Author: world35

What if it takes you months or even years to get sober? It will still be worth it.

The new, healthy, happy lifestyle you will obtain through recovery will be worth much more than the hours, days, weeks, months, or even years it takes you to achieve sobriety.

Just like you don’t gain weight overnight, you can’t lose it overnight either.

The same holds true for sobriety…

Chances are that you did not become an addict overnight, so you cannot expect to get sober that quickly either.

For most, the road to sobriety is a long-term process, so you are not alone. For many, a short-term rehab just leaves them clean for the duration of the program, only to find themselves back in the midst of addiction later.

So, why long-term rehabilitation?

Why You Should Consider Long-Term Rehab

A long-term rehab program allows you a great deal of time to focus on getting clean and sober. It is not a one-week program, or an occasional thing, it is a long and dedicated path to recovery. Furthermore, long-term rehab facilities are often inpatient programs which also require you to stay onsite only making sobriety even easier as you are taken away from the temptations of the outside world.

What Will Happen During Long-Term Rehab

Just because it is long-term does not mean the basic treatment method goes away. You will still go through an assessment, detox (if necessary), behavioral processes, and consistent medical reviews and counseling.

What to Expect Regarding Visits

All rehabilitation programs will have various rules regarding times of visitation and who can visit. Most facilities will allow close loved ones and family to visit from time to time, but keep in mind that the reason you are there is to better yourself.

By separating yourself from everyone for the most part, it will be much easier to stay focused on the task at hand which is sobriety. The road to sobriety can be a long and grueling one which can really take a toll on your physically, mentally, and emotionally. There might even be times where you would rather not have visitors.

What to Expect AFTER Rehab

Finally, the long road through rehab will reach an end. However, sobriety is a lifelong process.

You will most likely be required to attend some sort of aftercare whether it be going to an outpatient treatment program, seeking transitional housing, or another option that your program recommends. This offers you continued support and accountability partners to aid you in your continued road to sobriety.

Some people fear going to rehab because it is the fear of the unknown…

It is a setting they might have never been in and they are unsure of what to expect…

And, rightfully so. A new process and a new setting can be a scary experience – especially when it involves giving up an addiction, which most often is people’s crutch and helps with social anxiety.

However, most rehab programs have a basic process that they follow to ensure successful completion of the program.

And, while it might be scary, it will ultimately be well worth the journey.

Plus, it might end up not being quite as scary as you think.

Check out what a general process looks like in the journey to rehabilitation:

 

1. Assessment

   Your program will start by you being assessed – they need to know how bad your addiction is, what your current state of health is, and what your personal needs are both mentally and physically. Based on your assessment, they are able to accurately create an individualized treatment program that will fit your needs and one that you are much more likely to succeed in.

   A typical assessment might include a physical exam, mental health assessment, and drug testing.

2. A detox process

   Depending on your substance of choice, this may or may not be necessary. Some drugs are easier for the body to come off of without a serious detoxification process than others are. However, if necessary, you might be placed under medical supervision while you come off of your substance of choice due to the strength of the withdrawal symptoms and other medical issues that could occur.

3. Behavioral treatment and psychotherapy

   Considered to be “the meat” of the program, this phase is when you become established with your counselors and you work together to develop the plan for your future sobriety.

   During this stage, any underlying issues will also be addressed – some which might stem from underlying mental and emotional conditions from health issues or previous experiences.

   This part of the process is incredibly important because in order to overcome a problem you first need to understand where it is actually coming from. During this stage, your counselors and therapists will also work with you to help you adapt new thoughts, behaviors, and patterns in order to make the necessary positive changes in your life.

4. Aftercare

   Once you have successfully finished the rehabilitation program, the next – and very important – step is aftercare. Recovery is a lifelong process and just because you are clean does not mean old feelings, cravings, and temptations will never arise again.

   There are several different aspects of aftercare such as sober living facilities, support groups you can attend, or other organized programs that will help you continue your sober life.

 

 

When you think of addiction recovery, you probably mainly think of the recovery process itself…

The process of getting clean, detoxing, attending support groups, and graduating from your recovery program.

But, what about after that? Have you considered the aftercare that will need to be continued following your addiction recovery program completion?

Relapse is a very real thing and poses a major threat to all recovering addicts. Triggers such as people, places, and things can cause an addict to slip right back into the same harmful situations they were in before.

But, by finding other ways to occupy your mind, you can help decrease your chances of relapse.

So, a great idea following your addiction recovery treatment is to find a hobby. Here is why:

 

1. A hobby keeps you from getting bored.

   Oftentimes, relapse can be brought on by triggers – but, it can also be brought on by boredom. It is something to do and the drugs or alcohol might make even the simplest of tasks or most boring days more fun.

   However, if you have something else you enjoy doing in your spare time, you can do that instead to keep your mind busy, therefore helping you avoid a relapse.

2. A hobby helps you meet new people.

   Part of addiction recovery is ridding yourself of those negative influences in your life. As a result, you might lose quite a few of your friends. However, it is good for you to begin associating with healthy influences. A hobby is a great way to meet new people and people who still share a common interest with you. They will encourage you to participate in positive activities and help you replace the friends you might have lost on your road to recovery.

3. A hobby helps encourage new positive paths in your brain.

   During an addiction, your brain paves new pathways for the responses it receives from the drug. It actually develops a pleasure response to the drug which is what makes you enjoy it.

   However, you can also reverse these and start creating new pathways based on a hobby. After some time, the hobby will begin to generate a positive response in your body and can help you overcome the sad feeling of needing the drug or alcohol that you were previously abusing.

 

When it comes to addiction recovery, you have to continuously focus on how to make better choices and how to keep yourself away from temptation. Developing a new hobby is a great way to make a positive step toward your recovery!

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just drop everything and completely change your life at the drop of a hat?

Unfortunately, it is not that simple…

But, you still can make a change with hard work, dedication, and a strong support system. You do not have to stay stuck in your rut of addiction, struggling to get by. There is hope. There is help.

But, first know that during addiction recovery you will undergo some changes:

 

1. First, there is pre-contemplation.In this stage, you are aware that the negative things happening in your life are a direct consequence of your addiction, however, you continue to choose to minimize or justify your choices. You continue to come up with excuses as to why and how it could be other things and it is not necessarily just your addiction.

   This stage does not entail a great desire for change and you might feel as though you are just sleepwalking through life – ignoring the things around you.

   This might also be the stage where people start encouraging you to get help.

2. Second, you reach the stage of contemplation.In this stage, you have a much greater awareness of the great impact that your addictive behaviors have on your life. You begin to accept that those negative occurrences might actually be a consequence of your addiction.

   You are beginning to become open to change, however, it might still be a “when ___ happens, then I will stop drinking or doing drugs.”

3. Then, you reach the stage of preparation.At this point, you will finally begin to see that you are responsible for your choices and that you have the power to change your life. You can make the decision to get clean and improve your quality of life.

   During stage three, you also might make a verbal or written commitment and begin to decide that you are ready to commit to treatment.

4. Finally, you reach the stage of action.You finally decide to follow through with your commitment – you decide you are worth it and that it is time to make a change.

When you decide you are ready, we will be here for you to help you make that change. Give us a call, today. The choice is yours to make.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGsyoUG9PMc

It is probably pretty obvious to you that drugs and alcohol have been wrecking your life…

 

Ruining relationships, maybe costing you your job, costing you money, leaving you feeling depressed and alone – the negative consequences of addiction can easily be seen throughout several aspects of your life.

 

So, maybe you have finally come to a point where you are contemplating if addiction recovery might be the best option for you.

 

 

Let us help you in that decision – it is. A proven addiction recovery program is exactly what you need to help you get your normal life back. With a little help and dedication from you, you can be on the road to a much better and healthier life – possibly even better than the one you had before.

 

But, if for some reason you still cannot commit, here are some of the top benefits of choosing to enroll in an addiction recovery program:

 

1. It will help you deal with some of the withdrawal symptoms.

   Withdrawal symptoms are very real and can be a huge reason why some people don’t succeed in getting clean…

   The sickness and sadness felt when abandoning the drug that once ruled your life can wreak havoc on you physically and emotionally. And, to overcome that it takes help.

   Medical supervision can play a huge role in easing the symptoms of withdrawal, therefore making the entire process much easier.

2. It helps identify underlying issues.

   Oftentimes, addiction is not only a result of poor personal decisions but a result of other underlying issues such as mental illness. The professional staff at an addiction recovery program can help identify and treat these issues which helps ease the recovery process.

3. They offer therapy and family support.

   A good addiction recovery facility will help you incorporate your family and therapy into your recovery program. This step offers you additional support and can help mend those broken relationships. Therapy is also a huge part of addiction recovery because it helps you truly understand why you have a problem and how it is effecting those around you.

4. It helps you make new – and healthy – friends.

   One negative part of addiction recovery is that you likely have to give up your old friends and hang outs because often they are triggers and can lead you back into your old ways…

   

   However this is actually a blessing in disguise because while you might lose old friends, they were never healthy for you in the first place and addiction recovery treatment will lead you to new friends who will support your new healthy lifestyle.

   Especially those in addiction recovery, they can understand what you are going through and truly help you overcome some of the feelings of addiction recovery as they are right there with you.

 

Contact us today and let us get you on the right path.

Relapse could be a one-time occurrence…

But, it could also occur several times. It does not just pose a one-time threat to a recovering, or even a fully sober, addict.

Relapse is very common, in fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said, “nearly two-thirds of all relapses occur during the first six months of recovery.”

So, the struggle to avoid the temptation to relapse is a reoccurring thing. It is a constant struggle to avoid triggers and people who might have previously fed your addiction or ones that potentially could cause you to relapse.

Remember, addiction is a chronic disease and some – if not most – people will struggle with the possibility of relapse for the rest of their life. It can easily be caused by stress, sights and smells, relationship issues, or a number of outside factors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV6zKmt7S5E&t=5s

Since it is such a major struggle and can happen to anyone, potentially destroying the sobriety they have worked so hard for, it is important that a recovering addict has a relapse prevention plan that includes the following key components:

1. Leave time for reflection and self-assessment.Remind yourself of why you started using the drugs or alcohol in the first place. Analyze what the start of the issue was and make a list of things that could cause you to resort back to that substance. Understanding where the addiction starts is a vital part of avoiding it in the first place.
2. Recognize warning signs and triggers.A “trigger” is something that could cause you to stray from sobriety – it could be a person or a situation. This step goes hand-in-hand with understanding where the addiction began. First, you must understand where it began. Next, you can understand what fosters it or encourages it. Make a list of your triggers to help yourself avoid them on a daily basis.
3. Plan for the worst.That doesn’t sound very beneficial as it sounds incredibly pessimistic. However, there is still a chance you will relapse even with a detailed plan. Therefore, you always need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
4. Involve others.It is much easier to stay on track when you have an accountability partner, or even multiple accountability partners. They can help remind you of the triggers you should avoid and keep you focused on continued sobriety.
5. Set goals.You should always be working toward a healthier and better life. Set goals for where you want to be in the next few weeks, months, and even years. This gives you something to look forward to and consistently reminds you why sobriety is best.

One of the most common sayings among addicts when confronted about their addiction is…

 

“I don’t have a problem!”

 

That is part of the denial stage. Especially in the beginning stages of the addiction, it can be very easy to be in denial. Typically, someone who struggles from an alcohol addiction does not just one day decide to pick up a bottle, chug it, and just like that they are addicted.

 

While that can happen, it is not the most common scenario.

 

But, what usually happens is that an addict will begin with just a few drinks, maybe not even every day, but just a few times a week…

 

Then, either something tragic happens in their life or the drinking just continuously picks up. But, after a little while it begins to turn into a drinking problem.

 

However, since it started out not being a problem, it can be hard for the addict to actually see the transition within themselves.

 

But, there are a few common signs that will help you determine if you or someone you know has a drinking problem:

 

1. Close friends, relatives and/or colleagues begin to express their concern.If people around you are expressing concern or if you are having to express your concern to someone about their drinking, chances are there is a problem. It would not be so noticeable by those around the person if it was just a normal act.
2. The person begins drinking as a way of “self-medicating.”Drinking due to problems at work, home, or in social settings can be a means of self-medicating which can also lead to and/or be a sign of a drinking problem.
3. There is a noticeable loss of weight and change in appearance.As you drink more and more alcohol, it wears down your body. An occasional drink does not provoke such strong effects, but a drinking problem does. They might begin to slim down in the face or seem noticeably lethargic.
4. They are lying about drinking.If you have to hide it then something is wrong. Being secretive is a sign that they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing, such as consuming too much alcohol.
5. They have tried to cut back but failed.Maybe they told you they were going to cut back on their alcohol, however, you have noticed otherwise. This could be a sign they have a problem, especially because they might be attempting to be secretive.Either they are trying to hide how much they actually drink by distracting you and saying they will cut back or they couldn’t cut back like they committed to.
6. Their drinking habits begin to cause problems in other areas of their life.Maybe you notice their marriage is deteriorating or they have lost their job recently. Any sign of distress in other areas of their life could be a result of a drinking problem.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFM8z9zM98Q

If you are a parent, you probably know exactly what I am about to talk about below…

Sometimes, small children will become enraged when they are hungry. They begin to scream, cry, and throw a major fit. They become incredibly irritable and short-tempered. They might know they are hungry or they might not, but either way they just can’t stop acting that way…

This is their way of crying out for help – literally. They are attempting to let you know they need food with their actions – even if they might not really realize it.

Even if you aren’t a parent, you might have felt that way yourself. This scenario does not just apply to children; however, adults are more likely to skip the screaming, crying, and throwing a fit part and just skip right to the irritability and short-tempered mannerisms.

This is relatable to an addict – sometimes they will act a certain way as a means of crying out for help and sometimes they might not even realize it.

This is most often seen in suicide cases, people will typically cry out for help even in very discrete ways just to see if anyone will answer…

If you think someone near you might be struggling with addiction or if you know they are, they might be crying out to you for help and it is important that you can adequately recognize the signs…

 

1. They will become withdrawn.Addicts don’t like the attention on them because they don’t want people to see or know about their addiction. They will spend the majority of their time alone and don’t care to engage in big group activities. It is similar to an introvert, but to a much higher extreme.
2. Their mood will fluctuate.You will probably notice they are a lot more irritable. They will be short-tempered and frustrated the majority of the time.
3. They will drop subtle hints.You might actually notice they start dropping hints such as talking about what life would be like if they weren’t an addict or other things that might relate to them being clean.While this might sound like they will make the effort to make a change, they are actually also trying to let you know they are ready for some help.

Part of addiction recovery is having a support system – friends and family there to help you, guide you, and support you. If someone you know and love is suffering from addiction, keep an eye out for signs they are crying for help…

Your push and your support might be just what they need to make that jump.

We have probably all experienced an awkward conversation at some point in our lives…

Whether it be with your parents, friends, family, or even a stranger.

Furthermore, when it comes to a conversation where confrontation is involved things can get quite difficult. It is hard to confront someone, especially in the midst of addiction…

Addicts are not typically open to suggestions and they definitely don’t want to be told they have a problem and need help. Usually, they will quickly deny the accusations and become angry with you.

However, that does not mean that if you have a close friend who is suffering from alcoholism that you should avoid confronting them. After all, as a good friend, your job is to keep them in check.

But, there are a few differences when confronting an alcoholic compared to just confronting the average person.

It takes great preparation, caution, and compassion to appropriately address the situation.

If you are looking to confront your friend about their alcoholism and want the conversation to be as successful as it can be, keep these few tips in mind:

• You are not responsible for their reaction.Regardless of the outcome, just remember they are their own person and you do not control how they respond to you. If they get mad, that is on them – not you.If they have an addiction, they are most likely in the denial stage and unfortunately there is only so much you can do to help them. You cannot force them to change.Start by just talking to them and addressing the issue. But, be compassionate, open-minded and gentle as they will probably have an adverse reaction.
• Know your stuff.Before you ever say one word to them about it, do your research. People are much more inclined to listen to you when they feel you are knowledgeable on the subject.Especially with an addict, the first reaction is typically that you don’t understand. While you might not ever be able to understand first hand, you can at least be well-versed in the subject.This will also help prepare you for if they do ask questions and also give you the means to be prepared for when they are ready to accept the help.
• Maintain realistic expectations.No matter how bad you want to help your friend, don’t go into the conversation expecting them to just drop their addiction right there and never look back. The chances of that happening are slim to none. That just isn’t how addiction works.Instead, go in with an open mind knowing that it will likely take some time to see any real results.

Do you ever get extremely stressed and you just step outside and take a deep breath of fresh air?

Or, have you ever just felt incredibly tense and then had the chance to just walk on the beach?

It is almost like you can literally feel the stress, anxiety, and emotional pain leave your body. You suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of relief and you realize you are ready for the next step, whatever that might be.

That is how sobriety is. While it is a much harder road than simply stepping outside and taking a deep breath, once you reach the point of sobriety and full recovery, you will feel such a weight lifted off your shoulders. Like taking a deep breath of fresh air, you will just feel relieved. No more worrying, no more anger, hatred, and pain…you can finally move on with your life.

Doesn’t that sound incredible?

However, some people never get to experience the true joy of sobriety as drugs and alcohol will constantly tell you that joy and relief don’t exist. The drugs and alcohol will continue to feed you the lies saying that you need them. You have to have them.

But you don’t.

A few more benefits of sobriety that the drugs and alcohol won’t tell you about include:

1. You will make new friends.One of the hardest parts about giving up an addiction is that during your addiction you establish a very set friend group – typically, it consists of other addicts. However, once you are on the road to sobriety you shouldn’t surround yourself with those people anymore as they can tempt you to sway from the road to recovery.

   So, this might leave you feeling like you won’t make new friends. But, you will. And, guess what? You might even make some friends in your recovery program who are going through the same thing and will understand you just as much as your addict friends did.

2. You will save money.Do you know how much you really are spending on drugs and/or alcohol? In the midst of the addiction, you might be blinded in regard to how much you are actually spending. But, you will be surprised by how much you save. You can put that money back for several things – maybe consider taking a vacation once you are sober to reward yourself. Doesn’t that sound like great motivation?
3. You will look better.You know how it can be hard to see that you’ve lost weight since you look at yourself every single day? It can be the same way when it comes to seeing how much drugs and/or alcohol have taken a toll on your body.

   However, putting good things into your body rather than harmful chemicals and cutting out the 1,200+ calories from the beer that you consume daily will improve your appearance significantly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7We1qbVwhs

Addiction can take a hold of you and feed you the lies that you are nothing without it. That you are not negatively affected by it and that the benefits of sobriety are not that great.

However, this is so wrong. God did not intend for us to harm our bodies with drugs and/or alcohol.

Reach out and get help today. Start the road to a better you. Freedom From Alcohol Addiction