Healthy Living

For most people who go to treatment for alcohol use disorder, their drinking wasn’t restricted to the weekend anymore. Still, when the weekend rolls around, there can be triggers for drinking as millions of other people do so. Weekends can still be fun, safe, and healthy. Here are three ideas:

Summer is here and your sobriety is fresh. Worst summer ever? Definitely not! Though your first summer in recovery can be awkward at times, it will be full of amazing memories and growth as you learn just how incredible living sober can be. Summer is the perfect time to learn.

The benefits of mindfulness cannot be ignored. Endless amounts of research has been focused on studying the effects of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation in addition to regular meditation practices. Stress, symptoms of depression, effects of anxiety, cravings for drugs and alcohol- almost any affliction of the mind has been proven to be healed by mindfulness meditation. Providing relaxation and oxygen flow, mindfulness is restorative for mind, body, and spirit. One area of mindfulness which has not been investigated is the difference between men and women. Brown University recently conducted a study which found that in mindfulness, there is actually a battle of the sexes. Women seem to gain more benefit from the use of mindfulness than men do. Telegraph UK reports. “While practicing significantly helped women overcome a downcast mood, it actually made men feel slightly worse than before they began.” Feeling worse after mindfulness is not the same sales pitch so many practitioners advocate for the practice. Over the course of 12 weeks, students practiced more than 41 hours of meditation while taking a class on mindfulness. Women saw improvement but men did not. The reason? According to the article, “The researchers believe that the traditional way in which men and women deal with emotional distress could be behind the disparity.” Men and women are known for processing their emotions differently. By stereotype, men are more closed off emotionally and process their emotions in a subtle, private way. In contrast, women are public with their emotions and fully embrace emotional experiences. However, this is not always the case as men can be quite emotional and women can be quite closed off. Additionally, men can be more closed-minded to new experiences, while women are open-minded. When new experiences are emotionally based in any way, there tends to be a greater divide. Statistically, men are less likely to ask for help when they are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and other mental health disorders. The male stigma emphasizes strength without weakness, perfection without flaw. Mindfulness might trigger uncomfortability in this because it encourages non-judgment, radical acceptance, and being comfortable in the present moment. Recovery is a constant fight against shame and stigma in defense of embracing the individual. Avalon By The Sea utilizes mindfulness and meditation in addition to clinical, holistic, and alternative techniques. Our versatile programs are designed to meet the needs of each client while fostering healing of mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information on our program, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Treatment for the recovery of mental health disorders has to accompany the individuality which comes with each client. Alternative healing therapies give each client an opportunity to find a method of relaxation and healing which works for them. Healing Through Food Nutrition is key to recovery. The body needs to be nourished in a healthy way in order to sustain the mind while it recovers and works hard in therapy. Organic, gourmet meals help make sure each client is given the nutritious support they need. Working with a trained dietician to create a personalized meal plan. Healing Through Acupuncture Acupuncture is an ancient eastern treatment method used as a preventative science. Increasingly, acupuncture is being used for various levels of treatment, especially in patients with alcoholism and addiction issues. There are specific organizations of acupuncturists trained for providing detox relief. A recent movement in New England has called for law which would allow normal therapists and mental health practitioners to administer “ear buds” or acupuncture treatment to the ear for aiding in difficult emotional work. Healing Through Massage Massage therapy influences circulation, promotes relaxation, and helps create comfortability with the human touch. In treatment, massage therapy is a deeply healing treatment method. Therapy and different group processing activities can be emotionally stressful and taxing. Massage helps restore the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga Yoga is a discipline and a practice focused on mindfulness, non-judgmentalism, and wellbeing. For everyone in recovery, yoga is a helpful treatment method for healing the body through stretching and strength building, healing the mind through mindfulness and emotional release, and healing the spirit through universality. Meditation And Mindfulness Both mindfulness and meditation are clinically proven treatment methods for reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, all of which are experienced during treatment. Meditation is part of all twelve step programs and mindfulness is recommended as part of the recovery lifestyle. At Avalon By The Sea, we believe the holistic approach is the recipe for success in treatment and recovery. For our primary care treatment programs, we aim to heal mind, body, and spirit while cultivating recovery for a lifetime. For a confidential assessment and more information, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Avalon By The Sea houses it’s two gorgeous treatment facilities on a shared estate in Malibu. On the cliffside of California’s iconic coastline, our property boasts inspiring views and the ambient sounds of the Pacific Ocean. Canopied by towering trees, filled with lush vegetation, and beautiful flowers, the expanse of our location is filled with magical gardens, beautiful homes, and the wonderment of nature. Each day, our clients have the opportunity to walk peacefully through our serene environment to journal, breathe, reflect, and meditate. Gardens have long been a point of inspiration, with famous gardens showcased around the world. Being around green nature, even being able to see it from your window, has been scientifically proven to increase health. Additionally, being near the ocean or any other body of blue water is also proven to increase health. Reducing stress and enhancing a sense of wellness is part of our mission in creating healing for mind, body, and spirit. Garden walking, more specifically walking through a labyrinth within a garden, is an ancient form of meditation. Refinery29 writes on the topic. “Labyrinths...aren’t mazes but usually symmetrical circuits made of concentric circles.” Labyrinths range in what purpose they have served. In some cultures they are decorative, in others protective. They have been used for religious rituals, training animals, or trapping intruders. Labyrinths are also used for increasing spirituality. “Labyrinths are an incredibly versatile spiritual tool,” the article explains, “they aren’t problem-solvers, but they provide people with a template for meditation and prayer they might not have thought of otherwise.” Labyrinths as a method of meditation are scientifically proven. “Research has found that labyrinth walking can be helpful as part of couples and family therapy, for stress management, and to aid with recovery from trauma.” Recovery is best supported by stress reducing techniques which help clear and calm the mind. Stress of any kind is what triggers the mind toward self-sabotaging and destructive behaviors like relapsing into drug and alcohol use or resorting to maladaptive coping mechanisms. Can’t find an ancient labyrinth nearby? A simple long, mindful walk will work just as well. Walking is about mindfulness and movement, which help reduce stress. As one of California’s only primary mental health treatment facilities, Avalon provides excellence in dual diagnosis treatment. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

You might be surprised as to which mental illness has has the highest mortality rate. Depression is often linked to suicide, but isn’t always the cause of it. Substance use disorders like various drug addictions have soared in fatal overdose deaths, outnumbering car accidents and gun violence. Alcoholism can cause serious health complications and lead to alcohol influenced injuries. One of the most severe and deadly mental illnesses is anorexia nervosa. What Is Anorexia Nervosa? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which someone heavily restricts their diet to the point of starvation. An unhealthy preoccupation with weight and body image leads to extreme dieting and exercise. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, “Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss...difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and in many individuals, distorted body image.” Common behaviors of anorexia nervosa include:

What is awe? Awe has become a popular point of conversation in fields of scientific research, especially neuroscience. The brain loves awe. The brain benefits from awe. Awe is what makes life, and recovery, so awesome. By definition,  awe is “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder”. Reverential respect is the deepest kind of respect, often stemming from a spiritual place. Closely connected to humility and being humble, awe is the jaw dropping wonder we get in the presence of something amazing. To find something awesome is to find something “extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.” Recovery is awesome. It is both impressive that addicts and alcoholics can turn their lives around and never pick up a drink or drug again, as well as it is daunting to imagine making such a significant life change. We can find great admiration for people in recovery, inspired by their strength, courage, discipline, and bravery. Many of us have experienced apprehension in recovery, whether we were apprehensive about going to treatment, apprehensive about how to talk to a loved one going to treatment, or even apprehensive about what it would mean to ask for help. In terms of fear, recovery is full of healthy fear. To a degree we fear the unknown, which is why we’re encouraged to take recovery one day at a time. We also fear the known- that relapse is possible and could happen any time. Yet, all the other awe-stuff conquers the fear with that humble reverential respect that recovery, indeed life, is something quite bigger than us. “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe,” Albert Einstein once warned, “is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” Recovery helps us to open our eyes to the world and mindfully notice when we become shut off again. Awe is never far away. We can be amazed by the vastness of life in everything we see. Carl Sagan once said, “For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.” Living in awe of recovery and the vastness of life is to live in love of life. As addicts and alcoholics, we spent too many years hiding from the love life had to offer us, seeking it instead in some of life’s darkest places. Awe can be found everywhere. For an extra dose of awe, try these awesome suggestions. Learn Something New How many times have you done a nature trail, gone to a museum, purchased an item, and focused only on the immediate? The world is full of fascinating information which gives everything around us more depth. Practice stopping to read the placards, pick up a brochure, or even look up the facts or history of where you are on the internet. Everywhere we step is a passage in time. Millions of years stand beneath our feet. That’s awesome. Go Somewhere Big The soul expands in response to what it sees. There’s a reason we’re struck with awe when we see a density of stars for the first time, visit tremendous spans of open space like the Grand Canyon, or bear witness to animals in their natural environment. If you can’t get to somewhere big, practice making everything big. Take into consideration what it takes to build the world you see around you. Have you ever noticed how large buildings can be and the steel beams it takes to build them? It’s amazing. Reflect On Your Life Sometimes, we don’t want to remember what it was like when things were hard. Many of us have faced challenges which took an immense amount of integrity to overcome. Today, you stand on the precipice of a new life with endless possibilities as your potential. Even when you thought you wouldn’t make it, you continued to persevere. That is awe-inspiring. Avalon By The Sea wants to inspire serenity and recovery in every client. Treating both mental health and substance use disorders as primary conditions, our treatment facilities seek to heal mind, body, and spirit. FOr a confidential assessment and more information, call us today at 888-958-7511.

Have you ever participated in a yoga class and felt yourself suddenly compelled to cry? Yoga helps with recovery in many ways, from physical reduction of stress, to increased spiritual well being, and a sense of mental calmness. It can also be used as a form of emotional release. Yoga Releases Stored Up Energy Through Different Poses Asana is the term for “pose” in yoga practice. Each asana is designed to activate certain muscles, which can activate certain emotions. In eastern traditions, everything is connected, mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is meant to be a preparation of all three categories for deep meditation. When the mind is cluttered with unreleased emotion, it has difficulty meditating. Heart-Opening Poses The chest can hold a lot of emotional pain. If you’ve ever felt tight in the chest when you are anxious, scared, or fighting back tears, you know that we experience emotions in the chest. Heart opening poses are those which stretch the chest open, thereby releasing the stored energy in the chest. Often, our chests are tight when we’re avoiding, creating distance, or ignoring pain. Quite literally, these poses help us open our hearts, which can be an emotional process. Throat-Opening Poses The throat also holds a lot of energy. Our throats become tight when we aren’t speaking our truth, communicating our authentic feelings, or sticking up for ourselves. Poses which bring the head back to expose the throat help us to find strength in our voice and more openness toward using it. Resting Poses After a long sequence of yoga poses or at the very end of a practice, a resting pose helps the body settle into all of the energy it just created. No longer moving, all the emotional energy which has been released has a chance to process. Hip Opening Poses We hold most of our emotional energy in our hips. Yoga teachers advise doing hip stretches every day for good physical and emotional health. Various hip opening stretches which activate hip flexors, the gluteus muscles, and the pelvis can help stagnant emotional energy flow more naturally. Spinal Twist Poses Doing a spinal twist is like wringing out a dirty washcloth. Our spines can hold a lot of toxic emotional energy which is why so many holistic practitioners believe that back pain is associated with memory. Recovery is about creating wellness in mind, body, and spirit. At Avalon By The Sea we offer trusted treatment programs for total healing so you can trust your recovery for a lifetime. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be a crutch for difficult moments. Use mindfulness during a break at work or a lull in your day to give yourself an extra boost of serenity.

Food can make or break your mood. We can see how food changes the way our mind and body chemistry works through some simple examples. Coffee, which is caffeine, a stimulant, revs our engine, bringing excitement to our mind and our body. Sugar, another stimulant, does the same. We become hyper, aroused, highly sensitive. Both substances can lead to a crash, a difficulty staying awake, feeling extra exhausted, and sometimes being particularly emotionally erratic. Another example is water. Without water we become dehydrated, which slows our cognitive functioning, brings our energy level down, and causes us to get cranky. No example is more evident than the phenomenon of “hanger” when someone gets so hungry their mood changes and they become very angry. Our brains rely on the fuel and energy food gives us. In fact, there are essential amino acids which the brain can only receive from food that it absolutely needs to function. Feelings, mood, and emotion all live in the brain, yet we feel it in our stomachs and control it from our stomachs. Multitudes of new research is being devoted to investigating the mind-stomach relationship and how certain bacteria, called “gut bacteria” created in the stomach as the result of eating certain foods affects the brain and how it works. For recovery from mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders like addiction and alcoholism, eating a mood-focused diet is an important tool. The right food can help you manage your emotions, reduce your stress, Here are the most influential foods you can eat to boost your mood, brain activity, energy, and wellbeing: Salmon Salmon has all the omega-3 fatty acids and B12 vitamins your brain and body needs to optimum functioning. Avocado Put salmon and avocado together for a delicious treat. Avocado is a healthy fat, which the brain needs, as well as the bones in the body. Avocado also has high amounts of omega-3 acids. Green Vegetables Leafy greens and many other green vegetables have high levels of magnesium which the brain needs for managing serotonin and the body needs for relaxing the muscles. Berries Berries are packed with vitamins and nutrients. Eating a lot of fruit and berries helps train your body to appreciate a different kind of sugar outside of processed or refined sugar. Craving a strawberry over an ice cream will help the body and brain recover in a healthy way. Avalon By The Sea seeks to heal mind, body, and spirit. Each of our clients works with a nutrition specialist to create a specific diet plan. OUr residential programs include a private gourmet chef serving organic meals designed for encouraging recovery. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.