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There is so much pain that we experience throughout our lives, yet many of us haven’t been taught healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with these challenging, heartbreaking situations. We spend months, sometimes years, searching for something that will ease the discomfort that we’re feeling; we begin abusing alcohol or drugs to numb the pain and take away the agony – and while it seems to work temporarily, the reality is that over time, we find that we’re not able to get rid of the hurt completely. If you’re ready to dive into some creative, holistic approaches to healing in addiction recovery, you’ll find that music therapy is worth looking into. On the surface, music therapy may be depicted as simply listening to music and finding relief from it; while this could certainly be true, it takes a much stronger precedent in addiction recovery. In fact, music therapy could be defined as a health profession where music is used for therapeutic healing – to address cognitive, emotional issues, physical concerns, and social needs of people in recovery. While addiction recovery is certainly the main focus of treatment, music therapy can also tend to the unique needs of individuals such as those with emotional or behavioral concerns, depression, anxiety, and other related issues. Music therapy is holistically a creative process that could involve more than simply listening to music, but could also involve activities like creating songs, singing, dancing, interpreting the lyrics to songs, and so much more.   Music therapy truly provides a unique mode of communication in which those in recovery can discover some of the core beliefs they’ve picked up throughout their lives – and even for instances in which it’s difficult to talk about, music can bring out important messages through emotion.  Music therapy sessions are always led by a licensed therapist, and it often begins with the therapist trying to get ot know the client a bit better and what their needs are. From there, a variety of activities may be scheduled over a longer period of time and the therapist and client may work together to break through some of the things that have been holding them back – even some post-traumatic growth periods of triumph may occur. Previous studies have found that unique treatment approaches, such as songwriting and lyric analyses, can bring about emotional changes in patients by giving them time to think and reflect on not only the songs and their meaning but also on what they’ve personally gone through – and sometimes greater insight is gained from it. The willingness itself to participate in music therapy offers clients in recovery with a powerful opportunity to harness what they’ve gone through and redefine their story – or, at a fundamental level, to understand what they’ve been going through a little better. Despite many people’s views that music therapy is simply about “strumming a guitar,” it goes beyond that to provide more deeply connected tools for a person, that can be used to gain greater meaning from pain or to help individuals like family members heal from painful situations.  Music therapy sessions tend to have a therapeutic component that involves a sort of structure or system that the therapist and client set in place, but they also have a portion of therapy that involves direct application of music to bring thoughts, feelings, and emotions to life. Everyone’s experience in music therapy will be different – but for many, the journey is worthwhile. Many people in music therapy treatment fear that they need to be an “artist” or to have musical talent, but that’s not the case. In fact, even a person with no musical ability can benefit from music therapy because it’s more about emotional healing than it is about the practicality of being able to play or interpret music. There are several benefits that can derive from music therapy, such as a person being able to have a sense of community and understanding as others may be involved as well. Music therapy can help create positive rifts in the way a person views themselves, especially as they discover that they’re not alone in recovery. Music therapy can also help promote self-discovery and release tension that may be held inside; in most cases, music therapy has a wonderful effect on addiction recovery and can foster safe opportunities to work through a variety of feelings. If you’re ready to seek help, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects so many people around the world, and the symptoms can truly be debilitating. Many people with PTSD experience nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia, anxiety, depression and more, with some individuals relying on substances to help ease their physical, mental and emotional pain. When PTSD is involved, there is typically a lot of tension throughout the body – a person then becomes easily-startled, stressed, angered, or has trouble sleeping. If this is something you’ve been struggling with, addiction recovery is the time to begin working on some of these issues so that you can go on to lead a healthier, happier life.  Holistic practices are often used to help individuals work through some of the mental, physical and spiritual turmoil that they may go through not just with PTSD, but also with addiction recovery. Without treatment, a person with PTSD may go on to exhibit behaviors that only make things worse – and by pursuing holistic treatment options alongside addiction recovery, like massage therapy, meditation, yoga, art therapy and more, a person can develop a stronger understanding of the PTSD they’re battling and tools they can use to work through it. A common group of people who struggle with PTSD includes those in the professions of police work and firefighters, including people in social work because of the constant trauma they may experience as they save others’ lives. In other instances, childhood trauma can have a significant impact on a person’s well-being even well into adulthood.  Massage therapy reduces cortisol (a stress response) and increases serotonin (which regulates mood, sleep, appetite, etc.) and dopamine (the chemical that makes us feel good). This type of practice can help the body relax, which then translates into the mind relaxing as well. For someone who struggles with both addiction and PTSD, holistic practices are a safe route to go – and can be personalized depending on the person’s needs. Now is the time to take a firm hold on your self-care; it’s time to get your life back.

Previous research has shown that depression can have a significant effect on our mental, physical and spiritual standing. Many people diagnosed with depression also battle sleep issues like insomnia, appetite problems (such as over or under-eating), lack of energy, difficulties concentrating, low self-esteem, and more. In other instances, there are a number of other physical symptoms that may be experienced such as migraines, joint pain such as fibromyalgia, digestive problems such as constipation and bloating, chest pain, back pain with tension in the neck, and more – which can certainly have a negative impact on daily life. Previous studies have shown that nearly 70% of people with depression also experience aches and pains; if you’ve been struggling with symptoms of depression, massage therapy at Avalon Malibu could help you greatly. A relaxing, full-body massage involving massage oil and lotions can greatly help reduce symptoms of depression that weigh heavily on a person’s daily life. Another major benefit of massage therapy is that there are different types of massage that can help people depending on their needs. For example, therapeutic massage can help a person achieve a full-body sense of relaxation, while a sports massage can help those who are quite active throughout the day or participate in particular sports. Whatever your needs are, you can speak with your therapist to see what would work best for you moving forward. Massage therapy has been shown to relieve stress, reduce anxiety, manage lower back pain, reduce muscle tension, relieve tension headaches, improve balance, lower blood pressure, and so much more. Avalon Malibu offers an exceptional massage therapy program alongside traditional treatment for addiction recovery – and having this alongside your regular program activities, including other holistic practices like meditation and yoga, you’ll feel more confident in moving forward in healing. As previous research has shown, massage therapy benefits the mind, body, and spirit. A relaxing environment in massage therapy can help you to release pent-up stress and other emotions that may be weighing heavily on your body as you progress through treatment. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu to learn more about massage therapy and treatment programs that could assist you on your journey to recovery. It’s never too late to seek the help you need.

Many people consider diary writing to be “stupid” when indeed it can be very helpful. In fact, diary writing has been used for so many years – and by so many people - to uncover deeply hidden feelings, make sense of behavioral patterns, and find new ways of understanding events that have happened in the past. Have you ever tried diary or journal writing before? While it may seem “silly” or “childish”, there are so many benefits in doing this. Who knows, you may learn something new about yourself that could aid in greater strength and healing while in recovery.

There are so many instances when we have a particular goal in mind, but that goal becomes distorted as – for whatever reason – we begin to pull ourselves away from it, maybe without even realizing it.  No matter where you’re at in life right now, think about the ways in which you’ve self-sabotaged your own relationships, professional career, parenting endeavors and more. Self-sabotage is defined as any action that we take that gets in the way of us achieving a particular goal. Working towards getting a promotion at work? Self-sabotaging behavior may involve you waiting until the last minute to complete a project, rushing to get the job done and then it looks bad on you. On a diet? Self-sabotage may involve going back on the plan that you set for yourself consistently so that you can’t reach your nutrition goals. No matter what it is, self-sabotage has a sneaky way of making sure that we fail. Why is this? There are so many reasons for self-sabotage, including 1) feeling like we’re not good enough, 2) wanting control over the situation – if we force ourselves to fail, at least we controlled the failure 3) fear of being “called out” by someone as a fraud, 4) feeling too comfortable with being in a particular place in life (such as addiction), 5) making it easier on ourselves and 6) being bored and wanting something interested to transpire from it. Self-sabotage can certainly happen in addiction and mental illness recovery; and if we’re not careful, it can ruin our entire healing and restoration process.  You know deep down that you’re engaging in these self-sabotaging behaviors, so make the decision to stop them. Talk to your therapist about what to do. Ask for help. Use your tools. As long as you keep trying in recovery, you’re winning. There’s no doubt about it. If you’re ready to embark on the journey towards healing, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. It’s never too late to seek the help you need.

Whether it occurred before addiction began or once it’d already developed, toxic relationships can negatively affect the way a person views themselves – and even their life. It’s natural for every relationship to have ups and downs over time, especially as personalities, beliefs, attitudes, and values clash over certain situations. In some unfortunate cases, however, certain relationships can perpetuate a sense of toxicity; in many other cases, relationships can be broken because of the changes that are displayed in a person when active addiction is involved.  If you’ve lost important relationships throughout your life – which, if that’s the case, you’re not the only one – it can feel nerve-wracking to start over in building new relationships. We can’t always get by on surface-level conversations – to build a truly meaningful life, we have to develop a strong support system that we can lean on in times of need and during times of triumph.

Millions of people all across the world struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Common symptoms of this disorder include frightening flashbacks and nightmares, paranoia, agitation, anxiety, depression, and more, which obviously makes it hard to function in daily life for many people. Not everyone who goes through a traumatic event develops PTSD, but of those who do, it can leave long-lasting physical and/or emotional damages. If you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, it’s possible that you may feel things will never get better – that you’ll constantly be stuck in a state of misery. But that’s not true. Writing therapy, in particular, has been shown in numerous studies to help people work through their emotions and traumatic memories to find healing and strength. With writing therapy, a person may experience relief from stress, improved immune system functioning, and the ability to understand and learn from one’s emotions – which can have a significantly positive effect not only in their daily functioning but in how they view themselves, the world and others as well. The reason why writing therapy is so beneficial is that it combines expressive writing and CBT techniques to help individuals find new ways of viewing and expressing themselves and their life stories, particularly in their mental script. It’s hard to talk about painful events in one’s life, but writing about it can help. After all, you’re your story. When writing it down, you can write it however you want – you get to choose what you want to say and how you want to say it. For many people, this gives them a sense of control because they do not have to be questioned or confronted regarding what they’ve written; writing therapy gives them an opportunity to get everything out of their system and out into the open. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu to begin working towards your own healing journey. There are so many things you can write about, and you may find that you become more resilient from it.

Recovery is filled with ups and downs, and sometimes we may experience different mindsets for it. The beginning of recovery can be challenging because you don’t know what to expect, but even months – or years – later, recovery can be filled with moments of confidence and doubt, just as life is filled with these things. Issues may arise, however, when we start doubting our recovery and allowing those doubts to get the best of us. We may start telling ourselves lies – even if we don’t realize it – and this can affect our approach to healing if we don’t “check-in” with ourselves soon.  If this is where you’re at right now, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it’s normal to go through these moments of change – and by recognizing these 3 types of common lies we tell ourselves, we’ll better be able to combat them if they occur:

Each day, we’re filled with thousands of thoughts, feelings, moments and more. All of these impact us not only on a daily basis but add up over time to create what our daily lives entail – and since they all combine to form our lived experiences, they’re all equally important. True health and well-being are based on three primary areas that tend to cover nearly every aspect of living: mind, body, and spirit. Part of addiction recovery is working on emphasizing these three areas of life – oftentimes, addiction can take away from these most vital components of living and so during recovery, we have to strengthen them again. When we’re actively involved in substance abuse, our brain becomes flooded with dopamine, a “feel good” chemical that causes us to involuntarily want more and more of the drug. In many cases, loved ones will state that their brother, sister, mother, etc. are acting differently than they used to – for instance, people may suddenly lie, steal, or act defensively/mean when substances are involved, even if they would never say anything or act a certain way if they were sober. In fact, many addiction recovery professionals associate addiction with “hijacking” a person, because they no longer are themselves.  This is one of the most commonly discussed areas of addiction, and that’s because it’s the easiest to see; addiction can significantly affect the body in the way the brain functions, but also in the way the body functions. A clear indicator of this is when someone becomes intoxicated – a person is no longer able to think clearly, and it may become more difficult for them to make rational choices. Health organizations state that long-term addiction can lead to a number of physical health problems such as: a weakened immune system, damaged kidneys, liver or lungs, heart problems, rotted teeth, skin infections and more.   The least discussed by society – but one of the most important aspects to discuss in addiction treatment – is how a person’s spirit becomes affected by substance abuse. Substances can take over nearly every aspect of a person’s life, and this can cause them to lose important relationships with friends and family, their career progression, meaningful hobbies and more. Over time, a person’s life can become centered by only substances and less with things that contribute to happiness, health, and fulfillment.    Treatment is about not only treating the addiction but also helping a person regain balance in mind, body, and spirit. Everyone is on different paths and have different needs, which is why a personalized treatment plan is crucial – without it, certain needs may not be met, and it may become easier for a person to dive back into their old lifestyle. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help individuals reduce old, negative thought patterns that are keeping them down and replace them with newer, more productive ones to uplift their happiness and health. In addition to that, group therapy can provide valuable lessons and experiences along with moments of connection to build social support. When individuals in recovery begin to focus on nutrition management, they’ll find that their mind, body, and spirit become replenished. Even effective tools of treatment such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), can provide incredibly useful tools for everyday life.  Exercise is a crucial component of healing and growth in recovery, as it reduces stress, improves serotonin levels, and sets us up to think more clearly. Nutrition not only affects the brain but the body too – and with healthier eating habits, we’re likely to suffer less with mental illness and despair; furthermore, proper rest can help the body heal itself from the damages of addiction – which is greatly needed for a person’s full recovery. If you’re looking for some excellent, sober-filled activities to dive into, rock climbing and playing sports could not only give you a chance to connect with others but could yield you with positive physical benefits such as greater flexibility and strength enhanced blood circulation and others. Mindfulness can help us regain a sense of balance amidst the chaos; psychologists say that mindfulness can help reduce rumination and stress while boosting working memory, focus, less emotional reactivity, greater meta-cognitive flexibility, relationship satisfaction and so much more. Even activities such as yoga can not only aid the body and mind but the spirit, too – with a greater sense of grounding, we can make decisions that are more proactive for our health. Not to mention, social support can provide a wonderful base for a happier, healthier life and can help individuals find nurturement throughout their sobriety journey. Lastly, therapy can greatly help individuals work through deep problems they may not otherwise have dealt with – in effect, all of these strategies can help a person’s mind, body and spirit grow. If you’re ready to seek help, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

As you’re taking new steps towards healthier living, you’ll want to make sure that your mind, body, and spirit are adequately prepared for all the new changes that will be taking place. Recovery isn’t just about treating the addiction itself – it’s about doing what you can to ensure that you’re in the healthiest state possible as a form of restoration. Physical health is incredibly important because your body serves as the foundation that gets you to where you need to be; without physical health, it becomes harder to carry out daily tasks and live the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of. Stretching is a great way to boost your immune system and prepare your mental health for optimal processing.  There are truly so many benefits to stretching: it promotes flexibility, it corrects our posture, and it helps our bodies become more prepared to deal with injuries as they come. In addition to this, our blood supply increases with stretching – which means that nutrients are better able to reach the parts of our body that really need it for healing. Light movement has actually been shown to improve our mental health and can boost our mood. Studies have shown that a certain type of protein can be increased through stretching, which makes it easier for our mind and body to heal. Mental illness concerns like anxiety and depression can be reduced, making it easier to function in daily life and thrive in recovery altogether.  Much like we may need to warm up a vehicle on a cold winter day before we drive it off the parking lot, our bodies need time to adjust to the movement and changes that are taking place. Stretching can improve your circulation and give you fuller range-of-motion, which will also help you react better to falls and other issues that may arise. There are a few types of holistic practices that can also increase our stretching capabilities, including yoga and meditation. When we stretch, we become more in-tune with our mind, body, and spirit – which ultimately can have a transformative effect on our addiction recovery.

Thousands of children across the U.S. have been shown to be affected by the opioid crisis, and in more ways than one. In addition to the many lives lost and damaged directly from opioid addiction, children are often faced with challenges that other children aren’t – and it can harm children mentally, physically and spiritually, even into their adult years. What tends to happen in situations such as the opioid crisis is that the United States will focus on one particular problem – such as the overdoses – but then other serious concerns may fall by the wayside, even if unintentionally. It’s unfortunate that many children have been left without the proper care and support because their parents or other primary caretakers are battling substance abuse, such as with opioids – but with more support and resources available, we’ll be able to combat this problem. Parental misuse is a common occurrence in households when substance abuse is present, and in many cases, children are forced to travel from one foster home to another – which certainly takes a toll not only on the system as a whole but on the children and their families as well. Previous studies are showing that states like Indiana have seen a surge in foster care support for children, particularly alongside the opioid epidemic. This type of explosion destroys families and makes it even harder for children to feel support in life. Once children are in foster care, they’re faced with so many issues that it becomes more than simply “caretaking” – foster families must then work to help children heal from the trauma that’s affected their family, along with the mental and social support needed for children to thrive after such devastating events. With so many children in the foster care system, and some states, such as Indiana, being overwhelmed with endless cases and not enough time, children’s’ wellbeing is being placed at stake.  If you are currently struggling with opioid addiction, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. You’re not alone – and recovery is possible.

For people who drink too much alcohol too quickly, blackouts can occur. And when it happens, it’s interesting because of the way our society views it – in some ways, it’s terrifying, while others find it to be quite hilarious. Drinking too much and too fast can cause blackouts, and they’re incredibly common – especially since our culture condones so much drinking. If blackouts are occurring frequently in a person’s life, this could be a strong sign that they’re struggling with alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder (AUD) – but all too often, people don’t even realize they’re battling this because it’s viewed as a normal thing. As a person’s blood-alcohol level increases, the rate, and length of a person’s memory loss will also increase – and that’s why individuals often find themselves trying to piece together their night the morning after. The ”day after” or the “morning-after” are often situations filled with humiliating details, but the aftermath effects are serious; along with not remembering what a person is doing while experiencing a blackout, a person may also experience vision problems, impaired judgment, troubles standing, walking and more. For people who have a good idea of the serious effects that can occur from alcoholism, recovery is about understanding not only the harmful effects that these behaviors can cause to our body and to those around us, but also getting a clearer idea of how alcohol affects us in these instances. Previous reports have explained that blackouts a condition where the ability to form new memories is, temporarily, impaired. It makes sense, then, why people have such difficulties understanding what they did the night they blacket out – because alcohol took over. Researchers are still trying to discover exactly how blackouts occur – the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is responsible for making and storing memories, is obviously involved; in addition to this, previous research has shown that blackouts can vary in experience depending on who the person is, as well as their gender, weight, age, etc. Further investigations are exploring the types of blackouts that occur depending on not only the person but on the alcohol consumed – altogether, however, it’s very clear to see that people who blackout do face serious consequences – even if for a brief period of time. It’s not uncommon for people who blackout to want to try and put together the previous night’s events afterward, and with friends. Unfortunately, the information that’s talked about it’s always accurate because they’re often based on another’s person’s memory of the events – which could easily lead to false memories and false representations of what actually happened when alcohol was involved. In these instances, the circumstances could become extremely dangerous – especially if moments of crime, sexual assault, vandalism, and other related activities were present under the influence of alcohol. Studies report that men are more likely to experience blackouts than women – but with less stringent concerns about drinking, both groups of people are significantly at risk for blackouts. There are a number of health concerns that come with excessive drinking, such as missing work or school, getting behind in grades, finding out that a person said or did something that they wish didn’t happen, arguing with loved ones, overdose, hangovers, increased chances of having an accident, greater risks of getting involved in criminal activity and more.  When blackouts occur, we’re more likely to put ourselves into risky situations because we’ve lost the capabilities to think clearly and critically about decisions that we’re making. What we come to find is that people who’ve had blackouts tend to have false ideas about what really happened – and, in some cases, people admit to having followed through with a particular crime when indeed they were really innocent, all because they were under the influence of alcohol and can’t really remember what happened.   In instances such as these, the false representations that we may come to believe – because we don’t have any other evidence telling us otherwise – can place us at great risk legally, in addition to the risks that come to our health.   A one-time occurrence may not be a significant sign that help needs to be sought, but if blackouts are occurring often, or if a person is beginning to favor drinking over hobbies, work, family responsibilities and more, help needs to be sought. Blackouts can become a major sign of alcoholism if they occur often – but seeking help early on can help a person develop the tools they need to move forward in their life. Avalon Malibu focuses on the whole person, and with a personalized treatment plan and a support system, you’ll be well on your way towards healing and rejuvenation. If you’re ready to begin your journey to recovery, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.