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The rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioids in the United States is known as the opioid crisis. The epidemic was largely a result of the over-prescription of opiates, as well as insufficient risk education surrounding these pain medications. Many people found themselves addicted to opiates as a result of an injury or accident, at which point they were given these medications by a doctor. Unfortunately, these individuals were largely unprepared for the detoxification process and withdrawal symptoms they would soon experience. Often, the shock of dependency leads to stronger, more deadly illegal street drugs. Regardless of the source, opioids are highly addictive and extremely dangerous. The overdoses and deaths that have taken place, as a result, have led to a decreased life expectancy overall for the average American citizen.

People who experience more severe anxiety and stress tend to have difficulties with daily tasks, such as remembering particular deadlines, communicating clearly with others, staying organized in their thoughts, and working through daily challenges. Living with untreated anxiety can be particularly difficult. Unfortunately, many people rely on illegal substances such as psychedelic drugs to self-medicate.

Vicodin is a medication that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Typically, it is used in a medical setting to treat pain. Vicodin is an opioid and, as such, has a high risk of addiction. Not only do opiates like Vicodin create physical dependency. People become mentally addicted to these medications as well, due to the feelings of euphoria experienced when taking them. Addictions to pain medications like Vicodin commonly develop after having received the prescription from a surgery or an injury. For those experiencing acute and/or chronic pain, opioids like Vicodin can calm anxiety, cultivating feelings of relief, relaxation and well-being. If you are or will soon be prescribed to these kinds of medications, it is important to know what to expect in order to use them safely and avoid physical and/or mental dependency.

We’ve known for many years now that alcohol can affect men and women differently. While both are just as likely to become addicted, the reality is that women often require less alcohol to become intoxicated than their counterparts. Typically, this is due to differing alcohol absorption and metabolization rates in men and women. However, many people often wonder how different types of alcohol affect their system, regardless of gender. Obtaining a clear understanding of types of alcohol and their effects may better prepare you to protect yourself from dependency and the dangers of addiction.

If you’ve recently completed a residential treatment program at Avalon Malibu, you may be working towards an intensive outpatient program while you transition into home and work life. Recovery is such a courageous journey, and you’ve already been taking major strides towards your health and wellbeing. However, you also have responsibilities to uphold: a family, a job, and bills to pay. Now it’s time for you to reintegrate these crucial components of daily living while also balancing your recovery journey. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are an excellent step towards building up independence while still having additional support to feel confident as you move forward.

Research shows that the highest addiction recovery success rates occur when individuals receive help abstaining from substances, as well as support cultivating healthy lifestyle changes in general. What many don’t realize, is that recovery from addiction to drugs and/or alcohol involves so much more than abstinence. The recovery process requires commitment growth in developing coping skills, building self-esteem and self-efficacy, goal setting and creating healthy habits. When treatment for addiction takes such a well-rounded approach, those recovering can create and sustain quality sobriety that will propel them into a happier and healthier future.

Each year, Valentine’s Day reels in billions of dollars. On average, each person in the United States spends over $100 on jewelry, cards, chocolates and more. So many gifts are given on this day, especially as those in relationships seek to show their love by offering each other meaningful gifts and tokens of their affection.

When we’re talking about substance abuse, nutrition is rarely the focus of the conversation. A few simple drinks after work hours can easily translate into several more drinks at home every evening. Similarly, occasional drug use with friends can eventually turn into nightly intoxication sessions. At the time that it’s all happening, it could feel completely harmless. However, when you’re not paying attention is often when bad habits can develop. These bad habits can, eventually, take over your life.  If you’re in recovery for addiction, you can probably recognize that it’s been harder for you to focus on your health and nutrition because substances have taken up so much time and energy. It might be difficult to go shopping for healthy, nutritious foods and to schedule time each week to exercise when our brain has become wired to crave substances, even if we’d rather work against it. If you feel like you’ve got a long way to go, don’t feel discouraged. Just as your brain and body became trained to crave substances, you can retrain them back towards healthy living by working hard in treatment.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you may be hearing a lot of talk about love, romance, and relationships. Typically, Valentine’s Day is a holiday meant to celebrate that special someone. If you’re not presently in a relationship, chances are that days like these might leave you feeling a little left out. Seeing seemingly happy relationships all around you, maybe you find yourself wondering if it’s time you sought one out for yourself. If you’re in recovery from addiction, however, the answer to this question can be a bit more complicated, as there are many more factors to consider.

There are so many different factors that contribute to who we are as human beings. Each one of us has a unique background, family and medical history, interests and skill set, thought process, and much more. Unfortunately, many treatment programs don’t address all of these other factors that are vital in a person’s recovery. While it can be helpful to hone in on detoxification, for example, there are some pieces that often aren’t recognized as important. These overlooked areas of emphasis could make a huge difference in someone’s recovery. Integrative care is more a personal approach that takes into consideration the many aspects of a person’s health that would need to receive attention in order for them to thrive in recovery.

Many Americans have begun exercising because they’re starting to realize the benefits that exercise can have on a person’s daily life and longevity. Exercise isn’t just for the typical athletic, high energy, health fanatic – in fact, practically anyone can exercise. The key is finding what kind of physical activity works best for you. Those who want to take proactive and preventative measures to health will find that exercise helps maintain this ongoing goal. Individuals in addiction recovery may find physical fitness especially helpful, utilizing consistent exercise routines to help them become stronger mentally, physically and spiritually.

Even the most hardworking people in addiction recovery find themselves in sticky situations, including relapse. There will be moments in life where it feels like a relapse isn’t as pressing as it really is – and then, when it happens, those in recovery quickly realize that they’ve gotten off track.   Those that are in recovery and take their addiction seriously can also find themselves struggling for sobriety in moments when it feels like everything is falling apart, and, in some cases, even when everything is going really well. Studies explain that relapse occurs when a person stops working towards achieving their goal of reducing substance use or of sobriety, and so they return to using again.   If you’re at the beginning of your recovery journey, or even if you’ve been working towards sobriety for some time, it’s important to understand that relapse can occur – but with the right tools and resources provided at Avalon Malibu, you’ll find yourself back on the road to recovery.  Addiction is a brain disease, and to those on the outside looking in, the issue seems simple: if a person has an addiction, they should simply quit. One of the most debated questions in addiction recovery is whether or not relapse is a personal moral failure or just a part of recovery. The reality is that drugs and alcohol affect the brain’s reward center, which involves dopamine, a chemical that, when released in excess amounts, leads to feelings of euphoria. From there, the addiction directly changes the brain’s chemical structure, and even in recovery, the brain will still try to revert to the behavior it had when a person was still abusing substances. Even on a basic human level, changing habits of behavior is hard. There are so many self-destructive behaviors that humans get into, such as eating unhealthily, not exercising enough or over-exercising, smoking and much more. All too often, humans tell themselves they’ll stop pursuing a dangerous habit, only to find themselves doing it again within a few days. Change is hard – and that’s part of why relapse can happen sometimes.   For those in recovery, a relapse often happens when a period of that uncontrollable urge arises; relapse is truly a normal process because the mind, body, and spirit are adjusting and it will take some time for a person to become used to what’s happening. Take a look at the stages of change that tend to coincide with addiction recovery and relapse: Stage 1: Precontemplation – It’s hard for a person to comprehend that they have a problem, and they really don’t feel the need to seek out help. Stage 2: Contemplation – a person is ready to stop feeling so “stuck”, but they’re having difficulties understanding the causes of the problems they’re experiencing. This is when a variety of emotions may arise, such as fear, excitement, etc. Stage 3: Preparation – when a person is at this stage, they’re starting to feel ready to make a change, and they’re talking about it with others. Stage 4: Action – at this point, the greatest commitment of time and energy take place and changes are more visible in that person’s life. Stage 5: Maintenance – those who’ve completed official treatment but continue to take part in recovery-related activities will find that maintenance is needed in order to remain sober.  Stage 6: Relapse (optional) – devastating situations in a person’s life, along with various periods of over-confidence, depression and other difficult moments can cause a person to fall back into old patterns of addiction. If you’ve recently relapsed, it’s better to approach the situation with a sense of positivity. Relapses can provide a lot of lesson learning and there is so much that you can gain from this experience; in many cases, it’s an opportunity to learn and strengthen healthy coping mechanisms. A part of healing could be identifying what led to the relapse, including what people, places, and emotions cued for it to happen. Once we learn of what caused us to have this urge, we can start taking proactive steps to ensure that those things do not affect us as heavily next time.  At Avalon Malibu, individuals can speak with a therapist to explore different reasons for why their relapse occurred, or can even discuss relapse in group therapy; for those in addiction recovery, this mode of treatment can help people to not only talk about their lived experiences but can open up the platform to learn from others, too. From there, a specialized treatment plan can be created and the risk of relapse can become minimized as more tools are provided that treat an individual’s specific needs. There are several other areas of recovery that can help a person recover from relapse, too: