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The Healing Powers of Acupuncture

The healing power of acupuncture has been around for centuries in some parts of the world. However, Western medicine is still trying to figure out exactly how and why it works so well here in 2020. They simply know that it does work, as there is plenty of scientific evidence to demonstrate that it is very effective in healing. Many people use acupuncture in dealing with a lot of physical issues. Did you know that acupuncture is also helpful with recovery? 

Healing Mind and Body

One of the factors that makes acupuncture so powerful is that it is a holistic healing technique. That is, it focuses on healing our complete selves, mind, body, and spirit. The concept is developed around restoring balance to the energy field or life force in our bodies also called the qi. In restoring this balance, healing can occur. This is not some weird, made-up concept, there are elaborate maps of our bodies that technicians study to help diagnose and treat problem areas. This is also something that has been developed and practiced for centuries, with great success now in many parts of the world.

In balancing this energy or life force, the healing comes not only to our minds but also to our bodies, which is essential with substance use. Not only does acupuncture help heal both, but it also helps align our minds and our bodies, and many have said that acupuncture has also been very healing for them spiritually. Acupuncture is just one method of treatment of many different types of treatments that are available for substance use. However, when it is combined with other therapies and treatments, it can be very powerful and effective at connecting all of the treatments. Increasing the power and healing of treatment altogether.

Withdrawal Symptoms

One of the ways acupuncture is often used in treatment is to help lessen withdrawal symptoms. Nothing can ever take all of the symptoms away, but the healing powers of acupuncture can help ease some of the symptoms. The less intense our withdrawal symptoms are, the easier it is for our bodies to heal, and the easier it is for us to do the work to heal our minds, too.

One of the other reported effects of acupuncture is that it helps to physically and mentally calm us. People are more easily able to relax mentally and physically, which also helps increase the healing process. There are also reports of improved sleep, which can also help us navigate withdrawal symptoms more peacefully.

Physical Effects

Acupuncture, particularly when used for a period of time, has been shown to reduce the cravings that come with substance use. Again, there is nothing at this time that is known to remove them altogether, but each craving that we don’t have is one less opportunity for relapse. Not a lot of treatment methods are able to alleviate cravings, they teach us how to deal with them. However, acupuncture has the power to actually help reduce the number and intensity of cravings.

Speaking of relapse, acupuncture has been shown to decrease our chances of using substances again. One study found that in a group that had repeatedly relapsed previously, more than half were able to stay sober after six months of acupuncture treatment. Again, there is no guarantee that we will not relapse, but isn’t it ideal to fortify ourselves as much as possible against it?

Healing Our Minds

There are so many ways in which substance use impacts our minds. Many substances actually alter our brain’s function, and it can take time to heal. Yet acupuncture can help with so many of the problems that come along with substance use. For example, acupuncture has been shown to decrease instances of depression and anxiety related to substance use. Using acupuncture can also lower the number of headaches and body aches that we have. 

Acupuncture is also effective at improving concentration, especially when substances have interfered with our concentration levels. Again, not a lot of other methods are able to help in this area. If we have experienced decreased energy as a result of our substance use, acupuncture can also help boost our energy levels to normal.

One of the more powerful ways that acupuncture can help heal our brains is by helping with stress reduction and dealing with trauma. To have something that can physically impact how our mind processes and heals from trauma is such a blessing, it is like a bonus in our mental and emotional healing process. Studies show that acupuncture also helps our ability to cope, increases our ability to both achieve calmness and remain calm and it can help us to cope better, too. The possibilities of healing are seemingly endless.

While acupuncture is never touted as a stand-alone method of treating substance use, because it addresses our mind, body, and soul, it is a powerful holistic tool that can improve the outcome of other treatment methods when used together. Even if acupuncture is new to you, it is worth giving yourself this gift. You can find holistic healing that physically, mentally, and spiritually helps your healing in recovery. Discover the benefits of an ancient treatment that can bring new healing into your life today. Make the call to begin your recovery, and make sure that acupuncture is part of your journey. 

Find out for yourself how healing acupuncture can be in your recovery. Call AToN Center at (888) 813-5928 today. 

How Can I Be There for the People in My Life Again?

One of the ways that substance abuse impacts the people around us the most is in our inability to show up for others. Whether it is at home, with friends, or at work, time and time again we make promises, and time and time again we break them. It is not that we are trying to hurt them, we want to be there. We just don’t know how to. How can we be there for the people in our lives again?

We are unable to show up for others because we are not even there for ourselves. Substance use becomes all-consuming. Because of what the substance does to our brains, we are focused on whatever it takes to get that next drink, that next high, that next fix. We are not even concerned for ourselves, because if we really looked in the mirror both physically and metaphorically, we would have taken action well before we got to this place.

Regardless of where we have been or how we got here, now we are here. We are willing to take the big step into recovery. As we shed the layers of substance use and prepare to boldly walk back into our world substance-free, one of our biggest concerns is for the other people in our lives. We know we have let them down, the forgiveness piece is another whole problem to solve, but how can we show up for them? How do I know that I won’t let them down again?

Being Present

One of the life-changing skills you will learn in recovery is the ability to be present. This is more than some strange spiritual jargon. It is the act of being able to focus only on what is happening right here and right now. This can be particularly challenging for us when we have lived for substances, allowing them to control our every thought, motivation, and behavior. That type of focus did not serve us well and was the biggest reason we have been unable to show up in our lives until now.

When we are able to live in the present, we are not worrying about things that have happened before, we are not focused on what we are having for dinner. We are simply here. Now. This means that if we can be present now, we will be able to be present tomorrow at 3 o’clock for that work meeting. We can be present tonight for that date we promised our partner. We can also be present for our best friend’s birthday party next week. Being present is literally showing up, wherever we are, whenever we need to be there. It is also being truly present, not distracted or some version of ourselves. It is us. Here. Now.

Living with Humility

In the past, perhaps we made excuses for not showing up. Maybe we even blamed others or other things for being late or going missing. However, by adding humility to our vocabulary, we can be honest and vulnerable when life happens. Being humble enough to accept responsibility for the things we had control over, being humble enough to apologize if we fail to meet the expectations of others or promises that we made… humility is a sign of strength rather than what is sometimes perceived as a weakness. When we are humble enough to admit to our humanity, then we are able to more fully connect with all of humanity.

Living with Integrity

The words honesty and integrity are rarely associated with us when we use substances. That is because we are not honest with ourselves when we use substances. If we do not have integrity when it comes to our relationship with ourselves, how can we have integrity in the rest of our lives? As we submit ourselves to recovery, as we commit ourselves to our personal recovery, and as we begin to live our own recovery, we learn to have integrity. When we have integrity, we show up. We say we will do something, so we do. We say we will be somewhere at a certain time, so we get there. It is actually that simple to show up.

Being Authentic

No one is perfect. However, people are drawn to people who are authentic. When we are present, have humility, and live with integrity, then we are real, genuine, and authentic. We are authentic when we are true to ourselves. When we live our lives in the best way we know how to we will also do the things for ourselves that we know will make us healthy and happy, and we are always honest with ourselves and others, then we are authentic.

How can you be there for others? How can you show up? Be present. Live with humility. Live with integrity. And be authentic. How can you do those things? Find your recovery. Live your recovery. Be your recovery. Everything you need is inside of you, you only need to ask for help to become the person you want to be. You are powerful and you are worth it. So are your friends, co-workers, and family. To show up for them, you need to show up for you. Show up by making that call today.

How can you be there for people in your life again? Find out by calling AToN Center at (888) 813-5928. Show up for your family, for your friends, for your co-workers, and most importantly for yourself.

Moving On: The Inherent Grief of Leaving Your Old Life

With the new year on the horizon, many are evaluating their lives and preparing to make resolutions. There is not a better time to evaluate our own lives, our relationship with substance use, and what we want our future to look like. There is no better time than now to begin our recovery journey. We can pack our baggage and say our goodbyes to addiction because it is time that we were moving on.

Walking Away from Our Past

We all have baggage. Whether it be abuse, divorce, loss, or other trauma, it is not serving us well. The pain we have been holding onto, the reason we started abusing substances, and the substances themselves are all things that have been preventing us from living powerfully and successfully. 

Luckily, there is recovery. Entering treatment for addiction allows us to say goodbye, not just to our substance abuse. Holistic recovery allows us to say goodbye to everything that has been holding us back. We can learn how to heal from trauma, from pain, and emotional scars that have been impacting how we view and interact with the world.

There are many ways to help us heal from the past. Individual therapy, for example,  can help us work through the pain and trauma we have experienced. We can also work through grief or loss to help us work through those powerful emotions so that we can move forward. 

Walking away from our past will not be easy. There is a lot of work to do, and we have to choose our new path. But continuing to destructively drink and use not only impacts our physical and mental well-being but potentially puts us and others at risk. There is no better time than now to walk away from that kind of risk.

Learning New Skills

Moving on means learning new skills. We learn new ways to breathe, think, react, cope, and take care of our mental and physical needs. We learn how to be present, we learn how to reprocess. We learn new ways to view our world and the world around us, and we learn new ways to communicate.

The more we are willing to learn, the more change we can affect in our lives. This is so much more than just becoming sober. We learn about who we are and why we have a substance addiction. Then we learn the skills to help us to completely change the direction of our lives. We are empowered to live differently.

Living in New Ways

When we choose recovery, we are taking responsibility for our lives. We are stopping old behaviors and changing course for a different result. We choose new habits and new ways of looking at ourselves and the world around us. We are free from the substances that controlled us, and we have new skills and perspectives to be able to approach each new day differently.

Building New Relationships

Changing our life course means an opportunity to build new relationships. This can mean applying new clarity and purpose to the relationships we already had. Because romantic and familial relationships, as well as friendships, typically suffer from substance use, we now have the opportunity to restore trust and demonstrate the new life skills we have learned. Communication, in particular, will help to build these new relationships with the existing people in our lives.

Additionally, this is a chance to meet new people. We may choose to find new friends who are also sober and striving to live more empowered and authentic lives. They might be friends we exercise with, friends from work that we have new commonalities with, or friends to spend time with and share both victories and setbacks with. Building these new relationships is powerful, especially with the new focus we have and growing communication skills.

Setting Goals for Our Future

By leaving our past and moving on, we free up so much more emotional space as well as the improved ability to function. This allows us to look to the future and set attainable goals. We no longer need to fear not reaching our goals due to the time and energy our substance abuse demanded of us. Now we are free to dream and to have the availability and determination to reach our goals.

We are able to set goals in our personal and professional life, and with the new skills we have learned, make practical plans to attain those goals. We might set goals for physical fitness, learning new skills at work, completing a project in our home, or learning to cook. We have the mental, emotional and physical freedom to do what we can dream because we have moved on.

We might feel too comfortable in our pain, or feel like we have too much fear to make wholesale changes in our lives. But the legitimate alternative is that the consequences of our substance abuse will only increase on the path we are on, and possibly be fatal. This time of the year is a perfect time to look at the fork in the road and choose the path to wellness instead of the path we have been on. AToN Center is a luxury facility with limited enrollment to give you all the attention you deserve. Choose this path and give yourself the gift of a new life today.

It is time to make a change from your status quo. Time to choose a different path. Call (888) 813-5928 and let AToN Center help you navigate your future.

Self-Care: Luxury for the Soul

We surround ourselves with luxury in our lives. Homes, cars, boats, and other material things that give us comfort and joy. But then we neglect our souls. Through substance abuse, we condemn our inner selves to the existence of pain and poverty, even if our lives are the opposite on the outside. Through recovery, we can bring our souls back up to a decent standard of living. But it is regular self-care that brings our inner quality of life up to meet our outer quality of life. Self-care is a luxury for the soul.

Learning to Care for Ourselves

Recovery is often referred to as a second chance, an opportunity to start over. And while we do still have to deal with our everyday lives and face the same people and situations we had before we began recovery, we do have the opportunity to step back into our lives with a new-found balance and are equipped with new ways of thinking about ourselves and caring for ourselves.

Self-care is what we do to nurture and care for ourselves. Making sure that we form good habits in our mental health and that we maintain them regularly. This includes the way we think about ourselves and approach our lives as well as outward, physical activities that enhance our bodies and minds and give ourselves a higher quality of life.

Basics of Mental Wellness

Life is full of negatives, but that is a lot easier to face if we have fed our souls with positive experiences. We don’t need to wait until positive things come to us, we can actively seek things daily that bring us joy. This can be anything from hobbies or activities we do just for us or spending time with people or pets that make us happy. It also includes finding the joy within our daily routines of family or work. When we seek or acknowledge the positives in our daily lives, we are telling ourselves that we are worth being happy.

Self-confidence may seem like it is difficult to cultivate, but there is something we can do every day that will build our self-esteem and increase our confidence. We can look for ways to improve ourselves and our skills every single day. Having a sense of accomplishment strengthens our image of ourselves, which in turn strengthens our resolve. We can try new skills or improve on the things we are already doing. But challenging ourselves to continue to improve reinforces a positive self-image that can continue to grow in the face of difficulties in our lives.

We can’t possibly know all of the challenges that life has for us, but we do know that there will be stressors. Particularly in recovery, we know that we will face triggers that could lead us to drinking or using again. So as part of our self-care, we can plan ahead by developing a strategy to successfully cope with situations that might be difficult for us. When we are prepared to face challenges, we are more likely to succeed at overcoming those challenges. This kind of personal success can make us feel like a million dollars.

Treating Ourselves to Compassion

As hateful as people can be on social media or on the freeway, sometimes we are more hurtful to ourselves with the expectations and criticisms we give ourselves in our own heads. From the shame, excessive criticism, unhealthy comparisons to others, to the perfectionism or unhealthy need to win, we are sometimes our own worst enemies. 

This is where compassion comes into play. We can be kind to ourselves in the way we evaluate our thoughts and actions. We can be gentle with ourselves when we feel embarrassed, ashamed, or have made a mistake. We can continue the daily outer routines which feed our mind and body to show ourselves that we are worth the effort to feed our soul. And we can give ourselves the kind of reaffirming and compassionate self-talk that we would outwardly give to a loved one. Being compassionate is showing that we are worth loving, starting with ourselves.

Luxuries of Daily Routines

In recovery, we learn the skills that we can use daily to keep us mentally and physically strong. These include meditation, healthy eating, exercise, good sleep, and avoiding prescription or recreational substances that alter our mood and put us at risk for relapse. All of these daily habits reinforce the new ways of thinking and living that bring us greater joy and happiness. By caring for our bodies, we improve our quality of life and prevent future substance abuse. These habits can actually help reduce cravings, depression, and more, while simultaneously increasing our mental resiliency. Most importantly, taking the time to do these things for ourselves tell us and those around us that we are worth it, that we deserve to be the best we can be.

Make the decision today to give your soul all of the luxuries you deserve. AToN Center can teach you everything you need to know to improve the status of your mind and body. When you show love for yourself, you give yourself a gift that money cannot buy. 

Find your inner luxury while surrounded in the outer luxury of AToN Center in beautiful San Diego, California. All it takes is a phone call for you to upgrade your soul to first class. Call (888) 813-5928.

Balance Your Life

Balance Your Life

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

Emotional Sobriety In Recovery

Emotional Sobriety

The struggle of daily life can seem insurmountable when people are unable to handle their emotions. A shortage of emotional maturity can make satisfaction a hard commodity to come by. This also makes it more likely that maladaptive coping skills such as substance misuse will be utilized to cope with the discomfort. Relying on drugs and alcohol to cope with negative emotions halts emotional growth and development.

 
This is why there is a focus in early recovery on continued emotional development, or emotional sobriety. A failure to develop this emotional sobriety makes it difficult for an individual to rebuild coping skills outside of drugs and alcohol. Unpleasant emotions are a part of life, so learning healthy coping skills is paramount to continued recovery from addiction.
 
The ability to manage feelings positively is a hallmark of emotional sobriety. An emotionally sober person is no longer held captive by negative emotions. They are able to ‘feel their feelings’ and maintain a sense of serenity at the same time without the urge to escape into substance misuse.
 
A key to emotional sobriety is learning to keep acceptance high and expectations low of the people, places and things that come into an individual’s life. When an expectation is not met, it leaves the door open for resentment and other negative emotions. Acceptance means living in the reality of a situation or problem and making a choice to find the best solution or response. There is a great deal of empowerment and peace in choosing to come from a place of acceptance.
 
One of the foundations at the AToN Center is ‘Manage Emotions’ which fosters the development of emotional sobriety in a multitude of ways. There are recovery studies on Codependency, The Role of Values, Building Sober Support, Entitlement, Frustration Tolerance and Honesty in Recovery. We also offer psychology groups that help build emotional sobriety such as Core Beliefs, Rationalizations for Use, Empathy, CBT on Emotions and Self-Esteem.
 
The development of emotional sobriety is a process that takes time and patience. But the pay off is a newfound sense of serenity and confidence in the ability to manage uncomfortable emotions without the use of drugs and alcohol to escape.
 
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Agreeing with the Critic

Agreeing with the Critic

When a person is in their active addiction they often find blunt and tactless ways of sustaining their use. Defensiveness can be a significant problem in early recovery as a person is still accustomed to protecting and maintaining their habit.

Many residents at the AToN Center describe experiences of friends or family members trying to confront them on their intoxicated behaviors to which the response is to shut down any feedback at all. Often, this is done by focusing on a less relevant detail that detracts form the main issue at hand. This can take the form of arguing about how much you really had to drink or the exact number of days where the person was using.

The idea of agreeing with the critic is not that you agree with everything that another person says but that you learn to accept the parts of the feedback that are true. If someone brings up your use, find a way to agree with the feedback, look for the truth in what they are trying to share with you about your behaviors so that you will be better able to change them and work towards a healthy recovery. Imagine saying, “I didn’t drink on that particular day but it is true that there have been many more than I have.”

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

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

When residents enter into treatment, often they fear the physical withdrawal symptoms and forget about the emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms that can make long-term sobriety so difficult.

 
These emotional and psychological symptoms comprise the second stage of withdrawal, called “Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome” or P.A.W.S. There is no set length of time that these symptoms may linger. It depends on variables such as age, length and type of substance misuse, environment, and recovery program.
 
Post Acute Withdrawal symptoms may include the following:
 
  • Lethargy
  • Anhedonia
  • Emotional Lability
  • Stress Sensitivity
  • Memory Problems
  • Sleep Disturbances
  • Physical Coordination Problems
At AToN Center, we teach you how to manage P.A.W.S symptoms by providing recovery study groups, mindfulness exercises and developing healthy habits with emphasis on the following:
  • Stabilization and Awareness (Mindfulness)
  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Relaxation
  • Spirituality
  • Balanced Living
While there is no short- term “cure” for Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, AToN Center focuses on developing the ability to accept and manage the uncomfortable symptoms. Recovery from addiction is a process that requires learning new coping skills and developing a healthy support group to be maintained long after leaving AToN Center.
 
Kate Judd M.S., CADC-II
CD Counselor
AToN Center 888-525-1516

 

 

 

 

 

CD Counselor

Maintaining Motivation

Residents at AToN Center are making major lifestyle changes. They “reset” their lives in a way – they stop drinking and using.

They learn new ways of communicating, thinking and caring for themselves. By the time they stand at their AToN Ceremony, they are essentially a new person!  So how do you maintain those positive changes that you worked so hard for?  Here are some helpful tips:
 
1. Remember the reasons you changed your life!  They likely include your well being, health, family, educational/career aspirations and more! Check out the CBAs you completed within the first few days of your admission at AToN. You could probably add to them! Review and update these lists often!
 
2. Review your AToN Workbook and AToN Binder periodically. You will find new insights as you progress through your recovery, which will help you maintain motivation!
 
3. Make future plans – plans that you can only achieve while in recovery. I believe that joy comes from personal growth and progression. Sign up for a class, take up a new hobby – SMART Recovery’s Vital Absorbing Creative Interest (VACI) tool can assist you!
 
4. Share you goals and your progress with someone! That person can keep you accountable and cheer you on when you need it.
 
5. Play the tape through – this not only works as a relapse prevention tactic, but as a motivation builder. Think about what you will gain by maintaining your active recovery plan!
 
6. Be gentle with yourself! We all have ups and downs. Turn to your support group and reset goals if you need to. Look at what you learned as a way to rebuild and maintain momentum.
 
Remember to ask yourself these three questions: What do I want for my future? What am I currently doing to achieve that? How do I feel about what I’m currently doing?  SMART Recovery’s “Three Questions” exercise can always assist in maintaining motivation. These questions will help you evaluate your goals and your progress.
 
Dr. Cassandra Cannon
Clinical Director
AToN Center  888-535-1516

A Healthy Outlet

Yoga for RecoveryIt can be extremely helpful to find a healthy outlet to engage in when you are in recovery from substance abuse or behavioral addictions. This can be a form of relapse prevention and a way to truly enjoy the new life you are living. The endorphins that are produced when enjoying something new and exciting can be a great deterrent to use substances or engage in unhealthy behaviors.
 

Finding out what makes you happy is a search many recovering individuals embark upon.  Think about something you loved prior to engaging in your addiction… Something you have always wanted to do… Or a combination of things you enjoy that can make it even more fun… Sometimes teaching others to do something you love can bring even more fulfillment and purpose to your new sober life…

I found that after getting sober I fell in love with board sports: snow, skate, and surf! I also really love yoga! I began practicing Standup Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga and fell in love all over again. Being on the board, on the water, and practicing yoga in that element is simply euphoric.  Teaching others has an even deeper meaning! Passing along something you found that helps add beauty to your life can be invigorating and strengthens the bond you’re creating in recovery.
 
As the saying goes “We have to give it away to keep it!”
 
Kristin Colton CATC II
Chemical Dependency Counselor 
AToN Center 888-535-1516

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