Recovery

“Awe” is defined as “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. Awe is often synonymous with wonder or wonderment. “Wonder” is defined as a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.” Recovery, in any of its forms, is all of these things. There is a clearly inexplicable process which can bring relief to depression, security to anxiety, healing to trauma, and an end to substance abuse. Having lived entire lifetimes with unmanageable symptoms, the transformation of recovery is unexpected and certainly unfamiliar. Yet, through the process, there is a reverential feeling with that something beautiful is happening. With a healthy sense of fear of what has been before the awe-inducing wonderment of the what is now, people live their lives in happy bewilderment at the miracle of recovery. Cultivating awe in your life is part of making meaning, which is essential to happy and healthy long term recovery. Mindful cites, “research suggests that awe has numerous psychological benefits, including increased life satisfaction, a sense of time slowing down or standing still, and  greater desire to help others.” In addition, experiencing awe regularly can improve one’s health. Recent studies have found that experiencing awe more frequently can reduce inflammation, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. “Awe may help people cope better with stress,” the article expands, “by promoting curiosity and exploration, rather than withdrawal and isolation.” What Is Awe? “...Awe involves feeling interconnected with others and broadening our horizons,” Mindful poetically describes. Awe is “...like a camera lens zooming out to reveal a more complex and inclusive picture. From this vantage point, everyday concerns tend to feel less overwhelming- as we get smaller, so do they.” Typically, we feel awe when we experience something greater than ourselves. We feel wonder, and a little bit of fear. Mountains, lakes, rivers, vast horizons, and nature tend to induce a feeling of awe. The miracle of birth, watching children grow, seeing healing in others, witnessing a proposal on a random afternoon- when we see life happen in all of its fullness, we are filled with awe. For this reason, the process of recovery is awe-inducing in itself. Being part of a life-saving transformation which takes the broken spirits of those who have been coping with life through the abusive use of drugs and alcohol is nothing less than a wonder. How is it that chronic addicts and alcoholics can stop drinking and using? How is it that people who have felt afflicted with great emotional pain their entire lives can find a profoundly realistic sense of peace and serenity? It is, indeed, a wonder. Creating Awe In Recovery A combination of gratitude and mindfulness are two of the most practical tools which could be applied to creating awe in recovery. Being mindful helps you to be aware of and notice the world around you. The more attention you pay, the more you will see. Finding and developing gratitude for that world helps you realize just how much awe there is to be had for everything from the satisfying taste of your favorite breakfast food to the gentle way a leaf falls from a tree in autumn. Drugs and alcohol create a small, specific world. Recovery opens your world up and invites you be be amazed. Recovery is possible. Avalon Malibu invites you to call for a confidential assessment and for more information on how our transformative healing treatment programs can help you find the wonder in life again. 1 888-958-7511.

The context of the “it” doesn’t really matter. If you're going through something difficult in life that is making everything feel like a painful challenge, whether it be a mental health disorder, an addiction, or processing trauma, it can feel like it will never end. Right now, there’s very little hope on the horizon for you. So accustomed to pain as you have become it has gotten difficult to believe that life could be any different. The thought scares you. In fact, it terrifies you. What if it doesn’t get any better? What if you go to treatment, change your entire life, work hard, feel feelings you don’t want to, shed tears, show emotions, talk about the past and do everything you’ve been running away from doing for so long...and it doesn’t work? “It works if you’re work it,” it is often said in recovery, “so work it because you’re worth it.” A small part they often lead out is that the “work” is “worth it”, too. It is going to get better. If you’re reading this right now, you’re already on your way to making it better. The first step in overcoming any problem is admitting that there is a problem. Denial is a powerful tool. Melody Beattie describes denial as a protective shield, a “shock absorber for the soul” which helps keep us from realities we aren’t prepared to cope with yet. Investigating the ending of things means you’re beginning to recognize that what you are going through might be finite, at least your suffering might be. Ongoing in recovery, there will be rough days. There will be tough days. Some days will make it feel as though hardly anything has changed. Yet, even still, you will notice, that in just the smallest degree- it's a little bit better. Maybe it's the way you handle a bad day, how you reflect on a difficult moment, or how you stand up for yourself when you need to. One of the promises in The Big Books Of Alcoholics Anonymous states that you will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle you. Whatever it is you are going through now which is causing you so much pain is baffling. Commit to treatment, commit to recovery, and you will see that the changes commence immediately. However quickly or slowly, they will come and things will get better, if you continue to do the work. Are you ready? If you’re ready to make changes in your life and heal from pain, call Avalon Malibu for a confidential assessment and information about our residential treatment programs for mental health and substance use disorders. 1 888-958-7511.

Overcoming sadness is a matter of understanding and working with sadness. If you are living with depression, you might feel like you have too much sadness. In time, with treatment and therapy, the extremes of your emotions will balance out. Sadness will never go away. Feeling sad is a demonstration of our humanity. When we feel sad, we are able to recognize we have something to feel sad about. Making meaning, developing connections, and feeling attached to things in this world are healthy human traits. Sadness is the result of that. Living with sadness rather than fighting against sadness requires building an understanding of sadness and how it works in our lives. Happify Daily outlines three ways you can start viewing sadness differently: as a bonding tool, as a way to understand our emotions, and as a mindfulness based practice. Sadness is a bonding tool People come together in the wake of a tragedy. After violent events, tragic losses, and other life-altering experiences, some find themselves criticizing themselves and other humans. Why do we have to wait until something terrible happens to feel as if we are brought closer together? Sadness is a bonding mechanism. Letting ourselves feel raw, vulnerable, and sad, is an open space for meeting that moment in other people. Something unique about the real-time experience of sadness removes all of our typical barriers. We are able to recognize that everyone feels pain. Sadness helps us understand our other emotions Perhaps you’ve experienced a moment like this. As you’ve sat an cried, sobbing away about something, you feel somewhat detached, as if you’re sitting behind the waterfall of your tears. Sometimes sadness and crying feels like an opportunity to think. Releasing the swell of emotions we are processing, we can look at all of them and get a better idea of what we are going through. Sadness is a practice in mindfulness According to the article, “Psychologists say the ability to identify and manage emotions is emotional intelligence at work, and existing in this space is something they often call mindfulness.” Being sad, being present with your sadness, and just letting your sadness be what it is, is an incredibly mindful practice. Mindfulness is helpful with emotional regulation because of this exact process. You can allow your emotions to be what they are as they are while you remain present with them. Are you struggling with depression or the feeling that your emotions are out of control? We understand how that feels. To help, we’ve created a residential treatment program full of healing clinical therapy, comforting holistic treatments, and a beautiful estate to bring you serenity again. For a confidential assessment and more information on our primary mental health treatment programs call 1 888-958-7511.

Self-condemnation is a powerful tool. We have leverage on ourselves our entire lives when we believe we’ve done something worth punishment. No matter our victories, accomplishments, or joyus, we will always have that lingering sense of guilt there. Reminding us of worser times, we cna’t allow ourselves to be present, to develop in our self-worth, or be happy. Convicted for life, punishable by guilt, never to be redeemed. Coping with extreme feelings of guilt and shame is not something that we do particularly well as individuals with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Often, the reason we develop such issues is out of a need to cope with such heavy guilt. Guilt that becomes dysfunctional and invades other areas of our lives is considered toxic. Toxic guilt is nothing more than how it sounds. Living with toxic guilt and shame feels like living with an active virus. Anything will set it off and cause it to spread. We feel toxic guilt and shame in our minds, our hearts, our souls, and even our bodies. Carrying around the weight of the entire world’s punishment by not forgiving ourselves and moving on becomes exhausting. Though we might grow calloused under the pressure and get used to the consistency of self loating, it isn’t sustainable. How To Forgive Yourself Possibly, you deserve the blame. You did something wrong, something unforgiveably wrong, and there’s no denying that. In the height of our mental illnesses and addictions, we can make some very prone decisions. Some people live with the nowledge of taking another person’s life when they were in a drunk driving accident. Others have hurt and abused the ones they love. Forgiveness is not about changing the past or condoning what has happened. Instead, forgiveness is about accepting the fact that it happened and making a commitment to do better in the future. You must start by accepting what has happened because there’s no going back and changing it. Recognize that like all people, you’re humans, and humans, thankfully, are not perfect. As such, imperfect people should be expected to make perfect mistakes. Next, you must be able to let go of that punishment and realize that you are now seeking treatment, are in treatment, or are working a program of recovery. Actively, you are creating change in your life to ensure you never have to act that way again. Avalon By The Sea is here to help you make that journey toward self-forgiveness and healing. Our residential treatment facility is one of the few certified to treat primary mental health conditions. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs of treatment, call 1 888-958-7511.

Early recovery is the first six months to a year of sobriety, or recovery from any mental health condition. During these months, overcoming triggers is the most difficult. As you navigate the choppy waters, keep these things in mind. It’s True, Alcohol Is Everywhere And That’s Hard At some point of your life, alcohol wasn’t part of your life. Though you might have been young, you did live without alcohol for many years. It wasn’t until you learned what alcohol was, how alcohol affects you, and had the experience of consuming alcohol, that things changed. Early sobriety can feel like you’re running through a tactical maze, trying to survive every hurdle, distraction, and attack that comes your way. Remember, you’re making an important choice every day not to consume alcohol because you’ve learned it can be life threatening for you. Recovery Has To Be Your Priority “It’s a selfish program” you often hear about recovery. Recovering from drug addiction and alcoholism is incredibly self-centered. More than ever before, you have to care about yourself above everyone else because your life depends on it. Conflictingly, alcoholism and addiction are often described as selfish diseases of self-centeredness. Here’s the trick to differentiating the two: before you were focused on destroying yourself. Today, you’re focused on helping yourself heal and live. You Still Have To Accept The Things You Cannot Change The changes you experience in early recovery feel miraculous. Cravings, the longstanding chemical reactions which used to disrupt your life over and over again, are gone. Things which used to disturb you no longer do. You have a clarity you haven’t felt in years. It can be easy to start thinking you’re some kind of superhero. If you can be changed, then everyone else can,too. If everyone could change the way that you have, the world would be a better place. Your path to recovery and personal growth was personal and unique. The world will move at the pace it is supposed to. Unfortunately, despite your growing wisdom, that isn’t up to you. Continue Being Honest Honesty is what got you to treatment. You had to be honest with yourself about your problem with drugs and alcohol and how your life had been taken out of your control. The honesty doesn’t stop there. Bringing honesty into every area of your life helps you to maintain manageability. Lies can spread quickly because the brain is programmed to attract negativity. Keep working on growing that positivity magnet inside your head. Avalon Malibu is a certified dual diagnosis treatment center providing primary residential care for both substance use and mental health disorders. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 (888) 958-7511 today.

Eating disorders are complex and complicated mental health issues which can become life threatening without treatment. Supporting a loved one who has an issue with one of life’s necessities, food, can be challenging. Help Them Stop Talking About Weight Since weight and body image has been such a hyper-focus for so long, it might feel like a natural area of conversation to bring up when your loved one is in treatment and recovery for an eating disorder. Learning not to focus on weight and body image is something they are working very hard at. Even if they had reached dangerously low weights through anorexia nervosa and you want to comment they are looking healthier as they gain some weight- try to avoid these comments in the beginning. On the other hand, if someone had gained a dangerously high weight through an eating disorder like binge eating disorder, try not to comment on how thin they are looking. Underneath the surface of obsession regarding weight and body image are serious psychological issues they are working hard to sort out. For now, encourage them to keep working so hard in treatment. Leave The Guidance To The Therapists Getting a call from a loved one in treatment is a special yet also a frightening moment. You want to support them and help them in every way you can. Making sure those ways you chose are healthy is important. Remember, that though you are a parent, a spouse, or a dear friend, you are not a licensed professional certified in treating eating disorders. What you can do is:

It’s true. Recovery is a lifestyle change. Changing your life for the better might seem like a difficult choice to make. Here are some of the best reasons why you should choose recovery. Your Story Will Help Others You may not think you have much of anything to offer anyone right now. That’s understandable. You’re at the beginning stage of something you can’t even understand yourself: recovery. Here’s a crazy thing about it: the fact that you are even thinking about getting yourself some help is already a story enough. Should you choose to seek treatment and build a lifestyle of recovery, you are making a decision that millions of people shy away from every single day. Your ability to choose to help yourself and stop the struggling is monumental. Your story starts right here, right now. It is almost guaranteed that there is at least one person out there who can identify with just one part of your story. You’re Going To Keep Getting Better The coolest thing about recovery is that you don’t have to just stop recovering once treatment is over. Recovery isn’t just something you learn how to do, it becomes part of who you are. Recovery is ongoing. You will always be learning, growing, improving, healing, and changing. Who you are today will be unrecognizable in who you will be thirty days, 90 days, six months, or even a few years from now. Great changes come when we are willing to let them happen. You Aren’t Losing Money (Or Respect) Living with untreated mental health disorders can be a lot more costly than going to treatment. Drug and alcohol addiction, for example, can rack up quite the bill. Depression can cause you to lose a job, bipolar can cause overspending, and more. Most importantly, you are losing out on time, memories, and major parts of your life. You’ll Have Better Control Of Your Emotions Recovery is about gaining back parts of who you are. You will be able to feel like yourself again with better tools for managing, regulating, and understanding your emotions. Through therapy and treatment you’re going to learn how to be at peace with yourself, mind, body, and spirit. Recovery is always going to be better than suffering. If you or a loved one are suffering from addiction, alcoholism, and a dual diagnosis mental health disorder, call Avalon By The Sea today. Our residential treatment programs are available for dual diagnosis care. Healing is what we do. Call 1 (888) 958-7511 for a confidential assessment today.

After you transition through the various stages of treatment are complete, you’re ready to make your final transition into independent living. You’ll need to create a safe system of trusted mental health professionals to keep you working on your program of recovery. Here are the different kinds of doctors you might need to work with.

It’s true. Recovery is a lifestyle change. Changing your life for the better might seem like a difficult choice to make. Here are some of the best reasons why you should choose recovery.

Recovery from mental illnesses like depression is different than recovery from addiction because of relapse. Though you learn to live with and manage depression, it can still happen. There is little defense against the first mood swing in the same way there is against taking a drink. Depression will happen, but you can be prepared to handle it when it does. You Can Feel It Coming After years of living with depression, you become keenly aware of the signs that a depressive episode is coming. You migh experience anxiety or even panic at the hint. Dealing with depression when it comes on full swing is challenging, no matter how adept your coping skills have become through treatment and therapy. Like a panic attack, you aren’t looking forward to the uncontrollable symptoms and having to wait for them to pass. Instead of giving into the panic, just take care of yourself and prepare for what might be coming. Your fears are understandable, depression might have lead you to institutions, hospitals, or substance abuse. With treatment, you’ve become a stronger person more capable of managing yoru depression. You Are Sensitive To Others’ Depression Solidarity among those who struggle with mental illnesses like depression and substance abuse can be life changing. Finding comfort in knowing that other people struggle the same way you do helps lessen the isolating feelings depression can cause. However, those relationships have to be equally managed as your depression. During a depressive episode, listening to others’ depression can be even more depressing. It’s important to curate your conversations. You need inspiration, positivity, and safety during this time. You Can Take Depression Too Seriously Depressive episodes come and go, just like the happier times in between. The two are neither alike nor are they permanent. With therapy and treatment, along with medications, distance between depressive episodes can get longer and longer. During the depressive times, however, it can be easy to forget that this too shall pass. Depression can create a lot of lies and stories which simply aren’t true. Remember that you’re in a passing phase and nothing your depression tells you is permanent or real. Avalon By The Sea provides primary residential treatment to those with a foremost diagnosis of depression. We are one of California’s only primary mental health care treatment facilities. If you are ready to recover and learn how to live with your depression, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Addiction is a disease which affects mind, body, and spirit. As you transition out of the structure of treatment, you will have to put into practice what you learned about taking care of yourself in each of these areas. You can do it! Yoga Treatment can provide a wonderful luxury when you meet with a yoga teacher a couple of times a week. Outside of treatment, all the yoga tools, especially yoga classes, can become expensive. If you are able to afford equipment and a yoga studio membership, you are in good stead! Commit yourself to going a few days a week to try out different style classes. You can find a “class pass” program in your area which allows you to try out different yoga studios for a monthly fee. If you have to make yoga work for you, here are a few simple tips:

Fine seems to be the most universal human emotion or emotional experience. When we are asked how we are doing, we answer with “fine”. What is “fine” really? Most often than not, it is not how you are doing. In fact, it is usually far from it. Fine is not a word complex enough to encompass what is the wealth of human experiences and emotions you are having at any given moment when someone asks, ‘Hey, how are you?’ Yet somehow the spectrum of humanity got stuffed into the tiny trope of a four letter word: fine. By definition, the word fine means “of high quality”, “thin”. As an adverb, fine means “make or become thinner”. It also means “in a satisfactory or pleasing manner.” In these definitions we can see the actual wisdom behind the answer of fine.