Posts Tagged ‘recovery’

How To Free Yourself From Addiction in the New Year

Guest Post By Constance Ray, founder of www.recoverywell.org

For many, a new year represents the time to make some major life changes. The new year offers a new beginning and a clean slate to march forward into a better version of yourself. Having an addiction can be a crippling force that indeed seems to dissipate life right before your eyes. Making the decision to beat your addiction is a wise choice and there is no better time to start than now. Use these steps as a guide to assist you in leaving your pattern of addiction in the past and embracing all the possibilities your new life will provide. Read the rest of this entry »

Having a Balanced Brain is the Secret to Addiction Recovery

-By A. Scott Roberts
M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling, Addiction Specialist

The brain contains around 100 billion neurons that communicate to each other by means of neurotransmitters, which are tiny molecules.

There are groups of neurons that have specialized functions that are organized into the multiple structures in the brain. In order for the brain to function at an optimal level, the neurons must maintain homeostasis – or an internal balance – among their constituent neurons and other brain structures.¹

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Photo credit: Pixabay

Finding the Light: Recovering Addicts Share the Ways They Overcame Depression and Addiction

Addiction can create a vicious cycle when it comes to depression. Dependency on a substance tends to amplify depression on its own — and it can also worsen any underlying issues that contribute to a depression sufferer’s mental health struggles. I spoke with a few recovering addicts who told me that although their habits were meant to be coping mechanisms, their occasional use eventually spiraled into addiction — and it wasn’t until they quit using that they found true mental harmony.

From Hollywood to happy: Ryan’s journey

Ryan’s substance abuse actually began during a happier time in his life — but ultimately it was what caused things to fall apart. After losing multiple work clients, quite a bit of money, and his fiancée, he packed his bags for Los Angeles in hope of a fresh start. Unfortunately, his big move led to him making a lot of the same detrimental decisions he’d made in the past.

Most Addicts Obtain Sobriety Without Expensive Options

-By A. Scott Roberts
M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling, Addiction Specialist

Repeated research tells us that most addicts who achieved long-term abstinence actually do it on their own without common or luxurious treatment facilities.^{1, 2}

One study examined the prevalent heroin use among soldiers in Vietnam. When the soldiers returned home, they gave up their addiction completely and abruptly.³

When individuals are motivated to make the change, not only is it more successful, but also long-term. Evoking this motivation to change is crucial.

A problem with common addiction treatment is the use of confrontation. Many people have the perception that addicts are always in a state of denial. This is not always the case…

Confrontation actually increases an individual’s resistance to change. Problematic behaviors increase during confrontational periods of intervention as well.⁴

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