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More Surprises About Sobriety You Won’t See Coming

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction Recovery, Sober Living. No Comments on More Surprises About Sobriety You Won’t See Coming

Sobriety is a daunting intimidation at first. Everything in an alcoholic’s life depends on alcohol. The thought of living without alcohol is frightening. Living in sobriety is full of wonderful surprises that eventually lead a recovering alcoholic to wonder why they ever drank in the first place.

People really don’t care that you don’t drink anymore!

The disease of alcoholism tends to create a very self-centered selfish way of thinking. For recovering alcoholics, there is a bit of the chicken or the egg debate. Did a self-obsessed person create the alcoholism or did the alcoholism create a self-obsessed person? Defining self-obsession in regards to alcoholism is complex because it is not the overtly narcissistic kind of indulgence. Instead, it is masked in behaviors like insecurity, self-consciousness, codependency, low self-esteem and other character deficiencies which appear to be about others. Consequently, someone entering recovery from alcoholism will be concerned about what people will think. Remarkably, most people will not really care that you don’t drink anymore. In fact, most people will be relieved that you don’t drink anymore and will encourage your sobriety fully. The people who do seem to care and give you a hard time about your abstinence A) don’t have your best interest in mind and B) are probably triggered by your sobriety because they have a drinking problem themselves. Recovery is about dropping what no longer serves you. Pay attention to the friends who celebrate your recovery and the people who criticize your recovery. Be willing to let go of the friendships which hold you back.

You are more yourself than you ever were drunk!

I don’t know who I am without alcohol, is a thought many in recovery have had. Alcohol becomes more than something we do. For most men and women in recovery, alcohol is a part of who they are and even defines their personality.

Feeling comfortable in your own skin takes time in recovery. You’ve lived years as someone else, someone who was dictated by alcohol. There are parts of yourself you may not have ever encountered which you are meeting for the first time in recovery. Discovering yourself can be an awkward journey. With each step, you are realizing that who you are is great and you don’t need alcohol to make you any more fabulous than you already are.

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.

Things You’ll Be Surprised By After Getting Sober

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Sobriety can’t possibly be as great as people say it is, we think to ourselves. Nobody could be that happy without alcohol. Sobriety is full of surprises. Here are just a few of them you can look forward to.

You can still have fun!

One of the first thoughts most people trapped by the disease of alcohol think to themselves when they are presented with the prospect of getting sober is: how can I have fun without alcohol? By the time someone needs to go to treatment for an alcohol problem, it is likely they haven’t really had fun in a while, at least not while under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol impacts the memory systems in the brain, creating an intricate association between pleasure and the consumption of alcohol. Essentially, the brain forgets that fun exists without alcohol and panics that there will never be any pleasure without alcohol.

Having comfortable, free flowing, unbridled fun in sobriety can take some time because you have to learn how to have fun again without the assistance of mind altering substances. Within a few months, however, you’ll find that you can still have fun without alcohol. You laugh a little harder. You smile a little bigger. Your senses pick up on things you haven’t picked up on in a long time. It turns out alcohol isn’t very much fun at all. The farther away you get from your last drink, the less fun all that intoxication seems.

You can even go to places where they serve alcohol!

Alcoholics Anonymous also known as “The Big Book” writes that an alcoholic can do any number of things an alcoholic isn’t supposed to do as long as they are spiritually fit. There are conditions of life every single day which pose a threat to our sobriety, if we allow them to. “An alcoholic who cannot meet [these conditions], still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status.” Recovery is not meant to be a prison cell built with different bars. Getting sober means getting liberated from a life of limitations caused by alcohol. You can go anywhere and do anything you set your mind to, as long as you are conceded to your innermost self that you are alcoholic and that picking up that first drink is never the solution.

You don’t miss alcohol as much as you thought you would!

Everyone has the same thought when they get sober: how can I live without drinking? Turns out you don’t miss it. In a short amount of time, the good in your life of sobriety greatly outweighs any good alcohol brought into your life. All of your training, education, and therapy in treatment really helped you comprehend the fact that alcohol abuse is a coping mechanism. Treatment gave you a whole library of new coping mechanisms that are healthier and make you happier. You recognize that your cravings for alcohol all have a complex network of associations, which you can see clearly. More importantly you’ve realized that there’s nothing worth drinking over and that makes you miss alcohol even less. What you do miss about alcohol can still be traced back to a tangible set of tools you can use to improve your life by yourself without external substances like booze.

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.

The Relief Of Getting Sober

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Addiction is a struggle. At first, drugs and alcohol can be fun. In fact, many a recovering addict or alcoholic can recall multiple times before they became addicted when drugs and alcohol were fun. Eventually, however, drugs and alcohol were no longer fun. Using drugs and alcohol isn’t a disease. Even abusing drugs and alcohol isn’t a disease, though it is a problem. Addiction is a disease. When you become addicted to something you become sick. You aren’t just “sick” because you are addicted. You’re not just metaphorically experiencing a sickness because you can no longer make healthy decisions. You are completely and totally ill in mind, body, and spirit. Everything in your holistic system is shutting down and the only thing you can continue thinking about is taking that next hit or getting that next drink.

Living with the pressure of addiction is hard work when an addiction fully develops. You have to keep your cravings satisfied. Avoiding the symptoms of withdrawal and detox is a fulltime job. Nothing about addiction is fun when it is at its peak. The euphoric effects once produced by drugs and alcohol don’t last long enough to make up for the pain of being sick and in withdrawal. Your life revolves around finding a way to stave off detoxing in order to feel normal, not even to feel good anymore. Carrying the weight of addiction is carrying a tremendous burden which makes finally coming to sobriety a wild relief.

Going to rehab, going through detox, and getting sober might not sound like a relief to some. Too many addicts and alcoholics, it isn’t a relief at first. The obsession of craving can be so pervasive that those in recovery don’t feel like they’ve made a good decision by getting sober. For many others, however, it is a welcome relief. They no longer have to live their life in pain and suffering at the hands of addiction. Detox can be tough, and treatment is a challenge, but the payoff of getting clean and sober is infinite.

Enlightened Recovery offers a clinical, holistic and 12-step approach to the road to recovery.  If you’re struggling with addiction and/or mental illness, our program is specialized in dual-diagnosis treatments. Don’t hesitate and call today: 844-234-LIVE.

Snapchat Filters Have Caused A Rise In Body Dysmorphia

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Social media platforms like Snapchat have a growing list of problematic effects they are causing for their users. Ironically, it is the magical effects of Snapchat’s platform which draw people to it yet cause the most problems. Many social media platforms have followed Snapchat’s lead in developing filters which layer over a real time image to create an enhanced picture. Some of Snapchat’s filters include animal parts, like dog ears, nose and tongue. In most of their filters, however, it is the simple facial modifications which draw people into compulsive selfie-taking. Snapchat’s facial filters smooth the face, eliminate blemishes, and alter the eyes, lips, and eyelashes. Many of the “ideal” beauty modifications once restricted to major publications with advanced editing tools are now achievable with a quick selfie. Rather than compare themselves to models in magazines, people can compare themselves to themselves in just a few seconds. The contrast between what they see in the mirror and what they see through their Snapchat filters is causing many people psychological distress and resulting in the development of body dysmorphia.

Body dysmorphic disorder affects 1 in 50 people and causes a severe skew in one’s perception of themselves. Striving for “perfect”, someone with body dysmorphic disorder can turn to multiple surgeries and procedures to achieve the look they want. All of their worth and how they feel about themselves on the inside is defined by how they think they look on the outside. In the case of “Snapchat Dysmorphia” people want to look how their Snapchat filters make them look. They’re turning to plastic surgery to achieve those modifications. In the process, they’re developing a mental illness which could last a lifetime.

People start to believe that the way they look on Snapchat is the way they should look in real life. The hyperreal filters create a disappointment in what is truly real about how people look. People’s expectations are high not just for themselves but for others. Disappointment from such unrealistic high expectations can be deeply damaging, ruining relationships, and causing severe self-esteem issues in people with altered perceptions.

Enlightened Recovery offers a clinical, holistic and 12-step approach to the road to recovery.  If you’re struggling with addiction and/or mental illness, our program is specialized in dual-diagnosis treatments. Don’t hesitate and call today: 844-234-LIVE.

Sponsor Shopping

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In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested to get a sponsor. A sponsor is another member of AA that takes the sponsee through the 12 steps. It’s important that the sponsor has what the alcoholic wants in life. Not materialistically, but spiritually and through ways, one can relate. It might take a few attempts until he/she finds the right fit. This is why it is suggested to ask a fellow member to be a temporary sponsor first. A sponsee might want to interview the potential sponsor to see if they are really willing to do the things asked of them. Everyone is different and personalities don’t always mesh well either. It’s important to let the sponsee know this in advance and make it clear that this process should never be taken personally.

A good way to find a sponsor is to go to meetings. Finding meetings that suit the sponsees taste, will be a proper guide to finding someone relatable and understanding. Sometimes people need a sponsor who offers tough love, and some prefer a more gentle approach. Some feel more comfortable with a sponsor who went through similar circumstances, but to some, this might not matter. It is suggested to ask a member of the same sex to sponsor. However, there are no real rules or guidelines about this. All that matters is that the sponsor is consistent with taking the sponsee through the steps because that is the way to stay sober.

While it seems like the sponsee would be the one getting the most out of the relationship, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When members of AA help another member, they are really doing this to stay sober themselves. It’s the act of helping another member is gratifying and feeds the soul. It keeps the sponsor in tune with what happens while in the disease. While going through the steps with another alcoholic, the sponsor is also going through them themselves in a way. Members of AA believe that in order to stay sober you must live in the steps and this is the way to do so.

If you are interested in becoming sober and have the willingness to go to any lengths, the 12 steps will take you there. Here at Enlightened Recovery, we encourage patients to dig deep and heal the body, mind, and soul for a brighter future. For more information call 833-801-5483.

Avoidance

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While in the disease of addiction, it is an extremely easy to slip into isolation and avoidance. Life becomes bleak and pessimistic. There may be no hope. Although everyone has their own story, the commonality is that there is a bottom. High bottoms and low bottoms, each person has their own threshold of what they can take. Unfortunately, it’s not up to anyone who had already lost the choice to drink or use. This is because all of these ways have ceased to work and it is becoming more clear that things have gotten out of control. When the mind continues to tell someone with addiction that everything is fine, what is really important will begin to take a back seat. Avoiding the signs that there may be a problem, will almost always result in self-sabotage.

Some people will begin to avoid painful feelings that stem from the past. It’s true that you don’t have to feel feelings if you don’t want to, and a good way to do that is to numb with alcohol and/or drugs. Individuals with addictions experience an inevitable progression into a downward spiral. Over time a high tolerance builds up for the substance and chaos. Soon the person who’s sick will be spending more time focusing on the behavior and less on reality. Once things really take a turn for the worse, it’s easy to slip into isolation mode. This is simply avoiding people, places, and things that could possibly interfere with whatever troubling behavior.

At some point, the person who is sick has the ability to find themselves with other like-minded people. The people surrounding the abusive behavior are in actuality only attracted to the unhealthy habit because they are doing the same thing. If someone isn’t ready to get help, using pressure it not going to help. It’s up to every person to decide when they are finished with avoiding life. The disease of addiction is really a way to escape from reality. When people learn how to handle life’s stressors in a healthy way there can be hope. Accepting help and beginning to use coping mechanisms learned in treatment, there can be progress.

If you are trying to learn healthy ways to cope without alcohol and/or drugs, do not give up! Our partial program at Enlightened Recovery is clinical, holistic, and 12 step based. Begin to heal your body, mind, and soul. For more information call: 844-234-LOVE.

Jennifer Shipman

Adult Children of Alcoholics

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The acknowledgment and acceptance of addiction today has given people a new perspective on how the growth process had been affected by those with parents in disease. Adult children of alcoholics or ACOA, is a group of people who work through a laundry list of traits that had been ingrained into their personalities at a young age. These traits include emotions based on fear. Then there is a flip to the laundry list which more on the fearless side. Acknowledging why these beliefs were put upon adult children of alcoholics is crucial in healing the body, mind, and soul.

Similarly to Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step is to admit a powerlessness over the effects of alcoholism and that life had become unmanageable. However, in this case the powerlessness is geared towards family dysfunction. The following eleven steps also follow the guidance of the the original steps of Alcoholics Anonymous which is a guide to living with the disease. Accepting the disease and using the tools laid out in the steps, offers its members hope and assist in preventing alcoholism from taking control over each person’s life.

One of the facts about adult children of alcoholics, is that genetics play a major role in alcoholism being passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, it is common that adult children of alcoholics also have the disease of alcoholism. The idea that these people are attempting to break the chain that was the dysfunction of their families is courageous. If genetics do not end up forcing addiction upon a person’s life, perhaps this method of healing will prevent potential future family members from the struggle.

Family dysfunction is nothing anyone should be ashamed of. Just like alcoholism, there is an easier, softer way. These people who have decided to heal this way will look at how codependency affected each family member separately. Each member had their own role in the family and eventually played this role subconsciously throughout life. The effects on their life may or may not have been huge. It differs from each person, but nevertheless, it’s someone’s life and it matters.

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and/or mental health, there is hope for you. Do not give up faith and call us here in New Jersey today! Enlightened Recovery clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach will help you heal from the inside out. Let your transformation begin as you trudge the road to happy destiny! Call today for more information: 833-801-5483.

Planting the Seed of Sobriety

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All people approaching recovery have a story of their own. There are often times when the people have a hard time accepting the reality of the disease. There may be multiple rehab stints and there are also those who are lucky enough to get it the first time around. Throughout the years, the rooms of AA have gladly held open the swinging doors to its millions of members. No one is forced to belong to the fellowship. The only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. Unfortunately, addiction is a progressive disease and each person needs to make the decision on their own if the time has come to do the work.

Even though many people might come into treatment with the determination and willingness to stay sober, it takes a daily reprieve continue with recovery. Sometimes sobriety simply doesn’t stick and that’s okay. It takes what it takes for people to realize it’s over. However, the suffering and pain in addiction doesn’t have to be life’s existence anymore. There is an easier, softer way and that is sobriety.

Whether or not the person initially knew where to go to get help, it takes a strong willingness to take the suggestions of others to stay on track. If the person gives into temptation, there will always be that annoying gut feeling that it might not be the best path to take. Often times, people will not be able to stay sober until they reach a low bottom. The fight will persist until addiction finally beats the person into submission. People sometimes need to feel the desperation for sobriety to surrender.

One thing is for sure, once a person knows where to go when he/she decides to sober up, AA always welcomes back it’s members. Treatment centers will always be there for those who continue to fight against the disease. No one should ever feel judged for having to do more research about their disease. Sobriety is a gift, it takes some people longer than others to accept what it really means. Life will never be perfect, but in sobriety, there is hope for a new found happiness and gratitude.

If you are desperately looking for help staying sober, do not waste another day! Call us here at Enlightened Recovery to get your life back. Our partial program’s clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach reaches addicts from all angles for the most effective recovery. Call for more information: 833-801-5483.

Living in Fear

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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

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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.