Recovery

12 months in a year. 12 steps in the 12 step program. Coincidence? In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous, meetings were held for newcomers to the program called “beginners meetings”. The point of the beginner’s meetings was to get the newcomers through the 12 step program as quickly and efficiently as possible. In a matter of just 5 weeks, the beginners meetings took new participants through all of the steps. After completing taking the steps, they received a card. Once upon a time there was such a thing as being a card carrying member of AA. Beginner’s meetings were helpful in helping someone have the necessary psychic change through a spiritual awakening advocated through the steps. Having had this spiritual awakening, they were ready to join other alcoholics in recovery at regular meetings. Completing the steps was critical to the development of the alcoholic in recovery.

Therapy is defined as the “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder”. Despite the definition, a disorder is not required for therapy. Many people have issues, problems, or difficulties they need to sort out. Working with a psychological professional is helpful for getting a deeper understanding of oneself and how they relate to those around them. Treatment for drug and alcohol therapy goes hand in hand with therapy. Almost every treatment program around the world employs the use of therapy in various forms. Traditional talk therapy, which can incorporate different practices of therapy, is most common.

Sponsorship has changed throughout the years since Alcoholics Anonymous was first introduced in 1939. At the time of the founding of AA, the world struggled to find a permanent solution to the problem of alcoholism. Alcoholics were considered insane and found help only in hospitals and mental wards. Then, a group of men started using spiritual experiences as their foundation for recovery. One such man in particular discovered that having a spiritual awakening, talking with other alcoholics, and helping those still drink come to sobriety helped him stay sober. That man was Bill Wilson, who became the founding father of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Young people are always at a higher risk for developing addiction. Today, in a marketing centered world, the word addiction is used rather loosely. For the tech-savvy millennial generation, addiction applies to the internet, to smart devices, to food, and anything they do. Rather than being a criticism on the influential youth, the addictive tendencies of the millennial generation are an indication of their neurochemistry.

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We see them everywhere. Meeting rooms of sober support groups, visiting treatment facilities, staff members at our various treatment centers- people really love being sober. They use AA sayings all day, they speak in recovery cliches, and they're always talking about how grateful they are to be sober. Nothing, they report, is better than recovery.

Have you ever been shown a picture or been told a story about the past or your childhood so many times that you start to remember it like your own memory? One day, you’re telling the story to someone else and the memory is alive, practically vivid. You find yourself saying you can’t even remember if you were told about this memory or if you remember it yourself. The experience can be quite disorienting. When looking at the deeper implications, it can be quite terrifying. Understanding the way the brain reacts to false memories is important for understanding mental health and substance use disorders in which the brain is vulnerable.

We are born out of water. The first nine months of our lives are spent in a warm and comforting waterbed. Water is a natural part of life. Over 75% of the planet is water, as is the human body and the human brain. Connecting to water is therapeutic because it is a natural connection. Water therapy uses this connection to work with the body and the mind to create healing.

There is an odd notion upon getting sober that once we are through withdrawals and the drugs have left our system we are immune to any negativity. All the wonderful things of the world we have been missing out on should come rushing in and gather at our feet. No more pain, no more addiction, no more being broke, and no more sadness. Unfortunately, this just isn’t so. No matter the recovery we are in, life still happens. As human beings, we still continue to respond emotionally to life. Life is not always happy and neither are we. Negative emotions like sadness are just part of the deal. The true gift of recovery is learning to live life on life’s terms. Essentially, learning to live life on life’s terms means taking all of life in stride- the good and the bad- then showing up to it. “Showing up” to life means meeting life as it demands to be met- dealing with negative when there is negative without being consumed, altered, or destructive. The work we do in recovery equips us to stand strong through all of life’s ups and downs. More importantly, recovery teaches us how to rise to all of these challenges without picking up drugs, picking up a drink, or reverting to old behavior.

At first consideration, the concepts of “acceptance” and “change” seem diametrically opposed. Acceptance implies that something is suitable or satisfactory, whereas the need for change indicates that something is inadequate or lacking in some way. Yet these two opposite components form the core of dialectical behavior therapy.

Receiving treatment for addiction or mental illness can be a difficult and trying experience, but unconditional positive regard can help you make it through. Unconditional positive regard is an important concept for both therapists and their clients to understand and practice in order to ensure treatment has the best chance for success.

It's not easy to go through addiction treatment, but some of recovery's biggest challenges occur after you leave the rehab center. Everyday life is filled with stresses and pressures, but a strong network of friends and loved ones can help make the transition easier. The issue of friendships can be tricky when you're in recovery. You may be apprehensive about reconnecting with old friends, and you may not be sure how to cultivate new friendships. It takes a bit of work to re-establish old relationships and develop new ones, but the rewards of healthy friendships justify the effort.