Treatment Archives - Page 20 of 31 - Enlightened Solutions

These Everyday Recovery Mistakes Could Be Blocking The Flow Of Your Heart Chakra

Written by enlightened solutions on April 6, 2018. Posted in Addiction, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Located in the chest region of the body, the heart chakra is the fourth chakra and is identified with the color green. Our chakras are energy channels or energy wheels which contribute to the way we keep up with the flow of life. Each chakra has meanings attached to it. When our chakras are blocked, those different meanings and functions in our lives become dysfunctional. The heart chakra is associated with love, primarily, as well as understanding, receiving emotions, and releasing emotions. A blocked heart chakra is like a blocked gate to the rest of the world. Recovery teaches us how to be vulnerable and open ourselves up to receiving everything the flow of the universe has to offer us. Everyday recovery and spirituality mistakes cut us off from that flow because they block our heart chakra. By letting our ego and our attachments get in the way, we allow what was to prevent what could be.

For example, we might be ruminating on the past and what cannot be controlled in the past. Our obsession with the emotional pain associated with bad memories of past traumas puts us into a state of overthinking. Overthinking the past and the pain associated with the past shuts our heart chakra down. Instead of focusing on healing, we are reliving the painful past which triggers our old programming and defense mechanisms- in particular, closing off our heart to any potential new pain. Resentments and grudges like these block our ability to be open to potential experiences and learn how to manage pain we might encounter. As a result, we live in fear instead of on a foundation of faith in our capabilities. Overwhelmed and compartmentalized, we suppress our emotions in order to avoid the pain we are bringing up and to avoid the pain of shutting our heart off to life. We live in fear of pain and develop a high level of stress as every single thing in our world becomes more of a threat to our triggers. Frightened, we isolate. Desperate, we cling to unhealthy situations and relationships which perpetuate this cycle.

Until we recognize, or a holistic healer recognizes for us, that our heart chakra is blocked, we might ignorantly continue in these catastrophic habits. We must first identify our behaviors and realize their association to the heart chakra before we can work to clear the heart chakra. Clearing the heart chakra goes two ways. One, is that we must work to open the heart chakra in order to shift all of the detrimental behaviors. Second, is that we must work to shift all of the detrimental behaviors in order to open the heart chakra. The symbiosis takes time and dedication. Once we are open to our lives again, the healing is imminent.

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 (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.

A Lack Of Natural Light Could Be Contributing To Depression

Written by enlightened solutions on April 5, 2018. Posted in Alternative Therapy, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

“O, Sunlight!” writes author Roman Payne, “The most precious gold to be found on Earth.” Sunlight is a necessity to the survival of our being and most other species on the planet. We need the sunlight for power in our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Think of an indoor house plant. Typically indoor house plants fall somewhere on the scale between one of two extremes. Either indoor house plants need a plentitude of sunlight or it needs a minimal amount of sunlight. No matter the amount of sunlight, the plants need sunlight- just like human beings. We need sunlight for Vitamin D, for our health and wellness, and for our circadian rhythm. Too much sunlight or too little sunlight can be damaging to the body. Recent research has found that there is a severe deficiency of sunlight in people’s lives. People who are lacking in natural light and are taking in too much artificial light might be at higher risk for depression.

There are arguments to whether sleeping with light or no light is better for the body’s circadian rhythm. Camping is a great reset for sleep patterns because there are hardly any artificial light sources in the wilderness. Everyday life at home, whether that be in an urban or suburban environment, includes a lot of exposure to artificial lighting, especially during sleeping hours. A study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology conducted in Japan found that light disturbances during sleep can increase the risk of depression. Anything from an outside street lamp, to the glow of a digital screens, to a digital clock, could be interrupting the brain’s natural circadian rhythm and contributing to depression.

Over 900 individuals were used for the study and had their sleep patterns examined. Some participants slept in a room with 5 lux or more of artificial light at night and others slept in a room completely sealed in darkness. Those who had artificial light in their room were at a higher risk of depression than those who did not. IFL Science notes that “10 lux is a single candle from 0.3 meters (1 foot) away,” emphasizing that the amount of light which could contribute to depression is incredibly small.

Other research has found that exposure to primarily artificial lighting throughout the day hurts the brain, as does over exposing the brain to the blue light behind digital screens. Moreover, more exposure to natural light helps with the sleep pattern, giving the brain the proper kind of stimulation instead of stimulation caused by artificial lighting.

Natural Ways To Treat Depression And Anxiety At Home

Written by enlightened solutions on April 3, 2018. Posted in Alternative Therapy, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Part of the reason we choose to go to treatment is because we are no longer capable of taking care of ourselves on a daily basis. The way we have adapted to living our lives with active addiction and secondary mental health conditions is not sufficient in the way that we need it to be. Our curriculum at treatment will be customized to our specific co-occurring disorders, meaning our substance use disorder and whatever mental health issues we may also be facing. Anxiety, depression, as well as bipolar, which can include symptoms of both anxiety and depression, are some of the most common mental health disorders co-occurring with addiction. During the course of treatment, we learn critical life skills for handling, regulating, and managing our mental health at home. Treatment doesn’t last forever. When we graduate and transition back into our independent lives, the rubber meets the road, as it is said. We put our education and training into practice in order to treat our anxiety and depression at home.

Treating anxiety and depression naturally is more a matter of lifestyle than specific treatments. Holistic living is focused on incorporating activities and practices throughout the day which benefit mind, body, and spirit. Anxiety and depression affect all three areas concurrently. Lifestyle changes which support holistic wellness are living treatments for both anxiety and depression.

Get enough sleep: Sleep affects everything about our day. Depression and anxiety can include ruminating thoughts, restless bodies, and disrupted sleep. Good sleep hygiene should include a full 6-8 hours of deep sleep.
Exercise for 20-30 minutes a day minimum: Exercise is a proven treatment technique for reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Endorphins produced by exercise are feel good brain chemicals which stimulate other good feelings. Any kind of movement will do for at least 20-30 minutes.
Eat right for your brain: The brain needs nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids to function well. Eat right for your brain by eating foods which provide health vitamins, nutrients, and fats to the brain instead of chemicals and sugars. Food is medicine. What you eat is how you will feel.
Mindfulness and meditation: Various studies have found that mindfulness and meditation can put symptoms of depression into remission. All you need is 5 minutes of focused mindfulness and meditation a day to feel the benefits.
Spend time in nature: Research has found that just looking at pictures and videos of nature can reduce stress as well as improve feelings of wellbeing. Getting into natural sunlight can help produce emotion regulating Vitamin D. Being around green space or blue space helps reset our nervous system, sending calm throughout our being.

Take natural supplements: Nature is full of medicine in all of its plants and flowers. A variety of natural supplements, including essential oils like lavender, can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. From tinctures and pills to teas and oils, there are many ways to bring the benefits of nature from outside to inside.

Anxiety Lives In The Body As Well As The Mind

Written by enlightened solutions on March 30, 2018. Posted in Healthy Living, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Anxiety can cause muscle tension, which can wear down on the body overtime. There is a reason we seek out therapeutic treatments and practices which help us stretch out and relax our muscles. Muscles are not supposed to be tense all the time. Massage therapists let us know which areas of our body are too tense as an indicator of what we should pay more attention to. Likely, we tense up specific areas of our body as a response to stress. Muscular stress can be caused by anxiety as stress hormones produced by the fight or flight response coarse through the body.

Stress caused by anxiety can manifest in different ways other than the muscles. For example, the skin. People mistakenly believe that skin conditions are a reflection of diet and hygiene. Sometimes this is true. Other times, acne is a manifestation of unacknowledged or unregulated anxiety. Acne can also be a disorder of its own.

Acne can develop as a result of poor sleep, which is a common symptom of anxiety. Anxiety makes sleeping difficult when it keeps the brain up with ruminating thoughts. If the body is tense for most of the day due to anxiety, it will have a hard time fully releasing in order to fall into a deep, restful sleep. Lacking in sleep weighs on the nerves. If nerves are already pressured by anxiety, a lack of sleep worsens the situation.

When anxiety cannot find anywhere to go or manifest, it can come out through unhealthy behaviors. Anxiety is a leading mental health disorder in the United States, affecting more than 18 million adults a year. Many adults are ill-equipped to handle their anxiety so they turn to self harming behaviors instead. Anxiety is highly co-occurring with alcoholism and drug addiction. People turn to drugs and alcohol to numb their anxiety, help them escape their anxious mind, or create so much extra energy that the anxiety finally has somewhere to go.

If you are seeking transformation and looking for a dual-diagnosis treatment, our facility’s amazing program could be the answer you’ve been searching for! Enlightened Solutions offers a clinical, holistic and 12-step approach for the addiction recovery process. For more information call today: 844-234-LIVE.

Anger Management Is Hidden In These Everyday Activities: Part Two

Written by enlightened solutions on March 29, 2018. Posted in Healthy Living, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Recovery is a holistic process, meaning that we have to tend to our minds, our bodies, and our spirits in order to stay sober. Emotions are a holistic experience that we have every single day. We most often believe that emotions only live in the mind. Yet, we describe emotions as feelings, frequently as physical feelings. Emotions manifest in the body as much as the mind. Just like we live a holistic lifestyle to honor our sobriety, we live a holistic lifestyle to honor our emotional experiences, like anger. In our previous blog we discussed how getting better sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet can lead to better anger management. Here, we’ll look at two more everyday activities where anger management is hidden in plain sight: exercise and meditation.

You’ll manage your anger better if you exercise more often

“A smile is one workout away!” professional trainers and athletes often quip charismatically. There is some science behind their claim. Exercise can produce endorphins which are feel-good happy hormones produced in the brain. Engaging in exercise means engaging the mind and the body at once. Anger can be all consuming. Thankfully, so can exercise. We can use our angry energy toward our exercise. Anger can be part of the fight or flight response and produce stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol as a result. We feel hot, heated, energetic, and fired up when we’re angry because our survival mechanism is activating in order for us to take action. Exercise expels our energy and helps us regulate stress in our mind. We are less prone to angry outbursts when we are consistently engaging our body in holistic activities which create momentum and peace.

You’ll manage your anger better if you meditate

Meditation is a scientifically proven spiritual practice for stress management. Anger is a reaction of stress, among many other things. Just five minutes of meditation a day has been shown to reverse the impact of inflammation caused by stress. Additionally, daily meditation helps the brain grow grey matter and synapses, ripe for obtaining and storing more knowledge. We feel less stressed, more calm, and more in touch with our feelings when we practice meditation. As a result, anger can no longer take control over us the way it once did.

Anger Management Is Hidden In These Everyday Activities: Part One

Written by enlightened solutions on March 28, 2018. Posted in Healthy Living, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Anger is as much a natural response as it is a choice. Through treatment and recovery, we learn that our emotions are choices. Anger isn’t something that happens to us. We can choose to lessen our anger by regulating and managing it in other areas of our life. There are four everyday activities which can help us manage our anger. Here we discuss two of them. Look to our next blog for the other two daily activities which can help us better manage our anger.

You’ll manage your anger better if you get good sleep

We can sleep many hours of the night but not sleep restfully. Few things are as frustrating as waking up after a night of poor or little sleep. Sleep is critical to emotional regulation and balance. Our bodies and our minds need to rest for at least six hours and as many as ten hours a night in order to function at their highest capacity. The effect of sleep on mood is no more evident than in toddlers and young children who rely on naps. Young children need naps in order to keep themselves regulated. When a young child misses their nap time, or keeps themselves awake to avoid their nap time, they become emotionally exasperated. Temper tantrums, flowing tears, and other signs of exhaustion go on dramatic display as a result. Adults are not much different. With too much of too little sleep, adults are prone to the same emotional imbalance created by the same need: a good nap and some good sleep.

You’ll manage your anger better if you eat a healthy balanced diet

Research into gut health and the microbiome suggests that our mood and emotional state might be directed more by our stomach than our mind. We are, quite literally, what we eat. What we eat dictates how we feel. Feeding our bodies and minds with junk means we will probably feel like junk. We don’t pour sweet sticky juice into an engine which needs lubricated gears to grind. Our brains are complex machines which need the right vitamins and nutrients to function properly. The food we eat matters in helping our brains run smoothly. Look to foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains as better options for your diet.
If you are seeking transformation and looking for a dual-diagnosis treatment, our facility’s amazing program could be the answer you’ve been searching for! Enlightened Solutions offers a clinical, holistic and 12-step approach for the addiction recovery process. For more information call today: 844-234-LIVE.

Why You Should Do The Twelve Steps: Part Two

Written by enlightened solutions on March 27, 2018. Posted in 12 Step Program, Addiction. Leave a Comment

Previously we discussed three reasons why you should do the twelve steps when you are seeking sobriety in your life after addiction. The twelve steps are one of the longest standing programs for alcoholics and addicts to find recovery. All of modern day treatment is inspired by and founded on many of the principles and philosophies originally laid out by the authors of Alcoholics Anonymous and creators of the twelve step program.

You have some free time on your hands: Addiction takes up more time than we realize. After getting sober, we find ourselves with a lot of free time on our hands. We might be in a treatment program, living in a sober living, or trying to do recovery on our own. Either way, there are hours in the day we simply haven’t had before. Doing something productive with our time is essential to staving off cravings and obsessive thinking which can lead to relapse in the early stages of recovery. What better way to fill your time than trying something new, spending time with an experienced person of recovery, and learning new strategies for staying sober?

Its worked for millions of people around the world: Alcoholics and addicts are quick to make an argument. A common argument against working the twelve steps is “What if it doesn’t work for me?”. Before the modern treatment model we know today existed, the twelve step program of Alcoholics Anonymous is all that people had for helping them recover. As of 2012, more than one million copies of Alcoholics Anonymous, affectionately called “The Big Book” have been distributed in English. The book is also available in 67 languages around the world. What that means is people of all different colors, languages, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, find support from the twelve steps. It works for people because they work the steps.

The program has been unchanged for almost 80 years: Alcoholics Anonymous was published in 1939, but the program of Alcoholics Anonymous was around long before the book was published. Since the book’s publication nearly 80 years ago hardly any changes have been made. No changes have ever been made to the twelve steps. What that means is that the same book and the same program has worked for millions of people around the world, generation and generation over. When one trendy diet works for a few thousand people at best, everybody wants a piece of it. The twelve steps have so far stood the test of time.

Why You Should Do The Twelve Steps: Part One

Written by enlightened solutions on March 26, 2018. Posted in 12 Step Program, Addiction. Leave a Comment

The twelve steps of anonymous groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are world famous. Since the 1930s, the twelve step program has served millions around the world. Here are three reasons why you should do the twelve steps and embrace twelve step culture as part of your recovery:

Why not? If you have hit “bottom” in your addiction or alcoholism, you’re looking for a way back up. Before there was “rehab” and treatment options like there are today, men and women were sent to hospitals, “health farms” and mental wards. It wasn’t until the twelve steps were created that a widespread solution for unstoppable alcoholism was available. People come up with all kinds of arguments as to why they don’t want to do the twelve steps. When you have nothing left to lose other than your sobriety date, there is no reason not to do the twelve steps. Take a few weeks to a few months out of your life and dedicate some of that time to working with a sponsor. See what happens next.

Nothing else has worked: “Here are some of the methods we have tried” reads “The Big Book”, Alcoholics Anonymous before listing a number of attempts alcoholics have made to manage and control their drinking. Addicts and alcoholics can go to great lengths to try and quit on their own before turning to something like the twelve steps which has proven to be successful. Doing the twelve steps is a matter of being willing to try something you haven’t tried yet. If you want what the people in AA meetings have, you are ready to take certain steps– twelve of them.

Your treatment program requires it: Many treatment programs, like the ones we offer at Enlightened Recovery Solutions, are twelve step based or heavily influenced by the twelve step program. During your time in treatment, your program may require you to go to meetings, find a sponsor, and work the twelve steps before you graduate. The twelve steps are not a clinical practice or therapy treatment. Doing the twelve steps can act as a supplement to your treatment program. Being part of a twelve step program is a fantastic way to structure your life and your time after treatment.

What If I Want To Break Up With My Sponsor?

Written by enlightened solutions on March 23, 2018. Posted in 12 Step Program, Alcoholism, QA. Leave a Comment

A sponsor is a volunteer position. People who offer sponsorship in twelve step programs are not professionals. They are neither therapists nor counselors in this position, though they may be licensed in life outside ‘the program’. Sponsors are volunteers who have completed the twelve steps and who have maintained sobriety consistently for a long period of time. You do not sign a contract with a sponsor and you are not obligated to them in your relationship with them in any way. The primary purpose of your relationship with your sponsor is twofold. First, they are to successfully guide you through the twelve steps and help advise you on staying sober. Second, they are to equip you with the tools you need to guide another individual through the steps so you can become someone else’s sponsor. Once you have completed the steps with your sponsor, there is no need to continue a close relationship with them, according to the original format of Alcoholics Anonymous. Many people maintain a relationship with their sponsor for years, doing the steps with them repeatedly, and seeking advice from them when needed. Sponsors can offer accountability, insight, and guidance from their experience and wisdom gained through their years in the program.

Sponsors are, however, just people. Moreover, sponsors are addicts and alcoholics in recovery, meaning they are still prone to their imperfections and character deficits. There may come a time when your relationship with your sponsor no longer serves you and you are ready to move on. Mistakenly, people refer to this as “breaking up” with your sponsor, which automatically creates an assumption of guilt. There is nothing to feel guilty about if you decide to move onto another sponsor. Unless, that is, you do it in a disrespectful way.

What to say to your sponsor

You want to arrange a time to talk, either on the phone or in person. Sponsors tend to be keen on when someone they are sponsoring is going to transition out of the relationship. Let them know that you are grateful for the time and energy they willingly gave to you. Describe to them the difference they have made in your life and what you have learned from them. Express your gratitude for the experience of your relationship. Then simply let them know it is your wish to move on and continue your recovery. When you see them at meetings, be friendly and cordial, always be grateful, and never feel that you have to be ashamed of moving on from that relationship.

Grounding Techniques For Spring

Written by enlightened solutions on March 22, 2018. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Healthy Living. Leave a Comment

Grounding is a practice for connecting to the earth. The earth is beneath us all the time. Yet, when we are bustling through our lives, on floors, in cars, wearing shoes, we can forget that the earth is right there waiting to connect with us. Grounding helps us cut through the distractions of everyday life and connect to our natural selves by connecting to planet earth.

Get into a garden

Connecting with the earth directly is the best way to practice grounding. Dirt has energy. Digging your hands in the soil and working with the subtle miracles of nature, like planting seeds or pulling up a harvest, is being involved with the cycle of life. Nothing brings you back down to earth like getting tangibly involved with the earth. Springtime is primetime for gardening. Winter crops are blossoming. Spring flowers are blooming. If spring is coming late, there is still an opportunity to plant for late spring or summer crops. Even if there is still snow on the ground, you can tend to a garden. When temperatures are subzero, build a garden insight. Growing your own herbs and tomatoes is easy to do indoors as is keeping flowers and plants.

Walk around barefoot

On those warmer days when winter is transitioning into spring, take off your shoes and socks. Connecting to the earth through your feet is connecting to an ancient practice. Our ancestors didn’t have shoes, sidewalks, or modern living. They were completely connected to and dependent upon the earth. An efficient way to get grounded is to just connect your feet to the ground, whatever kind of ground it is. You’ll find that your energy shifts, your nervous system relaxes, and your spine even settles differently.

Take a hike

Depending on how much rain there has been through the winter, wildflowers could start to appear as early as march. Local hikes offer you a glimpse of the beautiful changing of the seasons. Seedlings and small flowers peek through the frozen ground, triumphant in their metamorphosis despite winter conditions. Though your feet aren’t touching the ground, you’re surrounded by nature which instantly helps you ground. Breathe in the fresh air and take in the elements. All of it is connected to you in this very moment.

Tag: Treatment