The Alcoholic and Willingness

“… “Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?”  As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way.” – The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 47

Within the scope of addiction and alcoholism, it is understood that we, as a power unto ourselves, are incapable of managing and controlling our using and drinking.  This has been shown to us time and time again.  We must be willing to allow another Guiding Force the chance to direct us, to help us move past this damaging way of living.  We must tap into a Power greater than ourselves if we are to be restored to sanity.

That is an essential component of getting and maintaining sobriety; the willingness to be willing.  Willing doesn’t mean fully embracing a concept which may be beyond our grasp at the moment.  Willing, by definition, means inclined toward.  It doesn’t affirm anything other than being ready to consider another path, which is the natural step after truly understanding we cannot do this solely by and on our own power.

Can this willingness to put our faith in something other than ourselves give us half a chance in the battle against substances?  According to many who have come before us, this is another key in the unlocking of the door to Recovery.  This “willingness” opens us up to the progression of moving toward living a life of worth.  It gives us an opportunity to become of maximum service in the world, to whomever we encounter, which is the ultimate goal.

Finding an Alcohol Rehab in California is Easy, Finding the Right One Takes Research

Locating an alcohol rehab in California is easier than finding a celebrity and just like celebrities, not all facilities are the same. While you may think that the most expensive treatment facilities are going to offer you the most help that just isn’t the case. People who found institutions for alcohol and drug detoxification, rehabilitation, and recovery are people who have been afflicted with addiction themselves and understand the pain and toll it takes on families and loved ones and the best of them are going to offer you their services at a price you can afford.

No matter what part of the United States you live in, or even if you live in the farthest reaches of the globe, an alcohol rehab in California is going to be the best place for you to relax and learn how to move past this awful affliction and become a person who does not need to rely upon false crutches for validation or to numb some trauma you cannot face without the help of trained individuals. Once you can come to the realizations of what you are fighting internally, you can learn how to manifest that energy in to something useful and meaningful, instead of something so detrimental like drugs and alcohol.

Celebrities, movie stars, music icons, and the like are starting a terrifying trend of using treatment facilities as a way to garner publicity or to even get out of the public eye for wrong doings they have been caught committing. The term “rehab” has become synonymous with an “apology” to public personalities, but anyone who has been embroiled in addiction knows they are so much more than that. Learning how to live your life in a way that you have never known, and without the aid of substances altering your mind and body, is hard work and cannot be done without skilled professionals who have been in your shoes before. Being in an alcohol rehab in California should not cheapen the experience you are going to have.

High priced with a recognizable name may not be the best choice for someone who is not in the public eye, as with a lesser known and more affordable facility, you can get the mental and medical care you need to overcome this illness and move on without having the added distraction of celebrity or media invading what should be a very private time for you to learn and grow.

Finding a California alcohol rehab that is not only affordable, but instills the same teachings and principles as the higher priced and celeb populated is going to give you a head start on the rest of your life, while feeling like you gained the most perspective and guidance you could have from the experience. Being in a California drug rehab center that allows you respite at a price your family can afford is going to allow you to grow and learn how to pay them back by coming out of this happy and healthy and ready to give them the love they have given you through such a rough period in your lives.

The Alcoholic and Powerlessness

“At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail.” – The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 24.

This is Powerlessness.

Our souls beg us to cut out the drinking.  There is attempt after attempt to engage our will to halt the madness of the drink and no matter how hard we try, we cannot.  The body sends signals that the drinking isn’t doing what it initially did; the mind, fully conscious that nothing but misery is at the bottom of every glass, is incapable of overriding this burning need.  Even feeling all of these feelings and intrinsically knowing that all of these more-than-obvious clues scream STOP, we continue to imbibe.  We gamble our very lives, and as we lose over and over, we watch, almost as outsiders, any and everything loved and cared for slip away.  It still isn’t enough.  We plead with ourselves; we make promises, fully meaning them at the time; we swear on all that we have or don’t have and yet, we cannot stop.

Why is this?  It’s the allergy of the body which is triggered by the drink itself and subsequently it ensnares our mind causing an obsession that overrides EVERYTHING else and that, in turn, relies on and continues our spiritual bankruptcy.  It is a threefold catch 22, which is the disease of alcoholism.  And, our very starting point is our Powerlessness over alcohol.

In early Recovery, this first half of the first step can be difficult to grasp, to truly learn how insidious this Powerlessness is.  The California alcohol rehab staff has an intimate understanding and can clarify and expound on this, going so far as to give examples of what this looks like and how it manifests.  If we don’t have a thorough comprehension, there is the possibility we may still hold to the idea that somehow, someday, we can control our drinking.  As alcoholics, we must grasp this fundamental truth.

Discovering Spirituality in Recovery

“… the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek.  It is open, we believe, to all…” The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg 46.

Even previous to entering a California drug rehabilitation facility, we may have dropped to our literal or figurative knees, begging for a Power of Universal Origin to help us get out of this mortifying cycle; to, in effect, save us from ourselves.  In that moment we become willing to believe there must be a Power greater than ourselves which will bring us to sanity which may have otherwise been long since buried, if not unknown entirely.

As that moment of desperation floods the very essence of our being, causing us to cry out in the blackest part of the night, we realize we must have help and cannot do this alone.  We barely begin to acknowledge there might be this Power Over All.  With that said, we are now at a place where we are willing to believe, even if we don’t actually do so quite yet.  We know not what this new Power might be called.  Under what name do we address this Guiding Force of Life?  During this time, we learn that our name for a Creative Intelligence may differ from someone else’s however, as Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name?”

We may all have a different way to refer to this Spirit yet we learn the path on which we are starting, it is not the name that is of import.  What’s important is that this highway of Recovery isn’t one of labels and judgment but of actions and behaviors.

The staff at this Los Angeles rehab comes from many backgrounds, as does each person we meet, both active in Recovery and those who are not.  The important aspect is that this well-traversed Spiritual boulevard is made of many names and excludes none who actively, honestly wish to grow.

It is the action behind the name that allows us to include all.

Resentment: The Quiet Killer

“Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics.  It mattered little whether our resentments were justified or not.  A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective.  Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger.  As we saw it, our wrath was always justified.  Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely.  These “dry benders” often led straight to the bottle.”  From the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve & Twelve, pg. 90.

When anger and resentment are the foundation on which a life is built, it is a life most futile.  There is nothing sturdy or sound about that platform.  We seethe, wrapping ourselves in a cloak of what we believe to be justified ire.  However, that is not the plush coat which keeps us safe and warm; instead it is actually a threadbare sheet which lets the wind rip through the fabric of our flesh, tearing at our very soul.

While angry, there is no chance of being present for those around us.  We cannot be accessible and of service to others in that all-consuming state.  This compounding fury, which may have been a minor transgression on the part of someone who wasn’t even aware of doing or saying something wrong in the first place, can lead us to the drink.  As opposed to recognizing a feeling of being wronged yet continuing to work toward the greater good, the potential to get trapped in and obsess about said incident is prevalent.

How does that lead us to drink?  As we run through that moment in our mind, over and over again, the pull toward needing a release, coupled with the desire for a sense of ease and comfort brought to us by the needed release, grows exponentially.  If we are not staying connected to the world by working with others, we supplant being spiritually grounded and opt for this inflated dissension in the rhythm of our world.  As we continue to dodge being of service then we are not available for anything other than our own self-seeking schemes.  We relive the moment, staying in the past while pretending what we would have said or done actually happened.  Maybe we are fantasizing about the future with what we will say and do next time; our motive of getting even grows larger and larger until it’s the only focal point in our lives.  Where is the relief in that?

California rehab centers teach us that there may be moments where we are uncomfortable yet those feelings are not facts on which to base a life.  We learn that our anger justified or otherwise, isn’t going to serve anyone else.  It doesn’t even serve us.  It keeps us selfish, on that carousel of self-righteous misery, which can only, eventually, be abated by our old behaviors in the search for ease and comfort.  Los Angeles rehab centers show us that even while being uncomfortable the cure for that discomfort isn’t found by putting our lips to the bottle but by extending ourselves to another person.  In these actions of being available for another, we learn to cement our sobriety.

New Vision for A New Life: Seeing Things Differently in Recovery

We recognize that during the period of time we were mired in our addiction, there have been moments we have put ourselves in extremely unsafe positions.  In the pursuit of our driving thirst, the tendency to behave in ways and engage in acts that under other circumstances may never have been enacted, are immediately done without regard or measure of the dangers that have lain in wait.  Those very dangers are similar to a coiled cobra ready to strike at the foolhardy throat of the blind snake handler.

Now, at the start of Recovery, it is necessary to re-learn how to evaluate a variety of situations around us.  There may be the need to use a proverbial new pair of glasses to see what’s really what.  In donning the new 20/20 eyewear, we may save our respective skins from an unnecessary branding with that hot, fiery poker of potential pain.  Our initial inclination might still be to react to environments or engage in certain behaviors as we used to, falling back on what’s been practiced at the depths of our addiction.  We need to assess scenarios in our new way of living which, previously, we would have merely barreled into without regard for our own well being.  There may have even been, at times, an inertia of agony so great that we have also included the propulsion of our nearest and dearest toward health-jeopardizing situations.

This opportunity to step back and determine what now might be dangerous for us can be learned at a drug and alcohol rehab.  Many of us who are new to embark on this well-worn path of sobriety have still thrown themselves down the well of danger and misery, even after collecting days without imbibing our previous substance of no-choice.  Thankfully the staff is well informed as to what the current instinct might be versus what the safer course of action is and they gently guide us toward a new path, one that encourages self-care as opposed to our inclination to dash headlong into disaster.

“We are people who normally would not mix…”

“We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful.”  … “The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.” – The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 17

Throughout the time of drinking and using, the relationships with others in life suffer; be it with loved ones; employers and coworkers; even those we encounter during the course of routine, day-to-day activities.  The inability to maintaining anything like healthy communication with those close to our lives is near-impossible.  Many times, while under the skeletal umbrella of addiction, we seek out those who are like us, unhealthy, hurting, and hiding or, conversely, we shun all, favoring isolation.

In recovery, we encounter people with whom, at first glance, we may seem to have nothing in common.  Slowly there is the realization that the connection between alcoholics and addicts goes far deeper than race, religion, socio-economic status, sexual preference, et al.  There exists an understanding that while there is separation on the outside, the same disease resides within and forms a bond which can rival those to whom we are closest.  One of the first places this is realized is in rehab, among others who are adrift in the same boat.  There we find the shared life preserver which contributes to keeping drowning at bay.

It is with others’ experiences, strength and hope, in whose footsteps we follow.  As they guide with a lit torch, which earned its fire from those who went before them, they help find the way through what seems like a path buried beneath the earth, where no light is thought to live.  The beacon of sobriety shines and as it burns brighter the further we travel along the path, its illumination shows the way toward a compassion for our fellows coupled with peace and serenity.

Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment is Imperative for a Successful Recovery

Getting the addict you love the help they need at a drug addiction rehab treatment center is not just for their recovery, but yours as well. Having an addict in your family is not only stressful, time consuming, and even budget breaking, but you are very obviously trying to help them work through their demons and provide what they need in order to not hit their bottom and possibly lose everything they have including their lives.

As someone who loves a substance abuser, you want to make sure they are as happy and healthy as possible, and are willing to sacrifice part of your life in order to ensure they don’t delve further in to their addictions. Getting them to a drug addiction rehab treatment facility will allow them the respite they need in order to avoid the same mistakes that brought them to the place they are in today. In a rehab facility, they can be treated by licensed and professionally trained recovery specialists and learn how to get their lives back on track.

Along with the substance abuser getting the drug addiction rehab treatment they need to move on with their lives in a sober and healthy manner, you should also be seeking treatment to learn how to handle their new way of life and not revert to the enabling that was once such a strong part of the relationship between you and the addict. If they change their lives for the better but come back to the same behaviors and actions, they could quite possibly digress back to their former selves as well. Starting fresh for everyone involved in the addict’s life is going to give them the best possible chance at success, and you the highest rate for maintaining a happy and healthy relationship with them.

The addict accepting treatment may not want to be as removed from their former lives as they need, but by explaining why the best place to be is in one of the many drug rehab centers in California, the addict may begin to understand. Being away from the temptations and connections they have as a substance abuser is going to not only help them avoid falling back on old habits, but also allow them to quietly move on with their lives without questions and judgment from the people they used drugs and alcohol with before their recovery.

They say misery loves company and that is the mantra of many addicts. They feed off of the habits of each other and feel that only they can understand what they are going through. They are also who keeps the flow of drugs and alcohol when the friends and family might cut it off. When you need a drug rehab California might be the best place to turn to get them out of the lifestyle they were leading and that they don’t need to go back to. A successful recovery might be made or broken depending upon the distance they have between their new lives and their former habits.

Fresh Starts and New Surroundings in a California Rehab

“We were having trouble with our personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other…”  Alcoholics Anonymous pg. 52

When suffering from these things, exacerbated by abusing drugs and alcohol, the addict seems unable to cope with life and continues that damning cycle, forever increasing the feeling of no way out.

When the person can go on no longer, desperately ready to make a major life change, where do they go?  Treatment is sought but where?  The need to be separated from drugs and alcohol, both physically and psychologically, is imperative but how?  Checking into a drug rehab in California can give a person the chance to break free from those shackles of endless despair.  While under the watchful eye of understanding medical professionals, they detox and then the possibility of embarking on treatment for the addiction can really begin.  Many times that also includes treatment for depression and anxiety.  These two seemingly separated problems are found to actually be inextricably linked.

Where better to dig into the truth about these problems than in a place where serenity is the natural order of the day.  A chance to learn to take a step back, breathe in fresh mountain air all the while cradled by beautiful surroundings, leads one toward a sense of peace.  A California drug rehab center can be the opportunity to get away from life’s usual distractions which lend themselves to keeping that person in the same place, all the while suffering that ceaselessly painful existence causing a perpetual repeat from which they wish to escape.

Creating space from wherever one may have been to seek treatment at a drug rehab in California can be the stepping stone from which to build that better life.

Lives are Saved Daily in California Drug Rehabilitation Centers

A California drug rehabilitation center knows that being an addict is one of the hardest things a person can go through during their entire lifetime. But, seeking treatment to come out of it sober and healthy can seem even harder to someone who has lived this life for as long as some addicts have. Even though substance abuse has taken away part of a person’s life that they can’t get back, they can build a new one that can be better because it will be free of drugs and alcohol.

If you are thinking it is time to make the step to becoming a clean and sober person who takes control of their life, looking in to a California drug rehabilitation facility is going to give you the confidence you need to finally make the right choice. Being able to be amongst the trees, scenic mountains, far removed from the preconceived notions you might have of California and relaxing while learning how to recover from the addiction is going to help you maintain the clear and level head that you need while still reveling in the beauty you might have missed while on drugs or abusing alcohol.

When you are looking in to a California drug rehabilitation treatment center to possibly bring someone you love, the objective you have is saving their life. You have watched them spiral downward and out of control for who knows how long, and all you want is for them to get better. Having medically trained professionals on staff who have the expertise and knowledge to not only take care of your loved one physically by helping them to get off of drugs and alcohol, but also treat them mentally to prepare them for becoming productive members of your family, friends, and the society in which they want live soberly should be make a great case for why this person should check themselves in.

No matter what substances you or your loved one may have been abusing, the one universal truth about all of them is that you cannot quit alone; you need help to become healthy again. Admitting that is the first step and getting therapy in a California drug rehabilitation clinic is the second. The third and final step is to take the teachings that you have learned from everyone you encounter inside of the treatment facility and putting them in to practice in the real world.

A California rehab is the best of all worlds: a beautiful location, amazing physicians, remarkable therapists, and people just like you or your loved one who are seeking to live a life free from the chains of addiction. California rehab centers save lives; as many as they can. Every time someone enters a clinic they are given the same opportunity to live a healthy life that the last person who walked through the doors was, and the next person to come in will. What they do with it is up to them and their loved ones.