Recovery

In a sense, we all develop some form of dependency at one point or another; whether we expect it or not, we become entrenched in a relationship, a career, shopping, eating, or a different hobby – and if we’re not careful, we may find ourselves planning our lives around these events in an unhealthy way. We all must rely on things like our relationships or our career, but in healthy ways; it becomes dangerous when our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors transform because of them. The first step to developing a new lifestyle after drug dependency is to remember that it will feel uncomfortable for a little while, and that patience is key. In 2016, The Health Journals stated, “The good news is that the brain can be made to re-adapt to life without addiction. But coming clean can require extraordinary patience and perseverance…as well as support, accountability and medical intervention for the person addicted.” Luckily, there are so many holistic recovery-related activities that a person can fill their time with to help them get readjusted. Volunteering, picking up a new hobby, meditation, yoga, art therapy, attending support groups and spending time with a healthy friend or family member are a few great ways to developing a fresh lifestyle based on sobriety. Secondly, continuously work on building an internal (mind) script of positivity and inspiration. A few years ago, writer Katherine Davis shared her sobriety experience via the Huffington Post; she explained that despite the emotional rollercoaster she went through, she tried to stay focused on what her goals and dreams were. She asked herself, “What steps can you take today to accomplish these?”  Thinking positively and reassuring yourself that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing can serve as a beautiful foundation for a strong recovery. Lastly, understand and accept your mistakes. Part of being human is making mistakes and, as we make them, we grow and become better. Recognize that mistakes are inevitable, but as long as we take it day by day, that’s what matters. If you’re ready to begin your holistic journey, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies states that trauma is: “…Used to describe negative events that are emotionally painful and that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope.” Healing from trauma is incredibly challenging, but it is often the time spent to restore and rejuvenate from these devastating events that make us stronger in the long run. It’s not uncommon for those in addiction recovery to have previously experienced childhood trauma, and these deep-rooted issues may even be what has sparked a long road of substance abuse - in an attempt to ease the painful feelings that came in as the aftermath of these events.

Massage is something that most Americans seek out on a weekly basis – stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm have the potential to hold us back in our daily lives, but massage opens up the realm for relaxation and breathing. Despite its general benefit for public use, massage therapy is also incredibly beneficial for those in addiction recovery; the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) recently highlighted the beautiful journey of a man who was battling alcoholism but found restoration in massage therapy. As his massage therapy sessions continued, he began to realize that the pain he’d been battling emotionally was being kept up inside of his body – and that was only provoking stiff muscles.  Jennifer Broadwell, DOM, ADS and acupuncturist, stated, “We live in a culture that doesn’t do a good job teaching anyone how to relax, both physically and mentally.”  The emotional dissociation that many people experience often tends to come out in other, more subtle areas of a person’s life: such as through financial difficulties, muscle tension, eating unhealthy foods, experiencing troubles in relationships, substance abuse and more. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine notes that massage therapy can be used to help treat a number of conditions, such as:

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) emphasizes that addiction is a complex brain disease – and not one single form of treatment can work for everyone. Even after formal treatment has been completed, aftercare is crucial to ensuring a smooth transtion from treatment to home life. In many cases, aftercare is an emotional yet satisfying period of a person’s recovery, because they’re able to take what they’ve learned in treatment and utilize those strategies in their everyday lives. Whether it’s you or a loved one who has recently completed treatment, it’s important to begin considering what aspects of aftercare are needed for a smooth transition – and what will set you or your loved one up for the most success in long-term sobriety. At Avalon Malibu, support is provided on a complete continuum of care. Aftercare is built into all treatment programs, and clients are easily able to remain integrated in addiction recovery support groups even once formal treatment has ended; in fact, many people find that they’re easily able to adapt to home life while attending these types of programs in the evenings throughout the week. Transitional guidance is provided in a number of areas, such as:

We all have them – the days when it feels like the world is falling apart, like we don’t get anything done, like nobody believes in us and we wish we could simply go back to bed. Bad days are unpredictable, and, if we don’t watch closely, we could find ourselves falling into a “rut” in recovery. There will always be ups and downs, especially as we’re learning to find our balance – but part of healing is discovering healthy techniques and coping mechanisms for when these bad days arise. Writer Joni Edelman, a woman who works on her mental health, shared with the Huffington Post in 2017 her experience with having bad days. She listed some basic questions that she asks herself to promote positive coping skills on these days, such as:

We all need a strong reason for why we want to improve our lives or make positive changes, and addiction recovery isn’t any different. Everyone’s reason for pursuing a life of sobriety is different – but that reason is incredibly important, because it’s what keeps us motivated. Writer Kendra Sebelius explained for Healthy Place, a website that publishes relevant information related to a variety of health conditions, that motivation is what helps us push through despite the struggles. In every journey, there will be obstacles to overcome – and if we can keep our eye on what matters to us in the long run, we’ll be more likely to achieve our recovery goals

For many years, there has been much debate over the benefits of 12-Step programs – but as more programs have been developed, there are now other options to compare to as well. Recovery is different for everyone, and it truly all depends on one’s personal approach. Holistic healing is about the mind, body and spirit – and taking the path that suits the individual is key. If you’re at the beginning of your recovery journey, it’s worth considering some of the benefits – and differences – to each type of program, so that you can make an informed decision before moving forward with either one.

Addiction takes such a heavy toll on the mind, body and spirit. Substances wreak havoc on our immune system – we lose sleep, we miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients that support healthy functioning, and more – and this all can lead to painful symptoms that appear throughout the body as well.

Earlier this year, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Insitute (NIH) explained that sleep is a core function of the human body – and without it, we may experience mental and physical health issues, injuries, loss of producitivity on the job, and greater risk of death. When substances are actively involved in our lives, our sleeping patterns may shift and become less stable because alcohol and other drugs can change the structure of our brain. This means that in active addiction, we’re likely receiving a lot less sleep than what is truly needed – and in recovery, sleep becomes more important than ever before because our mind, body and spirit need that resting period to rejuvenate. There are two basic types of sleeping movement that we all go through: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM. The first is the stage that we’re in when we’re dreaming – and the latter describes a phase in which we’re experiencing deep sleep or slow wave movements. The Fix, a website that regularly publishes information related to addiction and recovery, explains that sleep disturbances are quite normal for those in early recovery. In fact, other studies have shown that those in addiction recovery are more likely to also have a sleeping disorder – and it will take some time to restore this process, but our daily habits can have a significant influence on our progress. Therapist Austin Brown stated, “I think at the most basic level, the stuff that keeps us up at night early in the recovery process is the same fears, anxiety, trauma and regret we used over...It isn’t until we begin settling some of those outstanding emotional balances through recovery work and therapy that we’re able to find general peace.” As you can see, sleep and addiction recovery go hand-in-hand; it’s important that we work hard to restore the mind, body and spirit so that we can also achieve sleep that will help us rejuvenate.

In the whirlwind of addiction, it’s hard to identify what’s up from down. Life can feel like an ongoing battle of events, and you may have struggled desperately to come back to surface – only to find that the addiction pulled you back even stronger. Recovery is one of the most transformational periods of growth for a person because they’re finally able to stop and focus on their entire wellbeing – and with that comes a much greater capacity for happiness and fulfillment in life. Stabilization is the most important step to the beginning of a person’s recovery journey, and this is typically through detoxification. Holistic treatment at Avalon Malibu takes into consideration all the aspects that make up a person – focusing on the healing and restoration of their mind, body and spirit. A publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that at this stage, clients are typically scared – so in order to become stable, much support and care is provided.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to control aspects of your environment so that you can feel more comfortable? Do things have to be a “certain way”? Have loved ones ever told you that you’re very “particular” about where certain items need to go or how things need to be done? If so, you may have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s been estimated that around 2.2 million Americans struggle with OCD every year – and if it’s not treated early on, the risk of addiction may be on the horizons. New Scientist, a website that publishes information related to technology, space, physics and health, has highlighted that OCD is much like an addiction within itself; intrusive thoughts and a lack of control over the urges associated with those thoughts can be debilitating in day-to-day life – and when substances become involved in an attempt to lessen the intensity of their distress, another addiction can take place. Intrusive Thoughts is an organization that shares important information related to OCD as well as mindfulness, addiction, family and more – and they recently highlighted a study which found that 23% of participants with OCD also met the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). Addiction – in an addition to OCD – can cause a person to act irrationally; other symptoms may include:

Whether it occurred before addiction began or once it’d already developed, damaged relationships can impact the way a person views themselves and their life. Friend and family relationships can involve ups and downs over time, especially as different situations arise. Unfortunately, families can harbor toxic relationships which only perpetuate miscommunication and unhealthy dynamics; in many other cases, relationships can be broken because of the changes that are displayed in a person when active addiction is involved. If you’ve lost important relationships throughout your life – which many people have – it can feel nerve-wracking to start over in building new relationships. We can’t always get by on surface level conversations – to build a truly meaningful life, we have to develop a strong support system which we can lean on in both times of celebration and need.