Are You Holding Your Expectations Too High?

After cleaning house with others in your life is done, you have yourself to reconcile with. Having a hard time forgiving yourself? You might be holding expectations of yourself too high.

You Feel Constantly Inadequate

You realize that everyone else seems satisfied with you, except for you. When someone pays you a compliment, you find it hard to take. If only they knew, you think to yourself, how untrue that statement was. For various reasons in life we come to stop believing in ourselves and our self-worth. We might have received harsh criticisms, experienced bullying, or found ourselves neglected from a parent’s love. Whatever the emotional trauma, the message from that experience told us to believe we weren’t good enough. Letting go of inadequacy is only possible by finding and holding on to feelings of adequacy, worthiness, deservedness, and self-worth. Recognize that you are in control of how you feel compared to others, including yourself.

You Think There’s Something Wrong With Your Life

Through recovery, we find our authentic selves and take actionable strides towards living authentically. Having decided who we are, who we want to be, and how we want to live, we’ve embraced that fully. Yet, at the slightest notice, we become remarkably insecure. We know that our expectations of ourselves are too high when we can’t be in acceptance of where life is at the moment. You might find that you rationalize or justify the state of your life because you don’t think it’s good enough. Remember, the grass isn’t always greener, so stop and smell the roses where you are.

You Are Convinced You Are A Disappointment

Expectations are, as we say in recovery, a highway to disappointments. Disappointments most dangerously lead to resentments. Having a resentment towards yourself for not meeting your own unreasonable expectations is a tormenting place to be. Self-loathing leads to self-centeredness which is, for persons in recovery, a red level warning area. Additionally, you might start to think you’re disappointing everyone else. Though it sounds self-conscious, it is more self-obsessed. To be convinced of everyone’s disappointment means to think everyone is constantly thinking about you. It is unlikely. Let yourself be where you are in all of your accomplishments, one day at a time.

Enlightened Solutions is committed to providing excellence in care to men and women who are seeking liberation from their abusive relationships with drugs and alcohol. Our beautiful facility offers peace and tranquility to support our integrative program. We incorporate 12 step philosophy with holistic methods of treatment. If you are concerned about your problems with drinking, drug use, and co-occurring disorders, call Enlightened Solutions today. Recovery starts with you. Start by calling us. 844-234-LIVE.

When You Start Meditating

Meditation is a helpful spiritual tool for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. People associate all kinds of images and ideas with meditation without knowing just what will happen when they start meditating. Here are some of the things you might have to endure when you start meditating.

You Sleep Better

Meditation before bed is as good as medicine. Slowing down the nervous system and helping the brains settle down, meditation encourages the body to reset after all the chaotic happenings of the day. Focusing on the breath helps the body and brain get that extra bit of oxygen it needs before going to sleep. When oxygen reaches the muscles, it helps them relax. Some people find that their mind races before going to sleep. Meditation helps to quiet the mind. Practicing some mindfulness with meditation will train the brain to let go of the stress from the day and focus only on the present moment, which is thankfully bedtime.

You Notice Your Thoughts More

Mindful meditation asks you to pay attention to the thoughts that come up as you try to settle your mind into not thinking much. You acknowledge the thoughts which arise, notice them, actively try not to label or judge them, then practice just letting them go. In doing so, you start to recognize patterns of what you’re thinking and why you’re thinking it. When adverse situations arise which would usually call for a particular reaction, you find yourself stopping to think about that reaction before acting on it. Where you might have once reacted adversely, you find yourself able to pause, notice your thoughts, and take a moment to choose how you would rather react.

You Become More Compassionate

Learning to recognize patterns of your own suffering through noticing your thoughts and observing how they effect you helps you to be more compassionate toward yourself. Compassion is about recognizing that someone experiences suffering of their own, then developing a kind and loving sympathy for them. It is harder to be kind toward ourselves than it is to be kind toward others. When we meditate and foster that self-compassion, our kindness toward others changes. It deepens and widens in our hearts. We feel a whole-heartedness toward the world we never noticed before.

You Want To Meditate When You Can

Connecting to the breath is like connecting to the source of life. Even if you can’t engage in a full twenty minute or hour long meditation during the day, you find yourself searching for every opportunity you can to take a deep breath. Just taking one moment to mindfully take a deep breath in and let a deep breath out is a moment of meditation. Overtime, you’ll notice that when you are in need of receiving, your inhale will lengthen. Likewise, when you are in need of letting go, you will be able to exhale for longer without hardly taking a breath in.

Enlightened Solutions teaches our patients meditation as part of a spiritual skill set for overcoming the power of addiction to drugs and alcohol. We offer multiple levels of care to men and women seeking compassionate change in their lives regarding addiction and dual-diagnosis issues. For more information call 844-234-LIVE.

Types of Detox Treatment Methods

Medically Assisted Detox

Medically assisted detox receives a lot of attention and controversy. Most medically assisted detox treatments involve the use of drug replacement therapy or drug substitution therapy. Famous name drugs like methadone or suboxone are prescribed to help someone slowly ween off of drugs like heroin, meth, and cocaine. Methadone and suboxone contain small traces of opioid, or morphine. Instead of enduring the unrelenting symptoms of withdrawal, someone can taper down through the process. Detox is the highest risk period of relapse. Medically assisted detox helps ensure against relapse.

However, that trace of morphine can be abused and become depended upon. Some people stay on substitution drug therapy treatments for years on end. While some practitioners see that as a success if the person does not turn back to illicit substances, others see that as not being true abstinence from being dependent upon a mind altering substance.

Naturally Assisted Detox

Naturally assisted detox is a relatively new treatment method for detox. With great sucess, NAD also reduces the symptoms of withdrawal, similar to the way medically assisted detox does. However, NAD relies on the intravenous administration of naturally occurring amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to replenish the body’s natural immune system, rather than morphine. Not only does NAD reduce symptoms of withdrawal, but it reduces the detox time period.

Cold Turkey

Putting an abrupt halt to the abuse of addictive substances can cause a range of health complications, which can include death. Detox, though it depends on how long drugs were abused and how severely they were abused, can be dangerous. When the body is detoxing, the brain is going through all the desperate measures it can think of to make the experience as awful as possible. One the one hand, the brain is in chaos- it doesn’t know how to function without the presence of drugs and alcohol anymore. Simultaneously, it wants to cause as much discomfort as possible through intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms so that it might make using sound convincing.

Quitting cold turkey and doing an at home detox is possible with some preparation. Having plenty of fluids, regularly taking temperature, and being monitored is important. Detox can cause seizure, heart attack, stroke, and passing out.

Enlightened Solutions proudly works with nearby detox treatment centers for patients looking to start treatment, but are in need of detox first. We offer treatment programs for men and women seeking recovery from their relationship with addiction. For more information call 844-234-LIVE.

The Ongoing Grief Of Losing A Parent

Many turn to substance abuse out of a need to cope with emotional pain. Feelings of abandonment, neglect, isolation, being different, or having the symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, can drive one to need a mind calming solution. Drugs and alcohol provide people the solace, escape, and comfort they need to get through challenging emotional circumstances. One of the most significant life events someone can experience is the loss of a parent. Grieving the loss of a critical life figure is emotionally taxing, spiritually breaking, and difficult task.

Grief, in all of its stages, can feel like it will never end. Losing someone special like a parent leaves a hole and a void in our lives that forever will go unfilled. Attempting to fill that hole with drugs and alcohol may anesthetize the pain temporarily. However, the longer we prevent ourselves from feeling through the cycle of grief, we only delay the inevitable. No drug and no drink, despite our willful attempts, can truly make that pain go away. Somehow, when it comes to emotional experiences, it is only by thoroughly feeling and processing grief that it can be resolved.

Being in the safe and therapeutic environment of treatment, at any level, is a considerable place to being working on grief. As you begin to dissect the relationship that might exist between your substance abuse and the loss of a significant loved one in your life, take these suggestions to heart:

It’s true, nobody could possibly understand unless they’ve experienced it

You might be quick to get angry, resentful, or write off people who try to sympathize with what you’ve experienced. Rightfully, you find it hard to relate to anyone’s sympathy if they themselves have not lost a parent. Try to remain open to receiving emotional support and seek the similarities in what your peers offer you, rather than focus on the differences.

Experience your emotions authentically and take care of yourself

Learning how to participate in self-care is a part of the recovery process when you are in treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. On particularly tough days, know that it’s okay to just not be entirely okay. It is also okay to do what you need to do to take care of yourself. Remember, though, you are learning what that means. There is a difference between isolating and taking quiet time for yourself. Help stay grounded in your choices by allowing others to guide you and listen to your needs.

Enlightened Solutions uses the spiritual healing of holistic practices supported by strong evidence based practice and 12 step philosophy. By seeking understanding through underlying circumstances, our program helps residents gain insight to their addictions. We offer certified dual diagnosis treatment for both substance abuse and other mental health disorders. For more information call 844-243-LIVE.

Processing Stress In Recovery

Nobody likes stress. In fact, no body likes stress. Stress, it has been proven hundreds of times over, is incredibly bad for your health. Stress is one of the leading causes of disease, heart failure, and poor health throughout the world. To deal with stress, the body produces adrenaline, which stimulates the fight or flight response. Inherently we don’t even really “deal” with stress, we either fight it off or run away from it. Going against our survival instincts and choosing to work through stress is a major part of growing in recovery. Life can be stressful, but the stress does not have to win. Here are some tips for learning to grow through stress rather than run from it, fight it, or be consumed by it to the point of ill health.

Failure Happens

“Progress not perfection” is a popular saying in the rooms of recovery and twelve step meetings.  The Big Book of Alcoholics in Chapter 5 titled “How it Works” reads, “No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” The truth is, nobody is perfect. Trying to bear the responsibility of being that one perfect person is just too much for anyone’s back. As alcoholics and addicts, we tend to convince ourselves we’re “special”. We have to succeed because we are capable of it, even if nobody understands. Consequently, we begin to view failure as stress and stress as failure. Stress is a natural reaction to life. Being the wonderfully imperfect beings that we are, we get stressed and sometimes we “fail”. It’s okay.

Give It Away To Keep It

Stress is actually a gift of recovery. In early recovery, we work hard to keep our stress at a minimum in an effort to support our treatment. We continue to grow and begin living our life again. Jobs, responsibilities, all the little pieces of life come trickling back in, and cause us stress. The truth is, we worked hard to get here. We’ve earned our stress because we’ve developed an entirely new manner of living in which to handle it- even if we don’t always handle it well.

Being of service is a critically important component in recovery. One of the quickest and most sure-fire ways to get out of self when you are super focused on your stress is to be of service to another person. You might be thinking you don’t have time to be of service because you are too busy with all the stressful things you have going on. Usually, that’s the strongest indicator that you need to make the time. It will significantly help you reduce your stress by helping you get grounded and grateful for the life you have created!

Enlightened Solutions compassionately treats each patient with the therapeutic skills necessary to help them build a new spiritually founded life. Our treatment programs for addiction and dual-diagnosis disorders are integrative, combining twelve step philosophy with effective therapy models and holistic healing modalities. Call us today for more information 844-234-LIVE.

Natural Remedies For Flu Season

For most of the country, flu season never left this year. Bout after bout of flu-like sickness has come in swarms from the spring, through the summer and into the fall. Now that flu shots are being offered, it is time to look at natural remedies for helping to fight off the flu this season.

Why Preventative Alternatives?

Drug and alcohol abuse compromise the immune system’s ability to fight for itself. Though recovery from drug and alcohol abuse is a move in the right direction, it can take time for the immune system to rebuild. At Enlightened Solutions we maintain a healthy, sustainable and organic diet to help support nutritional health. It is common to catch numerous colds throughout early recovery when not taking the proper preventative cautions to ward off infections.

Salt Water Rinse

You might be inclined to buy over the counter sprays to deal with your stuffy nose. Doing a warm water rinse or using essential oils is much more highly recommended. You can use a netty pot or a saline rinse to do the job. Different recipes exist using baking soda and salt. Salt water rinses help break up congestion while clearing out any viral infection. Though it is not recommended to use essential oils in the nasal cavity, putting Eucalyptus oil near the nose and on the chest or throat will act like Vick’s vapo rub!

Warm Water Gargle

Now that we have the stuffy nose taken care of, let’s tackle that itchy throat. Drinking plenty of warm liquids is a great way to manage a sore throat. Warm water with salt as a gargle can be helpful. Many throat tea variations are helpful especially when drank with honey. Honey is a viscous liquid that helps soothe the throat while creating a thick coating.

Steaming

Taking a steaming hot shower, sitting in a steam room, or creating a steam over the stove can be helpful for clearing congestion. Try hanging a satchel of eucalyptus and lavender beneath your shower head during a hot shower. For over the stove, boil a pot of water and add a few drops of eucalyptus, lavender, or other essential oil. Putting a towel over your head, hover over the hot pot.

Foods

Eating a diet rich in Vitamin-C is best for fighting off the flu. Though there are different foods with different properties which might be more useful than others, maintaining a healhty and balanced diet is key. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Avoid salty, sugary, inflammatory foods. Typically, abstaining from dairy is best for dealing with congestion.

Enlightened Solutions provides nutritional and holistic training to patients to help them support their new lifestyles with healthy practices. We believe in the necessity of living well for wellbeing. Our certified dual diagnosis treatment welcomes those seeking to transform their lives. For more information call 844-234-LIVE.

Natural Healing and Recovery

Before the modernization of medicine and the development of analgesics used in early surgeries like ether or opium-derived morphine, civilization depended on the use of nature. Though many people today refer to it as naturopathy or homeopathy, civilizations have been using the healing properties of plants, flowers, leaves, barks, and herbs, for thousands of years.

Edward Bach was a practicing British physician, who developed stomach cancer. He had left generalized and modernized medicine to purse homeopathy. Upon his diagnosis he left the city and retreated to nature where he studied the healing essences of flowers. As with most disciplines of holistic healing, Bach believed that physical symptoms were manifestations of deeper emotional conflicts. By using the essence and energy of certain plants, Bach found emotional resonance in treating different areas of the body.

Author () believes that chronic back pain is a sign of stress. Healing Back Pain (check title of book) adheres to the doctrine that making lifestyle shifts which appease to a greater balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, will cure pain. Beneath the aches and pains of stress is actual emotional stress. Many are not aware of how their body manifests their emotional state. Mostly, this is due to the fact that society is not emotionally articulate. We are inept at connecting emotion and body because we are lacking in vocabulary and understanding regarding emotion. Solving emotional complications is complex, intangible, and confounding. Solving physical problems in the modern world is easy- take a pill. Since there is such a simple solution to the symptom which causes dis-ease, there is little need to look beyond the problem.

Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a holistic healing process; not because of holistic practices but because true healing requires integration of mind, body, and spirit. Using holistic practices like essential oils and homeopathy can add benefit to the evidence-based treatment methods used in addiction recovery facilities.

Essential Oils for Recovery

 

Lavender

Eucalyptus

Rose Hip

The “Enough” Factor in the Brain

What separates an alcoholic from a normal drinker? The compulsion to drink despite negative consequences has baffled scientists, family members, spouses, and loved ones for centuries. How is it that two perfectly normal people, standing side by side, can consume alcohol and react in completely different ways? Even “normal” drinkers who drink heavily or binge drink do not experience the peculiar phenomena of craving as alcoholics do. Additionally, they have the simple ability that alcoholics do not: the ability to stop.

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains that for the true alcoholic one is never enough. A common saying in recovery is that “one is too many, a thousand never enough.” The insatiable thrist for alcohol is unending in the alcoholic. Unique to addiction is the tendency to be lacking in a stopping limit, especially in consideraiton of negative consequences. It is the alcoholic who fools himself into believing he can have just one. “Cunning, baffling, powerful” is how The Big Book describes alcohol. Until now, alcoholics have been seen to be “powerless” over alcohol. While many argue this as a matter of willpower, AA sees it as a matter of spiritual malady. New research suggests that the alcoholic brain is actually deficient in a very important protein which helps with that “power”.

The “Enough” Factor in the Brain

PRDM2, according to inews, controls various nerve signals that help stop drinking. Meaning, that this protein is essential to having power over when enough is enough. The protein is located in the frontal lobes of the cortex, which is where the brain makes decisions. Specifically, PRDM2 manages how one nerve cell signals another. If there isn’t enough protein present, there will be ineffective communication about impulsivity among nerve cells.

The research found that in brains of alcoholics, PRDM2 was practically nonexistent. Not only does this impair the ability to stop drinking at any point, it also impairs the impulse to drink. Decision making about alcohol includes when and why to pick up alcohol in addition to how much. For example, active and present PRDM2 might contribute to avoiding a drink in times of stress. A better functioning frontal lobe means making more rational decisions.

Science continues to help destigmatize alcoholism and addiction. One day there might be a “cure” for the disease of addiction. Until that day, the more information gained, the greater treatment experiences we can provide.

Physical Fitness is really Mental Fitness

Withdrawals. Detoxing. Craving. Feeling extremely uncomfortable. Early recovery (the first 30-90 days) is not the most inspirational to be physically active. In fact, early recovery feels more like the opportune time to do nothing but eat, group therapy, and sleep. Unfortunately, in most treatment programs, some form of physical activity is included. Gym time, personal trainers, yoga, walking, hiking- it seems like “those people” are determined to make you move. As with everything in early recovery, there is a purpose.

Physical Fitness is really Mental Fitness

Physical activity in early recovery isn’t really about the physical fitness. Of course, there is physiological benefit to exercise. Getting in a good sweat gets your heart rate going, opens up your sweat glands, and helps you detoxify residual junk from your drug of choice. Exercise is also proven to improve your mood and alleviate symptoms of depression. Substance abuse affects the brain on a very intimate level, right down to the neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are communication messengers in the brain. One such transmitter called dopamine communicates pleasure. Alcohol, cocaine, and just about every abused substance creates a surplus of dopamine production, acclimating the brain to a very excited way of life. In early recovery when we’re stripped away from those substances, our brains have a very difficult time producing dopamine on its own. In fact, it is the act of substance abuse itself which creates this situation. Chemical dependency on drugs and alcohol is the result of the brain relying upon the presence of substances to produce that overload of dopamine. Consequently, in early recovery, there are many feelings of depression, irritability, low mood, and lethargy. Physical activity helps with that.

Physical activity also helps boost short-term brain function and heighten awareness, according to this Medium author. It also helps in defeating the most defeating part of the early recovery experience: being uncomfortable. There is little feeling as victorious as completing an exercise activity you absolutely did not think you could. At the onset of recovery, there is a lot of doubt. We are sometimes convinced for certain that we won’t make it. We can’t stand another detox and get through another 6 months of uncomfortable feelings. On another level, there are days we don’t think we can make it through anything at all. Exercise is a living metaphor that we can - and we will - get through it, and we grow in the process.

Enlightened Solutions incorporates yoga, exercise and other kinds of physical exercise as part of a holistic program of treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. We offer a unique approach to recovery, fusing 12 step philosophy with holistic methods of treatment. For more information on our programs call 844-234-LIVE.

Common Questions About Meditation and Mindfulness

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice of noticing. Many of us just go with the motions of our days without really noticing what is going on. Bringing awareness to our surroundings assists us in becoming present and enjoying life fully in each moment. Mindfulness is proven to help relax, sharpen focus, and regulate mood.

Is mindfulness different from meditation?

Yes and no. Mindfulness is a form of meditation but not all meditation is necessarily mindful. However, practicing meditation does tend to increase one’s sense of mindfulness. Meditation, like mindfulness, is a practice that helps develop a sense of awareness. Though mindfulness is a thought process, meditation can be practiced in different ways.

What if your mind is too busy?

Most meditation and mindfulness practitioners would argue that there is no such thing as a mind too busy to practice. They might even emphasize that the mind which thinks itself too busy for mindfulness and meditation is in the most need! Practicing mindfulness and meditation is a way to quiet the mind and calm the chaos internally. It may take time and meditation sessions of no more than five minutes at a time to start.

Is the goal to stop all thoughts?

Some disciplines of religion like Zen Buddhism include meditation in which the goal is to empty the mind completely. Not all meditation is about nothingness. Mindfulness, arguably, is about everythingness by noticing the world around you. Practicing meditation and mindfulness is about coming to terms with your thoughts.

Do I have to be spiritual to practice mindfulness and meditation?

No. Though mindfulness and meditation are spiritually founded practices, religion or spirituality does not have to be part of your life. It is important to note, however, that many people will have spiritual experiences or spiritual shifts. Meditation and mindfulness are proven to enhance feelings of connectedness and universality.

How do I practice mindfulness and meditation?

The simplest way to practice is to just breath and notice your thoughts. Meditation can be sitting, quiet, music, guided, etc. Choose what works best for you.

Enlightened Solutions combines holistic health and spiritual practices with both evidence-based treatment as well as 12 step philosophy. Our integrated approach to recovery creates a unique program of treatment for men and women overcoming addiction. For more information on our programs of treatment, call 844-234-LIVE.

Fashion Industry’s Power over Beauty

The word model means “a system or thing used as an example to follow or imitate.” It is no wonder then that fashion brands have, for centuries, call the men and women showing off their clothing “models”. Fashion sells more than clothing. How a fashion brand develops their loyalty is through the development of a lifestyle. Wearing a certain type of clothing is supposed to make you feel as though you are living a certain type of life. By using “models” fashion brands use living people as examples of how life should look.

Over time, models have become thinner and thinner. Numerous documentaries and investigative reports have revealed the pressures models face to be thin. Models must meet high expectations and standards of beauty that are ever changing. Recently, major fashion centered countries like France have banned excessive thinness on the runway. Fashion models have to meet a healthy BMI in order to work.

For decades, fashion models and eating disorders have been closely affiliated. Beyond the models in fashion are the people trying to “model” themselves after fashion models. Consumers see images of these lifestyle brands and believe in the ideals of perfectionism or beauty. Convinced that they are fat, ugly, or not beautiful enough without looking like the models do, people resort to extreme measures. Though many models are already incredibly thin, fashion participates in another harmful trend which is digital alteration. Photos of models on the covers of magazines or in advertisements have been digitally altered. The beauty ideal upheld by fashion is unrealistic.

London Fashion Week is coming up in the fashion circuit. England is one of the few countries left not to regulate the BMI of fashion models. A new campaign initiative is being launched to get this sort of legislation happening in the UK. Models with a BMI below 18.5 need to be seen by medical professionals. Additionally, each collection showcased by a designer must include sizes from one end of the scale to the other. One of every sample must be a UK size 12 or above, which is usually designated as “plus size”.

The history and reasoning behind small sizes displayed on the runway have to do with saving money. Designers believe they save money for investors by using less material for their designs on the runway. Skinny models require less material. For this small reason in a multi billion dollar industry, millions of men and women around the world suffer from eating disorders.

Eating Disorders are commonly co-occurring with substance abuse issues including alcoholism and addiction to drugs like cocaine or other amphetamines. Enlightened Solutions is a certified and licensed dual-diagnosis treatment center, welcoming men and women seeking recovery for co-occurring disorders. For more information on our programs of treatment call 844-234-LIVE.

An Eating Disorder at the Dinner Table

Eating disorders are not always obvious. On the other hand, eating disorders are not always hidden as well. Many wrongly assume that an eating disorder is most strongly evidenced by how thin someone is. Mostly that is because people wrongly assume eating disorders are about eating. Just like alcohol and drugs are really symptoms of the mental illness that is addiction and alcoholism, food, weight, and eating, are just symptoms of eating disorders.

Having an unhealthy obsession over food consumption, weight, body image, and body mass index is indication of a problematic way of thinking. That unhealthy obsession can be displayed in numerous ways. Similar to the way an addict or alcoholic goes to great lengths of dishonesty to protect their addiction, someone with an eating disorder will protect their illness. Binging and purging are easily hidden. When weight loss, or weight gain, or not noticeable, these harmful and potentially fatal practices can carry on under the radar.

“Weight loss,” chief executive of the National Eating Disorders Association Claire Mysko explains, “is not necessarily associated with a lot of eating disorders. Certainly with some- and with anorexia- that is a sign. But for most people who struggle with eating disorders, you wouldn’t necessarily know it from looking at them.”

Anorexia is a prevailing eating disorder that can affect men and women of all demographics, cultures, and appearances. Since anorexia mostly involves restricting a diet, commonly to the point of starvation, weight loss is a regular symptom. However, not all eating disorders are about restriction. In fact, most eating disorders include the practice of binging and purging. Binging is eating a copious amount of food to the point of feeling sick. Purging means using a method like vomiting, abusing laxatives, or excessive exercise, to get rid of that feeling. These practices can cause subtle fluctuations in weight, but no drastic weight loss.

The pervasive stereotype of what an eating disorder “should” look like prevents thousands from seeking treatment for their harmful habits. Eating disorders can cause heart failure, stroke, intestinal problems, and weight problems.

If you are concerned you or a loved one might be experiencing an unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, or body image, call Enlightened Solutions today. We offer care for dual-diagnosis issues. Eating disorders are commonly accompanied by substance abuse of drugs and alcohol. For more information call 844-234-LIVE.

Mental Health is a Problem for Children in School

Addiction is both a disease of it’s own and a symptom of others. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous aptly states that “our liquor was but a symptom.” Increasingly, addiction, alcoholism, or general substance use disorder is being dually diagnosed. Dual-diagnosis refers to the two prong diagnosis of substance abuse and other mental health disorder. Depression, anxiety, and ADHD are three of the most common dual-diagnosis issues found in conjunction with substance use. Without the early intervention and treatment of mental health disorders, substance abuse can develop as a coping mechanism.

Mental Health is a Problem for Children in School

NPR reports that in the United States, one out of every five school children shows signs of mental illness (in a given school year). Problematically, upwards of 80% of children who demonstrate symptoms of mental illness and may have it will not be treated for it. Untreated mental illness in early stages of development tends to worsen through the hormonal changes of puberty. Entering teenagehood when adolescents are naturally beginning to experiment with drugs and alcohol, a young adult with preexisting mental illness will be prone to addiction.

Addiction is not the only problem that can be created by untreated mental illness in school age children. Unless there is an active parent supporting their specific needs in learning, a child will suffer academically. As a result, they will likely receive criticism, ridicule, and punishment from their learning institutions. Wishing to avoid the humiliation and frustration, they might start skipping classes, underperforming academically, and turning to drugs for escape.

A similar occurrence happens in much of the treatment industry. Though dual-diagnosis is becoming more common, many treatment centers are not equipped to work with such clients. Enlightened Solutions is a certified and licensed dual-diagnosis treatment facility. In uncertified facilities, they might view the symptomology of mental illness as a lack of willingness, lack of motivation, or problematic behavior. Just like acting up in school, patients in treatment will begin to rebel. Sadly, their frustrations will lead to discharge and potential relapse.

Recognizing and treating co-occurring mental illness disorders in addiction patients is critical at any age or stage of development.

If you are concerned you or a loved one may be suffering from a mental disorder that is causing complications such as substance abuse, call Enlightened Solutions today. 844-234-LIVE.

Going Sugar Free is Easy

Going sugar free is easy, though sometimes easier said than done. Sugar is a major part of the American diet, popping up in the most unsuspecting places. With various names as disguises, sugar can appear in almost any food. In fact, read the nutrition label on most grocery store bought processed foods and find sugar or a similar ingredient. Sugar, Cane Juice, Fructose, Dextrose, High Fructose Corn Syrup...it is all the same thing. For years American culture has largely ignored the blanketed presence of sugar. Recent documentaries like  Fed Up, That Sugar Film, and Sugar Coated reveal the “dark” side of sugar.

Sugar is addicting.

Scientific research has proven that sugar is not only highly addicting but acts identically to cocaine once it enters the bloodstream. Sugar changes the way our bodies and brains act on their own, as well as interact with each other. Too much sugar is known to lead to poor dental health. Sugar can cause a wide array of health problems, largely because sugar damages the immune system.

Choosing to go sugar free is no easy choice.

The experience of taking sugar out of the diet is similar to detoxing from drugs like cocaine. There are mood swings, irritability, changes in appetite, and even obsessive cravings for sugar. Overtime, the symptoms of sugar withdrawal lessen and, like sobriety, the benefits take over. Getting there takes time.

Here are some tips for starting the journey toward going sugar free:

• Clean: Do a sweep of your refrigerator, cabinets, and pantry. Help you help yourself by getting rid of all the sugary foods in the house, as well as things with added sugar.

• Read: While cleaning out your house and grocery shopping read the labels. Looking at the ingredients and nutrition facts will show you just how much sugar is in your ketchup.

• DIY: Instead of buying pre-sweetened food sources, opt to make food and food additions yourself. If you don’t have time to prepare everything at home, look for sugar-free or unsweetened varieties.

• Snacks: Eating multiple small “meals” throughout the way staves off hunger which can cause craving for sugar. People tend to snack on candy and sugary items during the day. Reach for any whole, real food instead. Fruits and vegetables are great snacks.

• Spices: While you’re learning to eat without added sweetness, you might find yourself lacking in flavor. Spice everything up using herbs and spices.

• Soda: A great tool for reducing sugar is cutting out soda. If you’re desperate for a fizzy drink try natural sodas sweetened with agave or sparkling flavored water.

Enlightened Solutions is proud to offer comprehensive education in food, cooking, and nutrition as part of our holistic program of healing from addiction. Call us today for more information on our programs of treatment for men and women seeking recovery 844-234-LIVE.

Comprehending the Chakras

According to eastern philosophy, the body contains seven centers of spiritual and energetic power. These centers are referred to as chakras. Each chakra has an individual purpose and energy. Chakras can be opened or closed. An open chakra means the energy of that chakra and the holistic body can freely flow. When a chakra is closed, that energy is blocked. Energy that gets blocked can result in physical as well as psychological manifestations.

Ideally, as eastern preventative medicine practitioner would advocate, we should be in the flow all the time. Understanding the meanings associated with each chakra can help us understand where we might be blocked. Various treatment methods like reiki, massage, acupuncture and yoga can open the chakras, releasing their blocked energy. Mindfulness meditation can aid as well.

Why do chakras matter in recovery?

Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, in addition to co-occurring disorders, is a healing process involving the full cooperation of mind, body, and spirit. Working with the chakras helps these three components be in open communication with one another. Recovery is also full of energetic releases found in profound moments of healing and growth. Like conduits or channels for energy, being able to focus on each chakra can support the movement of that energy. Drugs and alcohol are blockers. For a long time, it might have felt as though such harmful substances helped us be ourselves and be in tune with people around us. At the very neurobiological level of our brains, right down to the neurotransmitters, substances were preventing us from doing so. Choosing recovery, we choose to feel free in the natural flow of our own being again.

What are the chakras and where are they?

Each chakra has a color. Improving the strength of each chakra can be done with simple and fun color therapy. If you want to focus on opening a certain chakra, fill your space with that chakra’s color and embrace that particular energy with the intention of what the chakra means.

Root Chakra (red)- at the very base of our spine in the sit bones of our behind

Sacral Chakra (orange)- in our pelvic floor

Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow)- towards the top of our diaphragm

Heart Chakra (green)- in our chests

Throat Chakra (light blue)- in the base of our throats, where our voice box might be found

Third Eye Chakra (dark blue)- raised above the space between our eyebrows

Crown Chakra (purple)- the top of our head, or above our head

Enlightened Solutions knows that the deep connection between mind, body, and soul, is the ultimate source of healing and transformation when recovering from addiction to drugs and alcohol. Our program is rooted in 12 step philosophy and holistic healing practices. For more information please call 844-234-LIVE.

Enlightening Empowerment: Owning your Choices and Taking Responsibility for the Consequences

“You are free to choose…” is the most simple way of describing man’s spiritual gift in his ability to express free will; however, “...you are not free from the consequence of your choice.”

Imagine all the world, mankind, and creation, as existing within one pond. With every choice we make, we cast an energetic pebble upon the pond’s waters. As a result, the pond ripples, sending waves out across the surface until it hits a border and comes back again. Over and over this cycle repeats until the energy of the wave dies out. Magnifying that example to the expansiveness of our existence, there is not telling where or when the energy of our choices might cease to have an effect. Some call this “new age” and “spiritual thinking” while others might refer to it as metaphysical law or quantum mechanics.

From a purely ontological perspective, if we choose to drop a heavy rock on our foot, we are not freed from a broken toe. Big or small, our choices have meaning for ourselves and others. Attempting to choose inconsequentially likely enabled many patterns of our addictive and alcoholic behaviors. Ignorant to how our drinking and using was affecting others, we continued to choose suffering, choose intoxication, regardless of the consequence. Recovery gives us the gifts of consideration, selflessness, and service. Approaching each choice with mindfulness, we learn to take responsibility for the consequences of our choices.

Simply accepting “blame” is different from the empowering practice of truly owning the choices we make. For example, we choose to accept a task assigned to us by another. Regretting it immediately, we moan and complain, becoming resentful of this horrible tragedy we’re suffering. How quickly we cast the ownership of our choices! Empowerment would mean owning the choice to accept this task. Enlightened empowerment would not only own the action, but own the process as well. Yes, we made the choice to take on this task. We are going to complete it fully as a result.

Recovery is not forced upon us. Though overtime we lose our deep attachment to the suffering of craving, we always have the choice to drink. Empowerment in recovery comes from fully embracing the every day, multiple times a day, decision not to drink or use drugs. Enlightened empowerment comes from trudging that road to happy destiny with grace. We choose to stay sober each day and we face the consequence of fulfilling the needs of the recovery lifestyle. We own it because we love it and we love ourselves.

Enlightened Solutions believes in the empowering effect of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction through treatment. Founded in twelve step philosophy and coupled with holistic healing practices, Enlightened offers a multidisciplinary approach. We have hope for the hopeless and a solution for the answerless.

Call us today for more information 844-234-LIVE.

Finding your Fulfillment

Defining fulfillment takes on two forms. First, fulfillment means satisfaction. When we are fulfilled, we are satisfied. Specifically, we are satisfied because we have fully developed our abilities or character through something we have done. Second, fulfillment means achievement. When we are fulfilled we feel we have achieved something “desired, promised, or predicted.” The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous has a special section of text that people fondly refer to as the promises. “If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,” the book states, “we will be amazed before we are halfway through.” Fulfilling these promises takes work, the book explains; for, we may have faith these promises will come true, however, “faith without works is dead.” Some of the promises include new happiness, comprehending the word serenity, and a whole new outlook on life. Extravagant? Hardly. Achievable? Fulfillingly.

Finding your Fulfillment

Taking the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous will be a fulfilling event. Having experienced both a spiritual awakening as well as achieved their completion, it will be time to discover more. Recovery isn’t about getting and taking more and more fulfillment. On the contrary, a truly disciplined spiritual approach will encourage detachment from the idea of “more”. However, even Siddartha, the Buddha himself, discovered enlightenment by way of a journey searching for “more”. Along his path, the Buddha tried a variety of means to find the spiritual fulfillment he was seeking. For Siddartha, his faith that there was more than the impermanence of life required work.

As you travel your path in recovery, be encouraged to seek your fulfillment in different ways. Doing this “work” will result in discovering what fulfills you, which will bring incredible joy and meaning to your life. Here are some suggestions for finding your fulfillment.

Volunteer

Volunteering opportunities range across a wide variety of interests. Pick one or two causes, activities, or interests you are willing to dedicate free and unpaid time to. Devote a few hours a week to being in that place, giving yourself to whatever it is you have volunteered to do.

Be of Service in your 12 Step Community

Being of service is a way for getting out of one’s own way. Helping others can include reaching out to a newcomer, sponsoring someone through the steps, or taking a commitment at a meeting. You might be of service to people in need of rides around town, or help with their life. Working with a newcomer is one of the most rewarding experiences in recovery.

Try new things

There may be fulfillment out there you haven’t discovered yet. Explore your vulnerabilities and try new things. You might unearth an unknown satisfaction!

Enlightened Solutions sees the promise of a fulfilling future in each one of our clients. Through holistic healing and a mind, body, spirit, approach we offer a solution to the problem of drug and alcohol addiction. For more information on our programs of treatment call us today at 844-234-LIVE.

Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries can be separated into three categories: emotional, physical, and mental. There are other types of boundaries including spiritual and energetic boundaries. Each category has a different meaning as well as a different approach to setting and maintaining it.

Emotional Boundaries

An emotional boundary allows for two things. First, it allows a person to feel and experience their own emotions autonomously. Second, it allows another person to feel and experience their own emotions autonomously. Setting healthy emotional boundaries means that each individual regulates and process their emotions individually. We do not project our emotions onto others, and we don’t allow others to project their emotions onto us. Each person’s emotional responsibility belongs to them only, not to be shared or become burdensome to someone else.

Questions to ask for setting emotional boundaries:

●     When people express their emotions, can we refrain from trying to ‘fix’ them?

●     Are we able to assume responsibility for our own emotions without pointing to an external source as the cause?

●     Do we have the ability to inform someone how we would like to be spoken to?

Physical Boundaries

Tangible and visible, physical boundaries may seem easier to set than emotional boundaries. Some people are challenged in obeying any boundaries, regardless of their obviousness. Personal space means personal space. By creating lines of demarcation around objects, spaces, and the body, we set rules for interaction. Physical boundaries help us take care of ourselves while demonstrating for others how we need to be taken care of.

Questions to ask for setting emotional boundaries:

●     How much physical space are we comfortable with around another person?

●     What kind of physical limitations do we need with ourselves? I.e., amount of hours for sleep, time spent alone, self-care, etc.

●     Can we communicate the kind of touch we are and are not okay with?

Mental Boundaries

Mental boundaries are similar to emotional boundaries. We set emotional boundaries so we can maintain ownership of our thoughts and allow others to do the same. Mental boundaries help us protect ourselves against demanding opinions or manipulative behaviors. With strong mental boundaries we are able to reject coercion.

Questions to ask for setting mental boundaries:

●     Are we comfortable with our own thoughts and opinions?

●     Can we be comfortable knowing other people have rights to their own thoughts and opinions?

●     Do we know the difference between the two?

Enlightened Solutions offers a multidisciplinary program combining twelve step philosophy with holistic models of treatment. We see the hope in finding a spiritual solution for healing from drug and alcohol addiction. Call us today for more information on our programs of treatment 844-234-LIVE.

Helicopter Parenting

Parents have a difficult task in gauging how involved or not involved they need to be in their child’s life. Research, critics, and opinions abound on either side. It’s all too easy to be uninvolved to the point of neglect, or too involved to the point of harm. Cyclically, there is one style of parenting that comes under fire as a new generation of children demonstrated psychological effect. In recent years that parenting style is helicoptering.

Helicopter Parenting

Helicopter parents are those who are overly involved in their children’s lives to the point of disabling their kids from accomplishing things on their own. Playground arguments to science projects, helicopter parents swoop in and perform. Helicopter parents also tend to be overprotective. Short of keeping their child in a plastic bubble suit (likely only if it were recycled post-consumer material that was BPA free), they don’t let their kids engage in the everyday kid activities which result in scraped knees or broken bones. Just like an actual helicopter, these parents hover and rescue on a regular basis.

Here are signs of growing up with helicopter parents;

You talk to your Parents all the time...You have to call your parents for everything.

Your parents know better than they do. Even in your late teens and early twenties, you feel certain that your Mom or Dad have a better answer or idea than you do. Each time you face a decision, you call your parents to have them help you choose. You find it difficult to trust yourself or make decisions alone.

Your parents are extremely supportive...You resent your parents’ support.

Gifts are endless when you are open to your parents’ love and support. You listen to them, you obey them, and they provide you with financial and emotional support. They also provide you with endless questions, concerns, thoughts, ideas, opinions, and even doubts about your abilities. There’s two areas of resentment. First, you resent their involvement in your life and the bartered relationship that seems to accompany it. Second, you resent their involvement in your life while accepting everything that they give you.

Other signs of helicopter parenting include feeling anxious all the time, being obsessed with perfectionism and credentials, and the fact that your parents are your best friends. This sort of performance anxiety can lead to depression, prolonged ADHD, and substance abuse.

Enlightened Solutions believes that uncovering the underlying issues surrounding addiction and alcoholism leads to complete healing. We offer a holistic program focused on healing past, present, and future. For more information call us today at 844-234-LIVE.

Is Empathy a Universal Trait?

Empathy is a universal language of recognizing in others what we are able to recognize in ourselves. If I have been through an experience you are describing, I am able to emotionally and intuitively relate to what you are saying. Not only do I understand, I have a deep comprehension of where you are. So to speak, I have walked a mile in your shoes.

One of the most basic human needs, especially in recovery, is to feel understood. Without being addicted to drugs and alcohol, it is hard to understand the depth of addiction. Family members and friends struggle to truly grasp the experience of addiction their loved ones are witnessing. Compassionately, they acknowledge how their loved one suffers, and they sympathize with their experience. Yet, they struggle in developing the empathy needed for validation.

Being in treatment or the rooms of 12 step fellowships offers solidarity in these departments. Walking into a room of like-minded, like-lived people is a sense of relief to many addicts in recovery. In all the world, there is at least one place where they know they will be understood. Someone, at some point in their life has lived through similar trial, tribulation, and even triumph. This sort of fellowship is a keystone in the continuum of recovery.

Is Empathy a Universal Trait?

Is everyone so kind? Research shows that the answer is conditional according to perceived struggle. It might be expected that the people who have suffered the most would have the greatest empathy. Quartz did a social experiment revealing that, at times, those with recent relevant experience were less inclined to have compassion and more inclined to show contempt. For example, one study examined bullying. Participants in the study reacted to two types of people who had overcome bullying. The first coped with the bullying in a way that was defined as successful. The second coped with bullying through violence and lashing out. Compared to people who had not experienced bullying, the people who had were most compassionate toward the successful subject. Yet, for the subject who reacted in violence, people who had experienced bullying themselves were the least compassionate, comparatively. Researchers believe it is a combination of forgetting what it was like, and the ability to overcome such hardships, that turn people cold.

Conclusively, the study reveals an important part of recovery: remembering what it was like. There is no need to stay haunted by one’s past, but rather embrace the humility of recognizing the hardships we have faced. It is important not to lose sight of how far you’ve come because of where you started. We remember that each person’s journey is unique.

Enlightened Solutions offers a spiritual solution to the problem of pervasive drug and alcohol addiction. Our multidisciplinary program offers a holistic approach to healing rooted in twelve step philosophy. It starts with hope. Start your journey to recovery with us. For more information on our treatment programs please call 844-234-LIVE.