Recovery

Based on the best-selling book titled The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, author Don Miguel Ruiz writes of his own personal experience with addiction and how his self-limiting beliefs robbed him of his joy and potential. His booked has sparked attention worldwide and is used in all areas of life. We believe it fits perfectly into treatment and recovery, because a lot of our addictions and mental illnesses stem from low feelings of self-worth and more. Here are the following Four Agreements, with a description for each:

Art therapy can give people a voice, develop social skills, assist in relaxation, and much more. Art therapy is defined by the dictionary as “a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modeling, used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis”. As stated on the Huffington Post, art therapy exercises are often meant to emphasize the process, not the result, of the project. The following are some therapeutic art projects that you may want to begin to help you connect with your feelings and express yourself:

Many people in recovery cite spirituality as a key element to their success. In a study conducted by researchers from Maryland, participants in recovery were asked to explain the role of spirituality in their recovery. Many participants explained that when they were actively addicted, their spirituality seemed to suffer, and it seemed to go “hand in hand” when they entered recovery. Spirituality is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the quality that involves deep feelings and beliefs of a religious nature, rather than the physical parts of life”.

Most of us have been there. Feelings of dread and panic arise when a big test is coming up, when we are about to enter an interview, when we are asked to come up and speak on stage, and more. The symptoms of anxiety can feel very real, and very scary. You may easily experience heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, detachment, tingling sessions or numbness, and more. If we let it, severe anxiety can take complete control over our lives. Thankfully, help is available and there are ways to overcome some of these fears we are experiencing. For example, medication can sometimes help us focus on what’s most important: our mental health. Alexander Crawford shared his experience with anxiety, depression, and psychosis on the Anxiety and Depression Association’s main page. Here is an excerpt from his story: “I had my first psychotic breakdown. The next couple years of my life would amount to a living hell. As I pretended to take my antipsychotic pills, I routinely got into arguments with my family, the local police, and so on. I remember being so paranoid that I would have specific garbage cans I could throw my pills away in…Stabilizing allowed me to complete undergraduate studies, work, take vacations, and in general just enjoy my time. I have been stable now and on medication for about five years, and I definitely have not looked back.” For many people who have overcome their anxiety, it has taken them many tries at finding what works best for them. Ben shares his story and what has worked best for him on the Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria, Inc. website. Here is a short clip from his story: “I suffered from acute agoraphobia. I was terrified to leave the house. I wouldn’t ride on planes, trains, or any form of public transport. I was terrified of being caught in traffic jams, lifts, shopping centers, open spaces, crowds, and especially hot, crowded rooms…I keep myself symptom free by regular meditation, keeping physically fit, having a high self-esteem, a healthy diet, resting when I need to rest, surrounding myself with calm people and not partaking in work that causes me anxiety.” Severe anxiety can take many forms, and there are different tools that each person can use, depending on what works best for them. If you are struggling with severe anxiety, recognize that there are many tools you can use. Make the decision to seek help today.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes bipolar disorder (BPD) as a mental illness that involves manic and depressive episodes. BPD affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life if untreated; thankfully there are medications and treatment options to help people better manage their symptoms. There are several celebrities who experience BPD and now that mental health is becoming a more appropriate topic of discussion, many are speaking out about their experiences and giving advice to others who are experiencing it, too. For example, Demi Lovato told WomensHealthMag.com, “...it’s possible to live well, feel well, and also find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental illness they’re struggling with.” These words hold a lot of weight for fans of Lovato’s - people who are inspired by her music and look up to her. Buzzfeed states that after the tragic death of Robin Williams, Wayne Brady opened up about his mental health. He stated, “It took me awhile to get my stuff together, to go, ‘You know what? If you’re not happy, you have to do something about it.’ Just to admit that you are feeling this way is a huge step. To claim that, to say, ‘Why do I feel dark? Why do I feel unhappy? Let me do something about this.’ It’s clear that for many people, admitting the need for help is difficult. Most of the time, we place our mental health on the backburner because we choose to focus on what seems to be more pressing needs at the time - maintaining family responsibilities, keeping up with work-related tasks, doing everything we can to keep up with the demanding requests of an addiction, and more. Although this happens, it’s important for us to stay on top of making sure that our mental health is taken care of. After all, it’s most dangerous when mental illnesses arise because of our inaction. Catherine Zeta Jones has spoken about her bipolar disorder to help reduce stigma. She stated, “...I hope fellow sufferers know that [bipolar disorder] is completely controllable. I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it, and that those who don’t have it under control will seek help with all that is available to treat it.” Celebrities are people who have experienced tragedy, mental illness, and more. Thankfully with more help from celebrities, we can make mental illness an even more common discussion, one that is centered around love and support.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), interventions are a safe, often effective way to confront a loved one with an addiction. Often people with an addiction are in denial, and an intervention allows the person to receive a structured opportunity for them to accept and to make changes before their situation gets worse. Interventions are often staged by friends and family, but coworkers may be involved at times as well. An addiction specialist often serves to intervene and help moderate the conversation. There are several benefits and challenges that come with interventions: The Good

Whether you have a mental disorder or not, maintaining your mental health is so important to leading a happy life. A lot of times we place our mental health on the back-burner without even realizing it – we may push ourselves too hard at work or may be critical of ourselves. When this happens, we hinder our ability to live our lives to the fullest extent. Furthermore, a 2012 study published in the British Medical Journal stated that people with even mild mental health problems may have a lower life expectancy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that positive mental health helps you achieve the following:

Self-awareness is defined as a “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires”. People have a choice of whether or not they want to be self-aware, and addiction has the ability to take away our self-awareness as well. For example, a 2014 study conducted by researchers in New York found that drug addiction compromised self-awareness, causing people to exhibit drug-biased attention, disregard for negative outcomes, dissociation with the self, and behaving in ways that are socially unacceptable. The study concluded that treatment interventions that facilitate self-awareness building could serve as an effective foundation throughout recovery. Recovery programs often incorporate activities through individual or group therapy and other methods to help individuals build their self-awareness. These activities may include:

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, approximately 8 million people in the United States have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are a serious mental illness that often accompany stress, depression, substance abuse, and more. Individuals with an eating disorder often experience a distorted body image and become obsessed with food and losing weight. The following are some facts that you probably didn’t know about eating disorders:

Recovery is a magnificent process – an exploration of the self, a deeper connection with one’s inner fears and desires, and the rejoining of families and communities are part of what makes recovery so beautiful. At the heart of recovery is the development of healthy coping mechanisms; perhaps you indulged in substance abuse, violence, crime, self-harm, and negative self-talk, thinking you were solving whatever was causing your inner soul turmoil. After time, you may have realized that these were the solution – that recovery was necessary for you to grow and develop towards leading a happy life. Healthy coping is all about finding ways to express yourself, feel your emotions, and manage life’s obstacles without causing yourself or anyone else harm of any kind. Healthy coping is a powerful tool, one that can transform your heart, mind, and soul. It can get you through the most challenging of situations as you develop resiliency. For example, a 2017 study conducted by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECN) found that women who were experiencing adverse life circumstances, such as living in a deprived community, had no anxiety if they had healthy coping skills. Those with depression may find difficulty developing healthy coping skills, as they are more prone to negative thoughts. A 2013 study conducted by researchers from Poland found that compared to others, those with depression more often used strategies of avoidance and denial, and had difficulty finding the positive aspects of stressful events. When this happens, emphasis on treatment and recovery is evermore critical. We are not all born with the innate ability to utilize healthy coping, and if we were raised in an environment where this was not shown, we may not be aware of how to employ such techniques. Psych Central notes several effective coping strategies that you can use for moments when you need it the most:

Imagine this scenario. You’re at a club, and you’ve only had one or two drinks so far. You plan to drink more, but then you begin feeling strange. Your face becomes flushed, you experience warm, red, itchy bumps on your skin, your asthma is acting up more than ever, and your nose is becoming stuffy. What is happening? You were just feeling fine 30 minutes ago. Alcohol intolerance is real, and it can cause severely unpleasant reactions almost immediately after you drink alcohol. Additional symptoms from the ones listed above may include low pressure, headache, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea. If you experience alcohol intolerance, you may not need to see a doctor right away but rather refrain from drinking alcohol, limit the amount you are drinking or avoid certain types of alcohol altogether. However, if symptoms persist or become more severe, or are causing unnecessary pain, consult a physician immediately just to be safe. The enzyme in the body that digests alcohol, called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), is shown up as a variant in other people’s genes, causing them to produce less active ALDH2. When this happens, it prevents the body from digesting the alcohol properly. A variety of ingredients within the alcohol beverage may cause the intolerance, including:

Three requirements for success in recovery