Addiction

People who experience more severe anxiety and stress tend to have difficulties with daily tasks, such as remembering particular deadlines, communicating clearly with others, staying organized in their thoughts, and working through daily challenges. Living with untreated anxiety can be particularly difficult. Unfortunately, many people rely on illegal substances such as psychedelic drugs to self-medicate.

Vicodin is a medication that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Typically, it is used in a medical setting to treat pain. Vicodin is an opioid and, as such, has a high risk of addiction. Not only do opiates like Vicodin create physical dependency. People become mentally addicted to these medications as well, due to the feelings of euphoria experienced when taking them. Addictions to pain medications like Vicodin commonly develop after having received the prescription from a surgery or an injury. For those experiencing acute and/or chronic pain, opioids like Vicodin can calm anxiety, cultivating feelings of relief, relaxation and well-being. If you are or will soon be prescribed to these kinds of medications, it is important to know what to expect in order to use them safely and avoid physical and/or mental dependency.

Even the most hardworking people in addiction recovery find themselves in sticky situations, including relapse. There will be moments in life where it feels like a relapse isn’t as pressing as it really is – and then, when it happens, those in recovery quickly realize that they’ve gotten off track.   Those that are in recovery and take their addiction seriously can also find themselves struggling for sobriety in moments when it feels like everything is falling apart, and, in some cases, even when everything is going really well. Studies explain that relapse occurs when a person stops working towards achieving their goal of reducing substance use or of sobriety, and so they return to using again.   If you’re at the beginning of your recovery journey, or even if you’ve been working towards sobriety for some time, it’s important to understand that relapse can occur – but with the right tools and resources provided at Avalon Malibu, you’ll find yourself back on the road to recovery.  Addiction is a brain disease, and to those on the outside looking in, the issue seems simple: if a person has an addiction, they should simply quit. One of the most debated questions in addiction recovery is whether or not relapse is a personal moral failure or just a part of recovery. The reality is that drugs and alcohol affect the brain’s reward center, which involves dopamine, a chemical that, when released in excess amounts, leads to feelings of euphoria. From there, the addiction directly changes the brain’s chemical structure, and even in recovery, the brain will still try to revert to the behavior it had when a person was still abusing substances. Even on a basic human level, changing habits of behavior is hard. There are so many self-destructive behaviors that humans get into, such as eating unhealthily, not exercising enough or over-exercising, smoking and much more. All too often, humans tell themselves they’ll stop pursuing a dangerous habit, only to find themselves doing it again within a few days. Change is hard – and that’s part of why relapse can happen sometimes.   For those in recovery, a relapse often happens when a period of that uncontrollable urge arises; relapse is truly a normal process because the mind, body, and spirit are adjusting and it will take some time for a person to become used to what’s happening. Take a look at the stages of change that tend to coincide with addiction recovery and relapse: Stage 1: Precontemplation – It’s hard for a person to comprehend that they have a problem, and they really don’t feel the need to seek out help. Stage 2: Contemplation – a person is ready to stop feeling so “stuck”, but they’re having difficulties understanding the causes of the problems they’re experiencing. This is when a variety of emotions may arise, such as fear, excitement, etc. Stage 3: Preparation – when a person is at this stage, they’re starting to feel ready to make a change, and they’re talking about it with others. Stage 4: Action – at this point, the greatest commitment of time and energy take place and changes are more visible in that person’s life. Stage 5: Maintenance – those who’ve completed official treatment but continue to take part in recovery-related activities will find that maintenance is needed in order to remain sober.  Stage 6: Relapse (optional) – devastating situations in a person’s life, along with various periods of over-confidence, depression and other difficult moments can cause a person to fall back into old patterns of addiction. If you’ve recently relapsed, it’s better to approach the situation with a sense of positivity. Relapses can provide a lot of lesson learning and there is so much that you can gain from this experience; in many cases, it’s an opportunity to learn and strengthen healthy coping mechanisms. A part of healing could be identifying what led to the relapse, including what people, places, and emotions cued for it to happen. Once we learn of what caused us to have this urge, we can start taking proactive steps to ensure that those things do not affect us as heavily next time.  At Avalon Malibu, individuals can speak with a therapist to explore different reasons for why their relapse occurred, or can even discuss relapse in group therapy; for those in addiction recovery, this mode of treatment can help people to not only talk about their lived experiences but can open up the platform to learn from others, too. From there, a specialized treatment plan can be created and the risk of relapse can become minimized as more tools are provided that treat an individual’s specific needs. There are several other areas of recovery that can help a person recover from relapse, too:

Recovery is a difficult road to process without proper support. In addition to this, it can be incredibly difficult to thrive and succeed in recovery when there are so many resources and so much knowledge out there that we’re not quite aware of yet. During the first few months – and even in the first year – of recovery, you’re going to find what propels you in addiction and what holds you back. You’ll likely hear a lot of tips from those who’ve been in recovery for a long time, as well as some advice from those who are also new to recovery but have learned from personal research or from others what helps people to succeed. No matter where you’re at in the recovery process, you must carefully consider the decisions that you make – and don’t make – to see how it affects your health and wellbeing during this time. One mistake that many people make in addiction recovery is consuming too much sugar. This becomes what is called “transfer addiction” where a person, for example, replaces a substance like cocaine for sugar. Sugar activates the reward system in our brain in the same way alcohol, drugs and other addictions do – and by consuming too much sugar, you’re really setting yourself up for a transfer addiction.  Another mistake that can occur in addiction recovery is spending too much time alone. There are several reasons for while people do this, such as: 1) to keep their “mask” on, 2) in an attempt to deal with all the changes that are taking place, 3) to avoid pain, and more. Isolation happens because we’re not sure how to make sense of our lives at the time – but the key is to remain patient. Lastly, coffee is harmful to recovery. Coffee has caffeine, which actually increases our stress and anxiety. When we drink coffee, our adrenaline increases, which can also worsen our anxiety. Keep this in mind if you’re consuming too much coffee.

Anyone who suffers from an addiction knows that recovery is a challenging, lifelong process. We must constantly be aware of our stressors and triggers to note if we are in a situation where we feel the need to repeat old negative patterns of behavior. The beginning of our recovery journey can be particularly difficult, because relapse can be a terrifying concept to grasp. When someone relapses, it disrupts their recovery process by involving a temporary lapse in addictive behaviors. Many people who are afraid of relapsing or who have already relapsed are afraid that they’ve failed themselves, their loved ones, and their recovery – but it’s important to note that relapse is an opportunity for those in recovery to learn more about what they need to heal.  There are three main ties to relapses – physical, mental, and emotional.  Emotional relapses may occur in a person and while this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will go right back to their old addictive habits, it is the first stage of the relapse process and could be a tell sign that they might relapse soon. Strong emotions, like jealousy, hatred, anger, sadness and more can all lead a person to begin thinking and feeling emotions that could eventually lead ot physical relapse. Mental relapses occur when a person is at war between using the drug/substance and staying sober. At this stage of relapse, a person has fleeting thoughts of using and it’s hard to keep these thoughts at bay. A few characteristics of this may be lying to the people closest to them, romanticizing using the substance/drug in the past, dwelling on people, places, or things that tie directly to the addiction, and hanging out with people whom they’ve abused substances within the past. Physical relapse is the actual act of relapsing – the person uses substances for a period of time, and this is when they must go back into recovery mode and find out what they can do to strengthen their recovery.

Addiction takes a person away from embracing the present moment. When addiction is present, it becomes much easier for a person to go on this endless chase of substance abuse, losing sight of close connections, financial health status, physical health status, career aspirations, goal setting, hobby exploration and more. Thoughts become centered around using than about anything else, and with that, a person’s priorities change. Hobbies, friends, family, work projects and more can all fade away as addiction takes over, and recovery is all about bringing these things back.  Meditation dates back to the early teachings of Buddha, but meditation and mindfulness have become extremely popular in America as more people are realizing how great it is. Mindfulness is about cultivating a non-judgmental awareness from moment-to-moment. When we practice mindfulness, we become stronger in grounding ourselves despite challenging human moments such as distress; we’re more likely to handle life’s circumstances in better ways because we’re more understanding of what it means to be human in this life. Those who don’t practice mindfulness tend to experience a lot of anxiety. If a situation occurs, for example, a person could either accept that situation and take the best course of action, or they could ruminate and allow all of these thoughts to come flooding in, affecting their emotions and the rest of their day.  Using mindfulness, a person might realize that the thoughts they’re having are just thoughts – there’s nothing special that’s needed, and those thoughts don’t need to be all-consuming. In fact, thoughts can freely come and go, with the person exploring them as to learn more about themselves and less to determine that every thought had needed an appropriate action. When mindfulness is present, daily life becomes much easier to deal with.  From then on, people can continue practicing mindfulness to help them navigate daily life. You see, what mindfulness is based on is the fact that our thoughts are only important if we place importance on them. Thoughts are merely thoughts – they are not good, nor bad. We assign meaning to them, and so it’s up to us to determine what we want to give importance to – and what we don’t want to. Mindfulness tackles two main aspects of addiction recovery: negative emotions and cravings. Both negative emotions and cravings can cause a person to relapse, and mindfulness combats both of these risky aspects of addiction and recovery by grounding a person and providing them with the clarity they need to make informed decisions. Previous studies have explored mindfulness and its benefits for those in addiction recovery, and they found that people who practice mindfulness often experience fewer cravings throughout treatment – in addition to placing less emphasis on the daily moments of pressure that can arise around substance abuse. Additionally, mindfulness can reduce heart rate responses to cues like negative emotions, commercials, and more that may quickly remind a person of using substances.   Mindfulness helps not only in treatment but afterward, too. Other scientific studies have explored mindfulness and have found that even after treatment, those who continued to practice mindfulness found lower rates of relapse than those who didn’t – and people who practice mindfulness after treatment has been completed also tend to drink less than those who don’t. Mindfulness is an excellent approach to treatment because it places more control in a person’s hands to de-escalate some of the thoughts that may be triggering them in the first place.   The best part of mindfulness is that it can be practiced virtually anytime, anywhere. Formalized treatment programs that offer mindfulness-based therapy will certainly have structure, but you can apply mindfulness in your daily life, too. If you’re ready to try mindfulness, give yourself time to breathe and look around you the next time you go outside for a walk. Notice the birds chirping, the steps beneath your feet, the inhales and exhales that you’re taking. Check-in with yourself mentally and see how you’re feeling. Pique your curiosity and take a look at all of the colors around you – the sky, the grass, the buildings, whatever you see. It may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it’s supposed to help ground you to your present experience. If you notice any thoughts arising, don’t try to push them away – just let them come and go. If you’re ready to begin your journey to recovery, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu. The time to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit is now – and mindfulness can truly become an essential component to your health and wellness that impacts you, for the better, for the rest of your life.

Throughout the course of a relationship, a number of trials and tribulations can arise. If you’re with a significant other who has been struggling with addiction, you’re both bound to experience some major ups and downs – some of which can cost you your relationship, either purposefully or not. By recognizing some of the main obstacles you’re both facing, you will be able to work through them more effectively in therapy sessions at Avalon Malibu; addiction recovery can take a major toll on the relationship but by being proactive and learning about what you’re each going through during this extremely challenging time, you’ll both be better prepared to work together through this.

Addiction is a complex disease that brings about compulsive behaviors to use, and with this comes great vulnerability in finding other things to become addicted to in recovery – even if a person has no intentions of this happening. For many people new to recovery, it’s a process of learning how to live life without substances; it’s hard to break habits, and over time, the mind and body become acclimated to having a drink or using drugs during certain times of the day, around other people, or in certain situations. For those in recovery, it’s about “re-learning” how to live life without certain substances – and learning how to not pick up new addictions in place of the old ones.  Experts have found that those in addiction recovery need to give incredibly careful consideration to what they consume, especially if they have addictive potential.

Heroin is a drug made from morphine – and is typically consumed by injecting, sniffing, snorting or smoking it. When a person consumes morphine, it immediately binds to opioid receptors located in the brain. When this happens, a number of physiological symptoms are impacted – such as heart rate, sleeping, and breathing. Heroin is an illicit opioid that produces effects like dry mouth, heavy feelings in the arms and legs, severe itching, nausea and vomiting, clouded mental functioning and more; heroin is incredibly addictive and can become extremely dangerous for a person if severe addiction is developed yet no treatment is sought. For those who do want to recover from heroin addiction, it can be incredibly hard if their significant other – or close friends – are still battling with it. Many people who experience this find that their lives continued to be disrupted because the occurrence of heroin continues to interfere with their daily life, even if they themselves are not using it anymore. Heroin can completely change the way a person thinks and behaves; many people who’ve abused heroin have described it as something that pulls a “warm feeling” over them, with little to no worries. Of course, this may sound euphoric – but the effects last only for a short period of time, and there are a myriad of unpleasant effects that can occur if a person were to ever recover, such as:

So many people have read the warning labels on medications, to not be taken with alcohol, yet there are so many of us who still continue to do this harmful practice. The common belief is that alcohol either helps intensify the effects of the medication, helps the person relax more, or both. However, what many people don’t realize is that it could become a dangerous combination, depending on how much alcohol and what type of medication it is. Nearly half of people who drink alcohol with medication are at risk for having a bad reaction – so understanding the reality behind this situation could prevent a person from undue harm.

Whether you’re in recovery or not, you may be trying to figure out what you’re going to do for Christmas or New Years. Both of these holidays can bring about a lot of stress and anxiety if you hold certain expectations about the holiday and how it should go. Many people enjoy going out to eat with their friends or significant other, while others may decide to host something at home or even make themselves dinner at home and relax. No matter what you decide to do for the holidays this year, make sure you boost your recovery by incorporating the following foods into your diet:

There are many types of approaches that can be taken to addiction recovery – and the effectiveness of these approaches truly relies on what works for each person individually. Personalized, holistic treatment is about assessing an individual’s needs and getting an understanding of who they are, including their medical history, their family and relationship history, major life stressors, mental health status reports and more. Put simply, recovery should consider a person’s mental, physical and spiritual wellness – and in some cases, didactic group therapy could greatly help a person find more stability in their recovery journey. Upon entering recovery, clients will learn more about what addiction is and how it’s affected their lives. Didactic group therapy is facilitated by a therapist or doctor who directs conversations on a number of topics, such as exploring the adverse effects that can become associated with addiction on a short or long-term basis, relapse prevention, common beliefs surrounding addiction and so much more. The idea behind this type of therapy is that by educating people in recovery, they will become more informed and more able to stay committed to their recovery goals – because they’ll understand the ins and outs of addiction and how it all works. In addition to this, those in recovery will gain valuable tools to apply directly to their lives. There are many definitions that can be found for addiction, but generally it’s a brain disease that involves the compulsive use of drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors despite harmful consequences occurring in a person’s personal and/or professional life. By looking at it this way, it’s much easier to understand just how strong addiction can be – for many people around the world, addiction is not something that can easily be “stopped”, and “quitting” takes much longer than a day because recovery is an ongoing process. There tend to be a lot of misconceptions about addiction and recovery, and even those who are seeking help may misunderstand the truth about these processes; that’s where didactic group therapy can come in. Common misbeliefs about addiction and recovery may involve believing that a person is too weak to seek help, that recovery and treatment programs are a “quick fix”, that addiction is the only thing that matters without regard to a person’s mind, body and spirit, that addiction is the only thing that’s treated in recovery, and the broad idea that nobody can understand what a person is going through truly. This misconceptions may seem convincing, but they’re not true – and they’re all ways to alienate people from feeling that they can truly recover and seek help. Education is power, and those who learn more about the biological processes of addiction as well as the psychology behind that and relapse have better chances of succeeding in recovery. Social support is a major component of healing, and didactic group therapy can foster this support by providing an environment in which individuals can share their ideas and grow together. This type of therapy is focused on education, which may be structured similarly to a classroom setting where those in recovery work together to identify problems in life that could lead to addictive behaviors later on – as an example.