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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.

One of the most challenging yet worthwhile components of addiction recovery is learning about how we tend to cope with stressful situations and finding ways to apply healthier stress responses to them. For many in addiction recovery, stress is something we’ve always tried to avoid – either by not acknowledging it, by physically leaving the situation, or by numbing the pain with substances.

Addiction doesn’t always come by itself. We’re all made up of different genetic makeups, different backgrounds, histories, experiences, mental health issues and more. For many people, addiction comes alongside mental disorders – and sudden bouts of anxiety or overwhelming fear can lead to panic attacks, which can make us feel as though we can’t think or breathe. Our palms become sweaty, our vision is blurred, and before we know it, everything around us is spinning. If you’ve been trying to make sense of what you’ve been going through, it can be helpful to understand the difference between panic attacks and panic disorder.

Even if we’ve been taught the healthiest ways to handle distressing situations, all the lessons we’ve learned can go out in an instant the minute we’re having a bad day. Our blood temperature rises, our face gets hot, we become more irritable or sad, and before we know it, we’re doing something we’ll later come to regret. This happens to all of us at one point or another – but addiction recovery is a vulnerable process and the wrong coping mechanism could lead us into relapse. If you’re ready to take hold of your mental health, it will help to identify what you may be doing that’s not helping you before you can learn what will.

The opioid epidemic has sparked a lot of discussion on how we can monitor prescription drug abuse, but Americans are leaning towards illicit opioids, too. For instance, many find themselves transitioning from prescription opioids to heroin because of the ease of accessibility and affordability overall. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimated that 72,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in 2017; and the biggest increase in deaths was due not to prescription opioids or to heroin, but to fentanyl – a deadly, synthetic drug.

As you’re getting your body prepared to be in the best shape possible, you’ll have to take on new habits that support your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Recovery isn’t just about treating the addiction itself – it’s about restoring what you’ve been missing all these years to live a happy, healthy life. Physical health is incredibly important because your body serves as the foundation that gets you to where you need to be; without physical health, you would be unable to heal effectively. Stretching is a great way to boost your immune system and prep your mind for rejuvenation. According to UC Davis, stretching is beneficial for a number of reasons: it promotes flexibility, it improves our posture, and it prepares our muscles to fight injuries should they occur. In addition to this, stretching increases blood supply – which means that nutrients are better able to reach the places where they need to go. Stretching is great for your holistic health in the following ways:

When you’re in the throes of anxiety, it can feel as though the entire world is falling apart. Your fears take over, your head starts spinning, and all these thoughts come flooding in – with no way to stop it. It’s easy to hear from friends or family to “calm down” or “it will all be okay” – but will it? Countless times, you’ve tried to “wish” your anxiety away – but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. For many in addiction recovery, anxiety is a staple symptom of coming to grips with major change. Detoxification can bring about these symptoms, or anxiety itself could be something that you’ve been struggling with for quite some time. Either way, it feels like it’s hard to manage; thankfully, there are a number of effective coping skills you can utilize to improve the levels of anxiety that you have – and one of the first coping skills you should try is mental distraction. Mental distraction has been defined as, “The technique of focusing on something else when your mind is preoccupied with anxious thoughts that are not proving productive.” Mind.org, a UK-based organization, has noted that small-scale distraction techniques, such as the ones we’re about to show you, can greatly help break the inertia of anxiety running its course:

According to a study published by the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), around 25.3 million Americans experience some form of pain each and every day.  This pain can range from brief to long-lasting, and once it’s started, it’s hard to manage. Prescription medications can sometimes resolve this issue, but it’s easy to become hooked on them if you aren’t careful. Some misuse their prescription drugs, while others end up taking drugs from friends or family members that aren’t even theirs in an effort to reach a level of comfort, they so desperately desire. The work that we do every day can have a big impact on the pain that we experience, and this is where ergonomics steps into play. In addiction recovery, it’s important to focus on the activities we pursue in our daily lives so that we can get a better idea of how to control our environment in the best way possible for our health. Ergonomics, defined by the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) as “what kind of work you do, what kind of tools you use and your whole job environment”, can help us take a look at your daily activities to assess what changes will most benefit the level of pain you experience. Addiction recovery shouldn’t be solely about treating the addiction – this disease affects the mind, body and spirit, and so should be treated as such. Ergonomics helps us look at a wide range of movements that you perform on a daily basis to dig into the root cause of your pain. Movements such as bending, walking, lifting, sitting, getting out of bed, climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, exerting personal care, taking part in leisure activities and more are all rely on movement – and by honing in on some safe ways to go about these tasks, we’re less likely to have as many issues with pain as we did before.   Don’t wait any longer to start working towards your holistic health. Speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu about incorporating occupational therapy into your addiction recovery program today.