Dropping Our Defenses and Making Change

We all have defense mechanisms that we’ve developed over time, often without being aware of it. In times of trouble, the behaviors that have worked to get us past challenges with the least amount of pain are the ones that we repeat; even when part of us knows they no longer work. for example us as alcoholics are constantly seeking elevated moods usually through alcohol. We know we are powerless and have lost the ability to choose a different path even though we know it no longer works for us. We continue on, not knowing exactly how lost we were and how much damage drugs and alcohol did until we seek alcohol addiction help and get into a drug addiction detox or an affordable rehab. Such behavior is a natural response from our mental and physical aspects. But because there is a spiritual solution as well, we have the ability to rise above habits and patterns to see the truth and hope that lay beyond. And from that moment on, we can make choices that allow us to be free from the bondage of our addiction.

Most of our defense mechanisms were developed in childhood; from the moment that we realized crying would get us the attention we craved. Passive aggressive ways of communicating may have allowed us to get what we needed without being scolded, punished or laughed at, so we learned to avoid being direct and honest. Some of us may have taken refuge in the lives of others, discovering ways to direct attention away from ourselves entirely. Especially when our drinking began to really take off and we started losing control. Throwing ourselves into projects or rescuing others from themselves can be effective ways to avoid dealing with our own issues. And when people are truly helped by our actions, we get the added bonus of feeling heroic. But while defenses can keep away the things we fear, they can also work to keep our good from us.

When we can be honest with ourselves about what we truly desire, as well as the true nature of our disease then we can begin to heal.

The Importance of Fun in Sobriety

When we first receive alcohol addiction help and get sober we can become very serious. While this is important since we are dealing with such a cunning, baffling, and powerful disease, it is also important to remember to have fun along the way.

Often when we talk about fun, or doing things just for fun, we talk about it in a dismissive way as if fun isn’t important. We tend to value the steps, 30 day rehabs, work, drug addiction detox, and seriousness, and we forget to pay our respects to the equally important, light side of silliness and laughter. After all we didn’t get sober to be miserable and surprisingly enough there is tons of fun to be had in sobriety.  We all know the feeling of euphoria that follows a good burst of laughter, and how it leaves us less stressed, more openhearted, and more ready to reach out to people. We are far more likely to walk down the street smiling and open after we’ve had a good laugh, and this tends to catch on, inspiring smiles from the people we pass who then positively influence everyone they encounter. Witnessing this kind of chain reaction makes you think that having fun might be one of our most powerful tools for changing the world. In while it is important to recover and do the work it takes to stay sober it is also important that we enjoy ourselves. It is our duty to be examples of this program and if were walking around miserable what kind of example are we really being? There will be hard times. Times when you might want to give up, or are not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel but if you keep doing the work and keep trying there will be many moments of nothing but pure happiness.

Laughter is good medicine for us alcoholics, and we all have this medicine available to us whenever we recall a funny story or act in a silly way. We magnify the effects of this medicine when we share it with the people in our lives. If we are lucky, they will have something funny to share with us as well, and the life-loving sound of laughter will continue to spread.

Addiction, Getting Sober, and Adding to the Story of Our Lives

Everything in our lives adds on to our story; it’s what we do with that story that matters…

One of the hardest things in life is feeling stuck in a situation that we don’t like and want to change but are powerless over. We may have exhausted ourselves trying to figure out how to make change, how to go about seeking alcohol addiction help, trying to figure out which drug addiction detox or 30 day rehab to go to, and we may even have given up. The fact is that every detail of our life has shaped and molded us, it either brings us closer to who we are and want to be or it keeps us further away from our ideal as alcoholics we often times do the same thing over and over again expecting different results when it comes to drugs and alcohol. This type of behavior can often leave us feeling helpless. However if we look at the story of our life there always seems to be some point in it when we were not dependent on alcohol…for example our childhood. For many of us there was a time in life where all was well before we got engulfed in our disease, and if we have an ounce of faith or willingness we find that that place is still accessible if we do the work. We can choose to stay sick and enslaved to this disease because of the lies we tell ourselves as a result of our story or we can draw from those times where we caught a glimpse of what life could be like if we weren’t dependent and decide to get help. The choice is yours.

Drunkorexia – Another Failed Diet Plan

A new study conducted from early 2012 – present by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention shows nearly 1 in 6 adults engaging in binge drinking at least 4x per month. Of this statistic, the largest group of drinkers appears to be between 18 and 34 years of age. Though not specifically to blame, a new form of binge drinking, coined “Drunkorexia” is steadily gaining popularity among this demographic.

CDC studies from 2006 indicate the cost per average binge drinker to be $746, including various expenses, such as health care, auto accidents, STDs, and violence.

To sum it up, “Drunkorexia” refers to a form of binge drinking where young men and women consciously limit their food intake as a way of reserving calories for alcohol consumption; a practice that has been found to enhance the risks of unprotected sex and overdose.

A recent study, involving 227 York University students – ages 17 – 21 – showcased the three main types of eating disorders, including emotional eating, dieting, and eating as a direct response to external stimuli as opposed to hunger. Of these three types, dieting was found to show the highest risk for alcohol abuse.

This alcohol dieting practice is even more concerning, provided the fact that alcohol and weight loss are mortal enemies. Though the occasional drink can certainly have its share of health benefits, those choosing to consume massive amounts of alcohol in lieu of healthy calories actually stand to gain weight.

Alcohol is metabolized in a very different way than other beverages and food items. Under typical conditions, the human body is able to obtain its energy from the calories found in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, which are processed and absorbed by the gastrointestinal system. When alcohol is present, this process is altered. Because the body views alcohol as a toxin, the fluids will receive immediate attention from the digestive system.

When alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach, the molecules within the alcohol diffuse through the walls of the stomach, reaching the liver and brain in a matter of minutes. The process is much slower when the stomach is full, but as soon as food has entered the small intestine, alcohol is given first priority, and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

To boot, alcohol makes it difficult for the body to properly absorb fat and carbohydrates. As such, the calories that would typically be processed for energy are ultimately converted into body fat and stored away within the body. As such, those seeking to maintain or shrink their waist line through drinking, will actually gain weight over time.

If you or someone you know is dealing with alcohol addiction, our Above It All addiction specialists are available to help. Give us a call 24/7, and find out how you can get on track towards the healthy, fit, and happy lifestyle you’ve been chasing.

Having Fun in Sobriety

When we first receive alcohol addiction help and get sober we can become very serious. While this is important since we are dealing with such a cunning, baffling, and powerful disease, it is also important to remember to have fun along the way.

Often when we talk about fun, or doing things just for fun, we talk about it in a dismissive way as if fun isn’t important. We tend to value the steps, 30 day rehabs, work, drug addiction detox, and seriousness, and we forget to pay our respects to the equally important, light side of silliness and laughter. After all we didn’t get sober to be miserable and surprisingly enough there is tons of fun to be had in sobriety.  We all know the feeling of euphoria that follows a good burst of laughter, and how it leaves us less stressed, more openhearted, and more ready to reach out to people. We are far more likely to walk down the street smiling and open after we’ve had a good laugh, and this tends to catch on, inspiring smiles from the people we pass who then positively influence everyone they encounter. Witnessing this kind of chain reaction makes you think that having fun might be one of our most powerful tools for changing the world. In while it is important to recover and do the work it takes to stay sober it is also important that we enjoy ourselves. It is our duty to be examples of this program and if were walking around miserable what kind of example are we really being? There will be hard times. Times when you might want to give up, or are not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel but if you keep doing the work and keep trying there will be many moments of nothing but pure happiness.

Laughter is good medicine for us alcoholics, and we all have this medicine available to us whenever we recall a funny story or act in a silly way. We magnify the effects of this medicine when we share it with the people in our lives. If we are lucky, they will have something funny to share with us as well, and the life-loving sound of laughter will continue to spread.

Changing Your Life, Changing Your Story

Everything in our lives adds on to our story. It’s what we do with that story that matters…

One of the hardest things in life is feeling stuck in a situation that we don’t like and want to change but are powerless over. We may have exhausted ourselves trying to figure out how to make change, how to go about seeking alcohol addiction help, trying to figure out which drug addiction detox or 30 day rehab to go to, and we may even have given up. The fact is that every detail of our life has shaped and molded us, it either brings us closer to who we are and want to be or it keeps us further away from our ideal as alcoholics we often times do the same thing over and over again expecting different results when it comes to drugs and alcohol. This type of behavior can often leave us feeling helpless. However if we look at the story of our life there always seems to be some point in it when we were not dependent on alcohol…for example our childhood. For many of us there was a time in life where all was well before we got engulfed in our disease, and if we have an ounce of faith or willingness we find that that place is still accessible if we do the work. We can choose to stay sick and enslaved to this disease because of the lies we tell ourselves as a result of our story or we can draw from those times where we caught a glimpse of what life could be like if we weren’t dependent and decide to get help. The choice is yours.

The Alcoholic and Change

Change can enter our lives silently and this change can be just as important as change we have worked hard for.

We all see things about ourselves, our relationships, and our world that we want to change. Often, this desire leads us to take action toward inner work that we need to do or toward some external goal. Sometimes, without any big announcement or momentous shift, we wake up to find that change has happened, seemingly without us. This can feel like a miracle as we suddenly see that our self-esteem really does seem to be intact, or our partner actually is helping out around the house more or in our case he have managed to stay sober for a good chunk of time. We may even wonder whether all of our hard work had anything to do with it, or if it just happened by way of grace. Sobriety can be like this too in the sense that we get a moment of clarity long enough to see that we need alcohol addiction help and need to change the way were living. Many of us don’t need to work hard in order to come to that conclusion. We simply have been living our lives, and as the disease progresses we see that things have to change and that carrying on like this is no longer working for us.

As alcoholics, sometimes we have relatively short attention spans, and easily lose sight of the fact that we need help or change our minds and go back to thinking that drugs and alcohol will work for us. That is why going to a drug addiction detox, meetings, or an affordable rehab are important things to consider. They serve as a constant reminder of where we came from and why we decided to get and stay sober. Despite seeking help from treatment facilities or outside help this doesn’t mean that our efforts play no part in the miracle of change—they do. It’s just that

Learning From Our Experiences and Making Changes

One of the hardest things in life is feeling stuck in a situation that we don’t like and want to change especially when we are powerless over drugs and alcohol and don’t know how to ask for alcohol addiction help. We may have exhausted ourselves trying to figure out how to make change, and we may even have given up after several failed attempts at getting and staying sober. However, each day offers us an opportunity to renew our resolve and to declare to the universe that we are ready for change. We may even say out loud that we have tried and struggled and have not found a way, but that we are open to help, and that we intend to keep working to create change for ourselves. We may realize we need the assistance of a drug addiction detox or an affordable rehab. It can be done today, right now.

It is difficult to understand, even with hindsight, how the choices we have made have added up to our current situation, but it is a good idea to examine the story we tell ourselves. If we tend to regard ourselves as having failed, this will block our ability to allow ourselves to succeed and stay sober. We have the power to change the story we tell ourselves by acknowledging that in the past, we did our best, and we exhibited many positive qualities, and had many fine moments on our path to the present moment. We can also recognize that we have learned from our experiences, and that this will help us with our current choices on how we plan on staying sober.

When we do this kind of work on how we view our past self, we make it possible for the future to be based on a positive self-assessment and give ourselves a fighting chance. This inner shift may allow us to get out of the cycle we’ve been in that’s been keeping us stuck. Allow today to be the day to end cycles and enter into a new way of being.

Accepting Change

Sometimes we fight new things or situations. We can’t possibly imagine a new way of life. We can’t imagine our lives without a certain relationship, friendship, job, material possession, or in our case drugs and alcohol. How does one move on from something that has been such a big part of their lives? By forming new habits and asking for alcohol addiction help. It can seem painful to let go of things we think we need or have such a dependency on but if we do the work, go through a drug addiction detox, let go of the unhealthy bonds and ties we formed in our lives and turn it over to a power greater than ourselves then we will be ok, it doesn’t mean it would be difficult or that there won’t be pain along the way from the loss in our lives it just means we are giving up something that is no longer working for us for the hope of something better. When we turn our lives over and make the decision to go to a 30 day rehab or other types of sober centers eventually those feelings of fear, loss, and sadness will be replaced with healing and happiness. The same goes for everything else in our lives. If we turn our will and our life over to something greater than ourselves we may not know how and we may not know why but we can be certain that the conflict in our lives will be removed and there will be room for something much greater to come into our lives. It’s called faith and if we as alcoholics are going to survive life then we need to learn to live in faith and not in fear.

Living Sober, Happily

After spending years attempting to escape reality through drug and alcohol abuse, it’s important that you begin your road to sobriety with a healthy dose of optimism and pride. Many hold on to the idea that drugs and alcohol are the root of all their problems… Thus implying that without it, life will be grand! However, many who achieve sobriety will often tell you that the road to happiness far more complex. In this entry, we will offer up some tips on maintaining a positive, healthy and sober mindset throughout your recovery and the lifetime to follow.

1 – Delve into the stresses, anger and hurt that pushed you towards your escape in the first place. Divorce, low self esteem, business failures and family illness are all very common triggers. Once you’ve made the decision to stop using, you may very well find these issues ready and waiting for you to deal with them properly. Recognizing these triggers and taking the initiative to deal with them head-on will help alleviate some of the risks associated with relapse, while providing you with a greater sense of purpose and understanding.

2 – Take time to appreciate your sobriety and the effort it took to get where you are today. Many people struggle for years to achieve even a small amount of freedom from drug and alcohol dependency. If you’ve already made it this far, it’s an achievement worth taking pride in. Do Not Let Go.

3 – Accept the fact that while you likely have regrets; they do not require that you not be entitled to the beauty, wonder and happiness life has to provide. You deserve to feel all the happiness, pain, love, and splendor on a grand scale… not through an alcoholic fog.

4 – Weed through the people in your life who keep your thoughts negative, while choosing to spend time with individuals who encourage your success. Find someone to inspire you… fictional or real… and fill your heart with a full dose of hope.

5 – Find your purpose in life! Pick up an instrument, take a class, exercise, dance, go for walks, laugh, love, and TRY NEW THINGS! Devoting yourself to something outside of your own being will place you in a mindset far from self-indulgence and excess.

If you’re interested in a new lease on life, love and happiness, our Above It All treatment center alcohol counselors are there to help. Give them a call today and find out what we can do to help you achieve the fulfilling, centered and sober life you deserve.