Treatment

Our society is filled with media programming, images, and subliminal messaging that’s aimed to keep us emotionally numb. Phrases like “suck it up” or “walk it off” are part of our everyday life, encouraging us to stuff our emotions down and not giving proper value to the weight of human emotion. Men are especially subject to this kind of societal stereotyping. Men are often told to “be a man” and that “boys don’t cry.” This is unhelpful, to say the least. Conversely, women are often told the opposite -- that they are “too emotional” or “dramatic.” This, too, is marginalizing and hurtful. So, where’s the middle ground and how do we step out of emotional numbing in a culture that is so confused about feelings? Here, we’ll explore some ways to move past feelings of emotional numbness and into a life filled with nuanced emotions and joy.

Empathy is a vital human ability that lets us connect with others and feel less alone. Here’s how to practice it daily. We hear a lot about “empathy” these days. It seems to be having a trending moment, and for good reason. Quite simply, empathy is the ability to understand and feel the emotions and experiences of someone else. Why is empathy so important? It helps us to think outside of our own perspective, feel less alone, and understand other people in deeper and more meaningful ways. When we live our lives with empathy, we are less inclined to write people off, express rage or hold grudges, and isolate. We begin to understand that everyone is coming from his or her own life experience. Whether we agree with someone or not, the ability to empathize it deeply important in our collective human evolution. In recovery, empathy can help us forgive, release anger and fear, and experience deeper love and understanding for ourselves and others. While the idea of empathy is quite compelling, it’s sometimes difficult to know how to employ it in everyday life. One of the simplest ways to develop empathy is to truly listen to other people. Oftentimes, we are so wrapped up in our own opinion or drama that we aren’t taking the time to turn off our judgments and listen with compassion and openness to the feelings of others. Additionally, it’s important to remain openminded and try to suspend some of your own judgments or preconceived notions. The key to empathy is to examine some of our own longstanding beliefs and release them so that we can see others more clearly, unclouded by our own judgment. Lastly, practice treating everyone you come in contact with as important, worthy, and deserving of your attention. We can learn a lot from other people and other people often need a helping hand or a listening ear. When we start to move through the world with an open mind, eager to listen to other people and their experiences, our worlds and hearts begin to open up.

Stressed out? Here are some sustainable ways to cope during hard times. Finding and living with healthy coping mechanisms is a lifelong practice that we learn to harness in recovery. There are many ways to cope, both healthy and unhealthy, which we will discuss in this article. We will also dive into the importance of self-awareness and preparing for times of increased stress using self-care rituals. Most importantly, be kind to yourself as you take the journey into healthy coping mechanisms. It’s not always easy, but it will make life more sustainable, less stressful, and more full.

The colors of the rainbow, found in the natural world, offer powerful healing benefits and meaningful insight.  Colors have been used for centuries to induce certain moods, promote healing, ease stress, and create a mood. All of the colors of the rainbow are found in various forms throughout nature. All we have to do is pay attention and be present. Artists, interior designers, healers, and color therapists understand the tremendous impact that colors have on our moods. As humans, we are susceptible to the energy of our environments. For instance, a room painted red will have a very different feeling, look, and effect on your mood than a room painted white or beige. Similarly, when we spend time in nature, we typically feel more alive, refreshed, and connected than when we spent lots of time indoors. In this article, we’ll look at various colors, where they can be found in the natural world, and what kind of healing powers and mood enhancements they can offer. We’ll also talk about some practical ways to incorporate the magic of color into your everyday life.

Control is something that so many of us struggle with on a daily basis, and it makes sense - the tragic and upsetting events of our lives can sometimes feel so out of grasp, that we’ll hold onto anything to try and feel like we have some firm grounding. For many people, alcohol is viewed as a way to control situations - or, rather, to drown out painful feelings associated with not having any control over what’s going on around us. It’s these instances that we must learn that we can’t always control what happens to us - all that we have control over is how we choose to react to it.  A few years ago, writer Raven Ishak shared with Bustle Magazine her own insecurities with wanting control: “I tend to be a victim of my own insecurities, which often holds me back from fully living a happy, carefree life. I worry about the what-ifs instead of focusing on the present. But forcing situations to happen because you believe they should happen exactly the way you want them to is just not healthy.” When we’re feeling the urge to get angry or to feel like a victim because life doesn’t go the way we planned for it to, there are a number of steps we can take to keep that desire of control “under control”:

Emotions run deep, yet our society doesn’t always place much emphasis on talking about them. From a young age, we’re told to “suck it up” to “keep our chin up” and to otherwise keep everything tucked away so that everything seems fine. This is rarely the case, however, as we all going through troubles every now and then. In these instances, holding it in can actually be horrible for our health; just last year, Time Magazine explained that emotional stress,  “...like that blocked from emotions, has not only been linked to mental illness, but also to physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia, and autoimmune disorders.” In other words, there’s much more to holding in emotions than simply not “seeing” them. In order to avoid some of the harsh consequences that this avoidance can have on the mind, body, and spirit, consider using music to open up those emotional pathways. A 2015 study called “Music and Emotion” confirmed that not only does music have the capabilities to evoke intense emotions such as sadness, nostalgia, tension, relaxation, and pure joy, it also influences the production of dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical, in a healthy way.  Of course, it’s important to utilize music in a healthy way, rather than listening to songs that could send you into a spiral of depression or anxiety. A 2017 study published by Frontiers in Psychology found that even being musically inclined can improve a person’s emotional ability - for example, a person who plays a musical instrument or enjoys singing can greater tell the emotions of others through music. In turn, a greater connection can be built - but even those who aren’t musically inclined will find that they’re able to relate to a beat, a musical composition or a message that’s being conveyed through the songs they’re listening to.  The next time you’re feeling down, either play a soothing song to ground you or play a sad song to help you feel the emotions. Just be sure to manage your emotions in a healthy way - and if you find yourself turning destructive, speak with your therapist right away.

Everyone in recovery can benefit from having people in their recovery network to learn and grow from; just as a student may speak with a graduated alumni from a college program to receive tips and tricks for succeeded in school, this connection can foster a healthy, ongoing interaction of support between people. A 2016 study titled, “Implementation of a Substance Use Recovery Support Mobile Phone App in Community Settings” found that alumni of addiction recovery treatment can help build awareness and interest to various components of recovery – and recovery tools, such as through mobile apps, can become more accessible to those beginning their recovery journey when they’ve been given the opportunity to learn from alumni.

Earlier this year, website Happier Human, which posts articles related to happiness, health and overall wellbeing, explained that gratitude is a sense of feeling happy – which stems from appreciation. When we’re feeling more grateful, we’re likely to be in a better mood and to experience more positive emotions: Gilbert K. Chesterton once stated, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Gratitude is a powerful force for many in recovery because it’s all about acknowledging the people, places, circumstances, thoughts, emotions, and otherwise series of events that have led us to where we’re at today. When we express gratitude, we send out positivity into the world – and rather than expecting to have received help from someone, or from assuming that we deserve everything that comes our way, we acknowledge all of the life forces that have come together to get us to where we’re currently at in life.

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:

Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is a therapy approach that helps people who are feeling ambivalent about moving forward in treatment find some solidarity and explore their options. This approach is generally for people who aren’t quite sure of the benefits for why they should move forward – but the underlying mechanism behind MET is the aim to spark internal motivation for change. There are several components to this approach, but, when done successfully, a person can become more engaged with their program because they’ve personally chosen to move forward rather than feeling coerced into it.  The American Counseling Association (ACA) expresses that MET is not only brief, but it’s not grounded in direct persuasion. People who are unsure of whether or not to move forward in recovery likely won’t benefit from hearing straight-forward, persuasive statements – rather, they’d like to weigh out their options and consider the costs and benefits of each decision they could choose. In many instances, MET is considered based on a partnership between the client and therapist; by working together and engaging in discussions, clients can fully consider their options while not feeling threatened.

Music is an incredibly powerful force that can have a direct influence on our mindset, depending on what we’re listening to. If we’re feeling irritable, for example, harsh beats can elevate that feeling – and, conversely, listening to calming music when we’re stressed or frustrated can help keep those feelings of anger at bay. The University of Nevada explains that music around 60 beats per minute can “cause the brain to synchronize with the beat causing alpha brainwaves.” In this manner, music can help physically change our brain’s functioning – with some considering it’s efficacy to the extent of medication.  In 2017, a study published by Science Daily found that our favorite music can trigger certain activity in the brain; Jonathan Burdette, M.D., has explained, “Music is primal. It affects all of us, but in very personal, unique ways. Your interaction with music is different than mine, but it’s still powerful…Your brain has a reaction when you like or don’t like something, including music.”  Music seems to directly impact the parasympathetic nervous system, which is used to help the mind and body relax and sleep. Music can, oftentimes, provide our brain and body with a beat with which to function off of; when we listen to relaxing music, we’ll find that our heart rate slows down, our blood pressure is lowered, and our muscles may even begin to relax. It’s an incredibly peaceful feeling – especially if we’ve had a bad day or need some time to just breathe. Music therapy can sometimes trigger this type of response, especially if clients are listening to relaxing music and soaking in the present moment. If you’re ready to learn more about holistic practices and how they can benefit your journey to recovery, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Most people view addiction as the sole problem a person experiences, because the harmful consequences of substance abuse seem to be the most visible and direct. However, there’s much more than goes on beneath the surface; in many instances, those battling addiction are also struggling with mental illness, placing them in a category of having a co-occurring disorder. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that co-occurring disorders affect people of all walks of life and age groups; when having both an addictionand mental illness, there are a number of implications for recovery: