The Power Of Holistic Addiction Recovery

Drugs and alcohol are bad for the body and mind alike. Most people know someone who has suffered from drug addiction. It is a terrible disease that affects everyone involved, especially the family. Luckily, there are many unique ways to overcome drug addiction. There is no shortage of advice and assistance when it comes to bettering yourself. It is crucial that every addict chooses a recovery path that works for them. Many of the complicated twelve-step programs are simply protocol. Holistic addiction recovery methods have proven to be very effective when battling alcohol or drug problems. People who use holistic treatment methods are likely to remain clean and drug free long afterwards as long as they continue to work on themselves consistently over time.

Holistic Treatment Methods For The Mind And Body

Many rehabilitation clinics will focus on one aspect of addiction. Oftentimes they will treat rehabilitation as a casual counseling session. Psychology certainly plays a role in drug addiction, but there are several other elements that must be factored into the recovery process. For instance, addicts create physical addictions to the substances that they abuse. The problem may have begun with a psychological issue, but the physical body needs treatment as well. A holistic recovery method focuses on every single aspect of the addiction. The mind, body and even social situation of the addict are all taken into account.

What Goes Into The Holistic Approach?

Because the holistic method focuses on such a wide variety of problems, the activities involved require much dedication and willpower. For instance, yoga is a wonderful practice that is often used as a holistic treatment. Yoga requires physical and mental strength, but it also helps to build such strengths. There is no better way to exercise the body and the mind as one coordinated unit.

Diet is another important aspect of holistic healing. Eating the right foods can change and heal the body in impressive ways. Just as drugs and alcohol will damage the body, a healthy diet will restore the organs and improve the mood of anyone looking to recover.

Spiritual counseling will help the addict and the family get to the root of the addiction problem. Many addictive personalities are formed due to psychological problems or difficulties at home. Therapy is an effective way to learn more about yourself and your loved ones. It is important to be honest and open in order to solve the problems in your life.

Family therapy may also be used to maintain motivation. Quitting drugs and alcohol is a hundred times more difficult when you feel that you are all alone. Most people are not alone. In fact, many families suffer greatly when someone they love becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. Family members are often willing to help their loved ones. Family therapy sessions are not about casting blame. An addiction is a serious problem. It takes a lot of work and a lot of love to rise above it.

The Road To Recovery

Family is important, but every addict must make the decision for themselves. Being an addict is like being enslaved by drugs and alcohol. Free yourself and start your holistic treatment today.

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Support Before Rehab

If your loved one is not in any type of rehab program yet, the best step to take is to educate yourself on the particular addiction. This has several advantages. First, you get the proper information you need to help your friend or family member. You can’t assist in a recovery if you don’t know what it is or how it affects your loved one. A simple statement of, “You need help” won’t be effective. So educate yourself.

A second advantage of educating yourself about your loved one’s addiction is demonstrating to your loved one that you care. You’re showing them that you are taking time out of your life to become familiar with the addiction because you do love and care for them. Actions speak louder than words, and taking the initiative to learn about the addiction will prove to your friend or family member that you are serious about helping them with recovery.

Support During Rehab

When your loved one is in rehab, especially in-patient rehab, the best thing you can do for them is to stay in touch. Don’t let them think you’ve forgotten about them because they’ve gone away for help.

Rehab centers like Prominence Treatment Center offer programs that allow loved ones to be hands on with the recovery process. To this end, we host visiting periods and conduct group therapy sessions. Not all rehab centers offer this, but there are ways to stay in touch, especially if you don’t live near the rehab center.

Simple phone calls and emails are incredibility helpful. You’re reinforcing your love for the patient and demonstrating an interest in them. Your emails, as simple as you might think they are, give the recovering addict a break from their daily treatment. Just hearing about something else helps help’s them refresh and stay focused on treatment.

Support After Rehab

When your loved one leaves a rehab program, the recovery process is still not done. In fact, your job may be more crucial now than when the patient was in rehab.

Help your loved one stay sober by setting a good example. You might not have a deep addiction to drugs, but you shouldn’t participate in drug use in front of a recovering friend. Stay sober with them to promote this new lifestyle.

A common tactic to prevent a drug relapse is to find a new hobby. Join your friend in a sober hobby. Take an interest. This could be as simple as joining a hiking club, or more complex like taking French lessons. Whatever the activity may be, it’s extremely helpful for a friend to participate in it with the recovering addict.

Lastly, you can help the recovering addict stay sober by reducing stress in their life.  Stress can be a major trigger for relapse. It’s easy to cope with stress with the help of a familiar activity you know will make you feel good. Drugs often serve as a fallback for recovering addicts. Don’t let this be the outcome of your loved one’s sobriety. Help them avoid such situations by diffusing stress in the addict’s life.

Drug addiction doesn’t have to render you feeling hopeless. There are plenty of things you can do to help a loved one get help, succeed in rehab and continue their sobriety. The most simple take away you can derive from this discussion is be active, and take interest in your loved ones’ drug addiction recovery. It will make a huge difference.

[Image Credit: Nagano Clinic, demonzine]

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Where Do You Start?

The first thing you need to do in order overcome drug addiction is admitting you have a problem. We have said this time and time again on this blog, and will continue to do so since the fact never changes. Overcoming drug addiction is much more difficult when you’re not convinced you have a problem. Why would you stop eating hot dogs if you don’t think you have a hot dog eating problem? It’s not going to happen.

Why You Need to Stop

The reasons why you need to stop abusing drugs are seemingly endless. Depending on whom you talk to, logical reasons are your health, your professional career, and your family. Drug addiction will impact each of these three aspects of your life. Every drug carries a health consequence, and depending on your drug addiction, the consequences can be dire. Drug addiction can also shift your priorities from work and family to drugs. This revised priority will result in poor work performance and alienated relationships.

There are more than three reasons for you to stop abusing drugs, but these three reasons are paramount. When addicts describe their biggest pain points and the aspects of their lives that have been most affected by their addiction, health, profession, and family dominate the conversation.

Why Overcoming Drug Addiction is Hard

Ending your addiction is hard. Part of the reason is your chemical dependence. Often you know that abusing drugs is wrong, but you can’t stop. That’s because you’re physically hooked. Like in the case of heroin, we mentioned last week that addiction comes from the chemical imbalance heroin induces. The increased endorphins result in less organic endorphins being produced by the brain, causing an addict to feel the physical need to use.

Along with physical addiction are numerous psychological reasons one might be addicted to drugs. As we discuss with our dual diagnosis therapy, there is a psychological reason you do drugs. There is an emotional void that needs to be addressed. Ignoring this void and simply implying that you can stop using drugs will lead to failure.

One Thing Is Certain When Overcoming Drug Addiction

Only one thing in drug treatment is certain; no solution works for everyone. So don’t go out looking for a silver bullet solution. It doesn’t exist. If someone says they have the perfect cure for your addiction, tread carefully. Some programs will say anything to get you to sign up.

If you are looking for help overcoming your drug addiction, feel free to use Prominence Treatment Center as a resource. Our intake specialists are available 24 hours a day to chat. We can help talk you through your situation and identify the best solution for you.

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Knowing the facts about heroin and why its causing addiction is extremely important in the journey to heroin recovery. When the time is right and you’re ready for heroin rehab, knowing these heroin facts will help you in your quest for sobriety.

What is Heroin?

Heroin is a highly addictive drug and illegal according to United States law. It’s extracted from the seed of certain poppy plans.

Heroin is a processed drug, coming from morphine. It usually comes in the form of a white or brown powder. It’s one of the most abused opiates. Most heroin is “cut” with other drugs or substances (like sugar, starch, powdered milk) which distorts the purity of the heroin.

The questionable purity in heroin is what often causes overdoses. Individuals never know how pure the heroin is that they are using. Therefore, yesterday’s dose of heroin could kill you today. Needless to say, heroin is a deadly drug to become addicted to.

Why is Heroin Addictive?

Heroin dramatically affects the brain. Once it enters your bloodstream it heads directly for your brain. There it takes over parts of the brain that is responsible for physical dependence and producing a reward sensation. Which tricks the brain, causing it to shut down the natural production of a rewarding feeling of its own.

This lack of natural, euphoric feeling is the root cause of heroin addiction. Because the individual can’t produce this feeling, he or she must duplicate the feeling artificially. Enter the dependency on heroin, which does cause a heightened feeling of euphoria and happiness.

How Long Does Heroin Stay in Your System?

There are a few answers to the original question, “How long does heroin stay in your system?” How long heroin stays in your system is variable depending on the type of drug test. Heroin typically stays in your system for 2-4 days if you’re taking a urine test. Your blood will detect heroine for 6 hours. Saliva can keep heroin for 1-4 days and hair up to 90 days.

It’s quite evident that heroin is a dangerous drug. Heroin use quickly leads to addiction and a downward life spiral. When you’re ready, Prominence Treatment Center is ready to discuss with your addiction and how we can find a solution to get you back to your old life.

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Science Explains Why Alcohol Is Addictive

Endorphins are the natural, feel good opioids in the brain. Endorphins are associated with reward and processing functions. And this a reason why alcohol is addictive. Heavy drinkers respond to alcohol differently than most people.

Everyone releases endorphins when they drink alcohol, but heavy drinkers tend to release more endorphins when drinking. This causes the individual to associate drinking alcohol with a heightened sense of pleasure. It also causes the individual to feel a higher level of intoxication than a lighter drinker, despite drinking the same amount of alcohol.

Social Pressures for Drinking

The scientific reasoning of heightened sense of pleasure falls right in line with social pressures. Our everyday lives expose us to many different opportunities to drink alcohol. Occasions like client lunches, company happy hours, weekend parties, and weddings (to name a few) tend to involve drinking alcohol. This can leave us feeling like we have to drink to be social.

Over time, this relentless social pressure can lead to natural expectations of drinking in almost every type of scenario.  Coupled with the suspected physiological increase in endorphins, what started as casual drinking can lead to greater drinking. Sometimes destructive drinking.

Dr. Raymond Anton of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs at the Medical University of South Carolina was quoted as saying:

“People drink for different reasons, so a treatment that works for one person may not work for another.”

While this statement was not made in connection with Prominence Treatment Center, it does offer validation to our method of alcohol addiction treatment.

We have said many times that our focus is on the individual, not the addiction. Each person is different and alcohol addiction treatment should reflect the individuals’ needs. Therefore, our treatment programs are designed around why YOU are addicted to alcohol. Not why everyone else is addicted to alcohol.

Alcohol addiction can affect anyone. Because alcohol is legal and much easier to obtain than drugs like cocaine and heroin, people forget that it can be addictive and destructive. Alcohol can be just as dangerous as harder, intravenous drugs. So be careful when consuming alcohol. If you feel that you might have a problem with alcohol, feel free to talk to one of our reps, who can help you discuss your drinking habits.

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But there is good news, there are tactics on how to get an alcoholic to go to rehab. These are not the only solutions to helping a loved one go to rehab, but these are a good start to initiate the conversation.

Get Them Past Denial

If your loved one is suffering from denial and has no idea that he or she has an addiction, it’s going to be a more difficult challenge. Instead of fighting with them and insisting they are an alcoholic, the best move is to take a step back.

Whether or not you realize it, you are probably assisting in your friend’s alcohol addiction in some fashion. One of the most common things a friend does to unknowingly encourage addiction is bail them out. When drinking puts a loved one in a compromising situation, friends often make excuses on behalf of the friend or family member in question.

By making these excuses to help your friend avoid consequences, you are enabling them to skirt responsibility. If there are no consequences, there is no problem. So take a step back and don’t help your loved one next time he or she gets into an alcohol related problem. Make them suffer the consequences so they wake up to the reality of their drinking problem.

Be Supportive

Support will be the best thing you can offer an alcoholic the entire time he or she goes through rehab. So when you approach your loved one about their problem with alcohol, you must do so with full support.

Approaching a loved one with any type of judgment or anger is going to put them on guard. The person will not be receptive to what you have to say. Even if you are angry, you cannot make that apparent to your loved one. Focus on the purpose of your discussion and the good that can come from it.

Support can also come in the form of a band of loved ones. Forming a group of friends and family who care about the addict to discuss his or her addiction can help. Use strength in numbers. This often results in an overwhelming feeling of love and support that can sway an addict toward recovery.

Offer Help With “What’s Next”

Talking to your friend about alcohol addiction is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t get them to rehab. Keep the momentum up from your talk and present your friend with tangible options.

Conduct some research prior to your talk. That way, when the time comes, you are fully prepared. Choosing a treatment center can be overwhelming. Don’t put all of that responsibility on your friend. Show your support by assisting in this process, making the information more digestible. If you leave this decision up the addict, he or she could be less likely to take steps toward sobriety.

Confronting a loved one about addiction and rehab can be a delicate situation. But when you know your friend or family needs help, you have no choice but to help. Get the most out of your efforts through support, tough love, and research.

[Image Credit: BCNN4Youth, beermug]

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A good place to start is by determining whether or not you have a problem. The Prominence Treatment Center homepage has a brief three-question quiz on whether or not you might be an alcoholic. After taking the quiz, speaking to an alcohol rehab treatment representative is a positive next move.  A representative will help prepare you to make the proper steps toward alcohol addiction recovery.

Health Risks of Alcohol

A few months ago we chronicled the health risks of alcoholism. We mentioned short-term health complications like impaired judgment and motor skills, but long-term health consequences account for a primary reason why individuals should stop abusing alcohol.  Understanding the severity of health issues such as liver disease, heart problems, digestive problems, and diabetic complications can help alcoholics to stop drinking alcohol.

Heart Problems – Alcohol will increase blood pressure, which can trigger heart attacks or strokes.

Digestive Problems – Esophageal ulcers, which are inflamed pancreas and stomach linings, are common with abusive drinking and dangerous to your digestive system.

Diabetic Complications – If you’re already a diabetic, abusing alcohol is very dangerous to your health. Alcohol interferes with the release of glucose and can lower your blood sugar, which is extremely unhealthy for diabetics.

If you already know that alcohol is dangerous for your health and that you need to change your lifestyle, the big question is, “How do I stop drinking alcohol?”

The best piece of advice we could give you to help stop drinking alcohol is to get help. Think of recovering from alcohol addiction like playing basketball. It’s a team sport. There are too many things to be aware of to do it on your own.  If you try to do it alone, you’re more likely to get frustrated and not stick with it. There is no shame in getting help. There are many people out there who just want to help you recover.

Resources: 

Bookmark these sites if you need help and want more resources to help you quit drinking.

Prominence Treatment Center Blog

Sober Nation

If you have attempted these actions toward sobriety, but are still not able to completely quit drinking, it might be time for more help. Alcohol addiction rehab centers like Prominence Treatment Center are fully equipped to help someone in an immersed environment. By staying in an inpatient treatment center, you’re able to get professional help from a variety of specialists, who will help you identify the cause of your addiction, treat short-term symptoms, and ultimately overcome your addiction.

Alcohol addiction doesn’t have to own your life.  You can live a life free of alcohol. It takes time and perseverance.  But by following these suggestions and tips, combined with the self-belief that you can do it, you can finally free yourself from alcohol’s addictive grasp.

[Image Credit: InferenceZone, NPR, AlcoholBlog]

Additional Reading

• Check out Living in Sobriety: “Julie’s” Story

The post How To Stop Drinking Alcohol appeared first on Prominence Treatment.

We often hear people say that they start searching for the best drug rehab centers and expect the search to generate a consensus among former patients as to what facility to attend. This is definitely not the case. Finding the best drug treatment center in Los Angeles is largely dependent on who you are and what your needs are.

A few months ago, we published an article about what to look for in a substance abuse program. Today, these four points still hold true:

-Assess 12-Step vs. Non 12-Step programs

-Inpatient vs. outpatient programs

- Individual amenities of each drug treatment center

- What is the cost?

Let us add a fifth point to this list. An important part of choosing the best drug treatment center in Los Angeles is about finding the staff you feel most comfortable with.

Every rehab center will boast a world-class team of doctors and therapists.  We’re not questioning any of these claims. But we do encourage you to examine the team and get to know them. Being able to connect with your doctors and therapists is important to your success.

“The counselors, group facilitators, the technicians, and even the housekeeper are all amazing, They are ALWAYS there for you to talk to and all helped me though many of my issues. I flew across the ENTIRE country to come to Prominence, because it really is THAT great.” - Kristie M

Los Angeles is home to many great luxury drug rehab centers, in part because of our location. Our weather is a popular selling point for many who are looking to recover from drug addiction. The sun and calm ocean breeze can really help with recovery. But finding the best drug treatment center in Los Angeles is all up to your needs.

Therefore you must weigh all the factors that must be considered. Be aware of all your choices when you search for the best drug treatment center in Los Angeles. If you need help making an informed decision, feel free to call one of our representatives at 877-383-2284. Our specialists will make sure you’re making an informed decision about your addiction, no matter where you end up going to get help.

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This answer comes as a complete surprise to many prospective clients. Surely there has to be a success rate? The reality is that drug rehab centers that tout a success rate are most likely making up numbers for marketing purposes.

Why Is This?

Defining success in rehab seems easy. It refers to the percentage of those who become sober, right? But what does sober mean? How long does someone have to stay sober to be considered a success? If a client stays sober for a year then falls off the wagon, are they considered a success or failure? How do you know when someone stays sober forever? What if a patient gains sobriety, relapses, then goes back to therapy? Success? What is the cutoff mark for success?

All of these variables demonstrate why it is extremely difficult to determine if a drug rehab treatment center has a specific success rate. So how does someone determine if a drug rehab center is right for you? Reference on old post of ours, “What to look for in a substance abuse program.”

What DO You Look For in a Rehab Center?

In this post, we identify four major factors you must weigh when deciding which rehab center to check into. None of these factors are a center’s success rate.

Your process starts with choosing a 12-Step or Non 12-Step program. Each program has a different process to sobriety, which can affect your outcome. Secondly, you must weigh the option of inpatient versus outpatient treatment. This largely depends on the severity of the patient’s addiction and whether he or she feels they must be under close supervision in order to achieve sobriety. Third, when picking a drug treatment center, one must consider the importance of on-site amenities  What environment will make you the most comfortable and able to recover? Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, one should consider the cost of a rehab program. What can you afford? What level of investment are you willing to make in your sobriety?

Choosing a drug rehab center is no easy task. Your first inclination is probably to ask what is the success rate of drug rehab? But that is not a fool proof way of knowing whether or not a a rehab center is for you. In fact, if you are given a success rate, treat that as a red flag for the center. Are they being honest with you? Please let us know if you have any specific questions about what to look for when choosing a drug rehab center. Our representatives are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. 877-383-2284.

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Holistic care is a method of treatment that attends to all the needs of a client. This means the psychological, physical, and social elements are collectively treated as a single entity during rehab.  Humans are not compartmentalized beings. Everything works together. That’s why your rehab must take everything into account in order to have a full recovery from substance abuse.

Psychological

A great deal of our rehab programs are predicated on understanding the root cause of your addiction. Your mind has been trained to crave an escape and that’s why you end up using drugs; even if you know it’s not the right choice. But why do you revert to such abuse? Our therapists work together with you to determine the root cause of your addiction, because such issues will help your treatment immensely. But diagnosing the reason behind one’s addiction is only part of the struggle.

Physical

Physical well being is a very important yet underrated aspect of recovery. A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Regular exercise can do a couple of things for you during and after recovery. First, it gives you a hobby. Relapse is often the result of too much time on one’s hands. Getting into a regular physical exercise routine and eating healthier will help better utilize your time and make you feel great.

Secondly, exercise has a physiological effect on the brain. Exercise causes the release of endorphins, stimulating your mind and body as well as making you feel great. One might call this a natural reward system from the human body. Since depression typically plays a role in addiction, physical exercise can help alleviate these issues naturally, keeping your mood upbeat and enthusiastic as a means to help your sobriety.

Social

A great deal of recovery is addressing the psychological issues and dealing with the physical signs of addiction. But Social skills and self-esteem enhancement are important to a recovering addict. This is often because, you have to make new friends after rehab. Not because your old friends are bad people, but they still might be involved in activities that are detrimental to your recovery.  It’s easy to slip and return to your old habits if you’re still surrounded by friends who abuse drugs and alcohol. That’s why social skills are crucial to a well rounded addiction recovery process.

Finding friends who support and even live a sober life will help prevent a relapse after leaving inpatient care. There will be no immediate temptation to relapse with these friends. You won’t be pressured into attending activities where you might be tempted. Instead, you can be productive with your free time and can enjoy the company of new friends. Idle time is a dangerous thing for a recovering addict.

By going beyond just addressing short-term symptoms we set our clients up for long-term sobriety.  There are many parts in motion with recovery. Holistic care assists in recovery very effectively because it addresses all your needs and improves your odds at long-term recovery by teaching you the skills you need to stay sober. If you’re interested in turning your life around, please give one of our reps a call to find out what your next step is. 877-545-8472.

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