alcohol

Misconceptions About Alcohol Use

April 22, 2018 // by Aton Center

Sometimes life can feel a bit lonely as a non-drinker, especially when it’s a new identity. It can feel like EVERYONE drinks, and you’re the only one on the planet who chooses not to. In some circles, this perception is not totally inaccurate. Since we tend to hang with people who have similar rates of use as we do, we may be surrounding ourselves with people who do drink a lot.

This confirms our belief that we’re normal, and everyone is drinking, so it is a reinforcing cycle. However, the idea that most people consume “a lot” of alcohol is false. The research consistently highlights that many people choose to drink a minimal amount or abstain from alcohol altogether. Here are some statistics that stay fairly constant over time about the drinking habits of Americans:

30% of American adults don’t drink at all.
An additional 30% consume less than 1 drink per week.
The top 10% of drinkers consume over 74 drinks a week.
Drinking 2 glasses of wine each night puts you in the top 20% of American adults.
The top 10 percent of drinkers account for well over half of the alcohol consumed in any given year.

So next time you’re feeling alone, remember that almost two thirds of Americans have one drink ore less in a typical week. Check out the article below to learn more about drinking norms. If you’re drinking more than you’d like to be, feel free to call and chat with one of our intake coordinators. They can provide you with resources and options. Data from The Washington post.

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Women and Alcohol

March 1, 2018 // by Aton Center

Women differ from men in many ways, and the way that they metabolize alcohol is no exception.

When we drink alcohol the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down alcohol in our bodies. Alcohol is toxic to the body and it compromises the functions of our central nervous system. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) found in the liver, converts alcohol to acetaldehyde. This substance is then converted to acetic acid and then metabolizes to carbon dioxide, water, and fatty acids. A small amount of alcohol is not metabolized and is excreted through sweat, saliva, urine, and the breath.

Our bodies create at least nine different forms of alcohol dehydrogenase, each with a slightly different function. Our bodies create at least nine different forms of alcohol dehydrogenase. Some break down retinol, steroids and fatty acids, each with a slightly different function.

Women have less of the enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase than men in their bodies, so more alcohol enters into the bloodstream, which is why women tend to get drunk quicker. With more alcohol in the bloodstream, which is toxic, more problems can occur for women.

Women tend to weigh less than men, but carry around more body fat. Fat retains alcohol in its cells where it remains at high concentrations. With this longer exposure to alcohol the brain and other organs are now at more risk for disease.

Changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle may also affect how a woman metabolizes alcohol.

Alcohol may also raise a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer. Woman’s overall lifetime risk of breast cancer is almost 10 in 100 if she only drinks two drinks of alcohol per day. However with six drinks a day her risk increases to about 13 in 100.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is a non-diagnostic term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy. The biggest concern is to the fetus, because when a woman drinks alcohol it enters into the bloodstream and then crosses the placenta to the developing fetus. Alcohol interferes with the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the infant. It can harm the developing tissues, organs and cause permanent brain damage. The more you drink while pregnant, the greater the risk to your unborn child. The severity of fetal alcohol syndrome varies with some children experiencing far more symptoms than others. Some of the defects may include:

Abnormal facial features
Smooth ridges between the nose and upper lip
Small head size
Shorter-than-average height
Low body weight
Poor coordination
Hyperactive behavior
Difficulty with attention and memory
Heart defects and problems with kidneys and bones
Learning disabilities and difficulty in school
Social and behavioral issues
Speech and language delays
Intellectual disability or low IQ
Poor reasoning and judgment skills
Problems getting along with others
Vision or hearing problems
Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones

If you’re pregnant and can’t stop drinking, ask your obstetrician, primary care doctor or mental health professional for help. FASD is 100 percent preventable if Mother’s don’t drink during pregnancy.

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

References: www.mayoclinc.org http://pdb101.rcsb.org.

Underestimation

January 4, 2018 // by Aton Center

In working with residents at the AToN center I am often struck by how easy it is for a person to underestimate the strength of their addiction. Many people can spend years in a cycle of dependence on their substances and still the story they can tell themselves is that “I’ve got it, its under control and I can quit whenever I want.”

Underestimating the role of the drugs/alcohol in your life is a sneaky tactic the drugs use to sustain their supremacy. It can be a humbling experience to take stock of the ways that the one has lost control over their lives. There can also be a strong desire to attempt to find some way of moderating use and not having negative consequences.

But for some, once the line has been crossed into addition they will need to take stock and acknowledge the corrupting nature of the substances. Knowing the power of the drugs will help you go gather strength and support from others to fight back. Dedicating energy and effort to emotional healing and lifestyle changes takes work but making these efforts will pay off in the long run.

Chad K. Cox PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
AToN Center Addiction Treatment 888-535-1516

Drinking Alcohol And Using Drugs

November 4, 2017 // by Aton Center

We humans are communal by nature. We depend on each other for our physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Drinking alcohol and using drugs, however, separate us from our community.

That separation fuels the addictive cycle and causes further negative consequences. Part of the recovery process is the re-organization of that community.

Letting go of old drinking and using associations, nurturing new healthy relationships, and re-building the relationships with those who might have been negatively affected by the disease are all part of the process. Gradually, we can regain a place within the community.

We can participate, alongside others, in developing a lifestyle that unifies us, as opposed to separating us.

Patricia Brady, AToN Center Co-Founder
888-535-1516

Community Meetings

October 29, 2017 // by Aton Center

Social support in early recovery has been proven to be a huge help in a transition from a life of addiction to a life of recovery. Bonds with other people in recovery can help bolster confidence and conviction that a life fueled by alcohol and drugs leads to despair and misery. Relationships with like- minded people who can truly empathize with what it feels like to be in recovery and quell the loneliness and uncertainty of a sober lifestyle are invaluable.

At AToN Center, we require residents to attend at least one community support meeting per week to encourage the forming of social bonds in recovery. It has been shown that this requirements aids in the continuity between residential treatment and aftercare. AToN Center does not favor any one particular self- help meeting, in fact, we provide a variety of self-help meetings so that the resident can determine what resonates with them. The following is a list and brief description of some of the self- help meetings we offer on a weekly basis:

Refuge Recovery: According to founder, Noah Levine, it’s a Buddhist path to recovery. It is a practice, a process, a set of tools, a treatment and a path to healing addiction and the suffering caused by addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous: An international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith. Its primary purpose is to help alcoholics stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. This self- help meeting utilizes the 12 Step approach where participants give their will and life over to a higher power, take a fearless moral inventory, and commit to helping the alcoholic that still suffers.

Life Ring: A secular, non- profit organization providing peer run addiction recovery groups. The organization provides support and assistance to people seeking to recover from alcohol or drug addiction, and also provides support for their family members.

SMART Recovery: Self- Management and Recovery Training is an international non- profit organization which provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addiction behaviors. The approach used is secular and scientifically based using non- confrontational motivational, behavioral and cognitive methods.

*Definitions of meetings from Wikepedia

Kate Judd MS, CADC II
CD Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Alcohol and How it Effects Quality Sleep

September 6, 2017 // by Aton Center

According to the National Sleep Foundation, as many as 20% of adults use alcohol to go to sleep. Especially when suffering from insomnia, alcohol can seem to offer some very quick relief. But research shows that alcohol can actually wreak havoc on your sleep cycle, and in turn it can really impact how you feel during the day.

Alcohol is a depressant, and so it tends to have a sedating effect. This means that it can help people to fall asleep more quickly and to get into deeper sleep in the beginning of the night. The problem is, though, that at some point that alcohol starts to wear off and the body begins to have a “rebound effect” – in other words, instead of feeling sedated you are woken up at 3 or 4a.m. And, because alcohol is a diuretic, you probably have to go to the bathroom. A lot.

Alcohol does a few other things to sleep. First, it inhibits REM sleep. REM is the phase of sleep that involves dreaming, and it is also considered one of the most restorative sleep phases. So, people who use alcohol to sleep can have difficulty concentrating and feel drowsy during the day. Second, alcohol relaxes the muscles. This leads to snoring, and conditions like sleep apnea are exacerbated. And when combined with prescription drugs, such as opioids, prescription sleep medications or anxiolytics, these problems can be much worse – sometimes, the results are even fatal.

In summary, while alcohol might get you to sleep more quickly, it interferes with restful sleep and can make it harder to concentrate and feel alert during the day.

Kirsten Helgager, PsyD
Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

The Basics of Early Recovery and Self Care

August 26, 2017 // by Aton Center

In conducting therapy with clients at the AToN Center I often see many highly functioning people with multiple responsibilities who are sustaining their complex lifestyles, often temporally, with drugs and alcohol. I often recommend that people get back to the basics. This can include eating well, developing healthy sleep cycles, positive socialization, and simple relaxation.

In sobriety many people have to re-learn basic life skills that have gone ignored or bypassed for many years. For example, instead of eating readily available fast food or nothing at all, a person can make the time to go to the grocery store and have a salad. Yes, this does not sound as grandiose as “fixing all of life’s problems” but this is a simple step which can improve your health and help you feel better today. Learning to stick with a sleep schedule and stay away from naps can be a challenge.

Again, this is not going to lead to “peak experience” but there may be a day when you actually feel well rested with good energy. Also, rather than planning an elaborate party, with a multitude of socialites and acquaintances, imagine having a close friend over for dinner and even cooking and cleaning together.

Many people early in their recovery are often reflective on missing out on these small moments of self-care as they have dedicated their lives to their addiction. It may sound simple but these moments can help a person feel more grounded and centered.

Chad K. Cox, PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Community for Help with Addiction

August 12, 2017 // by Aton Center

People who come to receive treatment at AToN come from a myriad of different backgrounds and cultures. Most share a common goal or bond, that is their desire to achieve freedom from the life damaging consequences of alcohol and drug use.

Developing and nurturing this bond with others is often an essential part of the recovery process. We encourage our residents to examine those ways in which they are a part of a greater whole, a community. We also assist them in finding ways to depend on others which are healthy for their recovery.

Recognition and further development of this bond can greatly help sustain the progress made during treatment and move recovering individuals away from factors which lead to relapse. Stay Connected!

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Stages of Recovery

July 30, 2017 // by Aton Center

The progression of alcoholism and addiction usually passes through several declining stages before an individual makes the decision to enter treatment. What might have started as a path to increase socialization and well-being often can lead to a solitary and lonely existence.

This isolation can even become normalized as a function of the disease. While engaging with others in recovery can be a new and sometimes frightening experience, it is the beginning of the journey into wholeness.

By sharing our stories and empathizing with the experience of others, we gradually begin to see the benefit of becoming a part of the larger whole, of being connected. Our decision to move forward in a program of recovery will “mark the end of isolation.”

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Goal Setting

July 14, 2017 // by Aton Center

We can choose to begin something new every day, every minute of every day…

Goal setting and getting clear on values and what is really important in our lives is a huge part of what we do in recovery from addiction.

As drug and alcohol addiction brings one down a path of destruction, neglect, and abuse of self and others, recovery is about building up. Beginning with discovering values, dreams, and life’s purpose one can create a foundation to obtain far more than ever imagined.

At AToN Center we explore these aspects and work on setting realistic goals for the coming months and learn how to create a life worth being sober for.

In groups we look at values an a baseline for setting goals that are in line with the things we care most about. We look at goals that are obtainable and have meaning as well as how we can illicit support and accountability.

This is a fun process at any time on this journey of life, love, and growth…

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

Women differ from men in many ways, and the way that they metabolize alcohol is no exception.

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