Addiction Recovery Archives - Page 4 of 7

How to Apply the 12-Step Program to Your Life

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on March 17, 2020. Posted in 12 Step Program, Addiction. Leave a Comment

While we’re still in the start of the new year with spring right around the corner, you may be considering ways that you can boost your recovery journey and enhance your daily life. New Year’s resolutions made with good intention have been left by the wayside, especially if goals are lofty and steps aren’t being made. However, you may still wish to strengthen your coping mechanisms, participate more in our support groups and engage in more material that uplifts the soul. If you’re currently seeking treatment at Enlightened Solutions, you’ve achieved an incredible feat – recovery is the first step towards greater living. No matter how challenging life can seem at times, it’s good to know that you’re not alone; as you’ll likely discover, there are so many people who are working hard to enrich their lives as well – and while it all takes hard work and dedication, the 12-Step program can help people achieve their recovery goals.

The 12-Step Program: What it Is

Originally developed in 1938, 12-Step programs have changed the lives of thousands of people by providing them with tools and resources to heal. 12-Step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), are meant for anyone and everyone – and the fellowship provided can greatly help people feel supported as they navigate recovery. In 12-Step programs, anonymity is a crucial component so that members feel safe – and that helps people to express themselves more freely in meetings as well.

In Akron, Ohio, Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, two men who had battled with substance abuse, designed 12-Step programs based on what had worked for them personally in achieving sobriety:

Abstinence
Fellowship with others
Surrendering to a higher spiritual power

They ultimately wanted to create something that brought people together to gain a connection with a higher power, with honest, peer support and spirituality being several crucial components to recovery. Now, there are 12-Step programs that have become expanded all over the world – and their aim is now to not only help those who struggle with substance use disorders, but also those who battle with other addiction issues, such as gambling, sex, technology addiction, and others. Certain spiritual components associated with inner growth include humility – and 12-Step groups talk about these types of concepts while also allowing people to engage in discussion about these ideas. Humility is an incredibly important tool for healing because it allows us to gain perspective by doing the following:

Realizing that a higher power has more control than our sense of ego
Being honest with other people about our faults
Attempting to make amends with others when possible
Viewing recovery as a way towards greater spiritual connection

There are a number of topics that can be covered throughout the 12-Steps, such as honesty, faith, surrender, willingness, forgiveness, recovery maintenance and more. If you’re looking to really get involved in a 12-Step program this upcoming year, it’s time to get started.

12-Step Program Application

The great part about 12-Step programs is that they’re incredibly straightforward and allow for easy application of what’s been learned in meetings. Even though each person may be experiencing something different, the reality is that the underlying pain is quite universal; this way, peers and advocates in recovery can be sure to speak the same type of “language” with one another because it’s through emotion and pain – and that is something everyone can relate to. If you’re looking for something that can be used to help you in daily life, 12-Step programs are incredibly helpful to get you there – and they’re not meant to serve as a cure.

It’s easy to apply the 12-Steps if you think about it:

Make a visual representation of the 12-Steps. Consider each step specifically and what it means to you, and this will make it much easier to apply to your daily life.
Acknowledge some of the major questions that you may be having about the 12-Steps. For example, you may be wondering if you have any fears about believing in something greater than yourself – or you may like to contemplate on what the idea of sobriety means to you. Thinking and even writing out your answers in a journal can help you solidify the 12-Steps in your daily life.
Read books that promote what you’re doing. Go to a library and take a look around – get recommendations from those who are in your 12-Step program. Reading can often open the gateway towards other perspectives and life circumstances, which can enhance your recovery.
Make an active decision to add more love and connection into your life. Focus on looking at the good qualities that you have, as well as the good qualities in others. Connect with a Higher Power through meditation, prayer, nature walks and more.

At Enlightened Solutions, we want to help you heal from addiction and are committed to putting you and your recovery first. We offer a comprehensive range of services including outpatient treatment, post-rehab services, continuing care, and long-term treatment including 12-Step programs. Enlightened Solutions offers a safe and nurturing space for recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today at 833-801-LIVE.

Families and Detox

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on March 12, 2020. Posted in Addiction, treatment. Leave a Comment

If you’re a friend, family member, or coworker of a loved one entering treatment, it’s quite possible that you may be nervous about what’s to come next. Many people who are trying to support their loved one in addiction recovery fear detoxification, because the exact process through this journey isn’t talked about as often. In fact, there may be many questions that you have, such as what they’ll experience, how this will impact their recovery, what success or failure looks like in sobriety and more. These questions are important, and while we can’t always control our loved one’s process in recovery, we do have control over our words and actions, to provide the best support possible. The first step of addiction recovery is detox, which occurs either naturally or is assisted with medication; with detox, a person’s body rids the toxins that it’s acquired throughout the addiction. It’s important to note that detoxification isn’t meant to be used by itself, but as only a beginning part of the long-term treatment recovery process.

First and foremost, you’ll need to assess whether your loved one is in a good place to begin detoxification. When discovering what types of treatment centers are out there, you’ll want to take particular note of the amazing support and services that are offered at Enlightened Solutions. Not all treatment centers are the same, so it’s important that your loved one seek out help at a reputable treatment center where a person’s complete health and wellness are taken into consideration and treatment is looked at holistically. At Enlightened Solutions, you and your loved one can expect to receive the following:

A respectful, nonjudgmental, and supportive atmosphere where individuals can feel “normal” and can receive education to reduce stigma of addiction
Services that are accessible and focused on what client’s need individually
Opportunities for family members to become involved, such as through family therapy, so that the family unit as a whole can become more cohesive together

Once you’ve decided to enroll your loved one at the proper facility, treatment will begin.

One of the most challenging steps for individuals in moving forward with recovery is the step of entering detox. If your loved one has reached this step, that’s a good sign. Of course, detoxification is a rough process for many people because their body is still getting used to the state of sobriety – when substance abuse has been present for so long, the mind and body must then learn to readjust and get used to living without it in order for sobriety to take place. There are a number of uncomfortable symptoms that can appear, such as:

Headaches
Dizziness
Difficulty breathing
Nausea, vomiting, etc.
Muscle tension, twitches, muscle aches
Sweating, tingling
Anxiety, restlessness, panic attacks, irritability
Social isolation, depression, fatigue, etc.
Poor concentration, difficulty remembering things

It may feel easy to get angry or retaliate when your loved one exhibits these symptoms, but you must remember that this process isn’t easy for them either – in fact, they may very well be hating the fact that they’re experiencing some of these symptoms, and they need all the support they can get. Medication may be able to assist your loved one in managing these symptoms, but the symptoms may pursue in varying degrees until the detox period is over. The type of medication that your loved one may receive in treatment does depend on the symptoms they’re experiencing, the severity of their addiction, their mental and physical health history and so much more.

Many family members can find this part of detox challenging, as this means they must continue to be patient and supportive, aware of the “bigger picture” – even if their loved one can’t necessarily see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” To be a family member or friend during this challenging time can be exhausting, but it’s nonetheless important for them to stick with it.

Most people in addiction recovery come to rely on their friends and family members to help them get through the ups and downs associated with detoxification. It’s nice for those in recovery to include their loved ones as part of treatment, and oftentimes this helps them to keep moving forward in their journey to sobriety.

Enlightened Solutions is a treatment center that uses evidence-based methods of recovery to focus on your loved one’s individuality through holistic treatment to help them get sober from drugs and alcohol. We offer a comprehensive range of services including outpatient treatment, post-rehab services, continuing care, and long-term treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today at 833-801-LIVE to learn how we can help your loved one find the care and support they need to live a healthier and happier life in recovery.

Barriers In Treatment

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on March 10, 2020. Posted in Addiction Recovery, treatment. Leave a Comment

From the outside, everything seems pretty clear: why don’t our loved ones seek the help they need? Cause and effect really over-simplifies this process, and it appears to be a linear path towards a solution for our friend or family member. What we often don’t realize, however, is that there is always so much more going on beneath the surface – and with so many factors at play, it’s possible that you’re loved one may be struggling to seek help for a multitude of reasons.

One of the most devastating, frustrating experiences we may have with our loved ones is hearing that they’re going to seek help, only to find out that they never really were taking steps towards sobriety despite telling us they were. The person we love may make all sorts of promises to never hurt us again, but the reality is that they can’t quite make this promise because addiction is a disease that takes control over a person’s thoughts and behaviors. The word itself – addiction – is rooted in being overtaken by, or bound to, something. No matter how much a person wants to change, the addiction can overtake their desires and pull them right back into the horrible cycle of substance abuse.

Addiction truly causes changes to the brain, especially the anatomy and chemical makeup of the brain, over time. Research shows that the mechanisms used for learning become altered over time by addiction, which is what perpetuates the continued use of substances despite negative consequences occurring in daily life.

When this occurs, our loved one’s interests are no longer focused on building stronger relationships with us, or pursuing a career path, or excelling in school, or navigating personal responsibilities – rather, their mind is set to continue following the pattern of the behavior that the addiction controls. Of course, when this happens, we’re often let down as we held hope for so long that they’d seek help – so if you’re currently in this circumstance, there are several things you can do to navigate the pain.

There’s a barrier that’s separating our loved ones from seeking help in many cases, and the first step to providing stronger support is to understand what exactly our loved ones are going through. Previous research has shown that there are several reasons for why a person may not be able to seek treatment for addiction, even if they’ve mentioned several times that they’d like to:

The right insurance for them may not be available.
Treatment may appear to be so far away from the person – like they can’t grasp how they could succeed in a treatment program.
Help for addiction may be available, but a person may have other underlying factors – such as mental illness – that are holding them back from seeking help, too.
Individuals may leave too early from their treatment program to really aid in their recovery.

Of course, these are only some of the more economic and societal reasons for why a person may have trouble seeking help. There are other factors at play too, such as:

Stigma: Stigma for drug involvement can lead to social rejection, labeling, stereotyping and discrimination, and this can severely impact a person’s desire to seek help – especially if they feel they’ll be judged by their family, community and the treatment center itself.
Self-Doubt: A person battling addiction may not feel confident in their ability to recover, or may doubt that they even want to recover. Those who battle with addiction often experience a “back and forth” of trying to decide between seeking help and not. This is a completely normal process.
Mental Illness: Illnesses such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and more can already influence the way a person perceives and processes information – and when addiction is added to the mix, it can become all-the-more difficult for a person to seek help.

If any of these (and many other) instances occur, a person can find it incredibly difficult to seek help, even if they’ve meant well when speaking with you about seeking treatment.

If you’d like to be more supportive of helping your loved one seek treatment at Enlightened Solutions, it’s important to know not to shame them into doing anything. A more effective approach would be to host an intervention – possibly with friends and loved ones – where they can be lovingly confronted with the facts as well as appropriate solutions and consequences if they don’t follow through with the plan that you have set forth for them. The process for helping a person seek treatment is a long one, and, of course, each person responds differently, but it takes time and patience as well as the understanding that you’re doing the best you can.

At Enlightened Solutions, we want to help your loved one heal from addiction and are committed to putting their recovery first. We offer a comprehensive range of services including outpatient treatment, post-rehab services, continuing care, and long-term treatment. Enlightened Solutions is a treatment center that uses evidence-based methods of recovery to focus on your loved one’s individuality and inner strength to help them get sober from drugs and alcohol.If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today at 833-801-LIVE.

The Healing Power of Music: The Multiple Ways That Music Can Aid in Recovery

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on February 21, 2020. Posted in Alternative Therapy, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Music therapy is a growing field in psychology. Music helps patients recover speech after suffering a stroke or reduces stress in situations dealing with chronic illness and disease. There are various styles of music, and specific types do particular things, such as help someone get through painful chemotherapy or physical rehab sessions or help guide meditation. Music therapy involves playing music yourself, having music played with you, or having music played for you. Luckily, technology makes it easy to access any music to adapt to any situation. When you are feeling stressed, listening to your favorite music and songs makes you feel better, and multiple studies support this positive association.

Music’s Influence During Infancy

When a baby is born, they go to the hospital nursery, which can be a noisy and busy area, full of nurses and doctors. For a baby born prematurely, the noises in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) include ventilator beeps, IV infusion pumps, the moving of carts, murmurs of voices, and the hiss of the oxygen. Studies indicate that musical sounds such as lullabies may soothe these pre-term babies, which improves their sleeping and eating habits, and therefore improves their quality of life and positively impacts their medical outcome. Furthermore, research finds that infants remain calmer and for longer periods when they listen to music, rather than when they simply hear speaking.

Music Has the Ability to Relax and Heal

Music can induce emotional responses that may relax, stimulate, and heal. It can even improve one’s quality of life and the results of medical interventions. Music is an effective form of therapy that provides an outlet for emotions. Studies endorse the exponential benefits of music on physical and mental health. For example, an analysis of 400 separate studies found that music reduces stress and improves the body’s immune system. The researchers also found that listening to music, as well as playing music, increases the body’s production of antibodies that attack viruses and boost the effectiveness of the immune system.

Furthermore, music reduces the levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol. Many researchers believe that music eases pain because listening to it releases the brain’s natural pain relievers, known as dopamine. Studies indicate that listening to music increases the brain’s levels of dopamine, which enhances mood, and therefore positively impacts the symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression.

Studies find that listening to music can reduce anxiety before procedures or surgeries which may be stress-inducing, such as knee or hip surgeries and routine colonoscopies. Those listening to music in operating rooms before procedures and during recovery following procedures report experiencing less discomfort and therefore require fewer painkillers. The positive results of music were stronger for patients who were able to choose their music. Furthermore, listening to music decreases the perception of pain, therefore reducing the amount of pain medication required. Music can also reduce nausea and vomiting among patients receiving chemotherapy and improve coordination, communication, and reduce agitation among dementia patients. Also, epileptic patients may reduce seizure activity through listening to relaxing music, since stress causes seizures to occur and music battles stress. Music also positively affects fibromyalgia patients, which is a chronic disorder that causes joint and muscle pain and fatigue. Studies find that listening to relaxing music that the patient chose themselves reduces pain and significantly increases functional mobility.

Music Can Help Restore Speech Abilities and Memory

A study found that stroke patients with communication problems after the stroke exhibited improved language ability after one month of neurologic music therapy. The ability to sing comes from the right side of the brain. Therefore, when someone suffers a traumatic brain injury or stroke to the left side of the brain, which is responsible for speech, they can work around the injury to the left side by singing their thoughts using the right side of the brain. Then, they work to drop the melody to regain their ability to speak gradually. Therefore, active engagement in listening to or playing music allows people to reconnect with the healthy parts of themselves, even while dealing with a debilitating or disease.

Music is closely connected to memory recall. Next to smell, sound is one of the most connected senses to memory. We can all appreciate that certain songs trigger emotional responses, whether they be the first dance at our wedding or reminders of a loved one we have lost. Music is ingrained into our brains and our bodies and creates a deep connection within ourselves. A study published in the Journal of Memory and Cognition found that adults learning a foreign language can recall phrases more accurately when they sing them, suggesting that music may aid memory recall for adults in the early stages of dementia.

Dealing with a Substance Use Disorder and Looking to Enhance Your Quality of Life?

When dealing with a substance use disorder, it is imperative to engage in improving one’s life. Music promotes recovery by enhancing one’s quality of life. Researchers the world over continue to investigate the therapeutic potential of music and the results are promising. The benefits of music are omnipresent in the research and throughout the human population which confirms these benefits daily. Music may also help with recovery from substance use disorders, positively impacting stress, anxiety, and depression levels. If you or someone you know is dealing with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call Enlightened Solutions today at 833-801-LIVE.

Living with A Person Suffering from a Substance Use Disorder: Tips to Cope and Help Heal Before and After Recovery

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on February 7, 2020. Posted in Addiction, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Living with others is always a challenge. Developing balance, understanding, and respect is a vital component for a harmonious living situation with another person, whether it be family, friend, or significant other. Living with someone who has an active addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), may create more challenges than the typical housemate.

Don’t Take It Personally

When someone you care about is struggling with a SUD, it is imperative not to take any of their behaviors personally. They are fighting a battle within themselves that you cannot understand. However, you can express that you are a supportive person in their life without enabling negative behaviors. Addiction to alcohol or drugs requires a team of participants, such as doctors, treatment programs, family members, and friends, to support the individual suffering from the SUD.

Addiction Affects the Entire Household

Addiction can create a toxic environment that affects all the members of the household. Any member of the house, including the person suffering from the SUD, may experience negative effects due to addiction. Some of these effects include:

Stress may be due to the ongoing nature of the addiction and the stagnation of the situation.
Anxiety may be due to the feeling that you have no control over your loved one and their active addiction.
Depression may occur within the person with the SUD, which may have initially fueled the addiction. Furthermore, friends and family members may develop depressive-like symptoms due to the buildup of stress and anxiety.
Guilt can come from the person with the SUD, furthering their active addiction. Friends and family members may feel guilty for supplying money, food, and shelter, which is enabling the addiction to continue.
Anger is common among the household. The person with the SUD may be angry that they cannot stop using drugs or alcohol on their own. Family or friends may be angry at them for continuing to use without seeking the help they need.
Embarrassment occurs when the person with the SUD engages in behaviors while under the influence. They may be embarrassed by their actions after they have sobered up. Friends and family members may also be embarrassed by their loved one’s actions.
Financial struggles occur due to the active addiction taking up time from all members of the house, and in turn, costing money.
Inconsistent routines may disrupt the household, in which the active addiction is dictating the loved one’s schedule. The addiction is in control.
Physical dangers and security risks are possible, mainly if the individual suffering from the SUD is intoxicated or drug-seeking.

Coping with Living with a Loved One and Their Active Addiction

It is important not to assign blame for the addiction, to yourself or your housemate. It is also imperative to understand you cannot fix it, or cure it. What you must do is ensure a safe household, and protect your well-being. Consider the following coping tips:

Keep yourself safe, as well as your family. Vulnerable family members include pets, children, and elderly relatives. Set house rules and boundaries. It may be necessary to ask your loved one to leave the residence if safety becomes an issue.
Create a plan if situations escalate. Those struggling with a SUD may become dangerous. They are not inherently threatening, but substance use may induce a harmful situation. It may be necessary to call friends, family, doctors, therapists, or even the police.
Restrict monetary access. Although your loved one may do or say anything to buy substances, it may be better limit access to bank accounts and credit cards. Otherwise, you may be enabling and promoting addiction.
Encourage your loved one to enter treatment.
Prioritize your self-care. The stress of living with a loved one with an active addiction can make it easy to neglect oneself. Meditate, exercise, eat right, sleep well, and make time for the things you enjoy.
You may need to join a support group, which focuses on the needs of those who have loved ones with active addictions.

Coping with Living with a Loved One During Their Recovery

After a loved one has entered rehab or abstained from using drugs or alcohol for a substantial amount of time, they are considered to be in recovery. Just because they have quit using substances does not mean they cured the addiction. Addiction is an incurable disease, but management and recovery are sustainable under the right conditions. Anyone in recovery is susceptible to relapsing or going back to using drugs or alcohol. Offer your support and build up trust with them to prevent a relapse from happening. Although it may be hard to trust a loved one who has stolen from you, physically or verbally harmed you, seeking help from a therapist may be the best thing to help you rebuild the trust your relationship needs to flourish. Encourage your loved one to talk about their feelings and their urges to use, as this can help ward off a relapse.

Looking for Help?

Living with someone with an active addiction is hard for everyone, including the person suffering from the addiction. Wanting to help your loved one treat their addiction is a natural response, but you must also take care of yourself and your family so that you are equipped to help them in their recovery. Setting boundaries is possible, and making plans for a path to recovery is attainable. Maintaining positive communication and rebuilding the lost trust is imperative for helping your loved one sustain life-long recovery. At Enlightened Solutions, we offer a safe and nurturing space for recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today a t833-801-LIVE.

Living with Depression: A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Mental Illness

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on January 28, 2020. Posted in Mental Health, Recovery. Leave a Comment

When two disorders occur at the same time, it is often called a dual diagnosis. Depending on what the two disorders are – and various factors related to the individual – recovery can include different ups and downs. Dual diagnoses can be incredibly difficult to manage if both aren’t taken into consideration – depression is quite a common occurrence amongst those who also battle with addiction, so it’s important to ensure that both get proper treatment. If you’ve been struggling with depression while working towards sobriety, please know that you’re not alone – and there is help at Enlightened Solutions for healing and restoration.

Hiding the Pain with Medication

Millions upon millions of people across the world experience depression and many don’t understand that it’s a mental illness – not their actual reality – that’s making day-to-day life so hard. It’s hard to seek out a diagnosis for depression, however, especially because it’s so hard to talk about and understand. For example, a person with depression may find it incredibly difficult to open up to their friends and family about this issue, because depression causes us to feel as though it’s our problem alone to deal with – and that only closes us off to more people who could help us.

Previous studies have explored issues like depression as it’s related to self-medication, and they’ve found that drugs like marijuana and alcohol tend to be the most common to use because they’re not viewed by society as “severe” as other drugs. Self-medication occurs when a person uses substances in order to try and mask the symptoms they’re experiencing – although this may seem to work in the meantime, the unfortunate reality is that it becomes easier than ever before to become addicted to these substances. We have a chemical in our brain called dopamine, and whenever something releases this chemical (such as food, sex, drugs, shopping, gambling, etc.), our memory stores it in place as a good one. From there, it becomes easier and easier for the brain to recollect those “feel good” memories – which can entice a person to continue using substances.

Addiction Recovery and Depression: Managing Both Disorders

Routine

Recovery is a courageous endeavor and one that could change your life for the better. There’s no particular “right way” for a person to heal, as each person has different needs that must be addressed. For those with depression, it often helps to talk and open up to people – even if one doesn’t feel like it. From there, it’s nice to create a strict schedule for navigating each day, including times to wake up, eat, and go to sleep. This helps rewire the brain to get back on track so that it’s no longer “stuck in a rut”.

Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps us to identify old, negative thought patterns, while giving us insight into how much importance we’re placing on those thoughts, and if we really need to be giving them much importance considering the effect it’s having on our happiness and health. CBT provides many people with depression the tools and resources they need to really start thinking critically about their thought patterns and what they can do to improve their current circumstances.

Nutrition/Exercise

When depression hits, it’s common to feel incredibly tired, agitated, and with too many – or too little – feelings to deal with. On top of that, substance abuse can make the situation worse, depriving us of vital nutrients through an unhealthy diet and leaving us with little – or too much – sleep. Depression festers in its own way, and some people even have difficulty maintaining proper hygiene for health and wellness. If you add all of the effects of depression plus the negative effects associated with substance abuse, it becomes a nasty cycle – and exercise can help break the cycle by relieving stress, promoting teamwork and building a sense of community.

Spirituality

Despite the way depression or detox may be causing you to feel, it’s crucial to begin working on who you are as a person. Spirituality, such as praying, meditating, and creating a strong social support network, can help us to feel as though our lives matter – because they do – and because it’s truly the mental illness causing us to feel as though we don’t.

The emotional walls we’ve put up, the way we’ve closed ourselves in, the opportunities we’ve passed, the loved ones we’ve hurt, and the substances we’ve relied on can only be healed by choosing to move forward, and spirituality can help us identify what our purpose is in life. 12-Step programs can greatly help aid in this process of discovery, especially as they help connect us more closely to God or another Higher Power.

If you’re ready to recover from addiction and depression, speak to one of our admissions experts today at 833-801-LIVE.

Using Spirituality to Combat Negative Emotions

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on January 23, 2020. Posted in 12 Step Program, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Recovery causes us to look inward – and many times, we’re faced with troubling thoughts, truths, and understandings of the world that make it hard to breathe. Detoxification is one of the first and hardest hurdles to get through in addiction recovery, and it’s because it’s a major change; the physical and emotional ups and downs associated with addiction recovery can cause anyone to want to curse the world at times, and self-pity can even begin to seep in if you feel like your entire world has shifted. When this happens, it’s easy to blame others, God, and situations for happening to you. Depression can even appear every now and then, especially as we wish that we could simply “snap” our fingers and life would settle into place. Of course, it’s never that easy – and through these challenging situations, it’s time to turn towards spirituality for ultimate healing.

Taking Responsibility For the Past

In the past, researchers have explored the way that addiction recovery impacts a person both physically and mentally – major changes, such as with sobriety, can cause a person to experience symptoms of withdrawal. Regret, anger, and deep sadness can occur, and we may even find self-loathing to will itself into existence; we ask ourselves, “how could we have ever let things get this bad?” While these concerns seem very real, it’s important to remember that while we can’t change the past, we can change the present in an effort to change the future.

Addiction is a disease that takes over the mind, body, and spirit. There are a million fingers that could be pointed for how and why addiction has occurred in your life, but that wouldn’t help you move forward; now is the time to step up and embrace recovery. One of the most powerful ways you can do this is by building up not only your emotional and physical health but by working on building your spiritual side as well.

How Spirituality Fits into Recovery

12-Step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, have long covered the topic of spirituality and have helped many people build stronger connections with God. Spirituality opens up our horizons and gives us the space to change our perspectives on ourselves and our lives – and that is when we tend to see some truly transformational experiences occur. Spirituality is felt within the heart and throughout the body, and it’s a major factor for sobriety; the connection that we build with a Higher Power constantly reminds us that as human beings, we’re bound to make mistakes – but by taking responsibility for our actions and understanding that we can’t control every aspect of life, those seemingly challenging situations suddenly become easier to navigate.

Spirituality truly helps us to focus on the bigger picture that is life, rather than ourselves. 12-Step programs (such as AA or NA) embrace spirituality by guiding people through a series of steps that ultimately help them learn more about themselves and their connection with God, or a Higher Power. While addiction pulls us away from the things that matter most – such as family, friends, happiness, mental health and physical wellness, career aspirations, hobbies and interests, education and so much more, spirituality reels us back in and reminds us of these things. For those who’ve battled with addiction recovery for several years, this feeling of being spiritual can uplift their spirits and cause them to gain an entirely new, wondrous perspective on life – and issues that used to appear so big and concerning now are considered so small in the grand scheme of things.

Pushing Past Negativity

Anger and numbness are common feelings for those in recovery, especially at the beginning as they’re trying to find their way. Hope and faith in a brighter future, however, are two aspects of spirituality that involve relying on a Higher Power to ensure that everything gets taken care of – because we can’t control everything, even if we’d like to. Hope is so powerful, as it’s what helps us continue trying and moving forward despite what may be bringing us down. Faith is what helps us rely on a Higher Power – it brings us humility and moves us away from the egotistical self. Anger and depression weigh us down – hope and faith lift us up.

Previous studies have explored the notion of faith, and they’ve found that those who have more faith in their sobriety goals tend to be less depressed and frustrated. Rather than dwelling on the idea that they could fail, fall short of their goals or experience hurdles along the way, these individuals have faith that everything will be okay – and in doing so, they inherently make their lives more positive in nature.

If you’re ready to pursue a path of sobriety, spirituality, and healing, speak with one of our admissions experts today at 833-801-LIVE.

Tennis Champion Creates a Healthcare App

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on October 18, 2019. Posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery. Leave a Comment

In 1993, it seemed that Murphy Jenson was on top of the world when he won the French Open Doubles Championship. The truth is that even drug addiction can occur to championship athletes who acquire trophies and fans. Murphy Jensen used his experience with drug abuse to create an app to help others who share the same struggle.

The Risk Factors Leading to Addiction

Jenson attended the University of Southern California on a tennis scholarship. He was feeling out of place at that school where he felt he did not measure up. He felt that by taking drugs, he would be more confident. Jensen also told the Tennis Channel that he was also not prepared for the attention that he received after winning the French Open Doubles Championship such as the parties and nightclubs. He was given a $150,000 check and had no idea what to do with it since he was all alone. Once he spent money on drinking, Jensen felt like he could not stop. His heavy drug use would lead to Jensen missing tennis matches.

Murphy Jensen’s Treatment Strategy

Jensen first went to treatment in the mid-1990s recommended by a therapist. Because he was scared of being discovered that he was in therapy and felt he would hurt others by telling them he had a problem, Jensen did not complete the program. After the 1999 US Open in Los Angeles, Jensen underwent detox and was admitted to outpatient sober living for a year while traveling on tour. Jensen then participated in 12 step programs and life got better.

Murphy Jensen’s Relapse

Unfortunately, in 2004, Jensen relapsed. During the 2006 French Open, Jensen was feeling like he was physically and mentally dying from and without drugs and alcohol. It was through that relapse that Jensen realized that treatment needed to be his top priority. He did not know the severity of his situation and understood that he needed to be all in. Ever since June 6th, 2006, Jensen’s obsession with drugs and alcohol has never returned. His recovery program includes support group meetings 3-4 times a week and therapist checkups. Jensen has decided to dedicate his life to abstinence from drugs and alcohol as well as helping others with the same struggle.

Murphy Jensen’s Regrets

Jensen wished that if he could go back when he was still struggling with addiction, he would change his way of thinking about substance abuse and recovery. He would, at first, hate himself for his addiction and felt like it was the worst thing that could have happened to him. Instead, Jensen takes all of the hardships and struggles from his addiction and uses that to be the best person he could be. By helping others with addiction, he feels like he is showing the world how far he has come.

Murphy Jensen’s Advice for Those with Substance Abuse

Jensen believes that he got well because of his willingness, surrender, and service to helping others. He feels no shame telling his story and would prefer to do that compared to just simply giving advice. Jensen feels that he is willing to take direction and let others help him as he knows he will always need it. He also feels that the more he surrenders to his temptations, the more he wins. By living service to others, Jensen is living a life beyond his dreams.

WeConnect Health

Five years ago, Jensen and Daniella Tudor co-founded WeConnect Health which is a technology company designed to prevent relapse from substance abuse. With the app, you can schedule routines to stay on track for recovery. You will get gentle reminders, rewards for completing recovery activities, and a GPS verification for routine locations. You can also receive support from your recovery team and will better stay connected through the app. You can also earn gift cards as rewards for the tasks you complete as studies show that sticking to a routine will increase your chances of having a successful recovery.

What We Can Learn From Jensen’s Story

Jensen’s story teaches us that addiction is not new or uncommon. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that 130 people die every day from drug overdose. That addiction is a brain disease with relapse being one of the side effects. It does not make you weak or immoral if you need to seek treatment for it. Jensen also felt fear, guilt, and isolation if anyone were to discover his drug addiction. These are very familiar feelings that those with substance abuse tackle all the time and make recovery much harder to seek.

It is also important to know that drug treatment is available and effective. Just because one method of treatment does not work does not mean another will not. Some feel they can get by on medications and others benefit from behavioral therapies and support groups. You can also do a combination of practices. The important thing is to do what is best for you and your physical and mental health. Jensen also developed a connection to peers in recovery, his therapists, his family and members of the tennis community. Hiding your drug addiction will not make it go away, but it will stay inside you and continue to grow. By following Jensen’s example, this will give you the courage to break the stigma and be able to help others accomplish everything that you have done during your recovery.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A Nurse’s Story of Addiction Recovery

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on September 16, 2019. Posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery. Leave a Comment

Having an addiction while working in the medical industry can increase your chances of your addiction growing worse. You are constantly surrounded by painkillers and other drugs intended to help patients, but also present the temptation of giving you a feeling of euphoria. The true story below of a nurse who went into recovery can provide hope to others in the medical field who may be struggling with addiction.

The Start of a Nurse’s Addiction

A nurse who calls herself Samantha had been a nurse for two years before her substance abuse began. After starting with pills, she moved to an intravenous opiate since it was a stronger medication. She felt that her medical knowledge would protect her from any danger. The first time she took a controlled substance home from the hospital was an accident. Samantha found a leftover amount of IV pain medication in her pocket. She put the medication in her medicine cabinet with no clue what to do with it. She kept the medicine for a week before taking an insulin needle and injecting herself with the medicine out of curiosity. As the medication hit her bloodstream, Samantha felt like all of her pain was disappearing. This was just the beginning.

Addiction in the Medical Field

Because the population of those in the medical field who abuse drugs are the same as the general population, according to Carrie Kappel, RN of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, more is done at hospitals to create preventative measures for addiction among hospital workers. Most hospitals require fingerprint scanning and codes to gain access to medications from a Pyxis machine, where there are usually cameras. A second nurse is supposed to witness and sign off that the appropriate amount of medication was drawn up and any excessive medications were discarded.

The problem is that nursing stations can be understaffed, meaning they may not always have the available time or personnel to have someone on standby to watch this protocol from beginning to end. Medical professionals also find their way around protocol by giving their patients smaller doses of medication than what has been ordered, enabling them to save the remainder for themselves. Because substances are well-controlled and monitored, someone would have to do something deceptive, illegal, or inappropriate for medication access.

Caught in the Act

Samantha continued her substance abuse while on the job for years at two different hospitals in two different states before getting caught. A nursing colleague who was suspicious of her alerted her nurse manager and opened an investigation against her. Before the investigation was completed, Samantha resigned, but the Board of Nursing was still notified. Samantha was allowed to keep her license under a number of conditions, but she ultimately decided to give it up. Because Samantha was struggling with depression, she did not feel like it was worth it to pay expensive fees for treatment in order to keep her license. Despite everything, Samantha was never subjected to random drug tests.

The Importance of Random Drug Testing

Most hospitals test potential staff before hiring them, but those individuals are typically clean at the time. There is a lot to consider with random drug testing, like who you are testing (and why), when it will be done, and how much it will be. It may be a complicated issue, as any susceptibility of a staff member’s drug use leads to investigations into patient records to ensure that no harm has been done. This takes time and money, and requires access to private files. For these reasons, many medical professionals feel it makes sense to do testing only when there is a reason to. However, Samantha believes random drug testing can be beneficial for the patients and may uncover potential drug abuse earlier on. She argues that service members are required to be tested for the safety of our country, so the same needs to be said for hospital staff.

Treatment Access

There are many hospital healthcare systems that have wellness programs to help staff who have substance abuse problems. Hospital staff first need to admit that they have a problem. There is an ongoing threat of losing their license and ability to practice if they reveal their addiction. Even if they do get help, they do not like the idea of being closely monitored. This was Samantha’s greatest fear—she had grown up in a poor area, gone through college, and ultimately made the majority of friends at her workplace. She did not want to destroy everything she had worked so hard for.

Samantha noticed that management did not care if staff members had a disease like diabetes that affected their work performance, but individuals with an addiction or a mental illness did not receive the same type of treatment. Removing the stigma of addiction is the best way to help hospital staff feel comfortable about admitting they have a problem. Staff may be more likely to come forward if hospitals were able to remove the threat of revoking their license.

How Samantha Is Now

Several years after losing her license, Samantha is now sober and embarking on a new career path. She got married, had a child, learned how to function in her everyday life, and is now happily working in the corporate world. Samantha is still in the process of forgiving herself for her past mistakes and rebuilding her self-esteem. In addition to shedding light on some things that need to be improved in the hospital setting regarding addiction, Samantha’s story can help others learn to never give up on trying to rebuild themselves.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12-step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us today at 833-801-LIVE. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A Promising New Treatment for Video Game Addiction

Written by cbrandt@enlightenedsolutions.com on September 2, 2019. Posted in Addiction Recovery, treatment. Leave a Comment

Last September, the World Health Organization added gaming disorder to the list of recognized diseases. Despite this, people still disagree that obsessively playing video games would be an addiction compared to drugs and alcohol. A recent study in Germany conducted a new form of treatment with 70% of its subjects falling into remission, showing that there is hope in helping control their video gaming habits before it takes over their life.

The Dangerous Effects of Video Gaming Addiction

Video gaming addiction is no joke—making video games your number one priority when you get out of bed can lead to serious consequences. You can deal with academic failure if playing video games takes priority over studying or writing papers for school. You can also suffer from financial ruin if you are spending too much money buying games, the equipment used for the games, or in-game purchases to improve your chances of winning. Your loved ones may also begin to feel left out as you isolate yourself from them and the world.

Additionally, there are physical symptoms associated with gaming addiction like carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, severe headaches, backaches, lack of sleep, not taking showers, or skipping meals. You could also develop depression or anxiety, as preferring to live as your avatar can lead to low self-esteem. The withdrawal symptoms are also very real, including mood swings, irritability, upset stomach, gaming fantasies, or boredom (since video games previously took up most of the day).

The Goal of the Study

If video gaming addiction is recognized as a true disorder, then thousands of people will be able to get themselves help. There have been past studies in regards to video game addiction, but there have only been small sample sizes or no control groups. Kai W. Müller, one of the authors of the study, said he wanted to avoid the types of problems—small and large—that past studies have made. He wanted to let people know that loving to play video games does not necessarily constitute an addiction. However, we still have to take people who are addicted to video games seriously and accept that they are in need of help. It is not about abstaining from video games, but to control their behavior with computers, the internet, and games.

Müller and his co-authors conducted this study from 2012 to 2017 in four outpatient clinics in Germany and Austria. The research was conducted on 143 men who were divided into two groups. 72 of them received treatment and 71 would act as the control group. Then, a modified form of cognitive-behavioral therapy was used that consisted of 15 weekly group sessions and eight two-week individual sessions. This form of therapy is about analyzing and adjusting your own thoughts. To better control the study, subjects who used psychiatric drugs and were not on drugs as part of the treatment were excluded.

What Happened in the Study

The study started with an inventory of the patient’s characteristics that are believed to contribute to the development and maintenance of this gaming disorder. Using the scores from the Assessment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction survey, subjects were judged on 14 criteria including frequency of activity, video game preoccupation, withdrawal symptoms, and a loss of interest in other activities. Video game addiction was a score greater than 13 and remission was a score less than seven.

There were three phases in the study—education, intervention, and transition. Patients would be educated on their addiction as well as the effects. Patients also kept a diary of their video game triggers such as how they felt before a long gaming session and then learning to redirect that energy. This could mean enhancing how the patient reacts under stress, social skills, and understanding those emotional responses. By understanding them, you can create alternative explanations and reactions.

The Results of the Study

When treatment was over, patients showed lower addiction symptoms like withdrawal and time spent online, as well as improved social, work, and daily functions. Patients also had an overall lower rate of depression with no important differences between the two groups. Only a small number of people became more depressed and had to be transferred to an inpatient facility.

Limitation of the Study

As promising as this study was, it was not without its limitations. For example, the study was conducted exclusively on men. This was initially because it was said that men represented 90% of patients treated or diagnosed in outpatient facilities for video game addiction. The researchers later realized that it is only fair to represent both sexes in future clinical trials. Müller also feels that while women do get help for video gaming addiction, they do not seek treatment at rehab clinics—they find alternative forms of therapy for their problem instead of seeking addiction-related health care systems.

Despite this limitation, this study shows that effective treatment does not rely solely on drugs and staying away from video games. Quitting video games cold turkey will only lead to the same withdrawal symptoms that you experience with drug withdrawal. By using cognitive behavioral therapy to learn more about your addiction and changing your thought patterns, you should be able to transition to a typical life that does not revolve around video games.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12-step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE today. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tag: Addiction Recovery