Staying Connected When You Travel

A new year’s resolution for many people in recovery is to travel more. Given the gift of life, they are inspired to set out and see the world. Drug addiction especially tends to isolate people to their locations. For fear of not being able to purchase drugs and having to suffer withdrawals, many don’t travel. While both drugs and alcohol are available worldwide, it can be much more risky to buy drugs internationally. Alcohol is globally celebrated and normalized. In advanced stages of alcoholism, alcoholics are too sick to leave their houses while not intoxicated. As a result, they miss out on experiencing life beyond inebriation.

Traveling Sober

Traveling while sober is a wonderful experience. Not spending money on drugs, alcohol, parties, or other related things gives someone the ability to truly enjoy the world. However, traveling requires responsibility and accountability. Temptation is everywhere! Many people fear that once they get sober they will not be able to have fun anymore because they won’t be able to resist the temptation of drugs or alcohol anywhere they go. This simply is not true. By staying connected and committed to your sobriety, there is little you cannot do and few places you cannot go.

“Assuming we are spiritually fit, we can do all sorts of things alcoholics are not supposed to do,” write the authors of The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. “Our experience shows that this is not necessarily so,” the authors assure the readers. “An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status.”

Get Connected

Maintaining that “spiritual status” of sobriety is easy to do when traveling. Alcoholism is a worldwide disease, meaning that recovery is a worldwide solution. Meetings of alcoholics anonymous exist all over the world. You can find information and schedules about them online, or by asking a local when you arrive to your destination. For personal support, make sure you are able to get in touch with your therapist, counselor, or twelve step sponsor as well as your closest recovery peers. Everyone will be supportive of your recovery inspiring you to get out and see the world. Should you run into temptation or difficult times, you know you have a support system back home, and global network of people who also struggle, everywhere you go.

Enlightened Solutions is multilevel treatment program offering residential care, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and more. For information on our programs and how we can help you live the life you’ve been waiting for, call 844-234-LIVE.

Starting The New Year On Step One

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.” This is the text within the list of twelve steps which dictates the infamous “first step” of solving any problem- admitting you have one. Step one is step one for a very important reason. It is impossible to carry on treatment for, or healing from alcoholism if one doesn’t admit that alcohol is a problem. Any attempt to rectify a problem that hasn’t yet been distinguished as a problem would be considered a moot cause.

First Steps First

In the primary text of Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book, step one is listed on page 30 in a chapter titled “More About Alcoholism”. The text reads, “We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people or presently may be has to be smashed.”

The delusion of which The Big Book authors Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith speak of does not exclusively apply to alcoholism. Part of the “work” done in recovery is to expose the underlying issues which have contributed to one’s development of alcoholism in their lives. These other issues are commonly called “ism’s” of which many alcoholics suffer. Each day is an opportunity to confront more than the problem of alcohol, but the many problems so many of us face due to our humanity, our struggles, our personalities, our pasts, and more.

Reflection

December is usually a time of year for reflection. We take the time to reflect on the last 12 months of the calendar year. Did we meet our goals? Have we exceeded our expectations? Can we easily see where we could have done better and need to improve? Are there sore spots in our lives which need attention? Taking a look at our year, we can see where we need to fully concede to our innermost selves we are in need of help yet again.

Constantly returning to step one is not an indication of failure, inadequacy, or shame. Rather, it is a mark of courage and determination to stay committed to bettering oneself. Step one holds a hidden secret to resolve this feeling of suspicion or self-consciousness. In both the 12 step text and the text from the book, there is the word “we”. You are not alone in your endeavors to stay sober. Identically, you are not alone in your mission to find where you are weak and resolve to make yourself more strong in that area. Step One is a demonstration of your willingness. After all, you have to get through step one to actually change.

Enlightened Solutions wants to help you make and keep that new year’s resolution to get and stay sober. Our program incorporates 12 step philosophy with holistic healing and traditional, proven therapeutic methods. For more information on our programs of treatment, call 844-234-LIVE.

Meditation Better Than Opioids

In an opiate-based world for treating pain, how do you treat pain without opioids? As the opioid overdose epidemic worsens around the world, health practitioners are looking for alternative treatments for pain. For chronic pain patients who rely upon opioid based medications to provide them pain relief, the sudden governmental campaign against opioid use is detrimental. Chronic pain patients are rightfully frightened to lose their sense of security and relief during the day. Not every person who takes opioids will end up abusing them. Even when abused, not everyone who abuses a substance becomes addicted. some doctors argue it is heinous to take opioid medication or limit opioid medication availability to patients who do not abuse the drugs. Others are encouraging the scientific community to more research in an effort to prove opioid medications are not, and never have been, necessary.

Medication Assisted Therapy

The treatment industry for mental health rehabilitation and substance abuse rehabilitation faces the same argument. Medication assisted therapy or drug substitution therapy uses prescription medications which still have trace amounts of morphine- or- cause an opioid-like effect. While some argue that taking a pill is better than, say, shooting up heroin, others argue that the ongoing presence of opioid substance in the body is harmful. Treatment for opioid addiction includes a vast variety of methods and modalities of care. From traditional talk therapy to innovative biofeedback, mental health practitioners and scientists have collaborated to find what works best to end the life threatening chemical dependency on opioids.

Mindfulness Alternative

Mindfulness meditation is one of the alternative methods used to treat addiction. It has even been suggested to show significant results of symptom reduction in chronic pain patients. As the struggle to find opioid-free pain relief treatments carries on, mindfulness meditation poses itself as a considerable candidate. Recent research published in the Journal of Neuroscience discovered that in patients whose opioid receptors were actively being blocked and those whose were not- the daily practice of meditation reduced pain by over 20%. 20% less pain in chronic pain patients is an astonishing accomplishment. Chronic pain patients are not the only population who benefit from this finding. Withdrawal from opioid drugs is painful, causing muscle aches, spasming, weakness, discomfort, and even the feeling of brittle bones. Mindful meditation can support the withdrawal from opioids both on a neuroscientific level and on a basic physiological one.

Enlightened Solutions is a unique treatment center offering a hybrid approach to the rehabilitation of men and women from addiction to drugs and alcohol. Combining holistic healing and spiritual methods with traditional twelve step philosophy and progressive scientifically backed treatment methods, Enlightened Solutions provides an integrative approach to treatment. For more information on our programs, call 844-234-LIVE.

Massage For Addiction Treatment

In 2015, more than 20,000 people suffered from a substance use disorder. Substance use disorder is the general, blanket term given to describe addiction and alcoholism. Addiction to various substances and alcohol use disorder can affect up to 23,000 people per year in the United States. Problematically, only a small percentage of those people are able to receive any kind of treatment.

Multiphase Approach

Treatment for drug and alcohol addiction needs to be multi phased in its approach. Most treatment centers, like Enlightened Solutions, has found that a holistic approach to treatment is the most effective in providing healing, learning, growing, and skillbuilding. Treatment must combine healing the body, healing the mind, and healing the spirit to encourage lifelong recovery. If someone does not physically feel good, is mentally unwell, and spiritually void, they are less likely to find meaning in recovery or feel healthy enough to try and continue staying sober.

Massage Helps

Massage therapy has become a normalized part of addiction treatment. Once considered a luxury accommodation unnecessary for treatment, research as proven the contrary. Massage therapy has a evidential effect on patients undergoing detox, residential inpatient treatment, and other levels of health care for their addictions.

A therapy provided through human touch, massage can help heal negative effects of trauma, abuse, and isolation. Healing touch has been shown to increase feelings of being loved and accepted which in turn promotes confidence in therapeutic work. Massage releases tension in muscles while also releasing toxins stored in them. During the early treatment months of recovery, the body needs support in clearing out the harmful toxins left over from chronic substance abuse. Providing deep relaxation, massage therapy can reduce symptoms of stress and distress which often arise in treatment. Anxiety is common both as a symptom of withdrawal as well as a co-occurring mental health diagnosis with substance abuse. Creating a sense of peace and calm, massage therapy provides numerous benefits to those in need.

Enlightened Solutions incorporates the healing modality of massage as well as other holistic treatment modalities as part of the solution to the problem of addiction and alcoholism. We believe a combination of twelve step philosophy in addition to holistic healing is the answer to lifelong sobriety. For more information on our programs, call 844-234-LIVE.

Hydration And Urine: Why it’s important to know your pee color

Peeing is a thing everyone does and has to do. Substance abuse can interfere with our renal function and kidney health. Gaining back a healthy urination process is essential for helping your body clear out toxins and stay healthily hydrated.

Optimum Color

Ideally, urine should be clear to mostly clear. Popularly, urine is illustrated as a yellowish to golden color. The darker the color of urine, the more dehydrated the body is likely to be. Regular hydrations results in more urination, releasing more toxins. The more hydrated one is, the more clear their urine should be.

Optimum Frequency

People who jump into trying to drink a lot of water in a day notice one thing right away: they have to pee a lot! How much one should or shouldn’t pee is actually subjective. Each body is different and it depends on how much water is being consumed. Typically, someone should be peeing anywhere between four to five times a day. Only peeing once can be a sign of dehydration.

Optimum Hydration

Health and wellness gurus advocate that you should be drinking half your body weight in fluid ounces each day. For example, if you weighed 160 pounds, you would need to drink at least 80 fluid ounces of water each day. However, some go by traditional prescriptions for water, such as drinking eight full glasses of water per day. Other experts assert that drinking an entire gallon of water per day is the best way to stay hydrated, pee regularly, and flush toxins from the body.

Urinary Irregulation

Peeing more than what feels appropriate, not peeing enough, peeing blood and urine, or experiencing pain while peeing are all signs of something gone amiss. Urine is a byproduct and the kidney system associated with urination can be part of many different illnesses. Urinary irregularities

Holding It In

There are conflicting conclusions about the harmfulness or innocence of “holding it in” when it comes to peeing. Some suggest it damages the kidneys and a host of other organs. Others suggest it is harmless, in moderation. Holding it in for a whole day is not smart. However, there won’t be any great damage done if you can’t make it to a bathroom.

Enlightened Solutions offers a serene sanctuary for holistic healing in our residential treatment programs. We welcome men and women in need of recovery from substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and more. Call us today for more information, 844-234-LIVE.

Billboards Have Nothing On Instagram For Body Image Damage

“Put your best face forward” is a cliche which has taken on a whole new meaning in the age of social media. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been criticized for promoting body shaming, and pro-anorexia communities. Instagram especially comes under fire as the “news feed” for the social media platform is 100% photos. It is easy to fill one’s newsfeed with nothing but photos of idealized perfection in models, celebrities, and more.

Self Editing

For the ultimate Instagram photo, there is a lot of editing involved. People even buy special backlit photo cases to be able to take the perfect “selfie”. Apps help people digitally edit their faces or their bodies to make it look more “perfect”. Many people argue that social media is damaging to self-esteem because people portray their real-life identities to the online identities of others. Recent research suggests that instagram might be more damaging to body image than big media mediums like billboards.

Social Media Comparison

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “research found women rarely compare their appearance to others’ in magazines or on billboards, and only sometimes compare their appearance to others’ on TV.” Women are more apt to make social media comparisons than any other, the research found, and social media comparisons describe the way young women are comparing themselves all the time.

The results of the study were startling. Women were asked to report how often they compared themselves to other women and social media and what their mood, body image perception, and thoughts about diet and/or exercise were like. “Women reported being in the worst mood after social media comparisons relative to other comparisons,” the study explains. “When women made social media comparisons, they also reported being unhappier with their appearance.” In addition, women were more “motivated” to start drastic weight loss regimens. All of these reactions were more extreme when women compared themselves against images on social media.

Body image can lead to a damaged sense of self-esteem and encourage extreme behaviors which can lead to the development of an eating disorder. Spending too much time online can be problematic. If you or a loved one are concerned about body image issues leading to an eating disorder, call Enlightened Solutions today. We provide dual diagnosis treatment for body image, eating disorder, and co-occurring substance disorders as well. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Being Busy: Modern Society’s Favorite Drug

In the spiritual commentary text The Tao Of Pooh, author Benjamin Hoff has Taoist conversations with one of the world’s most beloved philosophical thinkers: Winnie the Pooh. Among many other topics, one day, Benjamin and Pooh discuss business. Hoff describes the “Bisy Backson” (young human Christopher Robin’s childish note meant to say busy back soon) who is always busy doing something. Notably, he suggests, people who stay busy have favorite activities which require being active. There is always something to do. As a result, there is always little time. Busy people have to put great effort into focusing on saving time in order to have more time, so that they can make the most of that time. “The main problem with this great obsession for saving time is very simple: you can’t save time,” Hoff eloquently asserts. “You can only spend it wisely or foolishly.” A busy body, or, a “busy backson,” Hoff elaborates, “has practically no time at all, because he’s too busy wasting it by trying to save it.” “And,” he poignantly concludes, “by trying to save it, he ends up wasting the whole thing.”

Preoccupation

Mindful.org wrote an article asking, “Are You Addicted To Doing?”. The authors write that in truth, “action addiction”, or the addiction to being busy is actually “an advanced sort of laziness.” “The busier we keep ourselves,” the authors describe, “the more we avoid being confronted with questions of life and death. As we keep ourselves occupied with tasks, important or not, we avoid facing life.” Additionally, the authors later emphasize, “The busier we get, the more energy flows to the head and away from the heart.”

Stillness to Busyness

Modern society has taken giant leaps away from stillness and dove head on into busyness. The more busy one’s schedule is, the more accomplished they have become. Trying to avoid the stress of their schedules they assert that they aren’t “busy”, but that their lives are “full”. Full or busy, it is critical to practice slowing down. Take time out of each day to meditate, practice mindfulness, and be aware. Make sure to get enough rest, practice self-care, and stay connected to others. As the infamous Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for awhile, you might miss it.”

Enlightened Solutions wants to show you how to make the most of your life in recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling from addiction or alcoholism, call Enlightened Solutions today. We have a solution to the problem of addiction. 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.

Alcoholism And The New Year

Sit in any meeting place of twelve step fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous through the month of January and witness many birthday celebrations. January is a popular time to get sober. May people hit their bottom during the holiday season of December. What brings them to decide to make the decision on recovery is different. Some people have ruined one too many holiday celebrations with their families or missed them entirely. Some found themselves in the hospital or arrested due to drinking. Others realize that yet another year has gone by lost in the bottomless hole of addiction and alcoholism.

If you or a loved one are ready to seek treatment for alcoholism, Enlightened Solutions is available to guide your through the recovery process from detox to after care. Here are the steps to take if you are ready to make the ultimate new year's resolution to get- and learn how to stay- sober this year.

Medical Detox

Detox is not a requirement for recovery. The need for detox is dependent upon how much one has been drinking. Severe chemical dependency will result in symptoms of withdrawal. Detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous if done alone. In extreme cases, one develops delirium tremens which can result in hallucinations both tactile, auditory and visual. Sweats, seizures, vomiting, and more are common symptoms of detox from alcohol. At this time Enlightened Solutions does not provide detox services. However, we have close working relationships with many detox centers and can refer you while making your arrangements to attend treatment at our facility.

Residential Inpatient Treatment

If, even after detox, you or your loved one are not sure you can continue to live on your own without resuming to drink, you need residential inpatient treatment for alcoholism. Residential inpatient treatment offers a place to live while being securely monitored 24 hours a day by registered nurses and trained clinicians. Inpatient will include one on one therapy, holistic healing, and more. For 30-90 days, inpatient is a place to become stable before returning to independent living.

Ongoing Support

Treatment is multiphasic in order to encourage a step down transition into independent life after alcoholism. Following residential inpatient treatment can be partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and aftercare. Continuing to receive therapeutic and community support for alcoholism recovery is essential for helping create a lifestyle of sobriety.

Enlightened Solutions is ready to help you get sober today, and for a lifetime. For more information on treating alcoholism and why Enlightened Solutions is right for you, call 844-234-LIVE.

Acceptance And Change In Recovery

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This is the foundational prayer of 12 step community around the world but is also used by millions of people who are not in recovery. Serenity, courage, and wisdom. Three essential spiritual principles by which we learn to live, on which we learn to thrive, and through which we practice acceptance. Serenity

Stand in front of the ocean and try to stop the next incoming wave. Have any luck? Try it again. You’re unlikely to succeed. In life, there are many things which we cannot change. Serenity comes to us from learning to accept those things. Unfortunately, not all of the things we cannot change are obvious. Through the therapeutic work of recovery, we identify the things we have adopted a belief about and created habits for in our effort to change what is not in our control. We try to change other people. We try to change the way other people think, feel, behave, and act. We try to control external factors that we cannot. Serenity means accepting things as they are. In a personal story of The Big Book called “He Sold Himself Short”, an author writes, “Acceptance of things as they are has replaced the old impatient chomping at the bit to conquer the world.”

Courage

Sometimes it is easier to try and control or change others than it is to change ourselves. Placing the blame of what is wrong on other people relieves us of the responsibility to be accountable for ourselves. Taking an honest look in the mirror is scary! We are afraid of what we might see, that it might be worse than we thought or that we might not be able to “fix” it. Rarely is this true. Everyone is capable of courageous change.

Wisdom

Knowing what you can change and knowing what you cannot change is the true wisdom of acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean you condone what isn’t right or you permiss things that hurt you. It means you are wise enough to know you have to change how you relate to the world, not how the world is. As Michael Jackson famously sang, “If you want to make the world a better place, better look at yourself and make the change.”

Enlightened Solutions strives to help each client make the necessary changes in their lives so they can live without chemical dependency on drugs and alcohol.Our integrative program fuses traditional twelve step theory with holistic methods of healing. For more information, call us at 844-234-LIVE.

7 Ways To Amp Up Your Adult Self-Care Game

Protect Your Feet

Our feet are pretty important. They get us to where we need to go, help us do fun things, and support our entire body. Fashionable footwear can be fun, but we need to start thinking holistically in recovery. Treat your feet to something sweet with footwear that is both good looking and good for your body. Supporting your body, literally, from the floor up is a way to help save your back in the future.

Get More Sleep

Sleep is a critical necessity in life and in recovery. On average, you should be getting 6-8 hours of sleep, though some researchers suggest that 10 hours of sleep would be the most efficient. Follow good sleep routines like staying off your phone, meditating, and going to bed at an appropriate time. Never say no to naps, but learn how to nap effectively: 20 minute power naps can reboot the brain while 90 minute naps can enhance productivity and creativity.

Be A Better Driver

How many times did you drive intoxicated and put others at risk? Driving each day is an opportunity to make a living amends for times we were more reckless and dangerous to others. Practice safe driving, don’t use your phone, and give yourself ample time to get to where you’re going so you don’t rush. Enjoy your driving time with books on audio or your favorite music.

Clean Your Room And Your House

Your messy days are over. It’s true, you’ll have days when a clean room is the least of your worries. A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. Having material goods is a gift of recovery, so they should be well taken care of. In addition, you’re working hard to restore your immune system and your health. A clean home and living space reduces hidden toxins and germs which can cause illness.

Take Care Of Sexual Health

Sex and sexuality is not a common topic of recovery. Alcoholism and addiction can cause reckless sexual impulsivity. Taking good care of sexual health is part of being a grown person in recovery. Make regular appointments with doctors and take care yourself.

Cook Real Food

Learning how to cook is a benefit of recovery. When all we think about is our substances, we are less than inclined to take good care of ourselves. In the beginning of recovery it can be easy to opt for easy food options to at least eat. Later on, its essential to start practicing habits for a healthy diet. One of thebest ways to do that is to cook at home.

Enlightened Solutions aims to help men and women learn how to live life again through supportive twelve step based recovery fused with holistic and alternative healing. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

5 Benefits Of Spending Time Around Trees

Trees are gifts to the world which grow out of the ground. Enhance your recovery by spending time in the greenery provided by trees and reap the benefits.

Benefits Of Spending Time Around Trees

1. Clean Air, Clean Breathing, Clean Living. Trees are natural anti-pollutants. Ever driven up a mountain to the forest and notice the air just smells and feels different? High density tree areas create cleaner air which helps you breathe cleaner air. Studies have found that spending time in nature can inspire you to take more action environmentally and ecologically. All that clean oxygen goes right to your head and your heart.

2. Tress Live Long And So Can You. Seeing, visiting, and living in green areas increases longevity, some research suggests. Greenery and green spaces help people feel more relaxed, breathe deeper breaths, and reduce their stress. As a result, their immune system enhances in its functions, preventing a wealth of diseases from developing. The more green space the better.

3. Trees Make You Happy. Not everyone is a nature person. However, it is difficult not to be moved emotionally or spiritually by an especially beautiful tree. Trees have a deep and mysterious energy, like wise sages. Spending time around trees has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety while increasing feelings of wellbeing, safety, and self-esteem, as well as body image.

4. Trees Make You Sleepy. From the subtle sound of the air moving through the leaves, to the rich oxygen, to the calming presence of their stature, trees help you get better sleep. Studies have found that there is a correlation in patterns of sleep and proximity to trees. See trees all day and sleep soundly.

5. Trees Are Regenerating. John Muir was no stranger to the healing benefits of trees. In fact, he quite literally wrote the book(s) on it. Muir felt that regular retreats to the forest and the mountains were necessary for optimal health and happiness. Spending a weekend walking among the trees can help you recenter, reboot, and revitalize your recovery.

Enlightened Solutions is located in beautiful Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, surrounded by beautiful trees and lush green landscape. Our residential treatment programs use spiritual twelve step philosophy with proven holistic treatment methods to provide a program for mind, body, and spirit. It’s time to learn how to enjoy life again. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Did You Know These 7 Foods and Supplements Help Your Hormones?

Hormones are naturally produced by the body to help regulate various functions. When we find ourselves trapped in a controlling relationship with drugs and alcohol, we damage our hormones. Drugs and alcohol are powerful chemicals substances that alter mind, body, and spirit. Some of our most essential hormone production and function gets tilted off kilter as we continue to suffer in the face of substance abuse. The thyroid, for example, is an important producer of hormones.

Abuse of substances like alcohol can incur thyroid problems. Hypothyroidism is the slowing of the thyroid while hyperthyroidism is an overproduction of the thyroid. An imbalanced thyroid can lead to symptoms resembling depression and anxiety. Coupled with ongoing substance abuse the body spirals further and further into chaos.

Addiction and alcoholism is a holistic disease. Diseases break the body down and halt natural functioning. In order to fully recover from drug addiction and alcoholism, one has to take a full approach. Stopping the abusive use of substances is just the first step in total holistic healing.

Enlightened Solutions believes in approaching addiction treatment with holistic, natural, healing that treats mind, body, and spirit. We proudly educate our clients on natural ways to help their bodies heal through food, natural remedies, yoga, and spiritual practices. Our treatment program uses leading evidence based therapeutic treatment methods with holistic healing modalities.

Hormones can be reset and supplemented by natural means. Many doctors prescribe a synthetic thyroid medication to correct thyroid problems. Though these medications are helpful, they can lead to a lifelong prescription as they create a reliance within the body.

Here are some of our natural approaches to supporting a healthy functioning hormone system while in recovery for addiction to drugs and alcohol:

• Molasses

• Grade A maple syrup

• Maca Root

• Primrose Oil

• Iodine

• Vitamin D

• Magnesium

One of the best ways to encourage a healthy thyroid is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Balanced diet and exercise is essential. Spend time outdoors in the sunshine and surrounded by green areas as much as possible. Enlightened Solutions is located on a beautifully lush and green campus in the quaint city of Egg Harbor, New Jersey. We offer multiple levels of care which can be individualized to meet each client’s needs. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Can’t Sleep? Eat (And Don’t Eat) These Foods

“I’m going to sleep so good tonight,” we grunt and groan, rubbing our bellies and slowly sliding further into our seats. A good meal at the end of the day is comforting. Eating just enough, perhaps too much, or having the exact food we have been craving all day puts us at ease.

Then, something happens. We’re wide awake. The promise of of an epicurean induced slumber slides away as we did earlier in our dinner table seats. Our stomachs might be grumbling, our insides might be burning, and most certainly our minds are wide awake.

Food is fuel. What we put into our bodies affects our energy and our minds in addition to our digestive systems. We know that there are herbal teas like chamomile and lavender to help us go to sleep. Certainly turkey and foods containing tryptophan and melatonin cause an easy transition into sleep land. Did you know there are other foods which will help you sleep or keep you wide awake?

Foods To Sleep

• Complex Carbs: there’s little doubt that a big bowl of pasta can tucker one out for the night. Rather than eating simple starches or bleached starches, opt for grains and wheat. Complex carbs take longer to digest, allowing you to fall asleep while your body does the work.

• Fatty Fishes: Fish like salmon and tuna which can have a high fat count are great sleepy time foods. Both fish contain tryptophan and vitamins to help your body naturally produce melatonin

• Leafy Greens: spinach, kale, and chard, all have calcium. Combining calcium rich foods with tryptophan rich foods is an extra boost for producing melatonin.

• Simple Fruits: Fruits with high fiber and sweet taste will satisfy your late night sugar cravings without the negative consequences.  

Foods Not To Sleep

• Fried Foods: eating a deep fried meal can certainly make you feel lethargic, but it probably won’t help you sleep. Salty, fatty, fried foods are going to cause bloating and gas. It will be hard to find a comfortable position, breathe deeply, and sleep soundly.

• Sugary Sweet Desserts: nothing tops a rich meal like a sweet dessert. Sugar is a stimulant, yet we often choose dessert as the last meal of the night. Too much sugar after dinner can wake your body up even worse, as you stay up all night from the sugar high, you’ll eventually experience a sugar crash- usually right in time to wake up and start your day, exhausted.

Enlightened Solutions emphasizes the importance of a holistic and balanced diet. As part of our treatment programs we offer nutritional guidance, educational courses on food and eating, as well as cooking classes. For more information on our programs for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders, call 844-234-LIVE today.

Are You Having Nightmares? ​These Could Be The Reasons Why

Dreams are the brain’s way of making sense of the day. Our brains are like supercomputers, computing, analyzing, and storing thousands of pieces of information each day. Sometimes, there are bits that fall under the radar. Dreams help the brain process what is left over. Interpreting dreams is an ancient practice. Some people read very heavily into their dreams as if each night’s internal cinema were a prophecy coming from the subconscious. Others can hardly connect to their dreams and give them little attention when they occur. Everybody dreams, whether they can remember them, or care about them, or not.

Nightmares are the horrific kinds of dreams. Violent dreams can wake us up in the middle of the night, hearts pounding, minds full of anxiety. In early recovery, during treatment, withdrawing from drugs and alcohol can cause nightmares. We might experience episodes of PTSD in our sleep as our brain tries to process events from the past. Almost everyone in recovery experiences “using dreams” throughout their sobriety, especially in the first year. A using dream is when one knowingly, or unknowingly, uses a substance, comprising their sobriety. Being in treatment especially triggers these dreams as the mind has an ongoing subconscious narrative focusing on staying sober. 

Sometimes these dreams can be violent. If you're using used to take place in violent environments or were associated with violent environments, dreams about using can turn violent. However, our past is not the only thing which dictates violence in nightmares. New research revealed that what you think about and what kind of media you consume within 90 minutes of bedtime has a great effect on what kind of dreams you have.

Media consumption can affect how often you dream as well as what you are dreaming about. If you are laying in bed scrolling through old pictures of partying, drinking, and using, it wouldn’t be unlikely for you to have a using dream. According to Bustle, people who consume media of the violent kind within 90 minutes of going to bed were 13 times more likely to have violent dreams.

Cut off your media consumption at least one hour before bedtime. Making a gratitude list, praying, and meditating before bed can help set your mind in a positive place. Drinking a calming tea and journaling will help your mind be at ease as well.

Enlightened Solutions has the answer to the question of how to treat drug and alcohol addiction. By using tested 12 step philosophy with modern holistic treatments, we provide an integrative approach to healing. We want you to start your new life with us. Call us today at 844-234-LIVE.

The Three Aromatherapy Oils Everyone Should Use In Recovery

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, flowers, herbs, plants, and scents, to treat holistic health issues. Oils are a wonderful and natural way to support the experience of early recovery from aches and pains to headache and stress.

Lavender

Lavender is basically nature’s wonder drug. Primarily used for relaxation, lavender can also be used for a number of medicinal purposes. Lavender is a flower which is purple in color. Use lavender in an aromatherapy diffuser to create an atmosphere of relaxation. For coping with feelings of anxiety due to an anxiety disorder or some of the symptoms of withdrawal from drugs and alcohol, lavender can be a calming agent. Lavender oil can be applied topically. For best results, apply lavender oil to the temples, the underside of the wrist, the top of the head, and bottom of the feet. These are areas of pressure points and some of the body’s most adaptive places. Having the scent of lavender on your body will help you to breathe it in more, focusing on it’s relaxing purpose.

Medicinally, lavender can be used to treat bites, burns, stings, and pain. Lavender’s soothing properties will reduce the urgent physical sensations and help the body concentrate on healing.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus oil comes from the fragrant leaves of the eucalyptus trees. The scent of eucalyptus is refreshing and invigorating. It is no wonder that Koalas love to eat them. As a tool for aromatherapy, eucalyptus is used for opening up. When congested with allergies or a cold, rubbing eucalyptus oil on the nose, throat, and chest, acts as a natural decongestant. Eucalyptus can be used in the shower to create an awakening experience.

Respiratory issues is where eucalyptus oil is the most efficient, but can be used in other ways. Eucalyptus oil naturally acts as an anti-everything harmful: bacterial, fungal, microbial, and viral. If you are willing to withstand the sting, putting Eucalyptus oil on a wound can help.

Peppermint

Peppermint is made for more than lattes, seasonal chocolates, and chewing gum. Peppermint oil can be added to food to achieve that minty taste. However, applying peppermint to the body is like using a cooling and heating sensation style product. Peppermint is a natural menthol, helping to ease muscle tension as well as tension caused by headaches. Drinking peppermint tea eases tension in the digestive system, helping with bloating and constipation.

Enlightened Solutions utilizes holistic healing modalities such as aromatherapy to support a clinically based program designed for healing. Your body, mind, and spirit, deserve to heal after being abused by drugs and alcohol. For more information on our programs of treatment, call 844-234-LIVE.

The Best Part Of Waking Up

It isn’t always easy to wake up to another day. When we are in the throes of withdrawals, experiencing something difficult in treatment, or going through a bout of depression, a new day isn’t exciting. We quickly forget to count our blessings. Another morning of waking up means another day alive and a new chance for living.

Waking Up With Your Alarm Clock!

The snooze button is an illusion. Yes, it is there, and yes, it feels good to hit it a few times or dozen, but it actually doesn’t help you get any more sleep. In fact, it can make you even more tired. Set your alarm clock earlier by 5 minutes each morning. Avoid hitting snooze by setting your clock on the other side of the room.

Meditating When You Wake Up!

Our brains go in three directions upon waking: thinking everything, thinking nothing, and probably thinking about having to go to the bathroom. Studies have shown that letting your brain buzz, getting lost in scrolling through your social media news feed, or sitting in bed swimming in thoughts, is bad for productivity. Choose instead a mindful and meditative practice for the morning. Try to stretch each of your limbs for fifteen seconds to get the blood flowing.

Cooking and Eating Breakfast!

Some people claim to just not be breakfast people. Most nutritious studies assert that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it gives your brain its first boost of energy. One of the best meals you can make for breakfast to support mental health is eggs with avocado along with a whole grain like whole wheat toast or brown rice and quinoa.

Drinking A Glass of Water Or Juice!

After anywhere between 6-10 hours of sleep your body is aching for something to drink. Downing a full eight ounces of liquid early in the morning helps set your metabolism and replenish your body. Take that first thing in the morning bathroom trip, then follow it up with a nice refreshing glass.

Enlightened Solutions is committed to helping you and your loved one discover a new way of life. Our program is about holistic lifestyle healing in addition to treatment. For more information on our certified dual diagnosis programs, call 844-234-LIVE.

Facebook For Longevity?

Digital addiction, technology addiction, social media addiction- there’s a lot of concern with how much time we spend using digital technology. Endless studies have revealed horrifying conclusions. We’ll be blind, more depressed, and more addicted to digital screens the more we use them. Social media was supposed to be a connecting force, making people all over the world feel like they have access to all the rest of the world’s people. Instead, it increased feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression. Social media use causes anxiety, difficulties in concentration, and has been reported to cause similar effects in the brain to cocaine. Now, research suggests, social media platforms like Facebook might contribute to a longer life.

Could Facebook be Good for Us?

Does that mean even more time spent in the clutch of digital technology? Possibly. What researchers are indicating is a life that feels more rich in social connection, as opposed to social isolation. With the impending introduction and integration of virtual reality, people are on their way to feeling closer to other people in the digital world as they do in the real world. Socially, interactions online have many of the same components of relationships offline. The research found that more friends online equals a longer life as opposed to less friends online.

Low mortality rates were found among those who had “moderate use” of Facebook out of the 12 million profiles and health records made available to the study. In addition, the more one is requested to be a friend, the less likely they are to have an early mortal passing.

It's all about Balance

In terms of socialization, it is important for one to feel socially included, admired, and desired. Though this research contradicts some earlier findings regarding online relationships, it neglects some of the core: quality over quantity. Having thousands of followers or friends is easy to do by manipulating certain algorithms or spending a lot of time online. How quality those relationships are will still continue to contribute to overall well being and most likely mortality rate.

Enlightened Solutions believes in the power of human to human connection. We place our clients in the middle of a recovery focused community and encourage healthy relationships among their peers. Treating substance use issues and co-occurring mental health disorders, Enlightened offers a holistic approach to treatment of mind, body, and spirit. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.

Size Isn’t Everything

Imagine if the whole world ran on the principle of size the way that the fashion industry forces us to do. The entirety of the world’s systems would be changed. Classrooms wouldn’t run by age but perhaps by weight and height. Job promotions would be given out not based on performance but on shoe size or length of hair. Medical treatment in an emergency room might be based on shirt size rather than urgency. It might seem silly to think about. For the millions of men and women suffering from negative body image, size matters. In fact, size is everything.

Get Over the Size Thing

An obsession with size is literally waking up and making the decision on how worthy or unworthy one is based on what clothing size they will be able to fit into that day. If there was a daily regulatory process where everyone was weighed and measured, then told how they should a) feel about themselves b) feel about others and c) be treated by the rest of the world, there would be an outcry. Due to years of pressure from the fashion industry, unfortunately, many people feel that they deserve this kind of treatment. Sadly, they are unable to recognize that the only one stamping them with their daily evaluation is themselves.

According to a recent survey by Yahoo, 71% of women surveyed (about 1,000) didn’t even know what size clothing they should be wearing. However, when women don’t fit into the size they think they should, they experience shame, guilt, and disappointment. The size on their clothes, when it doesn’t fit the ideal standard, brings on feelings of shame about oneself and one’s body.

Ignore the Shaming

It really seems quite preposterous. Yet, mainstream society has created a valuation of women based on beauty, which is in part founded by size. Where did this madness start? Multiple documentaries like America The Beautiful have investigated. What lies beneath a global obsession for thinness is the penny pinching efforts of fashion labels. In an effort to save money on expensive fabrics being used for fashion shows, designers turned to models with smaller sizes in order to make smaller close, hence less fabric. That’s it. As a result, there’s a global insecurity with size, shape, and body image.

Enlightened Solutions is a certified dual diagnosis treatment facility offering care and recovery to those suffering from substance use disorders and mental health disorders such as an eating disorder. Body image, eating disorder, and substance abuse often come hand in hand. We’re here to help you find a healthy view on yourself, love yourself, and accept yourself again. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE today.

Should You Quit Social Media For The Holidays?

The holidays aren’t merry and bright for everyone. Though winter cheer is supposed to warm our hearts despite the frightful weather outside, for many, the holidays are a dismal time. Far from being a bah-humbug, some have experienced great loss, abandonment, or trauma during the holidays. Growing up without the picture postcard perfect holiday celebrations can make witnessing the celebrations of others difficult. Recovery is a time to redefine how you want to relate to and spend your holiday season. It is also a time to learn how to manage your fear of missing out, the way you compare yourself to others, and the way you feel about yourself. Even so, the holidays can be hard. For this reason, many 12 step meeting clubhouses around the world have 24 hour meeting schedules during specific holiday celebrations. There is usually a spike in sobriety dates during January as people hit their bottoms during the holidays.

Social Media Detox

Holidays are just a season and a single day in the year. As we’ve learned to do, we take it all in stride, one day at a time. The holidays will pass and there will be a whole other set of eleven months during the year until they return.

It is perfectly okay to feel slightly disturbed or uncertain during the holidays. Engaging in regular self-care is of critical importance during these times. One practice that might be beneficial to add to your holiday self-care regimen is quitting social media temporarily.

Getting Your Head on Straight

New research suggests that quitting social media, specifically Facebook, can increase your sense of happiness. However, the research is limited in its credibility. Many studies have shown that Facebook can increase feelings of FOMO, isolation, and depression. Going without Facebook long term has not been studied longitudinally or in a blind study. However, the results from such studies show that there is a definite difference between those who can give up their social media vices and those who cannot.

Taking A Holiday Social Media Detox

Set out a final post wishing everyone a happy holidays and sign off. With your free time, read a book you’ve been eyeing, pick up a new hobby like playing the guitar, or spend time exploring an area you’ve been wanting to see. Make the holiday season yours by creating your own memories.

At Enlightened Solutions we offer clients a way to create a new life for themselves integrating therapeutic practices and holistic lifestyles for total transformation. Our certified treatment center works to help those with substance use disorder issues as well as co-occurring secondary issues. For more information, call 844-234-LIVE.