10 Signs You Need Treatment For An Alcohol Problem

How big of a problem is your alcohol problem? If you’re concerned your problem with drinking might be big enough to warrant a trip to treatment to teach you how to live sober and help you heal, chances are, it’s a big enough problem. You are not alone. Alcohol use disorder affects millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, not all of them reach out and ask for help. Making the call to go to treatment can save your life. Alcoholism is progressive- it always gets worse, it won’t get better. Problematically, many become convinced that their problem hasn’t reached the worst it can reach. With alcoholism, there’s never any telling how bad bad will have to be. Accidental death, injurious accident, and liver failure can happen at any time due to alcohol abuse. If you aren’t sure, here are 10 signs you need to seek treatment for an alcohol problem.

1. You’ve tried to make deals with yourself to only drink one or two drinks when you start to drink but you can never uphold your promise. Once you have one drink, it is impossible to stop. You either don’t realize you’ve continued drinking or you find yourself creating justifications for it until you are drunk again.

2. After the urgent suggestion of friends, family, and even your doctor, you have tried to reduce your drinking to just once or twice a week. Similar to your attempts to control your drinking when you do drink, you are unable to drink controllably.

3. You’ve found that when you do manage to take a break from drinking you experience strong cravings, urges, and impulses to drink. You notice alcohol everywhere and find it challenging to say no.

4. Your ability to fulfill life’s responsibilities and be present in your relationship is affected by your drinking.

5. Your life activities which have had the most meaning to you have taken a backseat to your drinking. You’re either hungover, already drunk, or planning to drink- because if you don’t drink you might experience symptoms of withdrawal.

6. When you go without drinking you experience cravings in addition to symptoms of withdrawal. The withdrawal might be mild or severe, ranging from shaky hands, to getting the sweats, to experiencing seizures or becoming sick without alcohol.

7. You have more than one story about getting into trouble, getting hurt, breaking the law, or engaging in other reckless activities when you were drunk.

8. During a blackout episode, you have engaged in drug use which you weren’t aware of at the time.

9. You experience blackouts more regularly. Once you start drinking, you are not sure when you will blackout.

10. Despite negative consequences, you have continued to drink.

Recovery from alcoholism is possible. Make the life changing decision today by calling Enlightened Solutions. Bringing holistic healing, clinical therapy, and 12 step philosophy together, our partial care programs health alcoholism and co-occurring issues in mind, body, and spirit. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

High Functioning Alcoholism: Should We Be Calling It That?

There is always a certain level of shock and disbelief when a loved one who, aside from their recent admittance to alcoholism, seemed to have it “all together”. Despite a few difficulties here and there, everything in their life was happening according to “normal”. Daily responsibilities were being met within reason. They had a job the woke up and went to in the morning. If they had children, the children were well attended to. Bills were paid, mouths were fed, and they might even have been in decent physical shape, constantly working to take care of themselves. Somehow, behind the facade of “normalcy” or even what some might call “success” there was a chronic and worsening problem with alcohol. The stigmatized image of the alcoholic, which is not an uncommon story, minimizes the experience of others. As a result, other people who experience their alcoholism in different ways can perpetuate their problem unnoticed, until, their is no room left for hiding.

Bustle reports in depth about understanding the “high functioning alcoholic” and why this kind of alcoholism is often difficult to spot. “…people can fit the measure of a severe drinking disorder—inability to quit drinking, tendency to put themselves in situations where they may get hurt, experiences with withdrawal— while still appearing outwardly like perfectly healthy beings with functional lives.” The result is “a very dangerous combination.” High functioning alcoholism poses a significant threat not just to the life of the alcoholic but to the lives of those involved.

The stereotype of normalcy often prevents an alcoholic from recognizing their problem. Denial is a huge issue which prevents many alcoholics from taking the highly remarked “first step” in solving their problem with alcohol- admitting they have a problem with alcohol. As a result, the problem can continue to worsen. Eventually, it could lead to injury or death on the part of the alcoholic or on the part of their children, spouses, friends, coworkers, or other people. Simply stated, when an alcoholic— high functioning or not— is not held accountable for their problem, the alcoholism grows out of control.

If you feel that you or a loved one are living under the guise of high functioning alcoholism, your drinking does not have to get worse before everything gets better. Your journey to recovery starts with you. Start it with us at Enlightened Solutions. Our integrative programs bring together the best of holistic treatment, spiritual healing, twelve step philosophy, and clinically proven therapy modalities. Call us today for more information at 844-234-LIVE.

Which Comes First: Alcoholism Or Mental Health Disorders?

Alcoholism is a greater risk for those who are living with a preexisting mental health condition or those who have the genetic predisposition for one. Likewise, for those who are living with alcoholism, there is a greater risk of also developing a mental health disorder. Alcoholism by its technical name is alcohol use disorder, falling under the substance use disorder category. Widely, alcohol use disorder and other substance use disorders, called addictions, are mental health disorders of their own. When alcohol use disorder happens at the same time as another mental health disorder, it is referred to as dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders. For treatment and rehabilitation to be as successful and effective as possible it is necessary for treatment centers to make a full diagnosis of any existing mental health conditions in addition to substance use issues. Mistaking one issue for another is common. Discovering the source of each issue and treating it thoroughly is the best way to ensure long term recovery.

Alcoholism As A Result Of Mental Health Disorders

Abuse of alcohol is a common side effect of many mental health disorders, especially when they go untreated. Anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as some of the most common mental health disorders with a high rate of co-occurring alcoholism. Substance abuse spurs from mental health disorders like these for a number of reasons. First, some of these disorders come with a high likelihood of impulsivity. Impulsive decision making can lead to rash decisions and skewed senses of relations among peers. When substance abuse becomes an option, there is little functioning in the brain to prevent someone from making the decision. COnsuming alcohol in large quantities will be of little consideration and as a result can lead to chemical dependency. Second, alcoholism can result as a way to cope with the difficult emotions of other mental health disorders. Living with severe emotional pain, unmanageable mood swings, or chronic irrational thoughts can become exhausting and overwhelming. Upon introduction to alcohol, there is a relief and sanctuary discovered in the euphoric effects of intoxication.

Mental Health Disorders As A Result Of Alcoholism

Alcohol abuse chemically alters essential neural networkings of the brain. Consequently, many of the processes used on a daily basis to regulate emotions, cognitive functions, and other important activities become shifted. Mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and paranoia can result from long term substance abuse.

Recovery from co-occurring alcoholism and mental health disorders is possible through integrative and enlightened treatment. Bringing together holistic recovery and proven treatment, the programs at Enlightened Solutions are designed to let recovery start with you. Call 844-234-LIVE today for more information.

Staying On Medication and 3 Other Helpful Habits For Bipolar And Addiction

Psychiatrists, physicians, and treatment professionals often quip that bipolar disorder is one of the most curious mental health disorders to treat because of the way that people relate to their medication. Bipolar disorder is well known for creating delusion within its two emotional states: depression and mania. Mania is defined by highs which make depression seem even lower. Part of the depression is caused by the sudden loss of euphoria which can be experienced during mania. Mood stabilizers and other medications which treat bipolar disorder help someone feel more stable and feel better in their lives. Once they feel better and like the way they feel, people with bipolar seem to forget they’re bipolar and in need of medication. They stop taking it, stop attending meetings with their psychiatrists, and slowly spiral back out of control. Problematically, they will repeat this cycle over and over again.

Get Consistent Sleep

Having shifting moods which cannot be controlled can mess with your daily routine. Part of the challenge of living with bipolar disorder is creating consistency from one end of mania to the other end of depression. Mania causes people to lose sleep while depression can cause an excess amount of sleep. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule each night can create stability and not cause other major disruptions which result due to abnormal sleep.

Stay Sober

Bipolar disorder and addiction, as well as alcoholism are frequently co-occurring and present a constant problem. In times of a manic episode, someone is inclined to feel invincible and energetic, inspiring them to party and use substances excessively. During depressive episodes, someone with bipolar will turn to depressant substances to cope with their feelings or stimulant substances to try and make themselves feel like they did during mania.

Ask For Help

Learning to manage bipolar disorder during recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is challenging. Nobody expects you to do it perfectly! If you are struggling with manic-depressive episodes which are causing you to have cravings, it is okay to reach out for help. Don’t feel ashamed that you have bipolar and that you struggle with addiction. Courageously reach out for help and get the assistance you need to feel better.

If you are struggling with bipolar disorder and addiction, help is available. Enlightened Solutions has a variety of programs which can work for you to heal mind, body, and spirit. You will have balance again. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE

Does The 12 Step Philosophy Really Work?

Project Match is an infamous study, one of the first to dive deeply into the debate of Alcoholics Anonymous and the efficiency of the twelve steps as a viable form of treatment. 900 drinkers were split into three groups to receive one of three treatments, either using AA-based treatment which utilizes the 12 steps and emphasizes attendance of meetings, cognitive behavioral therapy, or motivational enhancement therapy. Problematically, there was not a fourth group of individuals who had to quit drinking on their own.

Conclusively, the study found that the twelve step approach combining the attendance of meetings and utilizing the program of the twelve steps worked as well as other treatment methods, according to Scientific American. Citing another study, the article points out that in 2006 a Stanford University professor found that AA worked remarkably well. This study followed problem drinkers for an astonishing 16 years. The drinkers had either quit on their own, attended AA, or worked with therapists. “Of those who attended at least 27 weeks of AA meetings during the first year,” Scientific American writes, “67% were abstinent at the 16-year follow-up,” the remaining 34% did not participate in AA in any way. For the participants who received therapy, 56% remained abstinent 16 years later.

Alcoholics Anonymous and the use of any twelve step program is not meant to be an exclusive treatment method, or a treatment method at all. The steps are called suggestions and a program of recovery. Within the primary text of the group, The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous, the authors encourage people to work with therapists. A vast majority of treatment facilities today are 12 step based or utilize 12 step philosophy. Though this raises controversy because AA is not scientifically based, once one reads a section of the book titled The Doctor’s Opinion, they see points which directly correlate to many of today’s “evidence-based” treatment methods.

The twelve step approach does not work for everyone. Relapse can happen at any point in time throughout someone’s life if they let down their routine of recovery, which does not have to include AA. For those who adhere to the program, continue therapy, and create meaning in their new sober lives, long term, even lifelong abstinence is completely possible.

Enlightened Solutions believes in the spiritual solution of the twelve step philosophy and utilizes integrative holistic approaches to support proven clinical methods. Our partial care programs are designed to heal alcoholism and addiction in mind, body, and spirit. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Using 12 Step Meetings For Recovery

Before there was a solution to the problem of alcoholism, there was no answer. People who had an uncontrollable relationship with alcohol were sent to hospitals and psychiatric wards. Doctors warned patients that their brains and livers would be damaged for good with one more drink or drug, yet patients did not listen. Around the country small groups were finding religious relief through simply programs of action that were helping them stay sober. The message of one such group found a man named Bill who had a spiritual experience. After discussing his experience, strength, and hope with a fellow struggling alcoholic, Bill and his new friend Bob, had an idea. That idea became Alcoholics Anonymous, the original 12 step program. Since the release of the primary text for the recovery group, The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous, in 1939, millions of people have found a spiritual solution to alcoholism, all over the world.

Many people find sobriety through the rooms of AA or similar twelve step programs like Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and Heroin Anonymous. For others, recovery programs are an essential supplement to their ongoing treatment and therapy. During treatment, you will likely be taken to multiple meetings of different kinds a week. In the meetings you can find a sponsor. Sponsors are meant to take a newcomer, someone with less than thirty days, through the twelve steps. After completing the twelve steps, you will then be in a position to sponsor someone else through the twelve steps.

Creating A Recovery Program Outside Of Treatment

When you graduate treatment you will either move to sober living or move on your own, which might include moving back home. Finding a new routine of twelve step meetings is easy to do with a few simple steps:

• Research meetings online. All you have to do is do an internet search of “12 step meetings in ____” to find an online schedule

• You can search for AA central in your area and call for a list of meetings nearby

• Ask your AA central volunteer if they have ride shares in case you don’t have a way of getting to a meeting

• Introduce yourself at a meeting and ask for phone numbers. New friends in recovery can take you to meetings, introduce you to new meetings, and support your recovery

• Find a home meeting which you commit to attending every week

• Get a new sponsor and work the twelve steps with them, call them every day, and check in with your daily inventory

• Volunteer to a commitment at a meeting like being a secretary, a treasurer, or literature person

The spiritual solution of the twelve steps has worked for millions of people around the world. Enlightened Solutions adopts the twelve step philosophy as part of our integrative programs of treatment. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Women Are More At Risk For Addiction Than They Have Been In Decades

The Washington Post reports that new studies are emphasizing the problematic relationship of women and alcohol. One study the article cites compiled 68 varying alcohol-use studies from around the world in which researchers from Australia discovered a “gender convergence”. Data revealed that the gender gap between males, females, and their relationship with drinking is closing. In the early 20th century, men who were born were “more than twice as likely as women to drink and three times as likely to have an alcohol problem.” By the end of the century, that difference was practically non-existent.

Women in Culture

What is causing this closure? George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, explains that women are living in a different culture than they were 100 years ago. “Instead of being at home,” Koob describes, “they’re in society, and drinking is part of business and social gatherings.” Another problem is that underage drinking in men has declined. Women are continuing to drink underage at a steady pace. Additionally, Koob expresses, women report experiencing depression and anxiety twice as often as men. Depression and anxiety are two of the most highly co-occurring or “comorbid” problems with addiction. Often, women, and men alike, will turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. Koob points out a final fact which is emphasized in The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The primary text for the free recovery support group and founding group for the world wide twelve step program, was written for men, by men. A singular chapter addresses women, and that is only to the wives of alcoholic men. Quite quickly, the founders discovered that women were equally perilous alcoholics as their male counterparts. The authors write that there are no specifics like length of time drinking alcoholically or just how much one drinks to determine the effect of alcoholism. “To be gravely affected, one does not necessarily have to drink a long time nor take the quantities some of us have. This is particularly true of women.” The authors then dedicate two more important sentences to female alcoholism, not daring to call it any more or any less than what males experience. “Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone beyond recall in a few years. Certain drinkers, who would be greatly insulted if called alcoholics, are astonished at their inability to stop.”


Enlightened Solutions understands the shame and guilt which can come from developing alcoholism. We have a solution. Our partial care programs fuse together clinical treatment, alternative and holistic healing modalities, and 12 step philosophy to create a dual diagnosis curriculum for mind, body, and spirit. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Essential Oils To Aid Brain Health During Recovery

Addiction and alcoholism are matters of the mind. Quite literally, the neuroscience model of addiction shows that mind altering substances take over the brain in such a way that all of the essential functions change, becoming focused on drugs and alcohol. Recovery and treatment for addiction includes varying practices which help the brain heal, learn, and grow. Approaching thoughts, behaviors, habits, are all scientific processes as much as they are emotional ones. Emotions are chemical responses in the brain. Using therapeutic methods from psychotherapy to alternative holistic therapies are all ways to reset the flow of the brain and help with holistic healing.

Healing the brain means working to replenish various neurotransmitters and important brain chemicals which contribute to daily functions as well as the functions critical to relapse prevention. Serotonin is a brain chemical which helps regulate emotion. Cortisol is a hormone which is produced in reaction to stress. GABA is a focus of addiction research as it is being found to regulate anxiety and reduce cravings. Various endorphins stimulate feelings of happiness and wellbeing.

According to Belief Net, “Scientific research has revealed that essential oils possesses myriad beneficial phytochemical properties such as anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anti-stress, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic…” Certain essential oils can be used in aromatherapy to stimulate the production of brain chemicals and help the mind heal during recovery and treatment. The article lists these essential oils as helpful to the specific brain chemicals:

Serotonin: lavender, lemon, rosemary

Cortisol: lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot

GABA: citronella, lemongrass, white verbena

Endorphins: clary sage, clove, lemon

What Are Essential Oils?

Belief Net writes that “Essential oils are volatile molecules obtained from the seeds, leaves, bark, resins, and other materials of nature’s most generous botanicals.” Blended into a purified oil, there are many uses for the substance. Diffusers help put the aromatic essences into the air of a room. Many essential oils can be applied directly to the skin or scalp. Add essential oils to a bath, or pour a dilution into a spray bottle for your pillow. Essential oils can even be added into food or tea for flavor and holistic healing properties.

Enlightened Solutions believes in the healing power of alternative treatment methods when used in conjunction with traditional clinical and twelve step treatment. We have found a solution for addiction that works with clients to develop their own sense of recovery and self. For more information on our treatment programs, call 844-234-LIVE today.

Taking Yoga From Treatment To Life

Yoga is a scientifically proven treatment method for addiction and mental health recovery. Physical, spiritual, and psychological benefits can come from just 5-20 minutes of yoga a day.

Remove Judgment

Remember that you aren’t a yoga professional and your practice is in its youth. When you go do to your practices at home, don’t expect to be perfect! Approach yourself with the same non-judgment your teachers in treatment would have encouraged you to use. You’re doing yoga to help your body and your mind- not to impress anyone, including yourself.

Use Intention Setting For Each Practice

Routine is good and healthy which is why you’re bringing yoga home. Doing the same thing every day can get repetitive and boring, inspiring you to leave the mat behind instead of stick to your practice. Make each practice unique by setting a different intention. Intentions are the energy you put into your practice so you can focus.

Allow Yourself To Be Guided

Until you get your sequences down it will be helpful to have a guide. Thankfully, the internet is full of yoga teachers, gurus, and lovers who are happy to show you their favorite yoga sequences. Have a neck ache or a back problem? You can look up yoga sequences for almost every kind of benefit you need.

Modify, Modify, Modify

The simplest mistake people make in their at home yoga poses is trying to force themselves into positions their body is not prepared to be in. Modifying a pose helps your body ease into the position rather than crash into it. Modification isn’t about success or failure but about protection. Yoga is meant to help the body heal, not hurt itself.

Don’t Skip Savasana

Savasana, also called corpse pose, is the resting pose at the end of the yoga practice where you can finally rest and let the energy of the practice flow through your body. Savasana is a time for meditation and reflection as well as rest. Doing yoga at home can inspire you to skip this critical resting period and carry on with your day. Complete your practice in its entirety and don’t skip your chance to breathe deeply and rest.

Enlightened Solutions fuses the proven healing power of holistic and alternative treatments with evidence based clinical treatments to provide a transformative program for mind, body, and spirit. If you are in need of treatment for a mental health or substance use disorder, call us today at 844-234-LIVE.

Relapse Red Flags

Telling The Truth...Later

There’s a difference between keeping secrets and lying. People who are on the verge of relapse tend to dance right in the middle of these two versions. Though they don’t keep the lie long term, they keep a lie short term. After something has happened of which they have been lying about, they tell you later on, so that they can at least be honest. Honesty is a key to sobriety and their admittance of their lie is important. However, if this happens increasingly it's a sign that you just don’t know when they’re lying and when they’re not. The next truth might be that they relapsed and didn’t tell you.

Suddenly Busy

You’re used to hearing from the regularly. When you’re around them they’re always on their phone and answering it immediately. Suddenly they’re just not available. Routine texts and phone calls go without answer and they’re letting you know they aren’t available to talk. While they might be using at the moment, they could be contacting connects. Worse, they might be struggling with cravings so intense they don’t want to talk about them anymore, which is always a sign relapse is around the corner.

Not Taking Accountability

You’re noticing a change in their attitude and behavior which is offensive to you and to other people. Confronting them only leads to arguments, defensiveness and a reversal of blame. Everything they learned about looking for their part and taking responsibility seems to be slipping away. Relapse is an ultimate way of not having to take accountability for one’s thoughts, actions, attitudes, and behaviors.

Slacking In Their Program

Typical treatment programs are usually followed by aftercare which is a one to three time a week meeting where treatment alumni can process and check in about what they are going through. Most have opportunities to continue meeting with therapists, continue attending meetings, and keep up with their routine of recovery. Changes in those areas can snowball quickly into a relapse when they don’t get the support they need or continue to stay accountable with their peers.

Acting Out

Relapse doesn’t always mean drinking and using. Compulsive sexual behavior, self-harm, starvation, binging, breaking rules, and more are small rebellions which can lead to a relapse. Acting out usually occurs when someone is getting uncomfortable, likely because of the changes and growth they are experiencing.

Fantasizing About Using

The brain can handle only so much euphoric recall about drugs and alcohol until it starts to experience cravings. If they are suddenly talking about drinking and using without remembering how bad it got in the end, they are stuck in a cycle of euphoric recall which can trigger obsession and craving.

Criticizing Recovery

As if to justify their reasons for relapsing, they suddenly turn sour towards recovery. All sign of gratitude and appreciation for their new sober life is gone as they criticize sobriety, sober people, and their program of treatment. Sadly, they’re going out of their way to convince themselves that drinking and using is a better option, even if they don’t believe that to be true.

Convincingly “Fine”: Sometimes the most obvious sign of an impending relapse is the least obvious sign- they’re doing really well. If they are going through a hard time, have been through recent trauma, or are processing something challenging in therapy they might compensate for their difficult feelings by being “fine”. Perfectionism is a defense mechanism. Problematically, it is easy to be convinced that one is so “fine” that it would be “fine” if they took a drink or used drugs.
 

Enlightened Solutions focuses on relapse prevention by helping clients create a new way of living which supports a healthy, happy, holistic lifestyle. For information on our partial care programs of treatment for men and women, call 844-234-LIVE.

5 Reasons To Stay Out Of A Relationship In Early Recovery

Emotions run high in early recovery and many people seek comfort through a relationship. Here are our top five reasons to stay out of a relationship in early recovery.

1. No Harm Will Come To You If You Don’t Date: Loneliness is not an ideal prospect. Falling in love can feel good- really good, but it can also be a distraction. Though you might feel lonely, longing for attention, and cravings for physical intimacy, living without those things won’t cause you any damage. They are manageable triggers that don’t include the overwhelming stimulus of another person. You can live without it, the same way you’re learning to live without drugs and alcohol.

2. Harm Might Come To You If You Do: Unfortunately, you’re at greater risk for desperation in a relationship than you are out of one. People are complicated and so is love. In early recovery, you’re sensitive and not completely in touch with your feelings yet. Dating another person in early recovery, or anyone, can bring up stuff you aren’t ready to work on, put you in tough situations, or, in the event of a break up, cause inconsolable heartbreak. Sadly, many people relapse and overdose because of their inability to cope with rejection, abandonment, and codependency which comes from a break up.

3. You’re Just Getting To Know Yourself: Being in a relationship is about more than being in a relationship. Romantic partnerships are about meeting someone else’s needs and your needs in a healthy way. Most people in early recovery are only just beginning to discover what their needs are. You’ve just started the journey of getting to know yourself and how you work as a person. Trying to balance that with a whole other person and all of their ‘stuff’ can be really hard to do.

4. You’ve Had Abusive Relationships In The Past: If you've had abusive relationships in the past and are in early recovery, you might miss the signs of an abuser. Repeating patterns is easy to do in early recovery. You're Dedicated to healing and changing your life in a way you never have before. There’s no need to suffer more abuse or stay in a situation that might inspire you to relapse.

5. It’s About You Right Now: Balancing your time and energy with another person is hard when you’re in such a selfish place. Right now, compared to the past, you’re in a  good selfish place. It’s all about you, your recovery, and your fight to save your life. When you are ready for a relationship, you will have new standards in who you want and how you want to be in a relationship with them.

Enlightened Solutions is a certified co-occurring treatment center, offering treatment and support for both substance use disorders and mental health disorders. If you are struggling to get sober and need help recovering, call us today for more information at 844-234-LIVE.

10 Way To Make The Most Out Of Sober Living

Sober living is a home where residents have to meet certain requirements in order to stay the most important of which is staying sober. During treatment at one of Enlightened Solutions partial care programs, you’ll be living in a local sober living home. Here are our top 10 ways for making the most out of your sober living experience.

1. Choose The Right Home: Choosing the right sober living home is essential to making sure you feel comfortable, safe, supported, and protected. Look for homes which encourage regular meeting attendance, do screen testing once or twice a week, and have group activities. Go with your instinct and choose what feels right for you.

2. Follow The Rules: Sober living is usually the place of residence during partial care treatment, such as intensive outpatient, or after residential treatment. After long hours of treatment programming it can be easy to go home to sober living and not want to do anything. It can feel like a safe space to break the rules, act out, and rebel- what you might call relaxing for someone in early recovery. Support the change in your habits by abiding by the rules.

3. Do Your Chores: Most sober livings assign a weekly chore to each member of the house. You are part of a team working together to stay sober and keep a comfortable home. Not doing your chores will cause you to feel guilt and shame, even if you don’t want to admit it. Your lack of participation won’t be fair to you or your housemates. Do your part and keep your space clean out of respect to yourself and to others.

4. Be Nice To Others: Your sober living housemates don’t have to become your new best friends, but they are likely to become friends you keep for a lifetime. Early recovery can be difficult and emotions often run high. Your learning how to have relationships and friendships again without the presence of drugs and alcohol. You’ll have more fun by learning how to be vulnerable and close to the people you live with.

5. Encourage Group Activities: There’s a lot of sleeping that goes on in sober living. Recovering bodies need sleep to heal. Ongoing symptoms of withdrawal can be exhausting. In between naps and long night’s sleep, encourage your group to come together and participate in an activity. You’ll have fun, make memories, and remember why you got sober: to live again.

6. Make Outside Friends: Going to meetings gives you an opportunity to meet people from other sober living homes or who are new to the recovery community like you. Ask people for their phone numbers and invite them over to hang out. You’ll diversify your group of friends and never be short of someone to call and talk to.

7. Go To Meetings: The only way to meet people at meetings is to go to them. Your sober living will probably have one or two meetings that everyone goes to together. Lookup new meetings in different towns and venture out to find recovery. It is always inspiring to discover that recovery is everywhere and you are never alone.

8. Have Adventures: Another way to combat sober living laziness is to get out and explore. If you don’t have a car, take walks around your neighborhood. If someone has a car, choose a new spot nearby to go and explore.

9. Support One Another: Early recovery is hard. Making it through requires the love and support of peers. Always lend a listening ear, a prayer, or going with someone to a meeting. You’re all there to help each other.

10. Report Relapse: There’s no need to be a tattle-tale, but you are learning to take steps to secure your sobriety. If someone has brought drugs and alcohol into the house, it is your right to report it. If you fear you or your housemates might be at risk for relapse because of someone else’s actions, talk to your house manager immediately.

Enlightened Solutions works with trusted sober living homes and residences to support our clients during their treatment programs. We provide references and can happily connect you with our community. For information on our treatment programs for men and women seeking recovery, call 844-234-LIVE.

Symptoms And Side Effects Of Alcohol Overdose

Symptoms And Side Effects Of Alcohol Overdose

Alcohol overdose is a life threatening situation, can cause heart failure, and is a sign of alcoholism.

Physical: Alcohol overdose greatly impairs cognitive functioning, therefore interfering with essential motor function. Additionally, alcohol overdose can cause problems in the digestive system or failure of certain organs like the liver. Symptoms and side effects include:

• Loss of equilibrium: difficulty keeping balance, falling over, unable to walk

• Lack of coordination: difficulty walking without stumbling or falling, cannot coordinate limbs to make motion, cannot perform separate physical movements at the same time

• Numbness or lack of feeling in limbs

• Slurring, drooling, or inability to communicate clearly; incoherence

• Head falling down with a loose neck

• Upset stomach including excess vomiting

• Eyes rolling back in the head

• Passing in and out of consciousness

• Seizures

Psychological: Significant amounts of alcohol also impair essential psychological functions, from emotional to mental states. Symptoms and side effects include:

• Aggression

• Violence

• Rage

• Crying or hysteria

• Short Term Memory Loss

• Rapidly Changing Emotional State

• Paranoia

• Confusion

What To Do For An Overdose: If you believe someone is experiencing an overdose on Alcohol it is important not to leave them alone. If they exhibit extreme signs like eyes rolling back in the head, drooling, or a seizure it is important to call an ambulance or get them to an emergency room as soon as possible. Loss of consciousness during an alcohol overdose can result in unconscious vomiting, which could result in choking and death.

After Overdose: Drinking to the extent of alcohol overdose is not a normal manner of drinking. Depending on the situation, for example if a person commits a crime or gets a DUI, they might be forced into an alcohol counseling program. Many judicial circuits mandate attending a certain number of 12 step meetings like alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous.

If you are concerned a loved one has a drinking problem which has now threatened their life, call Enlightened Solutions today. We can refer you to a detox center and set you up to move through our levels of care. Rehabilitation for alcoholism requires therapy, holistic healing, and creating meaning in life. Our program is inspired by the tradition of the twelve step spiritual program while integrating holistic healing modalities and progressive therapeutic methods. For more information on our programs, or for guidance on a loved one suffering from alcoholism, call 844-34-LIVE.

Between The Extremes: Where Drinking Isn’t Alcoholism, But Still A Risk

Alcoholism either is or it isn’t. That’s how media portrayal and social stigmatization would have it. You’re either a wild and reckless drunk or you are a moderate drinker who likes to enjoy themselves on occasion. For the people in between the black and white ends of alcoholic-extremism, they are stuck in limbo. They’re unlikely to become moderate drinkers. They are likely to develop a more fatal version of alcoholism. Problematic drinking is problematic drinking, at any stage.

Without a clinical, cultural, or social focus on regular, extreme drinking, there is an air of justification in the middle. Because one isn’t an “alcoholics” or hasn’t “hit bottom” yet, their problem is not as desperate. However, their health, of both body and mind, continues to be compromised. Speaking about her new documentary Risky Drinking, on HBO, filmmaker Ellen Goosenberg Kent describes, “...what people don’t understand though, [was]the vast spectrum of drinking. Most people fall between having no problem and alcoholism…” That “middle spectrum”, she emphasizes is worth investigating.

Holding On

The popularized idea of somebody “hitting bottom” threatens millions of lives. For the majority of problematic drinkers who are not diagnosed alcoholics, they still have a lot they are holding onto. What society deems as functioning tends to perpetuate ongoing alcohol abuse. Most people who have problems with alcohol do not look like the stereotype alcoholic. Due to the stark comparison, even though there is a sliver of doubt in a drinker’s mind, it’s quickly assured by the fact: I’m not that bad.

If You Think You Might Be An Alcoholic, You Probably Are

“That bad” is extremely dangerous and problematic drinking for an alcoholic. It is not signification that alcoholism hasn’t developed yet, but that it already has. Breaking down the sentiment, a drinker already recognizes there is concern with their drinking, slyly admitting that their drinking is “bad”. Second of all, such a sentiment indicates that the topic of someone’s real or not real alcoholism has been a relatively recent topic of contemplation. Most persons in recovery from alcoholism and treatment professions alike commonly agree, if you have to question whether or not you’re an alcoholic, you probably have a drinking problem.

Though the world tells you differently, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem with alcohol. If you are concerned you might have a problem, call Enlightened Solutions today. We offer a spectrum of care options to treat a spectrum of alcoholism. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Be Of Service This Year

“Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail.”  This is written in the chapter “Working With Others” in the primary text of Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The informative chapter describes numerous situations in which an alcoholic can help another. Connecting with alcoholics who might still be struggling is an essential part of being a recovering alcoholic. It is, after all, how Alcoholics Anonymous began.

Cravings

Bill Wilson had finally gotten sober after a lifetime of miserable alcoholism. On a business trip to Ohio, he found himself in the hotel lobby pacing back and forth in front of the hotel bar. He had worked so hard to stay sober and was actually enjoying his sober life. Yet some phenomena was overtaking him. He had an intense craving for alcohol, even though he knew how tragic it would be for him to drink. Suddenly, a thought hit him. He needed to speak to another alcoholic. Only another alcoholic could understand what he was going through. By way of fate he ended up in the house of an older man suffering from alcoholism by the name of Dr. Bob Smith. At the end of a long’s night discussions regarding alcoholism and Bill’s recovery- both men had been helped. Bill was no longer craving alcohol and Bob was inspired to get sober. Alcoholics Anonymous, and the importance of being of service was born.

Recovery is a Gift

The new year is an opportunity to refresh your service hood. Recovery is a precious gift which, many who have recovered have found, must be given away in order to be kept. Being of service to others in recovery can take many forms. Make a list of the ways you would like to give back this year. There is little doubt you will not regret it. Here are some of our favorite ideas at Enlightened Solutions.

• Complete the 12 steps

• Sponsor another person through the 12 steps

• Take a service commitment at a meeting

• Speak at H&I meetings (hospitals and institutions)

• Donate a small amount to your favorite charity, organization, or cause

• Pick up some small etiquette practices like showing up on time, writing thank you notes, and being courteous to all

• Help the less fortunate

Enlightened Solutions believes the philosophy of the 12 steps offers a spiritual and philosophical foundation for a practical program of living in recovery. For the problem of alcoholics and addiction, we have a solution. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Sugar On The Brain

There is a curious mental phenomena, a “peculiar mental twist” as The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous puts it, when it comes to alcoholism. It is nearly impossible for an alcoholic, a true alcoholic, to have just one drink. Due to the physical allergy nature of alcoholism, when an alcoholic takes that first drink, their body (and their mind) responds through craving. Not only does the body and mind crave alcohol, it obsesses. The reason alcoholism is so curious is because there are clearly millions of people who can stop drinking when they want to. If they want to have one drink, they can have just one drink. If they happen to have more than just one drink, they are capable of stopping themselves at some point, even if it gets bad. An alcoholic is unable to control their drinking. In fact, in The Big Book, they define an alcoholic by asking them realize the delusion that they can drink like other people “has to be smashed”.

Science has been yearning to discover what it is that differentiates the alcoholic brain from the non-alcoholic brain. Some blame genetics and predisposition while others blame peer pressure and mental illness. Either way, alcoholism simply happens to some and doesn’t happen to others. The same seems to be true with how the brain and body responds to sugar. Sugar and addiction are getting coupled up. Numerous studies are indicating that the brain responds to sugar in a very similar manner to addictive substances like drugs and alcohol.

One scientist in particular things addiction to sugar has more to do with biochemistry than will. Similarly, the industry as a whole has agreed that addiction is a disease of the body and mind, a public health crisis of mental illness, more than it is a matter of will. Monica Dus, reports NPR, “believes a diet in high sugar actually changes the brain, so it no longer does a good job of knowing how many calories the body is taking in.” Overtime, the brain makes consistent incremental changes which leads to the inability to eat just one cupcake or piece of candy.

Addiction and alcoholism are the result of incremental brain changes in which the brain is no longer able to produce it’s own dopamine or source of pleasure. Additionally, other systems in the brain change like areas where control or limitation is regulated.

Treating sugar like a substance which is harmful to the brain is more than dietary. For people in recovery it is important to support the brain from repeating addictive behaviors. Enlightened Solutions offers nutritional and dietary support including a sugar free diet and weekly lessons on cooking. A certified dual diagnosis treatment center, Enlightened provides recovery for addiction, alcoholism, and co-occurring mental health disorders. Call us today for more information, 844-234-LIVE.

Anxiety Changes Your Attention Span

Anxiety creates what is known as attentional bias. The brain creates all kinds of biases. There are long lists of cognitive biases which are the brain’s way of essentially getting lazy. Cognitive bias is the way the brain skips out on thinking more than it has to. Attentional bias, on the other hand, results in a change of what we pay attention to. If that seems obvious, the actual occurrence is a bit more obscure. On the sly, anxiety shifts our attention beyond what we are even aware of. By creating a change in consciousness, anxiety has the power to change our reality. How we experience reality is a debate usually left up to philosophers, neuroscientists, and psychologists alike. Simply stated, the way we think decides our reality. If our thinking, and attention span, is being skewed by the onset of anxiety, then so is our reality.

To someone with anxiety this may not be so scientific. Experiencing an anxiety attack is definitely a reality-jarring occasion. As the heartbeat starts increasing and the thoughts start running, there is little other reality left than the blatantly obvious and undeniable: I’m having an anxiety attack.

The repercussions of being focused on an anxiety attack might seem inconsequential. After all, if one is experiencing an anxiety attack they should probably be attentive towards it. However, the way that anxiety interacts with attention has more effect than just that. According to BBC, “anxiety’s effects on attention my shape worldviews and belief systems in specific and predictable ways. It can even affect our politics without us knowing.”

Attention has a primary purpose rooted in survival: helping us survive. By paying attention, we can be open to seeing what might be out of the ordinary or threatening. BBC writes that. “...anxiety causes this quick and simple threat detection system to become hypersensitive, changing the behavior of the attentional spotlight in a way that does harm.”

Learning to manage the symptoms of anxiety comes with treating anxiety. Untreated mental illness is one of the leading contributors to the development of addiction. Abusing substances only makes anxiety works, though it might seem like it is helping to take focus away from it.

There is a way to treat both substance abuse and anxiety. Enlightened Solutions is a certified dual diagnosis treatment center offering comprehensive care programs for substance abuse and other mental health disorders. Recovery starts today, with you. Call us for more information 844-234-LIVE.

Recovery Has To Mean Something

You have to do it for you. That’s what old timers in recovery will tell you. Stick around the rooms of twelve step meetings like alcoholics anonymous long enough and you will hear similar sayings. Mothers couldn’t stay sober for the babies, husbands couldn’t stay sober for their wives, doctors couldn’t stay sober for their patients, CEO’s couldn’t stay sober for their companies. No matter the circumstance, condition, social class, economic level, or race, unless a person is getting sober for themselves, they’ve hardly a chance.

Getting sober has to mean something. The meaningless life of drugs and alcohol has to be outmatched by the promises of recovery. Sitting comfortably in the numbness of active addiction is easy to do. For many different reasons, drugs and alcohol became our meaning. Some of us found identities we never had, abilities we never had, or escape we had never experienced before we tried drugs or alcohol. After some time the original meaning we found in using was replaced by the bottomless search for meaning in addiction. High, low, drunk, wasted, unconscious, psychedelically conscious- that once satisfying discovery becomes a long lost and distant memory. Therefore, when we choose to get sober, we have to create meaning. There must be a reason for us to recover. Discovering that reason is part of recovery itself.

Four out of every ten people in America feel that they have not yet discovered their meaning in life or found an answer to their life purpose, according to the Center for Disease Control. Through the twelve steps we are given a simple distinguished purpose: to carry the message. By overcoming the grips of addiction and learning to live a sober lifestyle, we inherently create a new purpose for ourselves in letting other addicts, new and doubtful like we once were, know they have a chance. Living by example, we let other people who may be silently suffering see that living without drugs and alcohol is a real possibility for them.

What will recovery mean to you? As we often say, “More will be revealed.” While in the midst of withdrawals or detox, the early weeks of recovery make meaning hard to come by unless its sheer survival. Give yourself enough time and you will find that the meaning is indeed revealed, one day at a time. Make it matter. Make it yours.

This is your time. Recovery is a meaningful decision that leads to magnificent life transformation. It starts with you. If you or a loved one are in need of treatment for addiction, alcoholism, or dual-diagnosis mental health issues call Enlightened Solutions today for more information. 844-234-LIVE.

Can You “Switch Off” Your Tolerance to Alcohol?

There is a curious dividing line which separates the alcoholic from the normal drinker. Even a drinker who, on regular occasion, drinks excessively, will not develop alcoholism. Tolerance is part of the disease of alcoholism. In alcoholics, the tolerance threshold for alcohol continues to get higher. Meaning, that overtime more and more alcohol needs to be consumed in order to achieve an equal or greater state of intoxication than before. That is why many alcoholics find themselves frightened when suddenly multiple bottles do not get them drunk.

For nonalcoholics, however, their tolerance level remains unchanged. Additionally, their tolerance level seems to communicate tolerance. In the alcoholic, tolerance is always surpassed as a challenge and obsessive craving desire to acquire more. Nonalcoholics do not have the compulsive need to consume more. They are able to decipher when they’ve had enough. Most importantly, nonalcoholics are able to stop.

Investigating the neuroscience of alcoholism has become an obsession in the scientific community. Tremendous discoveries have been made, clueing the world in on how exactly alcoholism works in the brain. Ultimately, the goal of such scientific inquiry is to find a “cure” for alcoholism. Recent research has found an interesting lead.

The cerebellum is the part of the brain responsible for motor functioning. Motor control and alcohol do not mix well. Alcohol impairs motor control, which is why drunk people slur, stumble, and fall down. Granule cells are found in the cerebellum which dictate the inhibition of motor functions. If granule cells get “excited”, motor control is inhibited. Alcohol slows down the cerebellum and slows down motor functions. It does so by interacting with the GABA protein. GABA is being recognized as a key player in alcoholism. Many people in treatment are being prescribed medications such as GABApentin to help reproduce this essential brain protein.

Essentially, the new research shows that by stimulating the right GABA receptors, test subjects (mice) stopped wanting alcohol. They also didn’t display many of the motor malfunctions from intoxication. What this means for the future of alcoholism treatment is that GABA stimulation can change the way a person craves and tolerates alcohol. Being able to turn that off in a person’s brain could reduce relapse timelines, cravings, and provide early intervention to alcoholism.

Enlightened Solutions supports the discovery of new treatments for alcoholism. We feel confident in our proven methods of combining evidence based treatment with twelve step philosophy and holistic healing. Our treatment facility offers partial care, intensive outpatient, and outpatient treatment levels to men and women seeking recovery. For more information call 844-234-LIVE.

Commonly Abused Substances

Synthetics

Synthetic drugs are the most difficult to regulate by law enforcement officials, medical doctors, and psychologists. Synthetic drugs are not traceable to a plant or particular chemical like many other drugs. Instead, synthetic drugs or “designer” drugs are made, quite literally, with everything under the kitchen sink. As a result, determining how the drug will effect the brain and body is unpredictable. Synthetic drugs are powerful stimulants, creating a fast and furious high and almost instantaneous dependency. Generally the effects and symptoms of Synthetic drug abuse include:

●     Paranoia

●     Rapid heart rate

●     Overheating

●     Slurred speech

●     Irrational thoughts

●     Fear of being chased by evil forces

●     “Superhuman” strength

Methamphetamines

Crystal Meth is a highly abused stimulant and synthetic drug. Also known as “ice” or “glass” the crystal like shards are smoked or injected. Meth is abused for its stimulant properties, causing people to stay awake for as long as ten days. Effects and symptoms of meth abuse include:

●     Dilated pupil

●     Suppressed appetite

●     Erratic behavior

●     Insomnia

●     Focus on picking the skin

●     Paranoia

●     Rapid weight loss

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance, contributing to high numbers of death and alcohol-related injury each year. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks per sitting, which is about two hours. Drinking abusively can impair basic cognitive and motor functions, judgment, and thinking. Alcohol damages the liver, brain, and body. Effects and symptoms of alcohol abuse include:

●     Incoherence

●     Blackout

●     Slurred Speech

●     Poor Judgment

●     Vomiting

●     Imbalance, or stumbling

●     Needing more alcohol or not knowing one’s limits

Stimulants

Cocaine is the most popularly abused stimulant drug. Crack and other amphetamine drugs like Adderall and drugs used for studying are popular as well. Stimulant drugs work with the central nervous system, quickly accessing the brain and putting into hyper speed mode. Cocaine can cause in overdose with just one hit while other amphetamines taken in large quantities can cause heart complications. Effects and symptoms of stimulant abuse include:

●     Hyper focus

●     Ability to stay up all night

●     Maximized productivity

●     Jittery behavior

●     Suppressed appetite

●     Irritability

●     Aggression

Opioids

In 2014 approximately 28,000 Americans died from overdose on opioids including heroin and prescription painkillers. Opioid overdose is caused by respiratory depression, the slowing of the heart until it stops. Opioids are highly addicting, but through subtle means like chronic pain treatment. Opioids create euphoric sensation through muscle relaxation and feelings of warmness. Dependency on opioids result in brutal withdrawal symptoms, causing a need to continue using the drugs just to avoid the withdrawal. Effects and Symptoms of opioid abuse include:

●     “Nodding out” or falling asleep frequently

●     Slowed movement, or doing nothing at all

●     Rapid weight loss

●     Change in skin pigment and elasticity

●     Irritability when not on the drug

●     Constipation

●     “Pinholed” pupils

●     Severe symptoms of withdrawal

Benzodiazepines

Introduced in the 1950’s as “mommy’s little helper” benzodiazepines became famous for “taking the edge off”. Famous brands like Valium and Xanax are prescribed to help cope with anxiety. Though marketed as non-dependency forming, regular users of these drugs experience immediate symptoms of withdrawal when they miss a dose. Abusing Xanax can result in euphoric sensation similar to opioids. Effects and symptoms of benzodiazepine abuse includes:

●     Slow movements

●     Shallow breathing

●     Loss of judgment for physical pain

Enlightened Solutions offers hope and healing for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Our doors are open to men and women seeking holistic, 12 step based treatment. If you are concerned you or a loved one are suffering from problems with drugs or alcohol, call us today. We have a solution. 844-234-LIVE.