Blog

In a sense, we all develop some form of dependency at one point or another; whether we expect it or not, we become entrenched in a relationship, a career, shopping, eating, or a different hobby – and if we’re not careful, we may find ourselves planning our lives around these events in an unhealthy way. We all must rely on things like our relationships or our career, but in healthy ways; it becomes dangerous when our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors transform because of them. The first step to developing a new lifestyle after drug dependency is to remember that it will feel uncomfortable for a little while, and that patience is key. In 2016, The Health Journals stated, “The good news is that the brain can be made to re-adapt to life without addiction. But coming clean can require extraordinary patience and perseverance…as well as support, accountability and medical intervention for the person addicted.” Luckily, there are so many holistic recovery-related activities that a person can fill their time with to help them get readjusted. Volunteering, picking up a new hobby, meditation, yoga, art therapy, attending support groups and spending time with a healthy friend or family member are a few great ways to developing a fresh lifestyle based on sobriety. Secondly, continuously work on building an internal (mind) script of positivity and inspiration. A few years ago, writer Katherine Davis shared her sobriety experience via the Huffington Post; she explained that despite the emotional rollercoaster she went through, she tried to stay focused on what her goals and dreams were. She asked herself, “What steps can you take today to accomplish these?”  Thinking positively and reassuring yourself that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing can serve as a beautiful foundation for a strong recovery. Lastly, understand and accept your mistakes. Part of being human is making mistakes and, as we make them, we grow and become better. Recognize that mistakes are inevitable, but as long as we take it day by day, that’s what matters. If you’re ready to begin your holistic journey, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Mindfulness is the practice of staying grounded, aware of one’s surroundings and what they are doing, and not feeling overwhelmed or over-reactive about what’s happening in their environment. Mindfulness can help greatly with addiction recovery because it opens mental space for the development of tools to be used in stressful situations and to better work through challenging thoughts and feelings. For example, mindfulness has been used in cognitive-behavioral therapy and has helped individuals with anger, anxiety and circumstances that could increase a person’s risk for relapse.

Addiction is a complex brain disease, and neuroscience can open up many pathways for understanding as we dive further into it. Last year, Medical News Today, a website that publishes information related to various health conditions, explained that neuroscientists “focus on the brain and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions, or how people think.” There are a wide range of research interests within neuroscience, such as: mathematics, science, chemistry, philosophy, psychology and medicine. With neuroscience, a number of aspects of nervous system are explored:

Opioid addiction takes the lives of nearly 130 people each and every day within the United States; it’s a serious national crisis that has destroyed families, costed companies nearly $80 billion dollars a year, and has holistically left serious social and economic consequences. In an attempt to combat these harsh effects of the opioid epidemic, researchers have been challenging themselves to find preventative measures; tools and resources to help those in our communities seek help before the addiction becomes more severe, or greater support and outlets once people need treatment.  Earlier this year, Georgia Tech published an article that covered a study conducted by researchers – this study sought to assess 1.44 million comments from Reddit, a popular posting platform, to explore some potential risk factors that give insight into opioid addiction itself. The researchers found 3 particular opioids that were “most commonly used”, including:

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies states that trauma is: “…Used to describe negative events that are emotionally painful and that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope.” Healing from trauma is incredibly challenging, but it is often the time spent to restore and rejuvenate from these devastating events that make us stronger in the long run. It’s not uncommon for those in addiction recovery to have previously experienced childhood trauma, and these deep-rooted issues may even be what has sparked a long road of substance abuse - in an attempt to ease the painful feelings that came in as the aftermath of these events.

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.

Have you or someone you love ever grabbed an alcoholic drink while saying something along the lines of, “I’m stressed”, “I’m depressed”, or “I feel on top of the world!”? We don’t realize it in these minute instances, but our mood can directly affect the way we think about drinking as well as how much we actually drink. Conversely, the type of alcohol we drink – and how much – can have a direct affect on our mood. In 2017, Medical News Today, a website that publishes information related to a variety of health conditions, explained that beer, wine and spirits can all have different effects on us; so, in other words, if you find yourself more aggressive after drinking spirits, you’re not alone. Professor Mark Bellis from the King’s College London noted a study that confirmed the effect that liquor can have on our mood and explained: “For centuries, the history of rum, gin, vodka, and other spirits have been laced with violence. This global study suggests even today consuming spirits is more likely to result in feelings of aggression than other drinks.”

A few years ago, a woman shared with Marie Claire, a website that publishes stories related to fashion, beauty, politics and more, her story of living with methamphetamine addiction. She explained that there was one point in time when she found herself waiting for an ambulance because she’d overdosed and couldn’t feel her legs or arms. Just a few short days later, she overdosed again; she stated: “When I tried meth for the first time, I knew the nature of my disease. I knew that the minute I put the drugs into my body my brain would respond with uncontrollable obsession. I knew that the meth would hijack my frontal lobe…getting more drugs would become my one and only concern.”  It’s been estimated that around 1.6 million people have used methamphetamine within the past year; the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that an estimated 964,000 people had a methamphetamine use disorder in 2017, and more and more lives are being put at risk with this in mind. Addiction is an obvious long-term risk for those who experience methamphetamine abuse, but there are many other repercussions as well. For example, functional and molecular changes in the brain can lead to anxiety, confusion, mood disturbances, violent behavior or psychosis.

Nutrition and exercise are two of the most commonly neglected aspects of health when substance abuse is involved. A few simple drinks after work hours can translate into daily binge drinking, and occasional drug use with friends can eventually turn into nightly intoxication sessions. It feels harmless at the time, but these behaviors form into a dangerous habit that becomes an addiction – and along with addiction comes with crucial areas of our lives that tend to be pushed to the side. If you’re in recovery for addiction, you can probably admit that it’s been more difficult for you to get proper exercise and to eat healthy when substance abuse required so much time and effort. It’s harder to go shopping for healthy, nutritious foods and to schedule in time each week to exercise when our brain has become altered to crave substances constantly. If you feel like you’ve got a long way to go, don’t be disheartened – treatment is just as much about getting your physical health back on track as it is treating the addiction itself.

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: