Sobriety Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Enlightened Solutions

Alcohol-Induced Blackouts

Written by enlightened solutions on January 5, 2018. Posted in Alcoholism, Drugs & Alcohol. Leave a Comment

Blackouts were once associated with alcoholism but can happen when a person drinks a lot of alcohol too fast. Blackouts cause long-term damage. High levels of alcohol impair the part of the brain that forms new memories. A blackout is characterized by amnesia during intoxication. A person does not forget what happened when he or she has a blackout because the memories never existed.

When a person passes out, he or she loses consciousness and cannot wake up. An individual who has alcohol-poisoning can pass out or blackout. Passing out and blackouts result in negative consequences, but blackouts cause long-term damage.

Not everyone who drinks rapidly and excessively will have a blackout. Some people are more susceptible to alcohol-induced memory impairment. Many people with alcoholism experience blackouts in the early part of addiction. Alcohol poisoning and blackouts are very harmful and lead to serious mental and physical impairment.

If a person experiences a blackout once, he or she is at risk of having more blackouts. Most people who consume large amounts of alcohol will develop memory problems and brain damage. A person can have a genetic predisposition to blackouts. His or her family members might have trouble with alcohol or alcoholism.

Chronic heavy drinkers have significant memory issues and their brains can deteriorate. Teens who blackout from drinking alcohol incur long-term, irreversible damage. Excessive drinking leads to severe memory problems. A person who drinks alcohol and the people around him or her do not realize the person is blacking out. Some individuals who drink alcohol engage in risky and dangerous behaviors and cannot remember the next day.

During a blackout, the memory storage process shuts down. Blackouts are caused by a chemical disruption in the brain’s hippocampus, which is where memories are developed. Alcohol interferes with the receptors that carry signals to that part of the brain and disrupts the memory-making process. A person who experiences a blackout can still have the ability to maintain language and motor skills, but his or her brain loses the capability to form new memories.

Blackouts are dangerous because when a person is drunk, he or she is at risk of making poor decisions such as driving or having unprotected sex. Over time, heavy drinking can damage vital organs. Excessive drinking causes liver failure, a heart attack, and severe brain damage. If you or someone you know experienced an alcohol-induced blackout, get help before the problem becomes an addiction.

If your drinking has become a problem, don’t let the problem worsen. The best move to make for recovery from alcohol abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs.

8 Tips to Safely Quit Alcohol

Written by enlightened solutions on January 4, 2018. Posted in Alcoholism, Drugs & Alcohol. Leave a Comment

Excessive alcohol use can lead to harmful mental and physical changes in the body. Over time, the alcohol takes control of the brain’s normal functions and creates a physical dependency. When a person drinks alcohol, neurotransmitters release dopamine, which causes him or her to experience temporary euphoric feelings. A person should never detox on his or her own. Quitting alcohol cold turkey is not safe and not recommended.

There are ways to safely quit alcohol. A medical professional can supervise the detox process and administer medication if needed. Sometimes people who have an alcohol addiction will go through very uncomfortable withdrawals. The body craves more alcohol and the brain is tricked into thinking it needs the alcohol to function. Medication-assisted detox helps to subdue any of the intense cravings while in detox.

Each person can go through a different experience with alcohol addiction so each treatment varies. Some people may need short-term treatment, which lasts about 30 days, while others might require long-term treatment lasting 90 days or more. Every treatment option depends on the duration and amount of alcohol used and the person’s physical and mental health.

Here are 8 tips to safely quit alcohol:

Acknowledge your drinking is a problem and that you need to make lifestyle changes. Go to a medical professional who can help you through detox and find the right treatment program. Do not try to detox on your own.
Get help from a professional to evaluate your mental health. Most addictions are linked to underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Tell family and friends about your plans to live substance-free. When they know your plans to avoid alcohol, they will be less likely to encourage your drinking.
Avoid triggers that could lead to relapse. Stay away from old friends who you would drink with and any places that may remind you of drinking alcohol.
Attend group meetings and meet other people in the group. Learn from others and share your experience. Find new friends in group meetings.
Discover new healthy activities and hobbies to keep busy. Adjusting to a new, sober life can be very difficult. Occupy your time with things to avoid thinking about alcohol.
Keep a journal. Going through detox and treatment will be hard work. Write down your accomplishments in a journal so you can reflect on your success when times are challenging.
Work on rebuilding relationships. Mending relationships takes time. Talk to your loved ones and rebuild any broken trust.

When quitting alcohol is done safely, a person can enjoy the benefits of living a healthy, sober life in recovery.

4 Ways to Stay Clean and Sober

Written by enlightened solutions on January 3, 2018. Posted in Recovery, Sober Living. Leave a Comment

After treatment, you need to make a lot of adjustments and lifestyle changes for recovery. There will be many challenges that put you at high risk for relapse. Plan a strategy in advance to avoid difficult situations that may tempt you to use.

Here are 4 ways to stay clean and sober:

Join support groups. Keep going to group therapy and support groups during recovery. Many people in these groups are going through the same thing as you. Develop friendships with clean and sober friends who you can call when you feel like you might relapse.

Avoid triggers.

To remain clean and sober you need to identify your triggers and avoid them. This includes any old friends who are associated with your using drugs or abusing alcohol. There might be certain places that remind you of your times using. Stay away from those places. Things can remind you of using such as commercials or programs linked to using or drinking. When you cannot avoid triggers, call on a clean, sober friend who can talk to you to keep your mind from thinking about using.

Exercise.

A great way to stay clean and sober is to put exercise into your daily routine. Exercising will take care of you physically and mentally and is a great healthy activity to participate in.

Keep a journal.

By writing down your feelings, you can reflect on your success and see how your lifestyle has changed. Writing keeps the mind active and you will have less time to think about using drugs or alcohol.

Stay active with interests and hobbies.

Find new activities that interest you such as walking, joining a gym, participating in a book club, playing sports, or you might be creative and join an art class.

Discover activities to keep you busy. Make sure the time you once spent abusing substances is filled with fun, healthy hobbies. This will help you stay clean and sober. Talk to new friends in support groups when you are feeling tempted to use. Rebuild damaged relationships with family and friends. The lifestyle changes will take a lot of time, but you will be able to stay clean and sober and have fun!

If your substance abuse has become a problem, don’t let the problem worsen. The best move to make for recovery from drug abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs.

Stay Away From Trigger Drinks

Written by enlightened solutions on December 29, 2017. Posted in Alcoholism, Sober Living. Leave a Comment

Those with the disease of addiction have many habits that must be broken to move forward in recovery. There may be the need to pick up a non-alcoholic beverage that acts as the replacement to fill the void. This might work at first, but eventually, the void needs to get filled with love and acceptance. However, the mind of addiction has been chemically altered to prioritize drugs and alcohol. As a result, addiction can seemingly sneak around corners to pounce on those with addiction or alcoholism at vulnerable moment. The addicted mind will quickly rationalize and justify an excuse to fall into old behaviors. Those in recovery are suggested to stay away from any practice that gives off any similar feelings which portray old obsessions- namely, self-sabotaging behaviors.

There are beverages such as non-alcoholic beers and wines, which some might find to be a safe option. Although these beverage choices might work for some people, experimenting with them is not recommended. The very action of pouring a glass of beer or wine can be a trigger for the addicted mind. Even if the substance itself doesn’t give the same reaction, the mind begins to act as if it does. This can be the start to a mental or a subconscious relapse- meaning, the brain begins the process of obsessing and craving. If anyone in recovery finds a desire for a faux cocktail, it might be a good time to look at what’s really going on inside. This behavior is too risky in early recovery. Its likely that if this is avoided, there would be less of an urge to partake later in sobriety. Kicking this ritual to the curb will be better in the long run couple possibly give the person more of a chance at staying sober.

Drinks containing 0.5% alcohol are considered to many, to be non-alcoholic. Beverages such as kombucha, have been taken off of shelves and put back on with a 21 and over age limit label- due to this specific alcoholic content. All legalities aside, if there is any trace of alcohol at all in any drink, those with addiction will want to stay away. Any action that allows for the people to act as if they are engaging in addictive behavior can lead to relapse if that person is not well enough equipped to act without relapse.

Enlightened Solutions clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach to addiction can help you! If you are ready to take back your life and understand the root of the cause of addiction don’t waste any more time. Call today for more information: 833-801-5483.

Relapse vs. Slip

Written by enlightened solutions on December 19, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Sober Living. Leave a Comment

The road to recovery will always be a bumpy ride. This is true whether or not the person with addiction or alcoholism has relapses and/or slips during the way. Sobriety is a way of life and there must have a daily reprieve to practice abstinence. Otherwise, the mind will tell people that they can participate in disrupting addictive behavior. When there is vigilance about this fact of life, the likelihood of falling into old patterns will become less and less. Good news is that there are many ways those with addictive personalities can prevent this. It’s important to understand that relapse will be set into motion long before the action has taken place.

When people with addiction and/alcoholism are able to remain sober without using the tools of prevention, it is considered to be a “dry drunk” period of time. This means the mind is essentially still in the disease. The mind still wants to numb itself but cannot. This is not a pleasant way to live life, and it can be quite miserable. The disease of addiction, also sometimes considered the disease of the mind. When the tools are being utilizing at first but then begin to fade the addiction has the ability to swoop in and hijack sobriety.

Old habits and thoughts begin to arise and this is when the subconscious begins to relapse. It’s only a matter of time until the person with addiction and/or alcoholism picks up again. Having said that, it is entirely possible to come back from this moment of weakness and continue down the right path again.

The incidents in which someone is strong in sobriety becomes triggered and has a slip. A slip doesn’t have the period of previously relapsing in the mind and it seems to come out of nowhere. Unlike a relapse, the person can pick up the pieces right away and get back on the right track. Whereas with a relapse, it’s common for there to be a struggle in accepting the disease once again.

Relapses and slips have different consequences for each person. Some might have a slip and receive a DUI, while there may be a relapse that surfaces without a scratch. The fact is, no one knows what might happen once a person with addiction and/or alcoholism give into temptation. Therefore, there must always be a strong willingness to use the tools of prevention to live sober.

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and/or mental health, Enlightened Solution’s partial program is waiting to help you. Our clinical, holistic, and 12-step approach reaches each individual’s body, mind, and soul. For more information please call today: 833-801-5483.

Intending Sobriety

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

The power of setting an intention is immeasurable. Sobriety must always remain the first priority for those with addiction and all else that truly matters will be there when the time is right. Many things are replaceable in life, but family and life itself is not. When a person is ready to get help, the first intention will be set into action. There must be a look into the devastating effects the disease had over life’s unmanageable circumstances. Over time the disease of addiction takes and takes and there might seem like there is no hope for a bright future. Entering treatment and genuinely wanting to change gives patients the opportunity to work on this intention through many forms of therapy.

Each day patients spend sober, the more empowering it is to live life without unhealthy behaviors. The sober mind is allowed to set goals and find passions that had been covered up by the dark energy. This shows to be a natural high and through a connection with a higher power, it is possible to attain. It is suggested to say affirmations, mantras, prayers and to sit in meditation to find the guidance of which step to take next. Letting go of the traumas of the past will pave the way for the bodies chakras to generate true love with the universe.

Treatment is a safe place for the cleansing process of substance addiction and beginning the healing process of recovery. The bodies holistic space had always been there and it’s possible to clear it’s vessel once again. Once a person with addiction and/or alcoholism begins down a path to recovery, sobriety is only the first intention out of many to come. Some people have visions for themselves such as families, jobs, and happiness. Anything is possible if there is the willingness to work the solution of sobriety. Letting the intuition open the doors to a new freedom will give back lost hope. By redirecting the minds negative talk to positive, people will find themselves feeling better inside and out.

Enlightened Solutions partial program offers guidance of the body, mind, and soul. If you are looking to move forward from the past and find peace, the time is now. Letting go of addictive substances and traumas will give you the strength you need to live a life of beauty and serenity. Call for more information today: 833-801-5483.

Setting Energetic Boundaries

Written by enlightened solutions on November 17, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Alternative Therapy. Leave a Comment

Once physical recovery is established, it is time to begin the pathway to emotional and spiritual recovery. It is challenging to effect change on these planes of healing before physical sobriety is established. Once it is established, it is essential to take actions to create both emotional healing and spiritual awakening in order to sustain recovery over time.

Emotional sobriety is discovered in the process of examining and transforming one’s relationship with control. When the addict is engaging with control, this is called ‘being the director’ of all of life. The releasing of this orientation is named ‘living life on life’s terms’. These two phrases are used to identify two states, demonstrating when an addict has taken back the control of their life from their higher power and when they have surrendered it back to their higher power.

Both of these expressions highlight the journey of emotional sobriety discovered through the exploration of boundaries. They allow us to learn where our lives end and where others begin. Through them, we learn to stay on our side of the street. Honoring both sides of the median, there is also this place of overlap between you and others. Energetic tools are some techniques to expand personal capacity to relinquish control in the the overlap space so that you are able to be of service. Some tools follow:

The egg visualization: this is the process of seeing or feeling an egg-shaped circular sphere that surrounds your field. As this space is shared with others, envision it as a permeable substance. It can be explored by filling it up with soft, colored light when extra cleansing is needed.
Rose bridge between hearts: allow the vision of a bridge made of rose petals that extends from the space of your heart to the heart of the other. Imagine a river of energy in the color green from one end of the bridge to the other.
Paint brushing: creating a paintbrush in your imagination that paints in clouds to cloud-paint the space of your field and the field of the person you are being of service to. Rather than engaging the field to protect, you are now engaging the field to bolster the sense of unity.
Breathwork: explore the power of the breath matched with mantra. Perhaps inhaling ‘thy will’, exhaling ‘my will’. Allow yourself to creatively explore mantras that enliven your sense of connection to God.

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.

The Gift of Sobriety

Written by enlightened solutions on October 25, 2017. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Recovery. Leave a Comment

When an alcoholic admits there is a problem, there may be an initial grieving period. Alcohol and drugs and had become a friends, confidants, and now must be taken away. As time goes on that same now recovering alcoholic might have a completely different outlook on the day they quit drinking. If an addict had reached a point of unbearable destruction in all areas in life, sobriety might be the only option. Becoming sober for the sake of a job or parents, children, boyfriends/girlfriends, and so on, doesn’t work the same as it does when the addict quits for themselves. If the alcoholic truly wants sobriety, they will be willing to do whatever it takes. Although this might seem like a daunting task, the rewards are immeasurable to anything else.

The slogan “we will love you until you love yourself” is meant for those who come into recovery with sadness and despair. Many addicts have found themselves with a variety of disorders that must now be addressed. Those with depression and anxiety will find themselves possibly growing out these as their sobriety strengthens. Those with disorders on the higher end of the spectrum will have to accept that sobriety means complying with a psychiatric diagnosis. Taking medication is just as important to staying sober, as it is to quit drinking and/or using. Often times the alcoholic will drink if they stop taking prescribed medication or if the addict decides to drink, they will likewise stop the medication. Dual-diagnosis is common and should always be taken seriously.

Once the treatment team, the alcoholics support, and the alcoholic are on the same page, the alcoholic’s journey can begin. The addict who shows complete cooperation and stays open-minded will benefit the most out of treatment. The addict that wants to live bad enough will put sobriety first. It must be well aware that the disease of addiction will kill anyone in its path. Choosing sobriety is choosing to live, choosing to be a mother or father, choosing to serve others in ways that would never happen if the addiction continued. Life is a gift, and life is beautiful. While in the disease, it’s easy to become pessimistic about all aspects of life and that is a miserable existence. The gift of sobriety is special, and those who see this, become grateful to be an addict in recovery. If there were no darkness there would no light.

Our clinical, holistic and 12 step approach at Enlightened Solutions gives addicts the opportunity to see their life in a new positive light. If you feel like you need to take your life back please don’t hesitate to call now: 833-801-5483.

Living Sober

Written by enlightened solutions on September 20, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Drugs & Alcohol. Leave a Comment

Sobriety is a new world to those who find their way into it. Living life without substances is unimaginable to many addicts. They arrive at this life that they are unprepared for and the concept of a blank canvas comes suddenly alive.

In the early days of recovery, living sober is often about living in opposition to the way you once lived. It is sometimes spoken in terms of avoiding people, places and things that you used to engage with and is often said that you must change everything to find a way of living sober. This is true for many people as their old lifestyles become triggers for their substances use by virtue of habit. So, success in breaking the habit of addiction, often means surrendering to letting many aspects of our lives also change.

There is a crossroads in how this level of dramatic change can be oriented to: it can be viewed as a devastating loss or it can be viewed as a creative opportunity. Sometimes, it may be a process to shift from one perspective to another. The truth is that living sober and change many of the significant elements of your life truly does give you a creative opportunity to re-craft your life in the image that you desire.

In some cases, people give up certain experiences and relationships temporarily while they build the foundation of their recovery. It is later an important part of their recovery to rejoin these elements and explore how to relate to them differently. In other cases, some people will commit to not doing any of the activities they did in their using life, ever. The way that addiction overtakes the lives of different individuals is vastly different, so these different expressions of sober life are all valid.

One key practice to a successful sober life is to learn from others who have restructured their life successfully. Find others who have a life that you would like to emulate and ask them to guide you. Similarly, when you have arrived at this place of a truly sober life, be willing to share your experience as to make the journey more accessible to those behind you on the path.

Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a harmonious approach to holistic treatment, bringing together the best of evidence-based, alternative, and 12-step therapies. Call us today for information on our transformation programs of treatment for addiction and alcoholism: 833-801-5483.

11 Changes You Experience When You Stay Sober

Written by enlightened solutions on February 22, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Drugs & Alcohol, Recovery, Sober Living. Leave a Comment

In the beginning it can feel as though nothing is going to change. With time, you’ll notice everything about you has changed and it’s all changed for the better.

You Manage Your Thoughts And Feelings

You’re no longer ruled by your every whim and whimsy. Depression, anxiety, cravings, and more are manageable to you now because you’ve put in the work to understand your own mind. Through meditation and practicing cognitive behavioral therapy you’ve learned to detach from your thoughts and free yourself from the bondages of your mind.

You Can Give Yourself Credit

Recovery has boosted your sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Today, you are aware of the good things you do and the good things about you. You can look on your life with healthy pride. More importantly, you have a lot of humility in understanding how far you’ve come and how hard you’ve worked to get to where you are today.

You Make Emotional Choices

Therapy and treatment has taught you that it isn’t about what happens to you but how you react to it. Your reactions are completely within your control. Not every day is going to be perfect and thankfully neither are you. When you set your mind to experiencing the day a certain way, you do. You decide what effects you, how much it affects you, and the way in which it does. Emotionally empowered!

You Live In The Present Moment

Anxiety over the future is fleeting and ruminating on the past doesn’t happen as often. Prayer, meditation, and mindfulness are all tools you use to help stay in the present moment- awake, alive, aware, and grateful.

You Have Quality Friends

The people around you are dedicated to something positive in their lives and constantly work to better themselves. Every now and then you find yourself in astonishment as to just how cool your friends are today and how lucky you are to have them. They’re lucky to have you, too!

You Stop To Smell The Roses

Life is full of wonder and awe for you today. You’re able to notice the little things without sweating them and take life for all that it is. After years of darkness, you live fully in the light and you wouldn’t trade it for another drink or drug.

You Have Goals

Staying sober, one day at a time is still your daily goal. Now that you’ve been in recovery for some time, you’re setting your sights a little higher. Going back to school, traveling, getting a job, advancing your career- you’re setting goals and crushing them.

We know there’s a better life for you waiting on the other side of addiction. Let Enlightened Solutions show you the way. Through holistic healing, clinical treatment, and creative arts, supported by 12 step philosophy, our treatment program will help you heal and change into the amazing person you are. For more information call 833-801-5483 today.

Tag: Sobriety