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Why Am I Grieving After Substance Use?

March 31, 2020 // by AToN Center

If we are getting treatment for substance use, we have obviously made a good choice for our lives. Things seem to be going fairly well as we progress in treatment, and then suddenly, we are hit with this powerful sense of grief and loss. Why am I grieving after substance use?

First of all, so many types of emotions come to the surface as we are coming away from substance use. Grief is only one emotional response we may experience. That said, many people feel grief for the loss of their way of life, their friends, and their activities surrounding substance use. It is an entire way of life, complete with people, that we have just turned our backs on and said goodbye to. If our families packed up our farm and moved us to the city, we would also grieve that loss. It is okay to grieve in recovery.

Loss of the Substance

Despite stigma about substances, many people who have used substances have a relationship with their substance, especially how it made them relax or feel good, at least in the beginning. While there are plenty of consequences to using substances, like a bad relationship, we might still regret that it is over.

Likewise, we had people, places, and things that surrounded our drug use, which was what we knew. We must leave all of that behind, too, and that is a big loss. Also lost is the time we spent seeking and using substances, especially hanging out with those fellow substance users. Now we have to find new things to do, new places to go, and new people to do things with to fill that time. That is change, and that is loss.

Loss of Events and People

We may also need to grieve the time that we missed with people in our lives during our substance use. The milestones in the lives of children, or even adults, which we were not present for. Coming out of substance use makes these missed experiences freshly painful. We may have also missed children growing up and moving on, friends or family who moved, and we were not there to say goodbye. Worse still are the goodbyes we cannot get back, saying goodbye to those who may have passed away while we were in the midst of our substance use. These losses can hit us hard when we are emotionally vulnerable in treatment, and the grief is very real.

Loss of Relationships, Livelihood, or Freedom

Sometimes, in our substance use, we have experienced significant losses. For example, we may have lost a relationship through a breakup, separation, or divorce. While in substance use, even if those breakups were happening, we may not have allowed ourselves to truly grieve these losses. The more powerful our connections were, or even the length of time we were with that partner can impact the level of grief that we are experiencing now, and that can be intense.

We may have lost our source of income or our job while we were using substances. Or perhaps we lost our housing. We may have also lost our health. All of these things are basic needs that we no longer have, making our lives more challenging going forward. When we lose basic needs, there can be a significant grieving process to navigate, which can be complicated by the use of substances and the changes we are now making to improve our lives.

A very significant loss that we may have endured is the loss of freedom because of our actions while using substances. Incarceration is also accountability for our actions and any harm we may have caused to others, but we still lost our freedom. Such a significant loss and change in our life is inevitably going to cause grieving.

Loss of Self

Often in substance use, we may have compromised our morals or values with some of our behaviors. This, along with other factors, can lead to the loss of our sense of self. We may have lost ourselves in our substance use, and that seems to define us now more than our values or who we were before.

We may also be grieving the loss of the dreams we had for the future. Particularly if our substance use has significantly impaired our financial, legal, or relationship status, or any other major influences. We may have to grieve the dreams we once had and make new plans and dreams when we have finished grieving.

Acceptance of Our Loss

At the end of the grieving stage, which can be different for everyone, we will finally find acceptance for the life we left behind and the people and experiences that we missed out on. This becomes easier to accept when we realize what we have gained in recovery.

Why am I grieving after substance use? Because we have lost everything. Our identity, our friends and relationships, our method of feeling better, and so much more. There is a grieving process when we leave so much behind and make such wholesale changes in our lives. That is okay. Grieving is just one part of the recovery process, and it is healthy to grieve. Face your grief and all of the emotions as you work to heal from substance use. Call to begin treatment today.

You can grieve your substance use. You can process all of your grief at AToN Center. Call (888) 813-5928 to learn how to process all of your emotions after substance use.

Changing the Culture of Alcohol

March 18, 2020 // by AToN Center

Different cultures and groups of people have different belief systems and practices when it comes to alcohol. Those of us who have used substances, particularly alcohol, may have experienced a lot of familial, cultural, or social pressure to drink. That pressure can be very real. As we seek treatment for substance use, though, we can be torn by the societal pressure and making choices that are right for us. The expectations surrounding drinking and substance use are not always healthy. Sometimes, it can become necessary to change the culture of alcohol.

Influences of Advertising

In the United States, alcohol companies spend billions per year to advertise their products. While there are guidelines in place as to where and when alcohol advertising can be shown in an effort to prevent advertising to minors, those who are underage are still exposed to such advertising daily. Thus, alcohol is a culture that is marketed as a societal norm from as early as a child is able to see and be aware of television ads, billboards, grocery store advertising, and more.

Whether or not this marketing increases the actual instances of drinking in those who are exposed to the advertising is something that is heavily debated. Research about the social and cultural impacts on alcohol use demonstrates that the impact of advertising varies amongst various races, genders, and age groups. However, the one thing that is clear amongst all groups is that advertising and marketing of alcohol creates positive beliefs about consuming alcohol. The images we see create an expectation of alcohol being not only socially acceptable, but a behavior that is encouraged, particularly in certain environments and occasions. Advertising gives us all “permission” to drink.

Cultural Influences

Alcohol use varies widely within various cultures. For example, where there are strong ties to family and religion, there is often less alcohol consumption. Cultures with a lot of socioeconomic challenges, oppression and other stressors often consume a lot more alcohol than other groups. Gender-wise, men traditionally consume a lot more alcohol than women.

Although there may be cultural influences that impact us such as those listed, it is our own personal culture that impacts us the most. We do not need to fit into one of those groups or stereotypes to use or abuse alcohol or even other drugs. Rather, it is the overall culture that surrounds us that most impacts our choices to drink or not.

The Power of Family

The part of our culture that impacts us most is family. As with any other area of our lives, the values our family places on alcohol consumption will directly impact our own choices. Often, our values are similar. Sometimes, we choose the exact opposite values. For example, in a very conservative household that condemns alcohol use, we might be inclined to rebel and use or misuse alcohol to defy the familial values.

However, the most impactful influence our families can have is by example. If alcohol is acceptable but only used socially and occasionally, we are likely to adapt that attitude for our own lives. If we witness excessive alcohol use and the behaviors associated with it, we may also end up abusing alcohol as well. If we never see our families using alcohol, then it will more likely be foreign to us and something we are less likely to engage in.

Regardless of the social, cultural, or familial environments we have been exposed to, we are now faced with the challenge of treating our substance use. This requires wholesale changes in how we think about alcohol and other substances. We are also going to need to change our own culture surrounding alcohol.

Creating a New Culture

There is stigma around sobriety that not drinking makes us boring, or turns us into people that no one wants to be around. This stigma is partially based on the permissiveness that society gives to drinking alcohol, and the guilt that people have of drinking, sometimes excessively, when others around them are not so inclined.

The truth is that sobriety frees us up to be so much more than just a social drinker, an excessive drinker, or someone who likes to party. We can create a new culture around us of fun and excitement that is not based solely around bars or clubs or parties. We can expand our activities and circles to include others who are also looking to create a culture that challenges the norms that advertisers have paid to construct for us. We can look beyond the marketing and societal stipulations meant to sell products regardless of the harm that misuse and abuse of alcohol causes to us and to others. When we free ourselves from alcohol addiction, we free ourselves to create a new culture without limitations.

Just because advertising, societal, cultural, and familial influences have dictated to us that alcohol use is acceptable, or even encouraged, does not mean that we need to buy into that way of life. For us, maybe alcohol or other substance use is harmful, both to ourselves and others. That is definitely not okay.

Alcohol is also not necessary to live a life that is rewarding and fulfilling. We can change our own culture. We can be empowered to make new choices. We can inspire others to make better choices, too.

You can change the culture surrounding alcohol. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 to start making a change today.

How Can I Cope with Cravings?

March 10, 2020 // by AToN Center

One of the most difficult challenges in recovery is the lingering cravings for substances. Even after we have done all we can physically, mentally, and spiritually to recover from substance use, we can still encounter cravings at any point. Giving in to cravings can cause us to press the reset button on our recovery. But how can we cope with cravings?

Differentiating Between Triggers and Cravings

Triggers are environmental factors which can prompt our brains to answer with a craving. These triggers can be either external or internal. For example, an external trigger might be seeing a favorite bar, bumping into a friend that we used substances with, or seeing a bottle of pills. Examples of internal triggers include feeling overwhelming emotions, being depressed, or thinking about someone we have lost. All of these are triggers. They trigger our brains to create a craving.

Cravings create a set of physical responses, such as a quickened pulse, rapid breathing, tension or restlessness in our bodies, stomach churnings, and the fight or flight response. Emotional responses within a craving can include anxiety, obsessive or racing thoughts, distractedness, feelings of fear or dread, intense desire, as well as memories of past use. It is important to note that emotions this intense can also be cravings in disguise.

Facing Cravings Practically

Cravings are time-limited and also manageable. We can learn what to expect from our worst cravings as we learn to navigate them successfully. We can think about the worst craving we have had, and how intense it was as well as how long it lasted. Knowing that cravings have a beginning, middle, and end, we can prepare ourselves to manage them with as many tools as we can gain. The more tools we have at our disposal, the more likely we are to successfully cope with cravings.

TIPP

Our first line of defense for overwhelming cravings and emotions is TIPP. This is an acronym for Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Utilizing these specific physical responses to a craving can help immediately reduce the emotional and physical impact of a craving. The idea is not necessarily that we will instantly feel great, or even better. The concept is to cope with the craving at hand and successfully navigate it.

Urge Surfing

This technique comes from Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), which is an evidence based method of relapse prevention that combines typical prevention techniques with the power of mindfulness. The concept behind urge surfing comes from the imagery we might associate with it – like riding a wave, we ride the urge. We know that cravings and emotions have a beginning, middle and end, similar to a wave in the ocean.

During a craving, we can simply notice our body sensations, and remove ourselves from the emotions surrounding it, practicing mindfulness to be present and non-judgmental. We are able to stay away from “feeding” the craving or emotion by riding it out and simply allowing it to come and go. We can feel the emotion that goes with this wave, we need to address whatever is going on. But by “surfing” the craving or emotion, we are not allowing ourselves to get pummeled by the wave. We simply ride, staying in our wise mind.

Direct and Indirect Coping Skills

There are two categories of coping with cravings: direct and indirect coping. Indirect coping involves ways to simply survive the craving without making anything worse. Direct coping allows us to address the underlying issue behind the craving. Both types of coping skills are important and useful, we need to learn when to use which skill. When we are experiencing intense emotions or cravings, and it feels more like a crisis, that is the time to use indirect coping skills. When we are uncomfortable but manageable, or when emotions or cravings are not very intense, that is when we should use direct coping skills.

Indirect coping skills include the aforementioned TIPP, as well as Self Soothe, Wise Mind ACCEPTS, STOP, and IMPROVE the moment. These are all acronyms for skills that are included in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT.) An example of direct coping skills is urge surfing. Other skills are based on identifying our emotions and addressing them. One way to do this is to identify the emotion, the action that our impulses are telling us to take, and then to do the opposite, or take the opposite action. All of these skills are invaluable and taught in our treatment to help us cope from now going forward.

How can we cope with cravings? We can learn the skills, do the work, and most importantly keep our commitments to ourselves and our recovery. As we grow and progress in our recovery, there are many things we can do, such as yoga and exercise, that will also help reduce our cravings.

Dealing with cravings can seem like a never-ending battle, like relentless waves trying to pound us or erode at our still fragile well-being. However, coping does get easier. We can fill our coping toolbox with tools and skills and wield them fiercely in the face of our intense emotions and cravings. As we continue to do so, we can become warriors, victorious in our recovery.

Learn to cope with cravings and maintain your recovery. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 today. We will give you the tools you need to cope with your cravings.

The Perils of Replacement Addictions

March 9, 2020 // by AToN Center

Recovery from substance use is a road that has hidden perils all along the way. One of the unseen dangers is replacement addiction, or substituting one addiction with another addiction. This is not true recovery, as we are still trying to fill those emotional needs with something, we have merely changed from substance use to another habit.

Recovery involves more than just sobriety, recovery is healing from past loss, trauma, abuse, or other emotional pain that is the root of our addictive behaviors. When we truly dig deep and address our emotional pain, then we can also heal from that pain and eliminate the cause of our addictions. When we truly recover, then we can avoid the perils of replacement addictions.

Why We Substitute Addictions

In addition to the healing of emotional pain that is necessary to recover, our bodies and especially our brains are wired for addiction. The reward center pathway in our brain creates a need for some sort of pleasurable experience, often initially a substance. So naturally, as we enter sobriety, our bodies crave something similar. This is the physiological reason that we might try to find a replacement addiction.

Some of the more common replacement addictions include:

• Nicotine – whether or not we smoked or vaped prior to entering treatment, many people will pick up smoking or vaping during treatment, without considering that nicotine is just another substance. Unfortunately, nicotine is an incredibly addictive substance, so this is yet another habit that becomes very difficult to break.

• Food – food is often used in addictive ways without any awareness. People will “stuff” their emotional pain with food, which often does provide some pleasure in the brain’s reward center. This addiction is tricky because food is something we all need every day, so it becomes a matter of being more aware and disciplined about what foods we are consuming, as well as the portions and timing. Food is also more difficult to identify as an addiction, and therefore can be more difficult to get help with.

• Sex – sex is another activity that we all typically have some kind of appetite for. However, when we hide or lie about our sexual activities, are significantly preoccupied with sex, or if sex impacts our relationships, health, job, or legal status, or if it conflicts with our moral or spiritual belief systems, then we may have a sexual addiction. Again, this one is difficult, as sobriety does not necessarily equate to total abstinence. But it is a common replacement addiction after treatment for substance use.

• Gambling – the obvious rewards of gambling make it a very addictive activity. Because it does not involve putting something in our bodies, we do not always acknowledge it as an addiction. But it definitely impacts the reward center in our brain as much as a substance would, and can be very damaging to our temporal welfare and relationships.

• Pornography – often classified as a sex addiction, the imagery of pornography is very addictive. It can also be difficult to see the ways it can harm our lives, livelihood, and the people we love.

• Video Games – gaming is very addictive, both for the way that the games are designed to impact our brains and also for the constant rewards we receive. We can see those rewards in medals and other achievements as we play, which only makes us want to play more.

• Social Media – social media is actually designed to make us check it frequently, with some apps offering content that disappears if you don’t check daily or more often. We may think that we are recovered from addiction, but the appeal of social media can keep us coming back for more until we cannot stay away.

• Shopping – again, although we are not putting something directly into our bodies, that reward of spending money and getting something, whether online or in person, can fulfill that need that we have created to constantly reward our brains. Unfortunately, most of us do not have unlimited funds or space to support a shopping addiction.

• Work – most of us need to work, and many of us have jobs that require more than 40 hours of work per week. However, especially if we are trying to heal from another addiction, we may actually become addicted to our work, ignoring our own self-care as well as other needs and relationships in our lives.

Positive Replacements

Many people will replace substance use with positive activities, such as exercise. As we learn in treatment, exercise can be a powerful tool for us to heal our bodies and our minds. Exercise also releases endorphins in the brain, which is like a natural high. Becoming addicted to exercise might not be a bad thing for some people, but for others, it might lead to ignoring other needs, harming our bodies by pushing ourselves to far, or harming important relationships.

Replacement addictions merely prolong your healing. You can find all of the tools you need to heal your emotional pain now, and be free of all addictions. As you truly recover from the substance use that has been weighing you down, you can become free to experience life without any replacement weights or habits. Find your emotional healing. Find the tools for a lifelong recovery. Find the freedom that comes when you can live free of all addictions.

Replace your substance use with healing. Learn how by calling AToN Center at (888) 813-5928. Find your emotional happy place and don’t accept any substitutes.

What are Co-occurring Disorders?

March 6, 2020 // by AToN Center

Being diagnosed with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) can be difficult enough to recognize and seek treatment for. We struggle enough to manage our lives and find treatment for the use of drugs and/or alcohol. Our substance use has impacted us significantly at work, school, and/or home and led us to seek help and make wholesale changes in our lives. Now we also hear the term “co-occurring disorders.” What exactly are co-occurring disorders?

Co-occurring disorders are when there is a diagnosable SUD and the co-existence of a mental health diagnosis. Common mental health diagnoses that co-exist with SUDs include, but are not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mood or anxiety disorders. These mental health diagnoses could be conditions that existed before substance use, particularly because many people self-medicate for mental health conditions with substances. Or, the mental health condition could occur after substance use, or even as a result of our substance use. Formerly known as dual diagnosis, co-occurring disorders can sound like double the trouble. However, to have both diagnoses made while we are seeking treatment for substance use can be very helpful in our recovery success.

Depression Plus

There is a stigma surrounding depression that those diagnosed with depression are merely sad or cry a lot. This is not helpful, because not everyone is sad or even cries when depressed. Actually, the symptoms of depression include a sense of hopelessness, apathy, a lack of interest in activities, irritability, inability to concentrate, isolation, insomnia, excessive sleepiness or other sleep disturbances, excess eating or a loss of interest in food. The most dangerous symptom of depression, of course is suicidal ideation or suicide. The risk of depression-related death makes this diagnosis very important to both acknowledge and treat.

The trouble with depression as a co-occurring disorder with substance use is that the symptoms of depression can be masked by substance use or mistaken for symptoms of substance use alone. Depression is the most common reason that people attempt suicide, and substance use is the second most common reason. So if we are diagnosed with both disorders simultaneously, our risk of suicide could be even higher. Even if we are only diagnosed and treated for one disorder and not the other, we are still at high risk for suicide. We can also risk relapse of symptoms of either disorder if we only treat the one.

Anxiety Plus

As with depression, anxiety and anxiety disorders also come with stigmas. People think that we simply worry too much or are too nervous about certain situations. However, anxiety is a potentially crippling disorder that prevents us from being able to function normally. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of restlessness or agitation, irritability, difficulties with sleep, fatigue, lack of concentration, muscle tension, nausea, and excessive and uncontrollable fears or worries. There are more specific types of anxiety, such as social anxiety, phobias, or panic disorders. Panic attacks are the primary symptom of a panic disorder, and can render us completely unable to function, often with little to no warning. All of these symptoms are real, physiological symptoms of a medical diagnosis, not just something made up or in our heads.

As with other co-occurring disorders, substance use complicates anxiety disorders, in that symptoms can be more extreme and more frequent while using substances. Anxiety is also commonly a side effect of extensive substance use. Whether anxiety existed prior to our substance use or the SUD developed because of the anxiety isn’t as important as getting treatment for both disorders simultaneously.

Bipolar Disorder Plus

Formerly known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is characterized by the same symptoms as depression, but also with periods of manic symptoms. Symptoms of mania include excessive amounts of energy, little or even no sleep, racing thoughts, pressured speech, irritability, quick and often explosive anger or rage, engaging in risky behaviors, and an inflated sense of self. For many people, they enjoy mania, or even hypomania, where the symptoms are less extreme. However, there is always the crash, resulting in a period of depression which inevitably follows the mania. Bipolar disorder carries a double threat of death, as someone who is depressed is at high risk for suicide, but someone with true manic symptoms may hallucinate or experience god-like delusions which could also lead to a fatality.

Bipolar disorder is the disorder that has the highest rate of co-occurring substance abuse, with up to 46 percent of bipolar patients having an SUD during their lifetime. Because substance use worsens the symptoms of bipolar disorder, the importance of diagnosing and concurrently treating both disorders cannot be emphasized enough. When either bipolar disorder or substance use can seriously harm our livelihood or relationships, and with the threat of losing our lives so much higher with both co-occurring disorders, we cannot afford to prolong our treatment even one more day.

Co-occurring disorders are when our substance use is complicated by a co-existing mental health disorder. While this can feel doubly overwhelming, the best news is that by being diagnosed and treated simultaneously, we give ourselves the gift of recovery from both disorders. Both mental health diagnoses and substance use are very treatable, especially when both are known. By seeking treatment simultaneously, you are doubling your chances for success in recovery.

Find the answers for both substance use and any co-occurring disorders at AToN Center. Call (888) 813-5928 now. The phone call you make today could save your life.

The Dangers of Methamphetamine

February 20, 2020 // by AToN Center

All substance use has consequences, but some consequences are more extreme than others. Meth, or methamphetamine, is a substance with very extreme consequences, one of which is that it is incredibly addictive. We hear about how meth is really bad, but do we know what the actual dangers are?

Methods of Delivery

One of the dangers of the drug known as meth, speed, blue, ice, crystal meth is that it has almost as many ways to ingest as it has names and forms. Methamphetamine can be swallowed in pill form, smoked in powder or crystal form, snorted in powder form, or can be injected via dissolving the powder in water or alcohol.

Methamphetamine is an amphetamine. There are some amphetamines that are sometimes prescribed to treat conditions like narcolepsy and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) When meth is used recreationally, it causes an extreme and short-lived high, or sense of euphoria coupled with increased levels of energy and alertness. This intense experience creates a pattern of getting high and then crashing hard. It can motivate users to binge for days at a time, using meth every few hours and going without sleep or even food for days.

While it can sound terrible from the outside, and it may be difficult to understand why anyone would even start using it. Methamphetamine is an incredibly powerful drug, and its highly addictive nature doesn’t make it easy to stop using after even the first time. Amphetamine abuse can begin as an innocent attempt to pull off an all-night session for study or work, but the addictive effects come from intense and powerful cravings that can occur after even just one use. People may try meth, never planning to use it again, however, the drug tells our bodies otherwise. The side effects are devastating both physically and mentally.

Short Term Side Effects

The immediate cardiovascular side effects of methamphetamine include a rapid or irregular heartbeat, a faster rate of breathing, as well as increases in both blood pressure and body temperature. Digestive and sleep issues include a loss of appetite and/or nausea as well as a disruption of sleep patterns. This can include not being able to sleep when needed as well as “crashing”, sleeping during the day, etc. All of these side effects can occur after the first time using methamphetamine as well as at any other time.

Long Term Side Effects

There are many physical side effects from meth use, many of which are permanent. These effects can still come up even when someone is able to stop using the drug. Meth can cause permanent cardiovascular damage, including heart and lung damage as well as high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and death. Meth can also damage the liver and kidneys. Overdoses can lead to death.

Methamphetamine can cause intense itching, which can create skin sores from scratching too much. One very extreme side effect is the damage to teeth. Prolonged usage of meth causes severe dental problems, a condition that is even named “meth mouth.” Methamphetamine can also produce very extreme weight loss.

Behavioral side effects include anxiety, confusion, insomnia, and memory loss. Psychotic symptoms, which can last months or even years after quitting methamphetamine, include paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, mood changes, aggression, and violent behavior.

Additionally, as with other drugs that are injected, there is an increased risk of contracting infectious diseases, both through sharing equipment and engaging in risky behaviors. Some of the common infectious diseases contracted include HIV and hepatitis B and C.

The Post-Methamphetamine Brain

One of the areas that damage is the least reversible with meth use is in the brain. Methamphetamine use causes changes in the brain’s dopamine system. Some damage can be reversed down the road, however much of the damage is permanent. The results are reduced coordination and impaired verbal skills. There is also often damage to the area of the brain that involves emotion and memory. Methamphetamine use can literally change your brain forever.

Withdrawal from Meth

One of the reasons people have a hard time quitting meth is because the withdrawal symptoms are so extreme. These include anxiety, fatigue, serious depression, psychosis, and intense drug cravings. Because the drug is so addictive, it makes the initial detoxification more intense.

If you are reading this, it is likely that you or someone you know is using meth. While it can sound scary to try to give it up, the negatives of continuing to use outweigh the negatives of trying to quit. Yes, the withdrawals are intense initially, however, your life expectancy and quality of life goes up exponentially the sooner you quit. Your health is worth it. You are worth it.

Methamphetamine is an insanely addictive drug that has extreme physical and mental side effects. Using methamphetamine without medical care is dangerous not only to your overall health, especially your cardiovascular system and your brain, but puts you at risk of death in multiple ways. Recovery from meth is hard, but not impossible. Reach out your hand now and choose to take back your life. You are worthy of health and happiness. Stop the binge and crash rollercoaster and find some peace. Take control of your life and truly live again.

The dangers of methamphetamine are very real. If you or someone you know is risking everything, call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 now. It can be a choice between life and death.

Do I Need Spirituality to Heal from Addiction?

February 6, 2020 // by AToN Center

For many years, spirituality in one form or another has been a part of addiction recovery. The belief that one must surrender to a power greater than themselves has been a guiding principle in recovery for a long time. However, spirituality is a personal thing. Some people may not feel comfortable, or even able to, connect with a spiritual component in order to heal from addiction. The question “Do I need spirituality to heal from addiction?” is actually not something that anyone can tell anyone else. The answer to that question is as unique as each one of us is, and only each of us as individuals can answer it for ourselves.

In choosing whether to pursue spirituality to recover from addiction it is important to keep an open mind. Many who considered themselves non-spiritual have come to believe in some sort of higher power that helps them recover. As there are many ways to recover from addiction, it is suggested that we remain receptive to change and new ideas regarding spirituality. That said, the decision remains with oneself as they choose their path of recovery.

Traditional Recovery

The most commonly known addiction recovery methods are 12-step based recovery programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. In these types of programs, there are a series of steps that one does in order to bring about recovery. Many of these steps involve forming a relationship with, and coming to rely on, a power greater than oneself. Within the AA or NA model, it is encouraged to turn our will over to a power beyond our own and to seek help from that source. The continual seeking of a higher power and building a “god-consciousness” is effective in bringing about recovery for many who participate. That being said, it is a common mischaracterization that the higher power talked about in 12-step groups must be a “God”. Our higher power can be anything in these groups, as long as it is not yourself.

These groups are a tried and true method of recovery, with the spirituality focused on coming to understand a power greater than oneself. The 12-step model offers life-long support and meetings, as well as the opportunity for those in recovery to reach out and get help from others. As is true with all methods of recovery, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every person is different when it comes to their wants and needs, and other non-spiritual methods might be of interest to some.

Non-Spiritual Recovery

The focus on spirituality as much as 12-step programs do, particularly for someone who is not interested in forming a spiritual belief system, can be detrimental to their recovery. While some members of 12-step groups take a heavy god-centered approach to recovery, but there are groups tailored for the agnostic or atheist addicts. This is important to consider as there are individuals with an aversion to spirituality or the religious undertones that may exist in some 12-step programs. As there is an increasing desire for recovery without spirituality, a method called SMART Recovery has emerged to help people regain control over their lives.

This model is growing very quickly and has proven to be successful, despite not having a spiritual element at all. There are only four steps in SMART Recovery, built around evidence-based treatment methods focused on managing life in the long term. These steps are intended to create sobriety that is self-reliant, as we learn the skills to cope and thrive under our own personal power, rather than relying on a higher power or our own spirituality. Using a non-spiritual method of recovery means that we can still have our own beliefs and even be spiritual if we choose, but does not inherently tie recovery to spirituality.

Your Choice

At the end of the day, spirituality is a personal choice. Many people find great strength in religion or spiritual practices, but the decision to tie that to recovery is ours. When we choose our treatment, we should always look at the choices available and choose the treatment that best serves us. We know what we need and where we stand spiritually. Recovery is difficult, and the decision on pursuit of spirituality rests on our shoulders. We should always look for ways to make it more authentic and empowering to us. This is our choice, so keeping that in mind we should choose the path that will yield the most successful result for us.

Spirituality has proven to be effective. Many who were not previously spiritual have been able to find a higher power that they can work with and rely on. Spirituality is not a requirement of recovery if you do not desire what it can bring you. There are programs that are not focused on spirituality, and allow choice regarding treatment methods. Keep an open mind, consider the options, and remember: you can always try a new path or program of recovery. In answering the question, “Do I need spirituality to heal from addiction?” only you can answer that question for yourself.

Choose your own adventure, with or without spirituality attached. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 today.

How to Navigate My Own Recovery

February 6, 2020 // by AToN Center

We are all individuals. Our lives are unique. The reasons that we began substance use are unique, as are our experiences while using substances. So why would we want a cookie-cutter experience in our treatment and recovery? We know ourselves the best, we know what we need. Even if substance use has left us feeling helpless, we can navigate our own recovery and get the help that will give us the most success.

Take Ownership

Even if our pathway to recovery was “encouraged” by other people in our lives, it is still our own recovery. In fact, it is even important that we choose to do this for ourselves because it is difficult to have success in recovery if we are only doing it for other people.

We might feel like we are still doing okay, or that we still have control over our lives. Perhaps we do. However, when other people step in and show concern for our behaviors, they might have valid reasons to show that concern. That should force the question to ourselves: “Do I need help?” If someone else is stepping in, then the answer is probably yes. We don’t need to wait for “rock bottom” to be honest with ourselves and choose to get help. If we are going to get help, then we should go all in and make it count.

Educate Yourself

Getting treatment isn’t about putting ourselves on a hook and letting everyone lead us around like a fish. Truly getting help should be a chance for us to find out for ourselves what kinds of treatments are available to us.

Questions we can ask ourselves include: Is the facility certified and reputable? Does the location seem like someplace I could be comfortable at? What kinds of treatment methods do they offer? Do they support my belief system? What kind of support do they offer after initial treatment?

Find Resources

Amongst the many questions that we may have, it is ideal that we find a place that offers many options in treatment, a facility that believes in personalized treatment. Look at the types of therapy offered and whether or not they use “evidence-based” or “best practices.” These practices are proven to treat addiction with scientific research and data. That is how you know if they will be able to truly give us what we need for success.

Other resources to look for are methods that include healing not just your mind, but also your body. There should always be some kind of plan for exercise or fitness. It does not have to be intense fitness, actually, something like yoga is very healing for the mind and body. A personal trainer can help create an exercise plan that meets us where we are physically. Whatever resources that are important to us individually, be sure that there are plenty of options to choose from to create a plan that gives us the best chances at success.

Choose Your Path

Once we have found the facility and resources that will best suit us, we need to make the decision to commit to our recovery. It is not enough to go through the motions, this is our life. Why would we go through detoxification and treatment and do all of that work just to go back to our old ways again? Whether it was initially our idea or others were looking out for us, this has to be our choice, our journey.

This is not just about finding a facility that we like, it is about choosing a facility that we can partner with to create a new life for ourselves. We need to want this enough to back it up with our hard work and determination. As we step onto this path, we want people guiding us who know how to give us the tools we need for success, but we have to be willing to take charge of our lives and take our lives back.

Succeed in Your Journey

Our success in recovery is completely up to us. We may have friends, family, co-workers, and others who are supporting us, but at the end of the day, we have to do the work. Every moment we succeed at staying sober, every breakthrough we make in therapy, for every discovery we make about ourselves, we are winning at this. We will have tough days, maybe even setbacks. We can dust ourselves off and get back up again and work even harder the next time. Our success will be that much more powerful knowing that we owned up to our issues, took control, made the choices, and did the work. When we opt into our recovery, going all in, we write our own success story.

Recovery is a journey best taken with all the support we can get. However, regardless of support we do or don’t have, recovery only works when we take ownership of our own lives. No matter where we are starting from, when we take the wheel and navigate our own path to wellness, we empower ourselves to succeed. Not only at recovery, but life. Make that call today. Find the place that will partner with you to rebuild your life and give you the tools to succeed. You are worth it.

Empower yourself in your own recovery. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 now to find out how to navigate your recovery and take control of your life.

Talking About Substance Use

February 3, 2020 // by AToN Center

When our lives spin out of control, it can be challenging to know what to do. Sometimes, what is even more challenging is to know what to say. While it is not necessary to broadcast personal details about our lives, it will likely be necessary to talk to our families, friends, and possibly employers about our substance use.

Because there is so much stigma still surrounding substance use, talking about it can seem much more difficult. Combine that with the self-confidence that is often damaged by our behaviors, it is difficult to even think about talking to the people who matter in our lives. However, it does not need to be traumatic. We can communicate openly and with courage and not only share our experiences but help to break down stigma at the same time.

Honesty is the Best Policy

When we start to talk to others about our experiences with substances, it is important to have the willingness to be open and too completely honest with them, particularly those closest to us. In order to do that, however, we need to be willing to be completely honest with ourselves.

We need to be willing to look at our substance use realistically: Have we acknowledged to ourselves how much control we have given to our substance use? How has our drinking or drug use impacted our lives? Who are the people that we have affected with our substance use? What are the areas in our lives that we need help with? When we are completely honest with ourselves about these questions and more, we can be completely honest with others, too.

Family

Our family is perhaps the most aware of our drinking and/or drug use. They are the most likely to have been impacted by our behaviors, too. This can make it seem more difficult to talk to them. Yet chances are that they also love us the most and will want us to be open with them about everything we have been going through. These are the people we will need to lean on most during our recovery, too, so we need to be willing to ask them for their strength and encouragement.

Spouses, siblings, and parents deserve to know how we are feeling, what it is like to have an addiction, and what we are doing to make changes in our lives. They deserve to know our emotions, and they deserve to have authentic and heartfelt apologies if we have hurt them. Look them in the eyes, and talk about your pain and your struggles. Have a real conversation with them. Share information with them about addiction and why it is not just a simple choice we make. Be honest, be straightforward, and be informative.

If there are children, use age-appropriate language when explaining your feelings. Be very honest with them about addiction and substances, but at a level that they can understand. Be loving and reassure them that you still love them, even if your behaviors in the past may have been confusing to them. Children are resilient, but they also know if you are condescending or not telling them the truth. You can empower them and help them to grow up as empowered adults when you are willing to be honest with them.

Friends

Your conversations with your friends may be similar to your conversations with your family, depending on how close you are with them. You will obviously want to ask for their support as well. You know who you can really lean on, and you also know the friends you may need to wean out of your life if they have been part of your substance use. Those conversations may be difficult, but they are very important.

Friends who are not as close may not need as much information or any information at all about what you are going through. If you suspect the gossip cycle to impact them, you may choose to tell them first person about what you are going through rather than wait for them to hear it from someone else. Then you control the conversation, and you can educate them about what addiction and recovery actually are. When you show people what substance use and recovery look like from an authentic point of view, you are breaking the stigma.

Employers

Employers and co-workers can be more of a delicate situation. Your human resources department can help you to determine how much information needs to be shared and with whom. Obviously, you will need to discuss a leave of absence for your treatment. Beyond that, this is a private, medical issue, and you can determine how much if any information is shared.

Substance use can make us raw, and it can feel difficult to face the people in our lives. However, when we use our voice to share our experiences from the heart, we begin the healing process and we break stigmas and empower other people to help us and others. Don’t look at this as a dreaded task, look at it as an opportunity to free your heart and clear your mind with the people in your life. You cannot control their reactions, but you can empower and inform them. Be brave. Be powerful. Be you.

Talking about your recovery can seem frightening, but your voice is powerful. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 now to start your journey of empowerment.

Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

January 30, 2020 // by AToN Center

Your memories of your family are always intertwined with substances. Mom always kept a bottle hidden and would drink when she was sad, and also when she thought no one was looking. When dad was drunk, he would be very, very angry. Even grandpa always smelled like alcohol, and grandma committed suicide after losing a long battle with drinking and depression. Now, there is you. Drinking is how your family has always coped with life. So when life got tough, you started drinking.

But no. You don’t want your life to be like that. Families have a lot of great traits and traditions to pass along, but this is not one of them. Maybe it won’t be easy, but you can break this cycle of addiction. You can be a pioneer in your family, a pioneer of mental health and sobriety. You can love your family, and still choose a different path. This is your life, your recovery.

The Genetics of Addiction

Alcohol use is merely one example. Families propagate addiction in many ways, often in multiple ways per family. It can be illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or even addictions such as gambling or sex or food addictions. There can also be co-occurring disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, and more that make the situation that much more complicated. Overall, if your parents struggle with alcoholism or drug addiction, you are likely to be at least 50-60 percent genetically predisposed to addiction as well. This figure increases even more with environmental factors.

Learned Behaviors

Another major factor in addiction comes from learned behaviors. If you see dad drink whenever there is stress, or even on a regular basis, you will naturally learn that this is appropriate behavior. If mom gets high when the going gets tough, or even at the end of every day, then it will seem very natural for you to do the same. Learned behaviors are reinforced every time we witness them, and it can be very difficult to un-learn these actions. In fact, they are more than likely burned into our subconscious, and so repeating these behaviors is literally second nature to us.

Crisis Living

Another factor in addiction cycles within the family is the propensity for crisis living. It is very rare to live a calm and peaceful life when there is substance use in the home. Families live in crisis emotionally, financially, and physically, which in turn perpetuates more substance use.

For example, abuse is rampant with substance abuse. Whether it be emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, the result of childhood trauma is often to turn to substance abuse. Financial crisis can be caused by the cost of substance habits, or merely not being able to make and keep a budget because of the substance use. Chronic financial crisis begets inherited money problems as well as more substance abuse. Substance use can also create other physical crises such as moving often, dealing with accidents or incarceration of family members, or death. All of these crises situations and more perpetuate future generations of substance abuse.

Breaking the Mold

You can change the story, write a new script for your life. Taking the leap of faith into recovery can feel especially foreign to you if no one else in your family has done it. After all, you are breaking the mold to desire mental health and freedom from substance use. But breaking the mold can also be exhilarating. You face a new future, with doors opening for you that you never thought possible. Making this choice is powerful for anyone, but you are breaking a cycle. You are truly empowered.

Courageous Soul, Broken Heart

Being courageous can have its consequences. Many families with generational addiction will not only not be supportive of your choice but could disavow themselves of you altogether. More likely, you may find that in order to be true to your own recovery, you may have to drastically change your relationships with them, even to the point of not having any communication with them. These are worst-case scenarios, but you should know that the possibility of pruning your family tree exists. Sometimes with great courage, we are left with a broken heart.

However, this sacrifice is not in vain. You are doing this for you, to give yourself a life that you would otherwise never have. You are doing this to create freedom for future generations, too. To save your life, and the lives of your children, their children, etc., you may be forced to make painful choices. Making these choices with love and clarity, without the lenses of enabling or making excuses for addiction, you will find that true love is being willing to create a new life for yourself and in turn bless the generations that came before as well as the generations to come.

This is the life you have known, and you know it is not healthy. You want something more. You want freedom from substances, the gift that keeps on giving for generations to come. You can find your road to recovery, with or without your family’s blessing. It will be hard, given the genetics, learned behaviors, and crisis lifestyle. But it will also be empowering. You can break the cycle, write a new story. The power is in you and will transfer to your posterity. Be the gamechanger in your family tree.

Break the cycle of addiction in your family. Give your future generations the freedom to live addiction-free. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 now.