical foundation for a practical program of living in recovery. For the problem of alcoholics and addiction, we have a solution. For more information, call 833-801-5483.

Alcoholism And The New Year

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Sit in any meeting place of twelve step fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous through the month of January and witness many birthday celebrations. January is a popular time to get sober. May people hit their bottom during the holiday season of December. What brings them to decide to make the decision on recovery is different. Some people have ruined one too many holiday celebrations with their families or missed them entirely. Some found themselves in the hospital or arrested due to drinking. Others realize that yet another year has gone by lost in the bottomless hole of addiction and alcoholism.

If you or a loved one are ready to seek treatment for alcoholism, Enlightened Recovery is available to guide your through the recovery process from detox to after care. Here are the steps to take if you are ready to make the ultimate new year’s resolution to get- and learn how to stay- sober this year.

Medical Detox

Detox is not a requirement for recovery. The need for detox is dependent upon how much one has been drinking. Severe chemical dependency will result in symptoms of withdrawal. Detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous if done alone. In extreme cases, one develops delirium tremens which can result in hallucinations both tactile, auditory and visual. Sweats, seizures, vomiting, and more are common symptoms of detox from alcohol. At this time Enlightened Recovery does not provide detox services. However, we have close working relationships with many detox centers and can refer you while making your arrangements to attend treatment at our facility.

Residential Inpatient Treatment

If, even after detox, you or your loved one are not sure you can continue to live on your own without resuming to drink, you need residential inpatient treatment for alcoholism. Residential inpatient treatment offers a place to live while being securely monitored 24 hours a day by registered nurses and trained clinicians. Inpatient will include one on one therapy, holistic healing, and more. For 30-90 days, inpatient is a place to become stable before returning to independent living.

Ongoing Support

Treatment is multiphasic in order to encourage a step down transition into independent life after alcoholism. Following residential inpatient treatment can be partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and aftercare. Continuing to receive therapeutic and community support for alcoholism recovery is essential for helping create a lifestyle of sobriety.

Enlightened Recovery is ready to help you get sober today, and for a lifetime. For more information on treating alcoholism and why Enlightened Recovery is right for you, call 833-801-5483.

Acceptance And Change In Recovery

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Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This is the foundational prayer of 12 step community around the world but is also used by millions of people who are not in recovery. Serenity, courage, and wisdom. Three essential spiritual principles by which we learn to live, on which we learn to thrive, and through which we practice acceptance. Serenity

Stand in front of the ocean and try to stop the next incoming wave. Have any luck? Try it again. You’re unlikely to succeed. In life, there are many things which we cannot change. Serenity comes to us from learning to accept those things. Unfortunately, not all of the things we cannot change are obvious. Through the therapeutic work of recovery, we identify the things we have adopted a belief about and created habits for in our effort to change what is not in our control. We try to change other people. We try to change the way other people think, feel, behave, and act. We try to control external factors that we cannot. Serenity means accepting things as they are. In a personal story of The Big Book called “He Sold Himself Short”, an author writes, “Acceptance of things as they are has replaced the old impatient chomping at the bit to conquer the world.”

Courage

Sometimes it is easier to try and control or change others than it is to change ourselves. Placing the blame of what is wrong on other people relieves us of the responsibility to be accountable for ourselves. Taking an honest look in the mirror is scary! We are afraid of what we might see, that it might be worse than we thought or that we might not be able to “fix” it. Rarely is this true. Everyone is capable of courageous change.

Wisdom

Knowing what you can change and knowing what you cannot change is the true wisdom of acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean you condone what isn’t right or you permiss things that hurt you. It means you are wise enough to know you have to change how you relate to the world, not how the world is. As Michael Jackson famously sang, “If you want to make the world a better place, better look at yourself and make the change.”

Enlightened Recovery strives to help each client make the necessary changes in their lives so they can live without chemical dependency on drugs and alcohol.Our integrative program fuses traditional twelve step theory with holistic methods of healing. For more information, call us at 833-801-5483.

7 Ways To Amp Up Your Adult Self-Care Game

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Protect Your Feet

Our feet are pretty important. They get us to where we need to go, help us do fun things, and support our entire body. Fashionable footwear can be fun, but we need to start thinking holistically in recovery. Treat your feet to something sweet with footwear that is both good looking and good for your body. Supporting your body, literally, from the floor up is a way to help save your back in the future.

Get More Sleep

Sleep is a critical necessity in life and in recovery. On average, you should be getting 6-8 hours of sleep, though some researchers suggest that 10 hours of sleep would be the most efficient. Follow good sleep routines like staying off your phone, meditating, and going to bed at an appropriate time. Never say no to naps, but learn how to nap effectively: 20 minute power naps can reboot the brain while 90 minute naps can enhance productivity and creativity.

Be A Better Driver

How many times did you drive intoxicated and put others at risk? Driving each day is an opportunity to make a living amends for times we were more reckless and dangerous to others. Practice safe driving, don’t use your phone, and give yourself ample time to get to where you’re going so you don’t rush. Enjoy your driving time with books on audio or your favorite music.

Clean Your Room And Your House

Your messy days are over. It’s true, you’ll have days when a clean room is the least of your worries. A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. Having material goods is a gift of recovery, so they should be well taken care of. In addition, you’re working hard to restore your immune system and your health. A clean home and living space reduces hidden toxins and germs which can cause illness.

Take Care Of Sexual Health

Sex and sexuality is not a common topic of recovery. Alcoholism and addiction can cause reckless sexual impulsivity. Taking good care of sexual health is part of being a grown person in recovery. Make regular appointments with doctors and take care yourself.

Cook Real Food

Learning how to cook is a benefit of recovery. When all we think about is our substances, we are less than inclined to take good care of ourselves. In the beginning of recovery it can be easy to opt for easy food options to at least eat. Later on, its essential to start practicing habits for a healthy diet. One of thebest ways to do that is to cook at home.

Enlightened Recovery aims to help men and women learn how to live life again through supportive twelve step based recovery fused with holistic and alternative healing. For more information, call 833-801-5483.