Addiction Archives - Page 8 of 8

Raise the Bar on Your Recovery

Posted on September 20, 2016October 12, 2016 by JohnAdmin

As you progress in your recovery from addiction, you may need to continue to stretch yourself. You may need to create new goals and set your sails for greater and greater horizons to raise the bar on your recovery. You might have gotten sober, but perhaps you’re still not living the life you want. Perhaps you’re still struggling with issues that feel like obstacles in your healing.

The following suggestions might be useful in giving your recovery a boost. It can help you raise the bar on your recovery so that it helps you heal all areas of your life, not just healing from addiction.

Focus on Hope – There are many definitions of hope. However, one that is simple and useful is: looking forward to something with desire and having a reasonable expectation that that desire will be fulfilled. If you don’t have any hope, it’s hard to create it. However, you can begin to focus on an imagined future. What do you hope to do, wish to have, or hope to become? What is even the smallest possibility you wish to have in your life?

Set Clear Goals – With the above questions answered, you can start to create your goals. The advantage of having goals is that then all of your choices can be focused in the direction you want. And you can have your goals in mind throughout your day, which can trigger ideas and help you take advantage of opportunities you might not have thought of before. With goals in mind, you can move closer to them versus remaining stagnant.

Positive Relationships – Although there are some people who prefer to spend their time alone, when you’re in recovery, having a community of people around you to support you can be incredibly effective. This is especially true if those people believe in you and if they can see in you the possibility for change. Having meaningful friendships where you can be yourself is important during recovery.

Successful Role Models – When you spend time with others who have achieved long term sobriety, you can learn from them. But more than that, they tend to have a particular mindset that you may not have yet developed. And in their company and by conversing with them, you might start to develop the mindset that they’re in rather than a mindset that has been holding you back for so many years. Having successful and healthy people around you can support your growth.

Time for Self-Care – Relationships, careers, finances, and home life can begin to break down with the presence of addiction. For this reason, one way to counter the destructive elements of addiction is to find time to care for yourself. This might mean taking a long walk in the evenings or spending time with someone you care about. It might also mean time for yoga or meditation. Or it could simply mean playing ball with friends. Whatever activity is nourishing for you, making time for it throughout your day can be an essential tool to use during your recovery.

These are tips for expanding your recovery so that you feel supported in all areas of your life. The best recovery is a holistic one, one that addresses your physical, emotional, psychological, social, and even spiritual well being. If you would like support with your recovery, contact a mental health provider today.

If you are reading this on any blog other than TranscendTexas.com,
it is stolen content without credit.
Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Come and visit our blog at http://TranscendTexas.com/blog/

NPR’s Houston Matters Interview: Ryan Leaf & Transcend Texas Exec Director, Joni Ogle, Discuss Addiction, Recovery & Hope

Posted on September 15, 2016September 5, 2017 by JohnAdmin

Over the past year, Transcend Program Ambassador, and former NFL QB, Ryan Leaf has traveled around the country sharing his story of addiction, past opiate abuse, and his new life of sobriety and service to others.

Yesterday, Ryan shared the mic with Transcend Texas Executive Director, Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSAT, for an interview with NPR’s Houston Matters podcast. It was an amazing conversation that highlighted both Ryan’s story and Joni’s wealth of clinical experience in the field. Their combined perspectives on the topic of addiction, the importance of structured, long-term care, and the value of community in recovery, make this an interview not to be missed!

This was an inspiring experience and we are honored to have been invited on by the team at Houston Matters!

We hope you give it a listen, HERE.

Recovery Support: When to Get Extra Help

Posted on September 12, 2016September 15, 2016 by JohnAdmin

Once you’re begun your sobriety and you’re a few months into it, you probably have a lot of recovery support in place. You might have a sober community because of the 12-step meetings you’re attending. You might feel supported by your family and friends. And you might be working with a therapist, sponsor, or mentor. Although you might feel supported in your recovery, there are times when you might need to reach for extra support. You might need to call your sponsor or mentor out of the blue because you’re feeling triggered, stressed, or overwhelmed.

It’s important to have a crisis plan while you’re in recovery. You never know when there will be a situation in which you need recovery support. And in worst case scenarios you might feel like reaching for a drink (or drugs) instead of the phone. Instead of calling your sponsor, you might call an old drinking friend. You might resort to old coping methods when things get tough. Having a crisis plan gives you clear instructions for what to do when you’re having trouble in recovery.

Here are examples of situations in which your sobriety might be jeopardized. These are situations in which you might need to call for extra recovery support:

Too much stress at work or school.
Stress in your relationship.
Family responsibilities are too overwhelming (such as many children to care for).
Running into old drinking or drug using friends.
Feeling alone or lonely.
Experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety.
Experiencing overwhelming feelings (that substances used to keep at a distance).
Financial trouble.
Not having basic needs met, such as housing, income, and clothing.
Worried about friends or family members who are still using.
Death of a loved one.
Physical health issues.

These are just a few examples of circumstances that can make recovery difficult. You might have all the support you need, but certain situations can create triggers and cravings. In these situations, it’s important to call for extra support.

Here is a list of people you might reach out to in order to make it through a difficult period:

Sponsor
Sober Mentor
Therapist
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Drug Counselor
Sober Friend
Family Member(s)
Staff at Out Patient Facility
Staff at a Treatment Center

When you face difficulty in your recovery, you can make a list of those you might call as a part of your crisis plan. In fact, you can include their name, number, and an emergency number, if they have one. You might also list them in order of priority to you and under what circumstances. For instance, you might call your sponsor over your therapist if you’re experiencing cravings. But if you find out your cravings are a result of a possible mental health condition, then you calling your therapist would be better.

In fact, you can work with a mental health provider to create a crisis plan that works best for you. He or she might have ideas to add to your plan that you might not have thought of. Or you might create the plan with another sober friend who wants to do the same. Either way, having a crisis plan can you feel more supported throughout your recovery.

If you are reading this on any blog other than TranscendTexas.com,
it is stolen content without credit.
Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Stay informed with the latest industry news, here on our Living Sober Blog.

Brett Favre Talks about His Painkiller Addiction

Posted on September 8, 2016September 15, 2016 by JohnAdmin

Brett Favre who was just recently inducted into the Football Hall of Fame has spoken out about his past with pain killer addiction.

Although Favre has overcome his addiction many years ago, he looks back knowing he could have easily died from his problem.

The former Green Bay Packers team player eventually cut himself off from his double digit pill popping habit and claims his love of football is what inspired him to get clean.

For the full article from NBC Sports click HERE

Goals in Recovery Keep You Moving Forward

Posted on September 6, 2016September 7, 2016 by JohnAdmin

Recovery is often a two-step forward, one-step back kind of experience. Because of the many opposing feelings a recovering addict feels (wanting to get sober and not wanting to get sober at the same time) it can feel difficult to keep your eye on recovery. For instance, you might be doing well with your sobriety and then suddenly you run into an old drinking friend. You remember the good times, the laughs, and the how much fun it was. And you find yourself being pulled back to drinking.

That kind of going backwards (even if your mind) can create obstacles for moving forward. Truthfully, relapse begins with one thought. And with enough attention to that thought, you might think to yourself, “Well, one drink won’t hurt.” It’s this kind of back and forth in recovery that can make abstinence difficult to sustain.

However, when you have a goal, there’s something that’s drawing you forward. You have a vision, an idea of what you want in the future. Many life coaches describe it as having a compass and a direction. With a goal, you have the power to direct your life to stay on one course. And depending upon how badly you want that goal, you’ll work hard to ensure that all your choices are in favor of reaching your goal.

Here are a few common goals that recovering addicts are reaching for and what’s propelling their sobriety:

Go back to school and earn a degree.
Find meaningful work or achieve in your career.
Better tend to the needs of your children.
Heal your marriage.
Get married again.
Restore your health.
Rebuild family relationships and friendships that were damaged by the addiction.
Express yourself in healthy ways such as through painting, playing music, or dancing.
Get out of financial debt.
Learn coping skills to manage life’s stress without substances.
Find a community of friends who value sobriety and who I can have fun with in safe and healthy ways.
Learn how to overcome character flaws, such as impulsiveness, which can contribute to relapse.
Learn how to stay in touch with what I’m feeling and when so that intense feelings don’t lead to substance use.
Learn to love yourself and others.

To help you with feeling like you are moving toward your goals, you may want to come up with smaller objectives. Because as you get closer and closer to your goals, there are many benefits to be gained, which in turn can support your sobriety. For instance:

Experiencing a greater self esteem and self worth.
Experiencing a greater sense of self-confidence.
Feeling good about your life in general.
Boosting your commitment towards sobriety and where your life is headed.
Depending upon the goal, it can bring a great sense of joy. For instance, if you got sober to get your children back, then having this happen can be a great success.
It can boost your confidence in reaching other goals.
It can give you a more optimistic view of their life.
Reaching a goal can prevent relapse.

You might see that setting goals and reaching them creates a positive cycle. Achievement brings positivity and positivity brings more good feelings. This ongoing cycle can help you feel great again and again!

Can You Prevent Addiction?

Posted on September 2, 2016September 2, 2016 by JohnAdmin

It’s hard to completely avoid alcohol in a society that is forever promoting it. At any kind of celebration, you’re likely to find alcohol being served. And with the changing laws regarding marijuana, it too might be a substance that you can access easily. If you’re concerned about your loved ones or developing an addiction yourself, can you prevent addiction?

First of all, it’s important to remember that addiction is an illness. It’s a disease that affects the functioning of the brain. And once the brain is altered by the continued use of substance use (or addictive behaviors such as gambling, shopping, eating, and sexual activity), then a person begins to lose the ability to stop.

It’s possible for a person to be using drugs or alcohol and never develop an addiction. However, there are some factors that can influence the functioning of the brain and make a person vulnerable to developing addiction. These factors include:

Genetics
Environment
Lack of coping skills
History of trauma
Mental illness

According to research genetics plays a 50% role in whether addiction will develop. However, it’s important to keep in mind that someone might have addiction in their genes, but if they never touch a drink or drug in their life, then genetics won’t be a factor. However, if a person had a tendency to drink on occasion and if he or she went through a difficult period in her life as well as having a genetic predisposition to addiction, then the illness of addiction might develop.

Along with genetics, a person’s environment can have an influence on them. For instance, research has found that children who are raised in families with addiction are 8 times more likely to develop an addiction. It’s common for family members to develop certain roles in response to the one who is suffering from the addiction. Other environments that can have an effect on someone include a drug-using college scene and an at-risk neighborhood, in which many individuals are using substances to cope.

Lack of coping skills can also contribute to addiction. If a person does not have the tools to manage uncomfortable feelings, they may develop the habit of using drugs and alcohol as a means to feel better. Over time, this continued habit can turn into the illness of addiction. Along those lines, a person with a history of trauma will likely also have many uncomfortable feelings that they will try to avoid. They might also turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to cope.

Also, an addiction might develop when someone with a mental illness continues to turn to substances to manage their symptoms. It’s common, for example, that someone with depression, might turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to manage their depression. And it’s common for people to do this despite not knowing that depression is what they are experiencing. However, the low mood and sadness prompts them to drink or get high in order to shift their mood.

The best way to prevent addiction is to remain abstinent. Because virtually anyone can have any one of the above factors that contribute to addiction. When a person avoids alcohol and drugs (and addictive behaviors) entirely, they have a greater chance of avoiding addiction as well.

A Roadblock to Recovery: The Stigma of Addiction

Posted on July 19, 2016May 12, 2017 by JohnAdmin

For many, stigma can be the one obstacle that keeps them from getting sober. And understandably so. Stigma is the judgment society places on people and behavior. In addition to judging addicts, society also tends to judge those with a mental illness. Yet, people tend to judge that which they do not understand.

Fortunately, there are those who are fighting to reduce the effects of stigma. They recognize that the stigma of addiction can prevent someone from calling for the help they need. They recognize that people might fear reaching out for support because they don’t want to be judged by family, friends, coworkers, or community members. For these reasons, there are many individuals and organizations who are working hard to break through stigma.

One way to reduce the effects of trauma is to send the message that the length and quality of life is much more important than what others think. Although it’s sometimes difficult to ignore the judgment of others, here are five actions you should consider taking for moving past stigma and getting the help you need.

Recognition

Recognize that you need help to get sober. Often, a stigma may not get in the way until you’re faced with the challenge of calling for help. It’s then you’ll have to admit that you’re struggling with an addiction. And once you’re getting the support you need, you might not like the idea of having to talk about the difficulties you’ve faced. Yet, despite the judgments and opinions of others, a recovering addict finds help by admitting that he or she needs assistance with breaking through the barrier of addiction.

Connection

Connect with others who once struggled with the stigma of addiction and moved through it. When you’re at the beginning of your journey, the stigma of addiction might feel the strongest. However, once you’re past that point and you’ve made connection with others, it’s likely that you’ll hear that the stigma is no longer an issue. Forming relationships with others can be a significant part of pushing through stigma and finding support for your sobriety.

Attention

Keep your attention on your recovery. If you’re past the beginning stages of recovery and you’re still feeling the stigma of addiction, place your focus on your sobriety and recovery goals. A common beginning goal to sobriety is 90 days sober. Staying focused on this goal can help you break through the effects that the stigma of addiction might have on your life.

Preparation

Make a plan for your recovery. Remember that the journey of recovery is about you and not anyone else. If the stigma of addiction continues to get in the way, shift your focus on where you are now in your recovery and where you want to be. Having a long-term plan can help plant the seed in your mind that at some point in the future you’ll be sober and free of the struggles of addiction.

Participation

Participate in community events aimed at breaking the stigma of substance use addictions. Frequently, there are community organizations holding events that help break down the stigmas of mental illness and substance abuse. Participating in these events can bring the company of those who have seen past the barrier of a stigma.

These are suggestions for moving past stigma. Although it can be hard to ignore what others think, it’s possible to move past that in order to save a life – your own or someone you love!

Source: http://www.thirteen.org/openmind/science/disease-free-will/5457/

Category: Addiction