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Enlightened Recovery Brings The Hope Of Recovery In Netflix & Mic Series Faces Of Recovery

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction, Recovery, Sober Living. No Comments on Enlightened Recovery Brings The Hope Of Recovery In Netflix & Mic Series Faces Of Recovery

Elaine McMillion Sheldon stunned America when her Netflix documentary Heroin(e) premiered. Through her compelling, compassionate, and intimately personal storytelling, Sheldon illustrated the height of the opioid epidemic in one of the most devastatingly affected areas in Huntington, West Virginia, aptly described as the “overdose capital of the world”.

In a new series called Recovery Boys, Sheldon chronicles the addiction, struggle, and process of recovery for four young men named Ryan, Jeff, Rush, and Adam. All four of these men have been addicted to heroin for years and have felt the greatest effects of heroin addiction. They struggle to keep a job. They’ve been homeless. They face the incredibly guilt-inducing ethical battle of choosing to prevent withdrawal over their children and other life responsibilities. Thankfully, Sheldon refuses to edit her documentary in a way which glamorizes the process of recovery through an archetypical display of the hero’s journey. Instead, she chooses to humanize and ultimately make undeniably real the facts about struggling with addiction in America, especially an addiction to heroin: relapse does not have to be, but often unfortunately is, part of the process of recovery. Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult to beat. As one of the young men, Adam, explains, “It’s heroin. It’s the worst drug on the planet because it’s so good. People don’t get addicted to heroin because it sucks.” Overlaying the montage of urban living which introduces the documentary, one of the subjects explains, “The more you do, the more you have to do to get that same high.” Another voice describes the torture of chemical addiction to heroin and the need to stave off symptoms of withdrawal at even a potentially fatal cost, “I can’t not use. If I don’t use, I’m going to be sick.”

Addiction is disease, a sickness which involves the entirety of the holistic self: the mind, the body, and the spirit. Developing a chemical dependency upon a substance like heroin takes over and slowly dismantles lives from the inside out. According to a report released in August of 2018 by the CDC, 72,000 people died from an opioid overdose in 2017. More than 60,000 died of an opioid overdose in 2016 and more than 50,000 died of an opioid overdose in 2015. There is a preventable and curable disease claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of our friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow strangers on the streets.

The men of this documentary, and the countless, nameless, faceless others who are struggling to overcome opioid addiction every single day, and who are losing their lives to opioid overdose every single day, need their stories to be heard. More importantly, we, as a society, need to witness these deeply intimate, personal, at times painful stories of addiction in order to rid ourselves of the preconceived notions of shame, stigma, and stereotype which inhibit our inherent ability to display and act upon tremendous empathy- life-saving empathy.

“I didn’t know people lived life sober”

For those of us who have never lived with an active addiction to a life-threatening drug like heroin, it is nearly impossible to imagine having your life so overtaken by using “drugs” that nothing else existed. Yet, for those living with addiction, who have lived with addiction for so long whether their own or the addictions of their family of origin, it becomes nearly impossible to imagine living life sober. Sobriety may never have been part of someone’s life when they’re from an addicted family system. Even for someone who didn’t grow up around addiction, they daily toil and routine of maintaining an addiction becomes such a sad, normalized, shame-ridden reality that the idea of something different, the idea of something better, seems out of grasp and undeserved.

Finding Recovery, Finding Hope

The documentary transitions into a series of written pieces sponsored by Netflix on the Mic website, called “Faces of Recovery”. Enlightened Recovery and our founder Jen Hansen was honored to contribute the stories, information, and support necessary to create a truly amazing series. Each part of the series highlights the lives of amazing individuals who have found recovery through one of the programs at Enlightened Recovery, or one of our affiliate programs like Serenity House and Hope Farm. “Recovery: All In The Family” details the many ways addiction can be passed on genetically and experientially through the generations, creating a predisposition for addiction and mental illness. In “Recovery: From Addiction, A Brotherhood Forms”, Enlightened Solution’s Hope Farm, a working barn and sober program in New Jersey, is highlighted as providing structure, challenge, and ultimately, brotherhood, to those who live and work there. Finally, in “Recovery: ‘A Part Of This Forever’” the other side of addiction, the “high-functioning” or “normalized” addiction, is exposed, revealing that even the most normal, successful, and high-functioning of individuals can be battling a severe addiction behind closed doors. Each piece of the series discussed heroic stories of overcoming addiction, our Enlightened Recovery programs, our affiliate programs, and our very real promise: recovery is available to everyone who wishes to seek it.

 

 

Enlightened Recovery Solutions is a strong member of the sober community, standing out as leaders in progressive, proven, holistic treatment and the development of a lifestyle of recovery which never necessitates the use of drugs and alcohol. Offering a curriculum of care including transitional and sober living, as well as working opportunities, Enlightened Recovery provides clients and their families with the tangible hope of a better future and the tools to achieve it. Call us today for information: 844-234-LIVE

The Negative Thought Patterns We Cling To

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Mental Health, Sober Living. No Comments on The Negative Thought Patterns We Cling To

When it comes to addictions and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, there are some common factors in how we tend to manage our thoughts and feelings. We tend to engage in certain thought patterns that can bring down our mood, that make us very sad, anxious and afraid, and that exacerbate our mental and emotional health issues.

Over time, we become attached to these unhealthy thought patterns. We cling to them, almost as if we need them, as if they will help us, when they clearly don’t. Many of us are over-thinkers and over-worriers, and we get lost in the anxieties we create. We are pessimistic and come to expect negative outcomes. Some of us automatically jump to the worst-case scenario and catastrophize by default.

For some people these thought patterns can become addictive and obsessive and contribute to OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Fearful thought patterns relating to other people and socializing, our self-esteem and how we fit into social scenes, can become Social Anxiety Disorder. Chronic thought patterns of low self-esteem can morph into inadequacy/inferiority complexes. When we allow our thought patterns to go unchecked, they can become obsessions, complexes and neuroses that can totally derail our mental and emotional health.

One of the subconscious mind’s main functions is to keep us safe, but because our minds have been affected by trauma, they sometimes work on overdrive to keep us afraid. We can find better ways to keep ourselves safe than by following the self-destructive guidance of our wounded ego minds. To do this, we have some work to do to reprogram the subconscious mind and to create new thought patterns.

Many of us struggle with negative thought patterns of anxiety, insecurity, judgment and criticism. These are all based in fear, so to heal them, we can choose to practice new positive thought patterns that serve us better, that are rooted in faith, security, and confidence; compassion, empathy, understanding and love. We can read, write and repeat affirmations that reflect these better feelings. We can meditate. We can give more focus, time and energy to the thoughts that make us feel good rather than to the ones that have been keeping us down. It is possible to reprogram the subconscious mind and to start developing new, happier thought patterns that allow us to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually free.

Training our minds to work with us rather than against us is an important part of recovery. Enlightened Recovery can help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

What Am I Actually Afraid Of?

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Those of us with mental health problems, emotional challenges and addictions often have troubling issues we are facing simultaneously. They can cause us all kinds of inner turmoil as well as relationship conflict. We get so wrapped up in these issues that we don’t think to take a look at the underlying fears. We focus on what’s on the surface, such as recent occurrences and temporary circumstances. For example, we might become consumed by the latest argument we had with our partner rather than addressing the fears that fueled the argument in the first place. When we look deeper at the existing fears, we can face them head on, and as we work to heal them, the surface issues will improve. Here are a few common issues and the fears they represent.

Insecurity

When we feel insecure within ourselves, it can touch every part of our lives: our self-love, our confidence, our body image, our sense of security and groundedness. It can make us lose faith in ourselves and our potential. We might feel insecure about the mistake we made last week, or the new haircut we hate, but deep down what we’re really afraid of is inadequacy. We are afraid we aren’t good enough.

Arrogance

Similarly, when we are arrogant and put other people down, we are often insecure and so afraid that we are inadequate that we compensate by trying to make ourselves seem more confident than we actually feel. We aren’t happy with ourselves, so we try to bring others down to make ourselves feel better.

Jealousy

When we feel jealous in any relationship, whether romantic or not, we are often afraid of being abandoned or rejected. We fear losing their love. We fear losing their attention or validation. Our sense of security has been threatened. We might fear we are inadequate or inferior to the person we feel is robbing of us that love, attention and validation. Sometimes more than anything we fear being alone.

Envy

Envy hits us when someone else has something we wish we had- an accomplishment, a personality trait, the family we always wanted. We feel threatened by other people’s happiness and success. We might become bitter, resentful, even mean-spirited. We might ask ourselves things like “why do they have that, and I don’t? What’s so great about him?” Again, this comes down to fears of inferiority and inadequacy, but it can also indicate fear of failure, fear of not being happy or fulfilled, fear of not having the life we want.

Looking at the fears beneath our issues is an important step in the healing process. Our issues are often just symptoms. They are manifestations of our fears. When we focus on the underlying fears, we come closer to finding real healing solutions.

We can all use help looking at our deepest fears. Let Enlightened Recovery offer you their support. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Speaking to a medical professional about benzo addiction treatment in New Jersey.

Human Nature – It’s All “Normal.” What Can We Learn?

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When we judge ourselves and each other, and when we have expectations for how we should or shouldn’t behave, we’re often forgetting one really important concept- that of human nature. Human nature is expansive and all-inclusive. It encompasses all the different and unique variations of humanity. When looking at other people’ behaviors, as well as our own, many of them leave us feeling baffled, confused, angry, sad, horrified. Human nature is all of it. Human nature is objective- everything that is in our nature to do, feel, think and be.

Everything is normal, so to speak, because everything we do as humans makes up the big picture of what human nature is. That means that all of our behaviors are “normal,” even the ones we don’t agree with. Al of our fears are normal and common, even when they are irrational. Everything you’ve ever done or experienced that made you feel embarrassed, guilty or ashamed, is normal. It’s all “normal.” Human nature includes our mental health problems and addictions.

This is very far removed from how we usually perceive things. We judge everything a person does, has, thinks, feels, is. We assess situations based on what we think we would do, hypothetically. We judge people based on how we think they should be. We view things from our narrow perspectives, not realizing that our viewpoints are limited to our personal experiences and not taking into account that human nature is much broader than that- not to mention that when we judge, we are acting from a place of fear.

When we judge others, it is often because we judge ourselves, and these other people represent something reflected in us- whether that is a behavior we can’t admit to, a fear we carry, something that triggers us, or some aspect of ourselves being mirrored back to us.

When we judge, we reject, and that means we’re potentially missing out on important information and teachable moments. We can learn something from everyone and everything, from every experience, every story. Mistakes hold lessons when we are open to them. Relationships, including the unhealthy ones, teach us so much about ourselves and each other, about life and the world. We receive all kinds of guidance and wisdom from our experiences and from other people. When we are willing to give up our expectations, assumptions and preconceived notions about how things should be, how people should be, and how things should go, we open ourselves up to learn so much that we can apply to our own healing journeys.

The community at Enlightened Recovery has helped many people with their healing and recovery, and many of us have personal firsthand experience. We understand. Call us at (833) 801-LIVE.

Several pills, a syringe and a spoon on a table

We Judge Each Other Constantly – Let’s Stop

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We have a tendency to pass judgment on people around us, whether it’s someone we know, are just meeting, or see on TV or social media. We critique and criticize, usually without knowing the person well at all. Why do we do this?

One reason might be- if the subconscious mind’s role is to keep us safe, maybe one of the ways it does that is by convincing us to be wary of others and to keep our distance. Maybe it’s a result of the turbulent societies we live in and the stories we hear of violence, turmoil, hatred and oppression. We instinctively and purposely separate, isolate and distance ourselves.

If we look at things cosmically, we’re all the same species co-existing on a magical ball floating around in space. If we could go so far as to think of ourselves as a human family, then we are brothers and sisters. What would it take to be more kind to each other?

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

– Wendy Mass

One thing we all share is that we have all experienced pain of some kind. Everyone’s story is different, everyone’s experience is unique, but we’ve all had pain. We couldn’t possibly know by looking at someone, or meeting them, or following them on social media what their story is- so how can we judge? And more importantly, why bother? Doesn’t it feel better to live and let live?

We judge each other on just about everything under the sun- ethnicity, skin color, religion, sexual preference, accent, socio-economic status, job. And even more superficial- body type, clothing, hair. We usually aren’t curious and want to know more about people, we want to criticize them and belittle them, put them down for being different from us, for not meeting our expectations, for doing things differently, for living life differently. And since everyone is struggling with battles we know nothing about, essentially we’re all suffering differently, handling life’s challenges differently, and trying to figure out life differently. We go about creating our lives differently, and that’s a beautiful thing.

What would it take for us to feel like instead of passing judgment, we were choosing to think “we’re all in this together. How can we help each other get where we’re going?” Can we be inspired by each other? Can we empathize with each other, see each other’s pain and transform our judgment into compassion?

Judgment is toxic, it’s often unkind, and the negativity of it brings us down. It’s so destructive to our mental and emotional health. Let’s do better.

Working to heal our thoughts and behaviors is a large part of recovery. Let Enlightened Recovery help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Sharing as Healing

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Many of us close ourselves off to potential healing opportunities because we are unable to share our pain with other people. All too often we feel alone, we isolate ourselves, and we don’t get the help and support we need. Bearing our souls to another can be daunting, even terrifying, but the more we share, the more we can help each other heal.

Talking things through with other people can be a powerful way to process and navigate our emotions. Therapy can help you address many deeply rooted issues- fears, childhood trauma, limiting beliefs, etc., but you can also benefit from sharing with anyone with whom you feel safe enough to express your truth. Many of us don’t have close friends or family, but if we are open to receiving help, we can find it in meetings, support groups, and online forums, in the co-worker who might offer a listening ear, or the stranger that sits down next to you in the park, who can tell you’re sad and asks if you’re ok. There is infinite support, guidance and wisdom for us to tap into when we’re open to it.

All too often we suppress our thoughts and feelings out of fear. We fear being judged by others. We fear judging ourselves. It can be so hard to handle our darkest truths, and we often find it easier to run from them than to face them head on. We might fear being rejected by other people. Deep down we may actually be rejecting parts of ourselves. We might fear owning up to our mistakes. We might be drowning in guilt, shame and feelings of unworthiness.

It takes courage to be honest with ourselves about our emotions and then share them with other people, especially when we have been hurt, felt judged or had our trust betrayed. Sometimes when we do share of ourselves, we are met with criticism, judgment and disapproval. We might have been rejected by someone close to us and felt abandoned and isolated as a result. We may have been silenced or shunned, making it that much harder to even want to express ourselves. When we remember that we are stronger than our fears, anything is possible, especially recovery.

It is powerfully liberating to know that as we confront and share our pain, we are empowering ourselves and becoming stronger. Sharing our vulnerability is a step toward trusting ourselves, trusting in our own inner strength, and approaching our healing journeys with courage and faith.

We listen, and we understand. Many of us have personal experience with recovery. Enlightened Recovery offers therapy, mentoring, and friendship. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Healthy Communication and Respect

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No relationship is perfect, but there are some key elements that happy relationships tend to have in common. Unhealthy dynamics in these areas can cause people to express their emotions, or not express them, in very unhealthy ways.

Communication

People in healthy relationship with one another communicate. We all have different ways of communicating and expressing ourselves. Speaking is just one of many forms of communication. For some people, speaking can be very difficult, especially when dealing with sensitive subjects and challenging situations. Some people find writing out their thoughts much easier than speaking and prefer to communicate by letter, email or text when something is too tough to talk about in person. Others use their art to express themselves. Many people have a tendency to shut down altogether and have a very hard time communicating their thoughts and emotions. And some people dominate the interaction, not allowing others the chance to speak, to be heard and understood.

There are countless communication styles, as varied as we are as people. Healthy dynamics encourage people to figure out their communication styles, and to work with each other to expand their communication skills and strengths. Healthy communication means finding ways of handling conflict, disagreement and emotional subjects in ways that work for everyone, making sure everyone’s needs are met. Healthy relationships encourage listening to understand and empathize, rather than interrupting or rushing to respond.

Respect

Mutual respect is a must for healthy partnerships of all kinds, whether family, friend or intimate relationships. Having respect for another person means caring about their emotions, understanding and holding space for their needs, and being sensitive to their challenges. Respecting someone means respecting their boundaries and giving them the same care we would want for ourselves. It means allowing others their autonomy and independence without trying to force our own expectations, issues or concerns upon them. Respect and abuse are mutually exclusive, and once a relationship experiences any form of abuse, the trust between those people, and the respect between them, can be very hard to rebuild.

If we look closely at our relationships, we might see that they have been lacking respect in various ways- the ways in which we communicate with one another, how we choose to treat each other, and how we resolve conflict.

In our interactions and dynamics with one other, healthy communication, consideration and respect go a long way towards having happy, functioning relationships, as well as healthy minds and hearts.

Improving relationships is a focal point at Enlightened Recovery. We are here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

How You Can Celebrate The Earth This Earth Day On April 22

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Healthy Living, Sober Living. No Comments on How You Can Celebrate The Earth This Earth Day On April 22

If you’re feeling anxious about the marijuana-laden “420” celebration coming up on April 20th, you can skip that holiday and head straight toward Earth Day, happening on April 22nd. Earth day is a planet wide celebration honoring our beloved blue ball which we call home. Recovery can give you a lot of perspective, including a whole new view on the way you relate to the planet. In recovery, you learn to look at your body like your home. By holistically connecting with your body, you learn how drug and alcohol abuse damages that home. Self-care is how you learn to respect, honor, and nourish your body instead of harming it. The same lessons apply to planet earth as you realize that every part of your life is in a way your home. Each part of your life, like the planet you live on, deserves the same conscious, humble respect as your physical form. Earth day is the perfect opportunity to put some of your recovery tools into practice for making changes, getting grounded, and celebrating life.

Get more eco-friendly

Thankfully, it is easier today than ever to live a more eco-friendly life on a budget. Shop for “green” and eco-friendly products made with recycled materials, sustainable practices, and non-toxic chemicals. Ditch your harmful toxins and chemicals safely. Opt for more sustaianable and reusable products instead of plastics and harmful chemicals. Introduce more solar to your house where possible and put mindfulness notes over the light switches to remind yourself to turn lights off. You can do simple things like switch all of your bills to email in order to reduce paper, and much more.

Ditch plastic for a day, or a year

Plastic is one of the biggest threats to our planet. Finding reusable products not made of plastic is the perfect antidote. Look for glass products that help you reuse, like glass straws and glass storage containers for the kitchen. Use reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic ones.

For all of the plastic and paper you do end up using at home, set up a recycling system. Recycling can be more than paper and plastic. Set up a can for aluminum, glass, paper, and plastic. Make it part of your regular routine to take recycling to a donation center.

Plant a garden and get dirty

Even if you don’t have a backyard or a balcony, you can still get your hands in the dirt, or bring some earthly greenery into your home. Succulents are the easiest plants to tend for and don’t require much attention. Keeping a small herb garden is easy and makes your cooking more delicious than ever. Plenty of devices exist for growing small vegetables and fruits in your house as well. You can even buy a countertop composter for collecting food waste and turning it into rich soil for your plants.

Spend time outside

The best way to celebrate Earth day is by connecting to the earth. Get outside, kick off your shoes, and sink your toes into something natural. Take a walk, take a hike, lay in the grass, or swim in some natural water. Bring your mindfulness tools with you and notice all of your senses as you connect to the Earth. You’ll notice that your sympathetic nervous system slows down, you feel more relaxed, and you feel more at ease. Being a human on earth is a gift. Being a sober human on earth is even better.

The best move to make for recovery from drug abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.

Everything You Need To Know About Surviving Your First 420 In Sobriety

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It shouldn’t seem like a big deal. You’re in recovery now. You’ve chosen to leave all drugs and alcohol behind. Likely, you haven’t even cared about the drug-saturated ‘holiday’ of April 20th. Or, perhaps, it was one of your favorite days of the year because marijuana was your substance of choice. Anyone who has altered their brain chemistry as a result of drug and alcohol abuse feels triggered, even in the slightest degree, by holidays which are associated with substance abuse. In the first year of recovery, April 20th, or “420” can be a difficult day to get through as millions of people around the world excessively indulge in marijuana intoxication. Learn the history of the holiday, understand the reality of marijuana addiction, and detach yourself from the fear of missing out. When you’ve finally found recovery and you’re saving your life on a daily basis, you’re not missing anything when it comes to drugs.

The History Of 420

“420” is a widely used code word for marijuana. People celebrate the April 20th holiday. They call marijuana “420” or will describe their homes as “420 friendly”. Every day at 4:20pm it is considered a universal time to smoke marijuana. Marijuana history is clouded at best, due to the fact that marijuana does, in fact, kill brain cells. Origins of “420” have been hard to trace, but many believe the term is an evolution of a police code once used for “Marijuana Smoking in Progress”. The Huffington Post detailed an intensive history on the origins of the 420 code in “420 History: The Story Behind April 20 Becoming ‘Weed Day’”. According to the author, the term started with a group of San Rafael, California teenagers on the hunt for a field of marijuana plants and evolved through nothing other than the Deadheads following The Grateful Dead and made its mark in High Times magazine. Now it is a worldwide phenomenon.

Marijuana Addiction Is Real

The marijuana of today is nothing like the marijuana teenagers were smoking in the 60s and 70s. Marijuana today is intentionally and scientifically bred to be as intoxicating as possible. As a result, marijuana has become an addictive substance. Considered the ‘holy bible’ of mental health diagnostic information, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders recognizes “marijuana use disorder” as a substance use disorder, or an addiction. Marijuana has been proven to halt psychological development, inhibit the brain from physically growing, and damage the prefrontal cortex. Though marijuana addiction is deadly and life threatening like heroin addiction, for comparison, being addicted to marijuana can greatly reduce quality of life. People lose jobs, friends, relationships, physical health, and mental health due to marijuana addiction. Additionally, people who become chemically dependent on marijuana experience extremely uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal and detox.

You’re Not Missing Out

You may feel as though everyone else gets to celebrate something on 420 and you’re missing out on it. As someone in recovery, you are celebrating every single day because your life is no longer being controlled by addiction.

The best move to make for recovery from drug abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.

Fourth Step: Do A Spring Cleaning Inventory

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Spring cleaning happens every year for a reason. Throughout the year you’ve accumulated stuff. Most often, we don’t realize how much stuff we’ve accumulated until we start going through our stuff and take an honest inventory of all the stuffy we have. Typically, we are surprised by our amount of stuff. How and when did we accumulate all of these things? Now that we can see them, how is it that we were ever living with this much stuff? Earnestly, we embark on spring cleaning to rid ourselves of as much unnecessary stuff as possible. Getting rid of our stuff, we tidy up and organize the stuff we do have, vowing to appreciate it more. We won’t take on anymore stuff, we promise ourselves. Yet, each spring we do another cleaning, getting rid of more stuff.

Addicts and alcoholics in recovery have a lot of stuff. Not necessarily material stuff, but emotional stuff, psychological stuff, spiritual stuff, and trauma stuff. Primarily, addicts and alcoholics accumulate resentment stuff, the tiny little chips on the shoulder which become icy blocks and turn into craters. Resentment stuff gets in the way of living life functionally, just like too much stuff in our household gets in the way of living life functionally. Thankfully, the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous provided a solution in the fourth step. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves is the text of step four in the twelve steps of AA, or any other twelve step program. The fourth step asks us to make a list of our stuff, the stuff we’ve held onto for so long, the stuff that has held onto us.

Some people work the steps every year focusing on one step per month, as the AA approved Daily Reflections does. April is the fourth month of the year, making it the perfect time of year to do a fourth step as a mental and emotional spring cleaning. Taking honest stock of our stuff requires two things. First, being willing to look at all of that stuff and where it came from. Two, being willing to let go of that stuff. Then, there is a bonus requirement. We have to take responsibility, to an extent, for that stuff. Not all of our stuff belongs to us, in fact, most of it doesn’t. For the stuff that does, however, we have to take accountability for it. Along the way we learn about ourselves, find room for improvement, and continue on our journey.

Recovery is a journey, one that asks us to continually grow and evolve. An annual or regular fourth step is one of our many tools for finding where our transformation can take place.

The best move to make for recovery from drug abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.