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When we walk into addiction recovery, there’s already a notion that we hold of ourselves. A self-perception – and it’s this perception that weighs heavily on the way we view ourselves, others, and how we relate to society as a whole. Most commonly, those at the beginning of their recovery journey identify themselves as “an addict” – and this is probably in large part due to the way society has framed those with addiction over the years. Media tends to depict this wretched, “lost” person as an “addict”, when really that’s not the case. We’re people with families, with friends, with jobs, with our own challenges that we’ve overcome. We’re people with histories, traumas, mental health issues, health conditions and more – and the identity of “an addict” truly takes away all of the other aspects that make us human. A 2015 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that while those at the beginning of recovery hold “the addict” identifier, more time spent in recovery helps a person change their narrative – to one of recovery. Once a person starts viewing themselves as “a person in recovery”, they’re able to apply this social role to other areas of their life, such as with school, work, and home. One person shared their recovery story via the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In my last rehab program, life and behaviors began to change. I was liking myself again and remained in the last program, after graduation, to work helping others. I became hungry for recovery.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) emphasizes that many people with addiction have a comorbid disorder with mental illness; about half of people who experience a mental illness also experience a substance use disorder (SUD) at some point in their lives and vice versa. Those entering recovery often need support to heal from more than just an addiction – they need a support system, tools and resources to help them navigate the symptoms of mental illness, too. Integrated treatment is so important here for this very reason – addiction isn’t the only aspect of our lives. Physical fitness provides so many benefits to the mind, body and spirit. Physically, exercise can make us stronger, leaner, more flexible, and more in tune to the present moment. For mental illnesses – which often come with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, low self and more – physical fitness can train the mind to work better. A 2016 study published in the journal World Psychiatry reminds us that physical activity doesn’t have to be a rough, challenging, momentous sprint or marathon for us to receive the benefits; for many, light exercises, such as walking or even exercises by sitting, can be beneficial – especially if someone in recovery has physical limitations that prevent them from a wide range of movement. In 2014, researchers published a study in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation that sought to explore the effects of physical exercise on those with mild to moderate depression. The study’s results found that exercise therapy can assist those in recovery with coping mechanisms, improved body image, enhanced quality of life and increased independence in older adults. When mental illness is present, it can be difficult to get started in physical activity – but having a set schedule within treatment for addiction recovery makes it that much easier to ensure that a person is supported in their fitness goals.

Vicodin is often prescribed for pain and contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. An opioid, Vicodin is at high risk for addiction and dependence – and it works by changing our perceptions on pain as well as our emotional responses to it. Vicodin can create feelings of euphoria for many people, which is where it brings a strong pull towards dependence. For many people, Vicodin addiction stems from their prescription they’ve been given after having a surgery; Dr. Laurence Westreich, an associate professor at New York University, told CBS News, “Some people have chronic pain and opioids feel good. They help with anxiety – a lot of people say they give a general feeling of well-being.” The opioid crisis sparked major concern amongst many people given prescription medications, but it’s not just the fact that they’re prescriptions that make drugs like Vicodin so dangerous. Oftentimes, it’s the misuse of prescription drugs that takes people towards a place of addiction. If you or a loved one have been prescribed Vicodin, keep the following tips in mind:

When we talk about anxiety as a society, we often focus on the debilitating components of it – the fact that our heart starts pounding, we becoming incredibly fearful of a certain event in the future, we start sweating, our mind starts racing and more; while these symptoms can be incredibly troubling, the reality is that there are many of us with high-functioning anxiety. High-functioning anxiety is much less noticeable to other people and may even be overlooked by ourselves if we’re able to carry out daily responsibilities. Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist, told Bustle, “A person who experiences functional anxiety remains able to move through daily activities without the burden of constant, severe anxiety.”

There are a lot of emotional battles that we have to face in recovery, because sobriety forces us to come face to face with thoughts, feelings and events of our lives that we’ve suppressed for so long. Sometimes sobriety can bring about feelings of depression and anxiety, especially once we’ve started coming to grips with our past actions and how they’ve affected those we love. Whether you’re in the first month or the first year of recovery, self-love is going to be critical – so that you can accept what you can’t change and courageously move forward. Kate Malley, a young woman who has overcome addiction, stated on A Lust for Life, a website that publishes personal stories and articles about mental health, physical health and the soul, explained that once she dove into the hard work of self-care, she became stronger. She stated, “I can tell you that as exhausted as self-care can be – it works – but it takes work, a lot of it…but the payoff is definitely worth it…Your emotions become more stabilized, which was a change I definitely appreciated after so long of a rollercoaster of highs and lows.” The following are some vital components of self-care – and self-love – that can truly transform the way you walk through your journey to recovery.

One individual shared their experience in college with using Xanax via The Muse. They stated, “…Doing cocaine led to taking Xanax to come down, taking Xanax led to more cocaine to wake up, and the combination led to the reintroduction of alcohol in my life.” College students are at an extremely high risk for abusing substances, and for a number of reasons. The freedom experienced during college often leads many to experiment with substances, and peer pressure can have a similar effect. Xanax has become a popular drug to use recreationally for students in college, which is generally used to treat anxiety. In 2018, Vice magazine highlighted that Xanax affects GABA receptors in the brain, “…sort of like the brakes on the brain. It calms everything down.” There are many pressures that come to college students, such as the pressure to fit in, pressure towards making good grades, achieving expectations held by family and friends, and more. Young adults are at an increased risk to use substances like Xanax during this time, especially if they feel there’s no other way to work through the symptoms their experiencing. In 2018, an individual shared on The Odyssey that Xanax is rarely ever taken “just once” by college students. Not only that, but Xanax is often mixed in with other substances, where overdose is at high risk. How can we protect young adults from abusing Xanax? A 2016 study conducted by researchers from California Polytech State University found that drug abuse prevention interventions can be effective for college students, as they influence their knowledge on these drugs, their perceptions of risk, and enhance their self-efficacy to prevent prescription drug abuse. For parents who witness their college student struggling with Xanax addiction, treatment is needed.

“I thought I was going crazy, I thought I was dying and had no one I could talk to that understood. It got so bad that at one point I started a new job and had difficulty driving to work. I couldn’t get there without having a panic attack.” As the person above shared their story with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), panic disorder can disrupt everyday life. What comes with panic disorder, however, is feeling nervous about having panic attacks in public places – and with little attention focused on how debilitating this disorder can be, it’s often overlooked. A 2016 review published by researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine highlighted a major symptom of panic disorder – hyperventilation – and how breathlessness, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, wheeziness and more becomes overlooked as individuals experiencing these symptoms tend to believe that they’re the only ones going through this. In addition to this, the signs of panic disorder can be shown in many other disorders; Very Well Mind, a website that publishes information on disorders, self-improvement and psychology, reminds us of some overlooked facts of panic disorder:

Addiction recovery takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and one of the hardest aspects of recovery life can be re-integrating into society. After having spent months in a rehabilitation center, it’s time to get back into the swing of things – to hold a stead position, to support a family, and to accomplish whatever goals you may have. There is a lot of hesitancy for those in recovery when it comes to finding employment, however, and it’s because of the stigma that comes with addiction recovery. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine states that national costs exceed $400 billion annually on lost productivity, absenteeism, disability and worker’s compensation related to addiction, and for many employers, these are major concerns when it comes to hiring someone who’s in recovery – they don’t want any of these issues to arise for them. Of course, you may know well in your heart that you’re going to reach your recovery goals – but how can you assure your potential employer of this? Getting a job may take some sincere effort and finding the right opportunity may take some time, but despite the stigma, employers are becoming more supportive of helping those in recovery get a second chance at rebuilding their lives.

A common issue amongst many of us is how to express ourselves when we’re feeling angry, sad, anxious, etc. In the past, our society has set expectations for how we’re supposed to deal with painful emotions – with an unfortunate outcome being suppression. We hold it in, expecting the pain to fade away – but when it doesn’t, we find ourselves searching outside for solutions, and that’s oftentimes when addiction works its way into our lives. Recovery is a time for us to release the pent-up emotions that we’ve hid for so long, and expressive arts therapy can be a transformative way to reach these suppressed emotions that we may no longer know how to get to. Expressive therapy is defined as, “…the use of art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, and sand tray within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation or health care.  Addiction recovery is about uncovering what we’ve held back for so many years, and expressive arts therapies allow us to dive deeper into the issues that we may not be able to put into words. Just how successful has expressive arts therapy been for those in addiction recovery? A 2014 study published in the Journal of Addictions Nursing assessed 299 treatment centers and found that 36.8% of them offered expressive arts therapies; the ones that did, however, worked very well alongside 12-Step programs and reached some of the unique needs of those in recovery. Other studies have shown that expressive art therapies can help those in recovery make connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which helps create an alignment within individuals’ recovery process. As a 2017 study published in the journal Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly states, there are several areas of recovery that expressive therapies can reach:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when someone has witnessed a traumatic event – and the symptoms can be debilitating. Many people with PTSD experience nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia, anxiety, depression and more, with many people who also abuse substances in an attempt to get through the day. Much tension is held throughout the body in those with PTSD because of being easily-startled, stressed, angered, or due to having difficulties sleeping. If this is something you’ve been struggling with, addiction recovery is a great place to begin working through the physical, mental and emotional symptoms that have held you back in making the most of your life. Holistic practices treat the mind, body and spirit in a way that is restorative – and massage therapy could be an excellent route to take if your doctor recommends it. It is estimated that 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of trauma at least once in their lives, and with a wide range of symptoms and severities, it’s hard to tell how a person will experience PTSD without treatment. A 2017 study published in the by a researcher from George Fox University assessed the decision-making and critical thinking abilities of firefighters – a group of professionals who have been exposed to trauma often – after receiving massage therapy. They found that massage therapy significantly improved both of these factors, enabling the firefighters to think more clearly and efficiently. Massage therapy reduces cortisol (a stress response) and increases serotonin (which regulates mood, sleep, appetite, etc.) and dopamine (the “feel good” chemical). With this, people in addiction recovery can feel less anxious and less in danger, as massage therapy can provoke feelings of security. For someone who struggles with both addiction and PTSD, massage therapy could be just one of many components of holistic treatment that could help aid in uncomfortable symptoms. Now is the time to take a firm hold on your self-care; it’s time to get your life back.

We don’t get a say in how our parents raise us, in where we grow up, and in what we’re exposed to as children. At a young age, we don’t have the brain development to make sense of what is happening around us, and we’re even less likely to heal from those events if support isn’t sought after. Growing up with parents or relatives with alcoholism often has a much bigger impact on us than we realize. We may not recognize it at the time, but the actions we witness performed by the adults around us become translated into our own script for how we view ourselves, others and the world. Our environment plays a big role in how we’re socialized to adapting to difficult situations, how to communicate with others, and more. If you grew up around alcoholism, it’s time you learned about how this may be affecting your long-term health – and what you can do to combat some of these risks. A 2015 study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review assessed a total of 3,215 articles related to this very subject – and researchers found that the most common outcome of growing up around alcoholism is adolescent drinking. When we’re exposed to it as a young child, it becomes viewed as a “normal” thing to do – and it can eventually become part of our coping mechanisms as we get older. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) explains that if we grow up around alcoholism, we’re likely to experience the following:

Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, and it can be taken through injection, sniffing, snorting, or through smoking. It may be a white or brown powder, or a sticky substance known as “black tar heroin”. Heroin binds to opioid receptors in the brain rather quickly, which means that individuals feel the euphoric effects typically within minutes of taking the drug. The effects wear off quickly, however, so many people take the drug multiple times to continue receiving the influx of dopamine (the “feel-good” chemical in the brain). Whether you’re currently in recovery from heroin addiction or you have a loved one who is, it can be helpful to understand the short and long-term medical complications that can arise from heroin addiction.