addiction recovery

The Importance of a Good Drug Counselor

August 26, 2019 // by Aton Center

Drug counselors, like the ones at our San Diego rehab are a critical part of a healthy recovery process. A skilled and caring drug counselor, partnered with doctors, nurses, and psychologists specializing in addiction, can make the difference between a stay in detox and a lifelong recovery. People don’t suffer from addiction in a vacuum. Life throws us curveballs, trauma, and a million other challenges. A personal, caring counselor can be the difference between relapse and developing the skills to overcome life’s challenges.

Detox Vs. Recovery

Drugs and alcohol can hijack our brain, making us dependent on these substances to feel normal. As we wean ourselves off these chemicals, we experience cravings and withdrawal symptoms as our brains expect the next dose. Detox is simply the process of clearing our system of these drugs. Depending on the length and severity of the addiction, and what drugs were involved, detox can involve days or weeks of flushing out the chemicals in our body. Usually, symptoms are most severe at the start of the detox and tend to lessen as your brain returns to normalcy. For certain addictions, there are medications such as suboxone that can reduce the withdrawal symptoms. Detox on its own can have high relapse rates, but the addition of counseling makes a significant improvement.

Recovery and counseling mean healing the core of the sickness. Addiction is often preceded by deep-rooted trauma, anxiety, depression, or negative home life. Going through detox and coming back to the same environment is like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. A skilled drug counselor specializes in helping people develop the skills to overcome the causes of their addiction, rather than the symptoms.

The Benefits of Substance Abuse Counseling

Substance abuse counseling focuses on improving the skills that are damaged by addiction and developing the tools you need to overcome addiction in the future. Therapies that focus on improving your own resilience to drugs and alcohol, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), are a strong foundation for recovery. Through CBT a good addiction counselor can help you understand how to read the signs your body gives you, from cravings to stress and anxiety. Using specific techniques, a good addiction counselor can walk you through how to mitigate those negative emotions and focus on feeling better naturally, without drugs or alcohol.

An addiction counselor can also be an invaluable partner in helping you overcome the social barriers that can lead to, or result from, addiction. Many of us lose connection with important friends, family, and loved ones because of trauma, addiction, or the business of life. After understanding your circumstances, a substance abuse counselor can also recommend family therapy to overcome the tension between loved ones, or one-on-one therapy to help you feel more confident and in control.

Finding the Right Substance Abuse Counselor

If you’re looking for drug and alcohol recovery services in the San Diego area, AToN has several skilled and compassionate staff who makes it their life goal to guide you through recovery. We’ve seen fathers, mothers, and their children go through the recovery journey together. Addiction can affect even the most hardworking, determined, and loving people. That’s why we focus on partnering you with a good addiction counselor who can walk you through the healing process while strengthening your bond with those most important to you. Call us at (888) 236-4454 to learn more.

Changes in Ourselves from Day One to One Year

April 5, 2019 // by Aton Center

In any aspect of life it might be difficult to measure the changes we make from day to day. That’s why we should always take stock of our progress from day one to year one. If we start working out today, we might not notice a change in our weight or muscle definition the next day, or even the next week. As we continue to work harder, and focus on maintaining healthy habits, however, we start noticing positive changes creeping up on us. These changes slip past us in the day to day, until suddenly you look in the mirror and go “Woah! That’s who I am now?” When overcoming addiction, we often have to go through the same process. The goal is to look back at who we were a year ago, not who we were yesterday.

Recovery is 1 Day at a Time

The unfortunate truth is we have to start the recovery process on Day 1. Just like we can’t learn Mandarin or French in an hour, we can’t overcome an addiction in a single day of abstinence. It’s a steady, linear change within us. Author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, explains it best. He says the most important changes you can make each day are to improve small, daily habits. There are nearly 370 days a year, so if you improve yourself just 1% each day, then by the end of the year you’ll be 3.7 times better at whatever you were practicing.

Can’t Change Ourselves Overnight

The formation of habits can be undermined by our own unrealistic expectations. Too often, we set ourselves up for failure by trying to do too much, too quickly, with too few resources. We try to go from being sedentary to running a marathon at 5 AM every day. We try to go from a pack-a-day to completely cold turkey overnight. This barrier to entry makes it difficult to practice a healthy habit from day to day long enough to make it a part of our identity. A professional recovery provider like AToN can be fundamental for reducing the barrier to entry by making the process simpler, and better orchestrated as well.

Innovate Yourself for Stronger Goals

Your identity is a major part of your day-to-day improvement. Your goals often reflect that identity. Saying we’re a smoker makes it more likely to revert to that bad behavior. If we were to say “I’m not a smoker” out loud every time we reached for a cigarette, it would build a barrier of resistance from smoking. In this scenario, smoking goes from being a simple, easy task to suddenly being an ordeal. We have to lie to ourselves every time we smoke, and that makes smoking less appealing. Practice saying positive affirmations every morning as you wake up. This can help you solidify your revamped identity, whether it’s as a “non-smoker” or an “early riser” or whatever your goals might be.

One Year From Now

If progress on a healthy behavior feels slow or doesn’t seem to be progressing—just remember. The goal isn’t to be sober or healthy one day from now. The goal is to be sober one year from now, and one year from then.

September is Recovery Month

September 18, 2018 // by Aton Center

Having a Life of Purpose

Our values in life are the things that we hold most dear and have the most meaning in our lives. Without values our lives lack any form of significance. However, when we live in accordance with our values our thinking, choices and decision making will align with our actions.

Some of our core values include:

Dependability – the quality of being able to be trusted and being willing to do what others expect of us.
Reliability – the quality of being trustworthy and performing consistently well.
Loyalty – is someone who is loyal and trustworthy. They are the type of person that will be there for you at any time or any place. Loyalty also includes fidelity and faithfulness.
Commitment – involves dedicating yourself to something or someone. It can also be an obligation.
Open-mindedness – is a willingness to consider new ideas without prejudice.
Consistency – the ability to remain the same in behavior, attitudes or qualities.
Honesty – if you tell the truth you possess the quality of honesty
Efficiency – the quality of being able to do a task successfully without wasting time or energy.

Addiction takes us away from our values. When we are in the throes of our addiction, nothing is more important to us than getting our next fix or drink. We become self-absorbed and honesty along with our other values goes out of the window.

As our addiction progresses, we drift further and further away from the things we hold most dear. We do and say things that go against everything that we once believed in and the more pain we cause the more unhappiness, regret, guilt and shame we carry around with us. So what do we do? We continue to use so that we don’t have to face our feelings.

When we have a moment of clarity, we start to see how our values and personal goals have been undermined by our addiction and the desire to make changes and try something different starts to increase.

When we work in accordance with our values, success in recovery also increases and when our actions are in alignment with our values, we do better and we feel better about ourselves. However, we must not get complacent because keeping in conscious contact with our values is a lifelong practice.

Recovery is also about investing in healthy lifestyle habits

Staying active is a huge part of recovery as it helps our physical and mental well-being. Some activities might include:

Hiking
Swimming
Cycling
Surfing
Jogging
Walking
Working out at the gym
Tennis
Yoga
Acupuncture
Meditation
Massage

Remember to start slowly and don’t overdo it in the being.

Eating healthy

Some useful tips include:

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
Make half the grains you eat whole grain
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
Choose a variety of lean protein food
Compare sodium in foods
Drink water instead of sugary drinks
Cut back on solid fats

Get enough sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep you are depriving your body and this means that you’re starting your day on a deficit. Seven to eight hours of sleep is recommended for most adults.

Proper sleeping habits are necessary for a healthy life. Here are a few helpful suggestions:

Avoid napping during the day.
Avoid coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed.
Avoid alcohol, nicotine and street drugs.
Don’t eat a heavy meal before going to bed.
Don’t watch TV that will over stimulate your mind.
Keep your room dark and have minimal noise in your room.
Go to bed at the same time each night.
Use some form of relaxation method to help calm you.
Take a warm bath.
Don’t over exercise just before going to bed as your body needs time to wind down and relax.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep or if you wake up in the night, don’t lie in bed thinking about other things or worrying that you can’t sleep, because this will only make you more agitated; get up and do something relaxing until you feel tired enough to go back to sleep.
If you sleep problems persist consult a medical professional for help.

Develop new hobbies

In early recovery it is important to change up your routine, so developing new interests or hobbies is essential. Here are a few ideas:

Join a gym
Take an art class
Go back to school
Take up photography
Learn a musical instrument
Go hiking
Take a cooking class
Volunteer your time

By developing new interests it not only gets you out of the house, but it also takes the focus off your problems and you get to learn something new.

Spirituality

Another healthy habit is getting in touch with your spiritual side and this can include:

Meditation
Yoga
Buddhism
Mindfulness
Breathwork
Walks in nature
Listening to music

Self-help and recovery support groups

Recovery from alcohol and addiction is an ongoing event and support and self/help groups are essential. These groups provide a sense of connectedness with like-minded individuals from your community.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) www.aa.org

The original self-help meeting was an AA meeting and it was founded in 1935 by a stockbroker named Bill W. and a physician named Dr. Bob. Together they found sobriety by sharing their stories with one another. Today the AA meetings still follow that same format and members continue to share their stories of strength and hope. Connecting with other people who know first-hand what others are going through can help reduce fear, isolation and hopelessness. Meetings are free and there is no membership requirements attendance is limited to people who want to stop using alcohol.

Al-Anon/ALATEEN www.al-anon.org

Al-Anon or Alateen offers hope and strength to families and friends affected by alcoholism.

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) www.adultchildren.org

Adult Children of Alcoholics is also a 12 Step program for people who grew up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional home.

Cocaine Anonymous (CA) www.ca.org.

Is a 12 Step program for people struggle with cocaine addiction.

Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) www.crystalmeth.org

Is a 12 Step program for people struggle with cocaine addiction.

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) www.na.org

Is a 12 Step program for people struggle with drug addiction.

Nar-Anon Family Groups (Nar-Anon) www.nar-anon.org

Nar-Anon is a 12 Step program offers hope and strength to families and friends affected by alcoholism.

SMART Recovery www.smartrecovery.org

SMART Recovery holds face-to-face meetings around the world, and daily online meetings. It also has online message board and 24/7 chat room where you can learn more about SMART Recovery and obtain addiction recovery support. SMART Recovery helps people recover from all types of addictive behaviors, including: alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, cocaine
addiction, and other forms of addiction.

Refuge Recover https://refugerecovery.org/

Refuge Recovery is a non-profit organization grounded in the belief that Buddhist principles and practices create a strong foundation for a path to freedom from addiction. It believes that all individuals have the power and potential to free themselves from the suffering that is caused by addiction. Refuge Recovery is independent from any other organization or individual and recognizes Noah Levine, the author of the book Refuge Recovery, as one of its founders.

LifeRing Secular Recovery https://lifering.org/

LifeRing Secular Recovery is a secular, non-profit organization, providing peer-run addiction recovery groups. The organization provides support and assistance to people seeking recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. It also assists partners, family members and friends of those in recovery to have a supportive environment.

It is up to you which type of self-help meeting you choose as each one brings its own special qualities. However, it is a well-known fact that active involvement in a support group significantly improves the chances of staying sober.

Facebook – Help for Addiction & Opioid Crisis

June 22, 2018 // by Lauren// Leave a Comment

Facebook will begin redirecting vulnerable people to a federal crisis helpline information site when they search for treatment facilities or inquire about purchasing opioids illegally on the website.

The FDA is holding a summit next week about engaging tech companies, such as Twitter, Google, and Facebook, so they become better allies in fighting against the opioid epidemic. Facebook announced this plan one week before the summit convenes.

A representative said this new feature is the result of months of work by a special policy committee. Facebook said it put together this task force long before the government pushed for tech to assume greater responsibility in curbing the opioid crisis.

The redirect feature is set to go live early next week. They’re hoping the feature will capitalize on people during vulnerable moments and guide them to a helpful resource.

AToN supports this proactive measure by Facebook. Anytime companies and the government seek to help and treat, rather than punish or stigmatize, people are empowered to seek treatment. During a moment of vulnerability and motivation, perhaps the conditions will be right for people to follow through and call the helpline. It is a little concerning that the helpline is associated with the federal government, as people may have a mistrust of the government already due to legal issues or because they are not recognized citizens. Hopefully the government can truly be helpful in the situation and merely offer nonjudgmental and supportive resources.

Speaking of which… we also have nonjudgmental, trained intake representatives answering the phone when you call. We can answer your questions and point you in the right direction.

Sarah Zucker, Psy.D.
Psychologist,
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Letting Go

April 7, 2018 // by Aton Center

Improvement often means letting go of old assumptions and thoughts. A person in the midst of their addiction may cling tightly to ineffective and dysfunctional beliefs about themselves and their use. Despite continued negative results and poor outcomes, one can return right back to the exact same plan that led to their disappointment.

Letting go means relenting on some of your ego.

Letting go means having the humility to admit that you don’t always know what you are doing.

Letting go means saying finally that you are willing to look beyond your own flawed perceptions.

Then you can be presented with something new.

Then you can learn from the wisdom of others.

Then you can see outside yourself and be seen by others.

Letting go can be extremely difficult and lead to sense of loss or shame. But let go and you will be caught. Once processed, you will open yourself to a new truth, a new reality and a new hope.

Chad K. Cox PsyD
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Allowing the Loss

March 30, 2018 // by Aton Center

When one transitions from active addiction into recovery there is an amount of loss and gain that is happening. As we allow the loss to take place, we honor all that is lost, make meaning out of the situation, and try not to judge ourselves or our feelings. In doing so, we make room for much to be gained.

Going through the 5 stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, helps us to process and identify where we are and where we need to go.

This is not an easy task but one worth the effort if we want to find true freedom from addiction.

Gaining joy, fulfillment, purpose, a deep ability to care for others and a life worth living are just a few of the benefits experienced in recovery.

When we allow for the loss we make room for the gain. Much like breathing, in with the new, out with the old.

Learning not to fight the process is only the beginning.

Kristin Colton, CATC II
Chemical Dependency Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Balance Your Life

March 28, 2018 // by Aton Center

One of the six foundations of recovery as taught at AToN Center is to Balance Your Life. Having balance and a healthy lifestyle includes having fun! Whether it be a creative outlet, the great outdoors, playing sports or just hanging out with friends, many people in recovery find it helpful to develop (or rediscover) hobbies.

It’s natural to consider the activities that you liked prior to recovery, although for many people these activities are laden with triggers due to being tainted by previously participating in the activity while using. Often it is difficult to un-pair these associations.

We make it a point at AToN Center to help residents begin to have fun again without substance use. We do so by incorporating play/fun into our program via hiking, paddle boarding, bowling, mini-golf, the zoo, playing music (Rock To Recovery), playing games like ping pong, and many other outings and activities.

Often the key to actually having fun is to participate in activities you enjoy with like-minded people. Many individuals who love music and concerts often have strong associations with drinking and drugging while they saw live music in the past. In fact, for many bands and music festivals there is a well-known culture that normalizes excessive drinking and drugging. These types of events are particularly difficult for those in recovery because there is such an emphasis on drugs and alcohol. For the newly sober, and even the more seasoned, a music festival would be a high-risk activity. It is good to know that recently there is more of a sober presence at music festivals such as Bonnaroo and even at Phish shows!

There’s even a growing sober club scene! These exciting opportunities do not completely negate the risk involved in these activities but they provide support for those who do want to participate. Find more on sober clubbing here.

Dr. Sanders
Program Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Community Support for Addiction Recovery

March 26, 2018 // by Aton Center

One of the things that makes AToN Center so unique is that we expose all of our residents to different styles of community meetings. So many struggling with addiction problems think there is only one way to get support – which is through Twelve Step programming. While this is certainly a wonderful option, there are many options for different styles of support.

At AToN we recommend our residents try many different meetings – but also the same meeting several times before you decide against it. This is because sometimes a meeting might have an “off” night – but you try it again and find that it’s actually a really wonderful meeting and that “off” meeting was not typical. Many of our residents discharge from AToN with the plan of attending more than one type of community meeting in order to more fully address their needs. Here are the different options offered at AToN:

Twelve Step: These meetings are the most well known and are available in the community at almost any time. They come in different forms, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous and so on. They have a Higher Power component, twelve traditions, and twelve steps to “work.” https://www.12step.org/

SMART Recovery: These meetings are based in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. These meetings encourage “cross talk,” which means that attendees are encouraged to share and comment on each other’s shares. These meetings often also teach coping skills for managing cravings, emotions, and so forth. https://www.smartrecovery.org/

Refuge Recovery: This is a mindfulness based addiction support community based in Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths. Meetings often practice meditation. https://www.refugerecovery.org/

LifeRing Secular Recovery: These meetings focus on peer to peer support and are self directed. This approach is based on “developing, refining, and sharing personal strategies for continued abstinence and crafting a rewarding life in recovery.” http://lifering.org/

At AToN, our goal is to help you create your own, personalized discharge plan that meets your specific needs, that will assist you in creating a long and happy experience in recovery.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Process Addiction/Behavioral Addiction

March 10, 2018 // by Aton Center

Process addiction or behavioral addiction is similar to drug addiction except the individual is not addicted to a substance but a behavior or feeling brought about by a specific action.

Process addiction is a compulsion to continue with a particular behavior despite the negative consequences and may include: Gambling addiction, food addiction, sex and love addiction, shopping addiction, pornography and risky behaviors to name but a few.

Some people don’t feel that a process or behavioral addition can be classed as an addiction and that just a little self-control is all that is needed. However, if that be so then why can’t we just stop? When a behavior has turned into a problem and a person just can’t stop and their life is spiraling out of control it is time for a person to seek help.

Gambling addiction

This can include casinos, playing slot machines, poker tournaments, sports bets, on-line gambling.

Placing bets more and more frequently
Placing more money than originally intended
Betting beyond the ability to pay
Feeling irritable and aggressive when losing
Feelings of hopelessness and depression
Suicidal thoughts
Spending most of the day preoccupied with the thoughts of gambling
Legal problems
Bankruptcy
Divorce
Loss of career.

Food addiction

People with food addiction can’t control their compulsive eating habits. They tend to crave foods that are high in sugar and salt and are always chasing the “high” these foods give them. What is more, they continue to seek out these foods despite the fact they are now obese and are struggling with health problems such as diabetes, pancreatitis and gallbladder issues. Relationships can suffer and feelings of low self-worth and depression can also be present.

Sex and love addiction

People who struggle with sex and love addiction tend to get involved with people they hardly know. They fear being alone and therefore they stay in dysfunctional relationships. They confuse love with neediness, and they use sex and emotional involvement to manipulate and control others. They become immobilized by their sexual obsessions or fantasies and they attach themselves to people who are emotionally unavailable. They can even place their significant others on pedestals to the detriment of themselves.

Pornography

The danger of pornography use isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about the effects that pornography has on the user and the effects it has on their loved ones. Pornography has serious, negative side effects. As research shows, pornography use can become an actual addiction, as users are not able to stop by themselves. Pornography addicts need to go through the same recovery process that a drug addict has to go through.

Video games and Internet addiction

Video games and compulsive Internet use may seem relatively harmless, but like other forms of addiction it is a form of escapism. Compulsive video gaming and Internet addiction can interrupt people’s ability to stay connected with others in a healthy way. It can affect relationships, work, physical and mental health, as well as, loneliness and depression.

Risky Behaviors

Some people enjoy the thrills and danger that include parachuting, hang-gliding, bungee-jumping as they seek an adrenaline rush. However, having unprotected sex, driving under the influence and speeding can clearly become compulsive and lead to an inability to stop. This risky behavior can often have devastating consequences.

Process addiction and substance abuse often go hand-in-hand with people who already have a substance abuse issue. This is probably due to the fact that the reward response in the brain is so similar for both addictions. People who are genetically predisposed to addiction will often have poor impulse control, which also adds to their risky behavior.

A diagnosis of addiction and process addiction often include:

Dominance of a person’s life by the substance or activity
Euphoria or a “high” derived by the substance or activity
Tolerance
Unpleasant symptoms created by the stopping of the substance or activity
Conflict with oneself due to the use of the substance or activity
Relapse potential

Treatment Options

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is often the best treatment for any form of addiction, as it addresses impulse control and compulsion. Group therapy and self-help groups can also be extremely helpful.

Research and testing on Naltrexone is also underway for process addiction. Naltrexone has already been used and identified as a drug that helps with cravings for opiates and alcohol. Naltrexone blocks the receptors in the pleasure centers that are involved in both addictions and certain activities. Several other mood stabilizers are being considered as possible treatments, including Lithium and Wellbutrin. When dealing with any form of addiction it is best to consult with a therapist or doctor to get professional advice and guidance.

Johnina Noar, CADC-II
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Good, Clear Times

February 11, 2018 // by Aton Center

Think back to the good times of your childhood. Images may come to mind such as running around for hours on end in a park playing football with friends. You may remember long bike rides to the ice cream parlor down at the beach. You might think about hiking trips through the forest with camp fires, marshmallows and sunsets. Think of the Pizza Party that was held in class after a recital or performance.

Think of how “in the moment” you were during these times, not a care in the world. You just enjoyed the activity without a thought of tomorrow. In sobriety you can be return back to these experiences. Times can come when you are clear minded, relaxed and engaged in healthy activities with loved ones. It will take work and perseverance to return back to this centered mentality but remember, you did it once, you can do it again.

Chad K. Cox PsyD

AToN Center 888-535-1516