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Living in Fear

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Healthy Living, Sober Living. No Comments on Living in Fear

When you are in fear, there isn’t much room for faith. This is a great fact of life that so many forget. While in the disease of addiction, life is driven by fear. A common acronym for fear is false evidence appearing real. It’s difficult in the moment to step out of fear which is why it’s so important to stay vigilant in keeping a solid connection with a higher power. The reason behind much of the desires to numb feelings, is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the past, fear of the present. It’s all there, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. The one bulletproof solution is to give it up to a higher power. Once it’s out of the hands of whose fearful, God can take the wheel.

Traumatic events can cause fear which is shown through post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Depression and anxiety can be driven by fear and can be processed with a licensed therapist. When someone let’s go of what’s been stuffed for years, there can be progress in moving forward in life with endless amounts of hope and faith. For those who accept and expose these falsehoods, the next step is to work them through. Finding the triggers and ways to avoid them will help in keeping people on the right track. People in recovery must start to trust the intuition. This will become easier every sober day. Ignoring the intuition is like ignoring a higher power which in time leads to running back to past behaviors.

There are often times when people have a fear of doing well in sobriety. Having things go smoothly can seem boring, when it is actually serenity and peace. It may seem like a foreign concept but it sneaks in there. When life is chaotic, it may seem like there will never be any way out. The unmanageable life becomes the normal state, which is why it’s so common to self-sabotage with relapse and unwarranted drama. Being intoxicated and numbing feelings had been more comfortable for a long time. Being uncomfortable in sobriety is part of the transformation that every person in recovery will have to go through. As life goes, on this new peaceful feeling will become the norm and life can finally begin!

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism and/or mental health, you don’t have to be in fear any longer. Enlightened Recovery holistic, clinical, and 12-step approach can help guide you to a life of sobriety and self-love. Call today for more information: 833-801-5483.

Negativity on Television

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Healthy Living, Sober Living, wellness. No Comments on Negativity on Television

There’s something to be said when it comes to being gifted with happiness. There aren’t a lot of reasons why people want to be stressed out and unhappy. However, there are thousands of movies and tv shows with a lot of negative content that come right into the living rooms of families across the world. The news can send the happiest person into a temporary state of depression. Right now there’s a plentitude of distress and sadness in our world. Although this is true, there is also a lot of beauty in the world.

The question of whether the glass is half empty or glass half full, is fairly common. This will determine if a person can handle life’s difficulties without slipping down the rabbit hole into a deep depression. Saying this, people do have good days and bad days, but let’s take a look into why these days are good and bad in the first place. What might influence a day to be generally better?

In sobriety, it’s crucial to stay spiritually fit. This simply means, to have a constant connection with a higher power. As one continues to ask for guidance and stays in gratitude, it’s more likely there will be generally more joy in life. When someone begins to slip away from serving others and meditation, it will almost always lead to the road to becoming a victim and soon thereafter, a relapse. It doesn’t help that much of what’s considered entertainment, glorifies alcohol. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Do yourself a favor and turn on the GAIA channel and learn about spirituality and beauty. Watching the latest season of disgruntled housewives yell at one another will never give anyone anything but displaced agony. This might seem extreme, but if you look at the big picture, over time the company you keep reflects your personality. If the company is violence and history on the television, what might begin to reflect back? For those who are feeling hopeless and cannot control life anymore, it’s time to get into a treatment, where life lessons can be learned in a safe environment.

If you are struggling to find the right path in life and cannot quit abusing substances, begin on a spiritual path with us today. We at Enlightened Recovery want to help you find who you are inside, and begin to heal. For more information please call us today at 833-801-5483.

Making Lifestyle Changes

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Making lifestyle changes during treatment will contribute to the success of your recovery. When you decide it is time to get help for your drug or alcohol problem, you need to make a lot of adjustments in your life. Living substance-free will liberate you from the grip of addiction and allow you to enjoy everything that life has to offer.

During treatment, you will receive guidance and advice from therapists and counselors who really want to help you get better. Very often, these compassionate professionals have gone through treatment and are recovering from a substance addiction so they understand what you are going through.

Lifestyle changes are necessary to maintain a successful recovery. Friends or people you know who are associated with your drug or alcohol use need to be avoided. By going to group therapy, you will develop new sober friendships with people who will be supportive and encourage you through recovery. People in group therapy want to live substance-free and can help you during challenging times when cravings are intense. Drugs and alcohol are not needed to have fun, healthy relationships.

When you are in recovery and free of toxic substances, you will learn a lot about yourself. Drugs and alcohol once controlled you, but now you can discover your interests in healthy activities. There will be more time to spend with family and participate in family events or get-togethers.

Keep going to group therapy and stay in contact with a sponsor or someone who is sober and can help you when you are in a situation that can lead to relapse.

Staying away from drugs or alcohol will give you more time to develop interests in new activities. The time once spent on using toxic substances will allow you to focus on things you can do. It is easier to relapse when there is a lot of time doing nothing. Boredom can influence you to take drugs or drink because there is more time to think about using again.

Keep a journal and write daily. Write about your feelings, temptations, mood, and success. By writing, you can refer back to how you felt or what made you feel like using. Also, you can go back and see how far you have come in recovery, which will encourage you to stay sober. Staying sober can be very difficult, but is possible and you will be healthier, happier, and enjoy more in life when living substance-free.

Recovery begins with you. You have to make the decision, now, to call and ask for help, get to treatment, and start a transformational, life-changing journey. The power to heal is yours. Let Enlightened Recovery Solutions show you the path of holistic treatment, bringing together the best practices of evidence-based clinical care, proven alternative healing practices, and trusted 12-step philosophy. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs.

 

A group of people enjoy Outpatient rehab in New Jersey.

How Alcohol Abuse Affects the Human Body

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Alcohol affects the human body physically and mentally. When you drink alcohol, your brain builds up a tolerance level, which causes you to drink more and more to get the initial euphoric effects. Excessive drinking leads to a dependence on alcohol and puts you at high-risk for many serious health problems. Alcohol consumption can cause liver damage, kidney failure, lung infections, and even cancer.

Alcohol affects normal brain function. The brain controls how you move, talk, walk, and think. Alcohol interferes with the brain’s neurotransmitters, releases more dopamine and causes pleasurable feelings. The euphoric feelings are short-term and sometimes cause a person to drink more to reach the same level of pleasure. The brain builds up a tolerance to the amounts of alcohol consumed.

When your brain is impaired, your coordination and critical thinking are affected. Fatal accidents occur when a person who is under the influence, operates a motor vehicle or other heavy equipment. Judgment is impaired and reactive senses slow down. Speech becomes slurred and balance is impacted. Alcohol interferes with memory and results in blackouts. The blackouts are short-term forms of amnesia.

Excessive alcohol use can cause cancer in different areas of the body. Alcohol causes cirrhosis of the liver and if you do not stop drinking, it can lead to liver failure, which is fatal. Alcohol is toxic to your body and negatively alters the stomach, heart, intestines, nervous system, and bones. The detrimental effects of alcohol on your body far outweigh the short-term moments of pleasure received with the first drink.

Many people drink alcohol because of emotional stress. Since alcohol is a depressant, it can heighten depression, anxiety, and emotional distress. Drinking alcohol can disrupt normal sleep patterns, cause insomnia, and result in a restless sleep. Lack of restful sleep can influence poor performance or frequent absences at your job, and lead to termination.

The effects of alcohol on the human body are dangerous and deadly. Alcohol abuse impacts family relationships and causes couples to break up, divorce, or separate. Excessive alcohol use changes interactions with your loved ones and your financial stability. If you are addicted to alcohol, go to a detox facility and check out treatment programs that are available for recovery. There is hope to recover and live a healthy, substance-free life.   

Recovery begins with you. You have to make the decision, now, to call and ask for help, get to treatment, and start a transformational, life-changing journey. The power to heal is yours. Let Enlightened Recovery Solutions show you the path of holistic treatment, bringing together the best practices of evidence-based clinical care, proven alternative healing practices, and trusted 12-step philosophy. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs.

 

Eating Disorder Addiction

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living. No Comments on Eating Disorder Addiction

Food is a basic need for our survival and our bodies depend on the nutrients in food to stay healthy. For some people, food consumes their life. Sometimes people turn to food for comfort due to stress, depression, or anxiety. Eating disorders come in many forms such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. In any form, an eating disorder can cause physical disfiguration, impairment, obesity, and death.

A person who has an eating disorder develops an addictive relationship with self-destructive eating patterns. An individual with anorexia will starve his or herself because of their distorted perception of how they look. A person with anorexia literally starves to death. The lack of food causes extreme weight loss, hair loss, and impairs the body’s organs. Eventually, anorexia leads to an early death.

An individual with bulimia eats normally or binge-eats, then immediately and intentionally vomits the food. He or she might like the taste of the food but throws up to avoid gaining weight. Bulimia can cause tooth decay from the stomach’s acid that comes up with the food. A person who has bulimia is at risk of developing severe physical impairments and death.

An individual who has an eating disorder shows similar characteristics of a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. These addictive behaviors are self-destructive, harmful, and deadly. When a person has an eating disorder, he or she loses control and the ability to stop.

Eating disorders are related to some of the psychological effects of starvation, which appear to be similar to symptoms of addiction. A person with an eating disorder is preoccupied with food and experiences the urge to binge, is irritable, depressed, and overeats as a response to stress. The effects of starvation can make a person feel they are addicted to food. This can cause the person to avoid food. The avoidance of food reinforces the person to feel addicted.

The causes for developing an eating disorder or drug addiction are very similar. Social pressure, impulsivity, stress, and emotional trauma are reasons a person turns to addictive behavior. Eating disorders and substance addiction develop from stressful situations as a way to cope with emotional distress.

A person with an eating disorder or addiction could be self-medicating for mental health complications such as depression or anxiety. Eating disorders and drug or alcohol addiction are chronic diseases with high relapse rates. All require treatment for recovery.

Recovery needs to take place in mind, body, and spirit. That is why Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic approach to treatment, providing a multi-faceted partial care program rooted in evidence-based therapies, proven healing methods, and 12-step inspired recovery. Call us today for information on our programs for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, including eating disorders: 833-801-5483.

Stressed middle aged man suffering from unhappiness alone at home

New Year’s Resolutions

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Healthy Living, Sober Living. No Comments on New Year’s Resolutions

It’s the beginning of the year and it’s time for new year’s resolutions. Just like packed gyms with ambitious people looking to better themselves, AA meetings can be the same way. Individuals with addictive personalities can find new goals or resolutions with extreme expectations. Having expectations is a way of trying to control something or someone and that is not suggested. However, if the goal is to take a new lifestyle one day at a time, it’s easier to stay on track. There are a few things to keep in mind while attempting to achieve personal goals.

Be realistic:

Do not attempt to do anything that can be overwhelming. People who have alcoholism, should not say they will never drink again. This can be the manifested but there’s something to be said by starting small. One day at a time.

One thing at a time:

Often times there can be a “pink cloud” or a period of time where there is an intense amount of confidence in early sobriety. This is a wonderful thing, but there should be cautious around doing too many things at once. Getting sober is a huge deal and should be treated so. It’s not recommended to also quit smoking, go back to school, lost 20 lbs, and so on.

Be open:

With sobriety, it’s important to let others know what you are doing. This will help with staying accountable. If family and friends are aware of your goals and resolutions, they will be there to support you at weak moments. If someone is trying to get sober or healthier in any way it should not be kept a secret. Own your new way of life!

Be nice to yourself:

If there are bumps in the road it is important not to dwell on the negative. For example, if someone had begun to live a vegan lifestyle and they had a steak. It’s more helpful to think about what had gone right, rather than slipping. Focus on the positive and let more positive things come. Focus on the negative and more negative

If you are looking to find a new path to recovery for the body, mind, and spirit, help is available. Enlightened Recovery offers a clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach to help patients heal and transform. Begin to make the shift into a hopeful future with us here in New Jersey. Call for more information: 833-801-5483.

Some History on Homelessness

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Mental health can sometimes get portrayed in a negative light. There are many stigmas that have become very harmful with those who have mental disorders. The lack of care amongst those with mental disorders has skyrocketed throughout the past century. The deinstitutionalization of those receiving help in state hospitals had originally sparked the mass migration of the people onto the streets. By the 1950s, state-funded hospitals had emptied the wards and sent the patients to group homes across the states. The poor living conditions and lack of proper medication management led to patients leaving houses and inevitably wandering the streets with nowhere to go.

In 1967, while Reagan was governor of California, passed the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act, which made it almost impossible for involuntary hospitalization except in extreme cases. This made this dire situation and soon thereafter, thousands of people with mental disorders became a threat to the public. Violence and police intervention had increased and still, nothing was being done. People who were sick were being locked up instead of getting much-needed help.

Although the magnitude of the situation was still not seen for what it was, President Jimmy Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act which would lend aid to prevention of mental illness and “promotion of positive mental health.” However, when Reagan came into office, the act was never set into place. Under Reagan, the those with mental illness never had a chance. Similarly to Nixon, Reagan associated psychiatry with communism therefore never addressing the issue in an appropriate context.

Due to the lack of options for those with mental disorders, statistics have shown a rise in homelessness, violence, and deaths. Untreated mental illness had been the cause for these unfortunate numbers but still, there hasn’t been much progress. All over the country, people who are sick are being thrown out on the streets to fend for themselves. Once homeless, they are ostracized and looked down on for their lack of ability to get a job like everyone else. There is a lot of compassion and effort to get these people help they so desperately need, but it’s a long way from a real solution.

If you are suffering from addiction, alcoholism and/or mental health, there is hope for you! Enlightened Recovery clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach is designed to transform patients lives within the body, mind, and soul. Call today for more information: 833-801-5483.

woman struggling with a cocaine addiction

Are Vaporizers Bad for your Health?

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It is commonly known that when patients enter treatment facilities, they may give into the temptation of nicotine. The fact that nicotine releases dopamine to the brain is one of the reasons why there is a strong craving for the substance. Since vaporizers have come onto the market, the product has become known as less harmful than cigarettes.

Vaporizers have less carcinogenic products and less smoke inhalation than cigarettes which is a good thing. However, even though vaporizers have been approved by the FDA, there are still zero regulations on the additives they use to produce the products e-liquid. Scientists are still studying the long-term effects that these chemical components will have on people.

There are many different manufacturers of e-liquid already. Some of these liquids contain diacetyl, which happens to give butter its buttery taste that we all know so well. This will cause scarring in the lungs known as “popcorn lung.” Why might you ask? The reason behind the name is an incident that occurred in a popcorn factory, where hundreds of employees had been inhaling diacetyl. This was the cause for non-reversing lung damage. There haven’t been any cases of this yet, it’s one of the risks of the usage of diacetyl in the e-liquid.

The are many flavors of e-liquids that produces the smell of the exhalation. The particles in this vaporized material have ultrafine products that can cause pulmonary health problems. The concern is the stigma that vaporizers are healthier than cigarettes. This is not necessarily true. There is no evidence of long-term effects just yet, which means vape users today are the guinea pigs for the product.

Neither vaporizers or cigarettes are a good solution for the body and it doesn’t make much sense to consider “vaping” a step down from smoking cigarettes. It is not suggested to take up smoking while in treatment which would only be trading in one addiction for another. While in treatment, it is suggested to time to embrace the healing process and learn to live without harmful assistance. It may be hard work but it pays off in the end with a long, healthy future.

If you have a history of addictive behavior and/or mental health issues, our safe environment offers a chance to heal. Come begin the transformation with us in New Jersey. Enlightened Recovery has a partial program that includes a clinical, holistic and 12-step approach proven to show real results. For more information, please call 833-801-5483.

Become the Yogi Within

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In the typical clinical treatment center, there might not be a lot of associations with recovery and yoga. With a more holistic approach, patients are encouraged to enlighten themselves in a more spiritual sense. There are different kinds of yoga that benefit different groups of people. In treatment, meditative yoga practices mindfulness. This is essential for people to live in the present with a lowered amount of anxiety and fear. All humans struggle with fear on a daily basis. This cannot be combined with faith of any kind. Without faith in a higher power, there will be hardly any resistance to the first thought of drinking or using. The spiritual principles by which those with addiction learn in a 12-step program, help with practicing humility and gratitude.

Yoga is also a great tool for relaxation and stress. It may not be easy at first, but when the mind settles down, there can be progress. Being mindful is as easy as feeling the warm water on the hands while washing the dishes. This can be achieved easily, but not when the mind is consumed with the past and the future. Focusing on the breath is also a tool to stay in the present. While someone with addiction is in the beginning stages of acceptance, it is crucial to incorporate spirituality. Meditation can be useful for allowing a conversation with a higher power. It is suggested at this time to ask for guidance about the next right step. Having this connection helps in working alongside the intuition.

Having the patience that is practiced in mindful yoga, gives people with addiction the ability to learn how to sit with themselves, and to find who it is that they had been running from. People with addiction who suffer from shame and depression must accept that these past experiences do not define who they presently are. Actions from the past do not have to determine the future. Giving into mind games of constantly fighting with the intuition, will only cause people to back peddle. These realizations can and will be manifested on the yoga mat.

If you are struggling with addiction and want to find a way out, the answer is waiting for you here in New Jersey at Enlightened Recovery. Our partial program provides a healing blend of the body, mind, and soul. Don’t hesitate any longer and call us today: 833-801-5483.

Seeing Grief as a Spiritual Cycle

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When we experience a loss in our life, grief is the natural response to the loss.  The five stages of grief are the phases of grief that most people experience. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  The stages can occur in different order and some stages may occur simultaneously.  The way that grief is experienced by different people varies greatly and allowing people to have their own experience encourages greater emotional health for communities.  It is essential not to repress grieving process so that the loss becomes fully integrated.  This allows the person experiencing loss to move fully back to the present moment.  

For a recovering individual, anger as the stage of grief may require may require heightened awareness and potentially therapeutic support.  Anger is a cautionary emotion for addicts as it can lead to relapse. Yet, it is also a natural emotional response to loss.  Those in recovery need to be mindful about excessive stewing in anger as they experience this stage of grief.  However, this mindfulness must be tempered with the understanding that grief and all of its stages, including anger, are experienced uniquely by different individuals.

Loss and the accompanying grief are not wished upon anyone, but there is profound beauty in the grieving process in response to loss.  As an individual goes on this journey of releasing and rebirthing, there is often a renewal within themselves for life.  In some cases, they rediscover appreciation for all that they do have and love, or a new vision of life springs forward.  There may be a passion project that is born in response to the loss.  In the cases of deep grief, a person who normally is emotionally contained may need to lean heavily on those around them.  This deepened intimacy in response to grief may evolve relationships to a deeper place of connection that continue beyond the grieving process.  

Appreciate what may come forward from a grief journey while also honoring the difficulty of the experience.  As with ancient tribes preparing for the coming winter during the summer harvest, build your community knowing that this process visits everyone.  While in Winter, trust that Spring will always return. The emotional abundance of Spring will be vastly shaped vastly by the way that you prepared for Winter.  

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and/or mental health, know that there is hope. There is a solution. Harmoniously fusing together the best elements of clinical care, holistic healing, and 12-step philosophy, Enlightened Recovery has created a program of total transformation for men and women seeking recovery. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs in New Jersey.