Recovery Archives - Page 28 of 35 - Enlightened Solutions

Letting Go of Materialism

Written by enlightened solutions on November 16, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Recovery. Leave a Comment

In society today, we have access to a massive amount of material goods. Materialism has taken a large space in the lives of people almost everywhere in the world. One could say though, that the more accumulated, the more miserable the person. When people with addiction problems find shopping to be an easy escape, it’s because there’s a need to fill an empty void that lingers subconsciously. When an addict feels the compulsion to buy things, an underlying uncomfortable feeling has been triggered. Shopping addiction is a real psychiatric disorder going back to the early nineteenth century. There are consequences of these purchases and even though shopping addicts know better, it happens anyway. Similarly to alcoholism, the addict had already relapsed in their mind before it had actually taken place.

Impulsively spending money on unnecessary objects has been proven to only provide happiness for a small period of time. The addict will many times find themselves in tight spots when it could have been prevented. Credit card debt piles up and soon enough, shopping addicts resort to filing for bankruptcy. This madness can be contained by simply feeling the pain and difficulty that life has to offer. The idea that pain is bad, leads people to avoid it at any cost. In actuality, those who handle their pain by understanding and processing through will find that they are free to live without obsessing about something shiny and new. Being courageous to walk through the pain will always have its benefits in the long term. It’s not easy, but neither is dealing with creditors.

Being in denial about spending too much money on material objects is how things can get out of control, fast. Acceptance is always the first step in the right direction. Once the healing has begun, the addict will be able to see what they had been missing for so long. A gratitude list is always suggested to get a grasp on reality. Decluttering the addicts like will be an eye-opening experience. Purging unwanted stuff, and still feeling happy is a true transformation of a shopping addict. It can be easy to swap one addiction for another, which is why this is common in early sobriety. To continue down a spiritual path will always result in appreciation created by God, and not sweat shops with children working for low wages.

If you are looking to simplify your life and become less stressed, Enlightened Solutions is for you. Our partial program will allow for a spiritual transformation into enlightenment. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs in New Jersey.

Embracing Mood Acceptance

Written by enlightened solutions on November 15, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

In recovery, the measurement of happy, joyous and free is provided to gauge the quality of sobriety. This can be especially true after physical sobriety is established and the addict has had sufficient opportunity to grow from the steps. It is important to temper this perspective with the perspective of living life on life’s terms.

Many of those who discover themselves in the life-or-death crossroads of choosing a life on spiritual terms or choosing a path of institutions, jail or death, are prone to avoiding emotional presence. Addicts are known for using substances as a vehicle for altering their emotional state, especially when concerning “negative” emotions like anger and sadness. A holistic perspective invites consideration that life on life’s terms means living with a full emotional range.

Emotional sobriety can be different things for different people, so the way that one addict in recovery relates to negative emotions will ultimately look different in a recovered state than another. For example, if in addiction, one person had a tendency to fully embrace a victim perspective about themselves and life in general, then in recovery, their actions in sobriety may be to put less attention on negative emotions than they are experiencing. Alternatively, another person may have tended to be more of the holding-it-all-together-everything’s-fine variety, the actions in recovery may be taking sometime to be with the difficult emotions.

Being mindful that these descriptions tell the story of two extremes on a continuum, be aware that is normal for the pendulum to swing as your life begins to transform. As the journey of emotional sobriety begins, the way that you experience negative emotions may be opposite of how you once were. Over time, emotional expression will include the range between these states. Emotions become a living response to the present moment and are no longer experienced as a habituated response to life.

When you are newly embracing negative emotions as an aspect of living a full and vital life, be reminded that these experiences become the gifts of wisdom that will expand your service capacity to others.

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and/or mental health, know that there is hope. There is a solution. Harmoniously fusing together the best elements of clinical care, holistic healing, and 12-step philosophy, Enlightened Solutions has created a program of total transformation for men and women seeking recovery. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs in New Jersey.

Art Therapy to Help Express Feelings

Written by enlightened solutions on November 14, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Treatment centers all over the world use art therapy in treatment centers geared towards addiction. Patients who come into treatment, sometimes feel this kind of therapy isn’t going to work for them. This can be partially due to their control issues. Those who are used to serious work environments, find this to be a humbling experience. Let’s be real, who really has time for this when there are other most important matters at hand? That’s the kind of thinking that can become overwhelming and lead to constant anxiety. This is the patient that should be encouraged to needs to slow down and ground themselves. Recovering patient must stay open-minded throughout the process in order to receive the benefits. It’s only a small portion of a lifespan, and the alcoholic should be encouraged to take it all in, for a second chance at life.

Each patient expresses themselves differently. Sometimes the alcoholic is defiant against art therapy but gains most out of it. It can be a very enlightening for alcoholics or it can be felt like a waste of time. Either way, the story of the addict, is often that they had never really fit in with others. Those who have a hard time talking about feelings can use art to relate the message through art therapy. Some patients will even have break-throughs. Seeing the visual outcome of each project gives insight into what is going on, what isn’t being said in ordinary therapy sessions. Patients who struggle with perfectionism should not focus as much on the presentation, as what the process felt like while creating the piece. The therapist is trained to help read what the patient is trying to let out, whether they’re trying to or not.

While working on the various art projects assigned, the mind of the alcoholic will be less likely to obsess on other topics that don’t serve them anymore. It’s a learned process to change the way the mind thinks. Each day patients working on trauma will be able to use art therapy as a meditative technique. Clearing the mind is powerful to encourage the feelings that had been stuffed down for years, come to the surface. Treatment facilities such as Enlightened Solutions, offer a safe environment to freely express feelings and emotions.This is when the healing can begin.

If you are looking to transform your life and begin to heal, Enlightened Solution’s therapist give patients the ability to express feelings in different ways. The solution is here in New Jersey for real growth in our holistic, dual diagnosis program. For more questions call 833-801-5483.

The Spiritual Program of the 12 Steps

Written by enlightened solutions on November 13, 2017. Posted in 12 Step Program, Addiction. Leave a Comment

Many people enter recovery, only after colliding with an experience so challenging, that they become willing to consider a new way of life. This experience is commonly called a “bottom”. Despite having reached new lows in their life, they still desire to place bounds around what their recovery does and does not include. Often, those boundaries involve the desire to live without embracing a spiritual life.

Many people arrive to 12 Step programs insisting on recovery without ‘the spiritual part of the program.’ They do not yet understand that the entire program is spiritual. On the surface, it appears that some aspects, like fellowship and service, do not require an active spirituality. Once intimacy with these aspects is experienced, it is apparent that these are also spiritual in nature.

Fellowship, experienced in many ways, includes a lifestyle of maintaining close relationships with people in recovery. As with all relationships, conflict arises and a crossroads is faced. The invitation to choose unity with our fellows over whatever indignity is extended. This crossroads is the same that is faced in the bottom – do we choose the pattern that feels comfortable in the moment or do we choose the path of action that enables longevity for both our own and AA’s well-being?

Service, at its core, is the journey of taking another addict through the 12 Steps which is called sponsorship. The point of the 12 steps is to have a spiritual awakening sufficient to produce a psychic change. This is the only means by which an addict will become and remain sober. Since the service involved in the 12 Steps is about facilitating a spiritual awakening for another sufferer, it is imperative that this experience can be sourced from within. It is thereby impossible to deliver on the 12th Step without participating in the spiritual ‘part’ of the program.

There are other kinds of service in the recovery program that do not involve sponsorship and are seemingly free from direct spirituality. However, there is an imperative to participate in sponsorship to maintain recovery as only one alcoholic talking to another. It can also be said that other types of service, the sacrifice of self to be in service to another or to the collective is an inherently spiritual expression.

Letting Go of Controlling Behavior

Written by enlightened solutions on November 10, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Manipulative behavior is common amongst addicts still trying to control everyone around. This normally means that the addict is not spiritually fit with the soul. When the addict becomes aware of this, there is a better chance at holding a strong connection with God. When the addict lacks a connection, it’s not uncommon for he/she to try and take control over most, if not all situations in life. There is a large spectrum where an addicts might fall, which is why this can seem like a bit of a generalization of this group. Unfortunately, the more an addict tries to manage an out of control lifestyle, the less likely they are to succeed in sobriety. There must be acceptance of the unmanageability created by addictive substances. As you would imagine, it not as easy as it sounds, and it takes time.

Having boundaries put in place helps with communication and comfortability in all areas of life. For example, when a family member will not listen to direction given by parents or siblings, perhaps it’s time to stop with the unsolicited advice. It’s not someone else’s job to manage another person’s affairs. Another example, many people do not want to talk about finances, and that’s their right that should be respected with a boundary. People in relationships find themselves micromanaging their significant other’s life, and this is not healthy behavior. Each person deserves the right to make their own decisions. Letting go of control for an addict takes time and practice. Admitting defeat to the disease is the first step.

Once the fog begins to clear after detoxing, other issues or character defects will arise. The addict must start looking at resentments differently. Our treatment center will make recommendations and if an addict is truly willing to do what it takes to stay sober, they will follow suit. This isn’t to say that all addicts have to do every single thing suggested or else they will fail, but it’s more of a probability that the addict builds the strong foundation needed to protect their sobriety. Learning how to let things go, will give the alcoholic a new freedom. Giving over all power to a higher power is relieving and comforting. No matter what anyone says, life is going to happen how it’s supposed to happen. It’s God’s world, and we’re just living in it.

Learning about boundaries is a tool Enlightened Solutions will cover in our partial treatment program for addiction and co-occurring disorders. We encourage placing healthy boundaries for healthy relationships and self-care. For more information, please call: 833-801-5483.

Neuroscience of Spirituality

Written by enlightened solutions on November 9, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Alternative Therapy. Leave a Comment

To many who start the recovery process and lifestyle, the news that it involves a spiritual awakening is bad news. There is an assumption that the beloved relationship with science and facts must be forsaken for the healing of self-destructive addiction. For these people, the neuroscience of spirituality is wonderful news!

The neuroscience of spirituality, also named Spiritual Intelligence (SI), is a powerful framework for the recovering person’s process of awakening. SI is the journey of deepening consciousness or awareness of self. This transcendence is rooted in the science of the brain. 3 types of spiritual intelligence can be defined:

Emotional intelligence (EI) which lives on the right side of the brain
Intellectual intelligence (IQ) which lives on the left side of the brain and
Spiritual intelligence (SQ) which is a layer of matter circling the right and left sides of the brain

This is exciting news as people are usually identified as either “right-brained” indicating a more creative person or “left-brained” indicating a more logical or scientific-minded person.

Recovery is the journey of ceasing physical addiction, changing daily life behaviors and the evolving consciousness that stems from the integration of those changes. While this journey of raised consciousness has been accepted in recovery circles for decades, the neuroscience of spirituality is now scientific evidence that this is occurring.

The primary theory validating this experience is called Integrated Information Theory (IIT). IIT is the explanation that our brain takes information inputs from the external world via all three intelligence pathways and brings them together in one holistic experience. The inputs are received and integrated. It is the interpretation of these streams of information as one unified experience that generates consciousness.

Since the information being gathered is a mix of objective, clearly defined information and subjective, undefined information that is cooked into one integrated spiritual experience, the outputs generated by varied people with unique life experiences will vary greatly. It is this reason that the wisdom of AA’s original teaching, A God of His Own Understanding, continues to save lives today. The effectiveness of allowing each person have their own conception of a higher power is validated by this scientific theory.

Self-Love is the Solution

Written by enlightened solutions on November 8, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Self-love is the solution true happiness. There are many ways one can express themselves through self-love. Self-love is expressed in a variety of ways that each have their own special impact on how life can be interpreted. The act of being mindful of one’s surroundings places an appreciation for what is really going on around with the body and soul. Addicts struggle with this while in the disease and that’s a realization discovered once all substances exit the body. Listening to the body is will encourage the addict to take proper care of its vital needs. This includes nourishing the body with essential nutrients. Getting enough exercise keeps the body moving throughout the years. Stimulating the mind by activities such reading will keep it functioning like a well-oiled machine.

The concept of self-love is both selfish and selfless. Genuinely caring about other’s needs and having compassion, is regarded to be a factor of staying sane. It is not ideal to be selfish in a way that is narcissistic. For example, being of service will actually help with self-esteem. On the inside, an average person’s heart will feel full. While in the disease of addiction, the addict has let his/her mind take over control. The mind’s powerful voice disregards others, for its own selfish needs. This turns out to be miserable because the addict’s mind can never reach satisfaction. In our world today having compassion for others serves the addict in a ways that keeps sobriety intact. Therefore, learning about how to help out the surrounding community is an act of self-love in itself.

Projecting negative thoughts onto oneself is never a good idea. Addicts in the disease have the tendency to have depressing thoughts while lacking hope for the future. After the addict has safely quit drinking or using, there must be some kind of change in thought pattern. Degrading or putting oneself down, can lead to a sad, lonely life. God did not put us on earth to fail. Addicts should take sobriety and run with it in all directions. The addict should begin to say nice words about themselves such as affirmations or prayers. Manifesting wonderful futures as well as praying for the good of others is self-love that most find it hard to see while in and out of the disease. It’s okay to start small with a gratitude list, some volunteer work, or starting to rid the body of all toxins. Self-love is crucial to living life to the fullest, All recovering addicts must embrace this sooner than later. Share the love!

Enlightened Solutions encourages patients to practice self-love in all areas of life. Our wellness and nutrition groups enhance patient’s life skills in always staying in the solution. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs in New Jersey.

Trauma Blocks the Flow of the Present

Written by enlightened solutions on November 7, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Trauma is an effect of an experience that overwhelms an individual’s emotional system from processing and releasing the experience itself. Beyond this, in the healing community there is a vast range of definitions for both trauma itself and what substantiates formal diagnosis of lasting trauma. The trauma-informed approach is to base this diagnosis on the subjective definitions of the person experiencing trauma.

Lasting trauma is commonly thought to be the result of severe experiences, such as rape, natural disaster, or combat service, to name only a few. Yet, many people experience the ongoing effects of trauma from less severe experiences. For the creation of healthy communities, it is valuable to acknowledge all of these experiences as traumatic. Any person experiencing untreated self-defined trauma is imprisoned in the past, even if the experience is not externally justified to have lasting effects.

Trauma has the effect dividing a person’s life between the present moment and this past traumatic experience. The two primary ways that the interference of trauma expresses are triggers and filters. Triggers are cued by present-day experiences, sometimes seemingly unrelated, to relive the originating event. This time-traveling by the sufferer will split the attention available for the present moment as these traumatic memories, mental, emotional or body, continue running in the background of daily life.

Filters caused by trauma bring a false theme into a person’s interpretation of life. For example, a person with untreated trauma resulting from sexual violence may experience most men as potential perpetrators. Or the person with untreated combat trauma may orient in relationships from a combative position. These filters alter engagement with life by passing through a falsifying lens, affecting their perception of themselves and all of life that surrounds them. The effects also take form in external life as they influence life with actions stemming from these filters.

Being on a pathway to living our purpose requires that we live fully in the present. Trauma significantly limits our ability to do this. It is critical that if someone is suffering from trauma originating from any event, perceived or actual, receives the treatment necessary to fully bring them back into the present. To do anything less would be a great societal harm as this person’s unique gift in living will not be actualized.

Ways to Stay Grounded

Written by enlightened solutions on November 6, 2017. Posted in Mental Health, Recovery. Leave a Comment

In today’s fast-paced world, we aren’t allowed to take our sweet time. There are coffee shops on every corner and the conception that the more productivity the more successful. This may be true to a certain extent. However, it’s always important to stop and smell the roses. The goal is to work towards staying grounded. This is a good practice when a person is overwhelmed with life’s stressors.

Upon waking, take some at least five minutes for meditation. Sitting with God, asking for guidance will show to be a game changer. It’s recommended to take time for yoga or some kind of exercise that helps clear the mind. Going for a run outside or a hike is especially valuable for being amongst mother nature.

Another way to stay grounded is to eat well. That absolutely does not mean counting calories or any crazy fad diets. People forget that food helps in the healing process. The nutrients found in whole organic, non-processed foods help aid in keeping the body going throughout the day. Being mindful with food is a way of listening to the body, how it feels, and what it needs most. What it doesn’t need is processed, high sugar diets slowing it down. This might be hard at first, but eating for the nutrients will change anyone’s relationship with food for the better.

A major issue swallowing up this and new generations to come is the connectivity to electronic devices. This is unfortunate, given that one should strive to connect with themselves, and the earth. The earth does so much and works so hard to be able to sustain life. When there is respect for the planet, a person will feel more at peace with their actions. Appreciating the earth and mother nature is a key component in becoming less self-absorbed.

The intuition is always there, willing to help guide whenever it is listened to. Intuitive thoughts cannot be heard if the mind is running the show. Being aware of the bodies chakras and find the root of any problem will help clear the vessel connecting God, the body, and the earth. Taking care of our bodies shows it the respect it deserves. This is a form of self-love which is linked to living a healthy, well-rounded life on earth. Human beings must attempt to become grounded if there will be any hope to cope with life’s daily struggles with grace and dignity.

Enlightened Solutions encourages patients to grow from their trauma and come out stronger on the other end with peace and serenity. Staying free of drugs and alcohol can give addicts a new look at life’s surrounding beauty. Call us in New Jersey today: 833-801-5483.

Seeing Depression as a Deep Emotional Awakening

Written by enlightened solutions on November 2, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery. Leave a Comment

The way that depression is experienced is influenced by the way that it is defined. For many, depression is considered a static state. Depression is on or depression is off. Sometimes this may be true, but often, depression is more like a dimmer light switch. Depression is slowly turned on and is slowly turned back off. The way that we related to it when it is slightly on is different than the relating that happens when it is at full throttle.

When depression knocks on the door of life, it is time to adjust the way that we are living. It can begin as a slight numbness. In fact, if one is not living in a daily relationship with their emotional world, depression may stealthily slip in unnoticed. If depression is notice at an early stage, actions may be taken to enliven the spirit. If the early beckoning goes unnoticed, depression will begin to call our names louder, like a mother from the 80s calling a child home to the porch from a neighborhood bike ride. Depression will make sure that you have heard its call. Until responded to, it will continue deepen its hold until you are listening.

Being hunted by depression is painful and exhausting – the running and hiding, only to inevitably surrender. Depression simply wants to offer you an opportunity to evolve in life. In the same way that depression can slowly set in, it is often a slow process to find relief from depression. It involves taking daily actions that allow the healing process to begin. It is the daily consistency of these actions that moves you back out of depression. The consistent, daily practices needed to produce freedom from depression cultivates one of depression’s greatest gifts, patience. With the expansion of patience, you become a person who perseveres. As patience, perseverance and daily mindfulness through practices are integrated in you, you have a heightened awareness the next time the fog of numbness rolls in. Although you have momentarily lost your sense of sight in this fog, you trust the strength of your other senses to guide you through it as you take immediate action.

Another potential outcome that a journey with depression fosters is the determination to live more attuned to your daily emotional state. It can begin by simply pausing several times a day and asking the internal self: what do I feel? What do I need? These questions will amend the conditions that beckon depression.

Tag: Recovery