Saying Yes to the Universe Opens the Gate to Receiving What is Really Best for Us

The hardest thing about asking for alcohol addiction help is that it potentially means accepting everything life puts in front of us. Most of us have a habit of going through our days saying no to the things we don’t like and yes to the things we do, and yet, everything we encounter is our life. We may be afraid that if we say yes to the things we don’t like or try new things like a drug addiction detox, getting sober, or an affordable rehab or some sorts we might be afraid we will be stuck with our decisions forever, but really, it is only through acknowledging the existence of what’s not working for us such as drugs and alcohol that we can begin the process of change. So saying yes doesn’t mean indiscriminately accepting things that don’t work for us. It means conversing with the universe, and starting the conversation with a very powerful word—yes.

When we say yes to the universe and to our truth, we enter into a state of trust that whatever our situation is, we can work with it. We express confidence in ourselves, and the steps and we also express a willingness to learn from whatever comes our way, rather than running and hiding when we don’t like what we see. The question we might ask ourselves is what it will take for us to get to the point of saying yes. For some of us, it takes coming up against something we can’t ignore, escape, or deny, and so we are left no choice but to say yes. For others, it just seems a natural progression of events that leads us to making the decision to say yes to life.

The first step to saying yes is realizing that in the end it is so much easier than the alternative. Once we understand this, we can begin examining the moments when we resist what is happening, and experiment with occasionally saying yes instead. It might be scary at first and even painful at times, but if we continue to say yes to every moment through the process, we will discover the joy of being in a positive conversation with a power greater than ourselves.

The Link Between Prescription Drug And Alcohol Abuse

Studies show alcoholics to be 18x more likely to abuse prescription drugs than individuals who use alcohol on a mild to moderate basis… An alarming statistic, especially considering the dangers and risks associated with combined usage. In this entry, we will outline the links and health issues associated with alcohol and prescription medication abuse in an effort to inform and educate our readers of these dangers.

The combination of prescription drugs and alcohol poses numerous risks to users, including vomiting, alcohol poisoning, blackouts, loss of consciousness respiratory depression and even death. In addition, many combination users show an increased likelihood of risky behaviors; engaging in activities that would otherwise feel inappropriate if sober. Common behaviors include unplanned or unprotected sex, DUI and the loss of judgment and inhibition.

Though prescription drugs certainly serve a valuable role in the medical community; when used in excess, or in ways other than directed, the risks associated with use are drastically heightened. Of these substances, the most commonly abused are those in the opioid family (pain medications). Due to ease of access and a perceived level of social acceptance, pain medications are often combined with alcohol to achieve a “better high”. Unfortunately, this high also poses a much higher risk of accidental overdose; with rates higher than both heroin and cocaine combined.

When it comes to user demographics, studies show people ages 18 – 24 posing the highest risk for binge drinking, nonmendical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) and alcohol use disorders. The risks of NMUPD are heightened substantially among alcohol abusers (22.02%) when compared to individuals who choose to abstain from alcohol completely (1.26%)

Many users choose to combine prescription drug use with alcohol in an effort to intensify the effects of each substance. Though this tactic often provides the user with the desired effect, the risk of experiencing additional and unintended side effects, including nausea, dizziness, increased sedation, drowsiness and even death, are once again drastically heightened. To boot, these risks do not apply solely to long-term users, but to any and all individuals engaged in combined use….  In other words, “one time” may be one time too many.

If you or someone you know are considering, experimenting, or are currently having issues with drug and alcohol use, Above It All’s drug rehab addiction specialists are available to help. One quick call to our beautiful rehab center in Los Angeles, CA, will provide you with the information, education, support and guidance you need to make the right step towards you or your loved one’s recovery. Representatives are standing by 24/7. Call today!

Doing Your Best vs. Being the Best

We often come into contact with the idea that our best isn’t good enough, as if this were actually possible. If we are doing our best with the work and are staying sober there is nothing more we can do if we are giving it our all. If we ask for alcohol addiction help, and go the extra mile by getting into a drug addiction detox or 30 day rehab program then we are right on track .instead of being hard on ourselves we should celebrate the new life we are starting. Your best is always good enough, because it comes from you, and you are always good enough. You may not be able to deliver someone else’s idea of the best, but the good news is that’s not your burden. You only need to fulfill your own potential, and as long as you remain true to that calling, and always do your best to fulfill your purpose, and stay sober you don’t need to expect anything more from yourself then you are capable of.

It’s easy to get tangled up with the idea of trying to be the best—the best parent, the best employee, the best child, the best sober person, or best friend. If we try to be the best, we run the risk of short-circuiting our originality because we are striving to fit into someone else’s vision of success. In addition, if everyone is striving for the same outcome, we lose out on creativity, diversity, and visionary alternatives to the way things are done. On another note, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but examining where this feeling comes from is important because wanting to be better than others is our ego coming into play. This is something that can be extremely destructive to alcoholics.

The Alcoholic and Letting Go

Sometimes it can be difficult for us as alcoholics to let go of things. Sometimes because of fear and sometimes because of the idea that we know what’s best for us. We have a desire to hold onto and control things because in our mind they might still work for us or will work us again one day. The fact is that if we have taken an honest 3rd step after receiving alcohol addiction help then we know that God will and is taking care of us …And that whatever gets in the way of our sobriety and quality of life will be taken away. It is imperative that we rely on our higher power. Especially when we are new and going into a drug addiction detox, AA meetings, or some type of 30 day rehab program. If we do the work we can be certain that we are more than taken care of. We can be sure that the things we aren’t ready to let go of but need to are things that we no longer need and are capable of letting go of with God’s help. The only requirement in order to achieve sobriety is a desire to stop drinking … but how do we get to that point? Through our higher powers grace and love and an unshakable faith that nothing absolutely nothing happens in Gods world by mistake. To think that we have better ideas is to think that we know better than God and it isn’t until we can let go and except that we don’t that we can recover.

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.

Getting Sober and Starting Over

There are different forms of starting over and as alcoholics when we first ask for alcohol addiction help and get sober it’s very much a new beginning for us. There are several options and ways to start over, but when we make the choice to get sober it’s one of the most important choices we can ever make. It’s a choice to live a better life. We choose to let go of our past and the disease of alcoholism that has held us down for so long. Some of us choose to enlist the help of a 30 day rehab, AA, or a drug addiction detox for guidance. We learn that at any given moment we can start over and make a different choice. We can change our minds to find out what Gods will for us is or change our behavior around any situations. We learn we never have to drink to start over we just simply have to choose contrary action as opposed to doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results (insanity).  Starting our day over, redirecting our thoughts and realizing our actions and our thoughts can be beneficial and rewarding. Whether it be by letting go of something, trying something new, or changing our thought process or actions, it can mean the difference between a good day or bad day, a healthy happy relationship or a toxic one, drinking or not drinking, or other healthy or unhealthy choices. When we are able to realize that something is no longer working for us and are able to let go and start a new then we get to have a different experience with life. This is one of the several ways that sobriety work for us. The fact that we don’t have to drink anymore over our feelings, but instead stop what we’re doing and try a new approach and find peace amongst chaos is a miracle. We use to drink over our feelings/thoughts before as well as not getting our way or our fear and now after getting sober we are able to turn everything over to a higher power and realize that there is nothing we cannot do or be if we are willing to just to the footwork.

The Importance of Honesty in Receiving Alcohol Addition Help

When we first get sober we need to get honest with ourselves and others before we can receive alcohol addiction help. For starters we need to admit that we have a problem and that we are alcoholics to our innermost selves and then we can begin to get honest with others. After that we might need the assistance of an addiction program in Los Angeles and we must once again get honest this time about the fact that we can’t do this alone. This necessity for honesty does not stop but gets more important yet easier for most as time goes by. We might have to be honest with our Los Angeles rehab, sponsor, friends, and family if something is going on with us because our secrets can keep us sick and can eventually kill us. Honesty is not a familiar concept at first for alcoholics since we’ve often felt like we’ve had to lie and that it worked for us when we were using in regards to defending our right to drink as well as attempting to hide our disease but as time goes by and we recover sober alcoholics can be some of the most honest and reliable people in this world. We find we no longer have to lie, and can be honest because with our new found life and “ second chance” we have no need to hide things. We have a higher power that can handle any situation when we live an honest and loving lifestyle.

Alcoholics and Their All or Nothing Thinking

Often times alcoholics live in a world of extremes. Extreme ways of doing things and extreme ways of thinking. It’s another way our addiction plays out. We often have all or nothing thinking followed sometimes by all or nothing actions. Things for us are generally black and white. We at times look at things in a way that if we don’t “win” or get our way then nobody wins (especially when we are new and first receive alcohol addiction help). This thought process can actually be harmful to our sobriety in the sense that when we are unable to see any other way not only are we setting ourselves up for a us against the world mentality but we are potentially harming others, living in fear / self will, and we are shutting ourselves off from remaining teachable. If we fail to remain teachable it might lead to a relapse. When we go to a drug rehab in California, AA, or other Los Angeles rehab programs we learn that we cease fighting all places, people, and things. We learn to let things just be so that we can have peace and personal growth. Through this process of learning how to live life on life’s terms we start to rely on faith in a higher power, rely a little less on ourselves, and get to the point where we know that we are going to be ok no matter what even if things don’t look the way we think they should that very moment we know it is exactly how it is supposed to be.

The Big Talk – Teens & Drugs

When it comes to parent / teen conversations, drugs are likely second to sex on the list of topics you’d like to avoid. Though you may find the subject taboo or awkward to speak about, it is important that the job be done in a calm, educational and positive manner. By taking the time to plan ahead, you can actually make the experience a fun and interactive discussion, providing each party with the confidence and peace of mind they deserve. In this entry, we will outline a few tips and tricks to help you through the conversation.

Step 1 – Ask your teen to put aside some time to speak with you. Tell them that there is something you’ve been meaning to discuss with them, while communicating the fact that they are not in any trouble. Starting the dialog in this manner puts the ball in their court, and will likely peak their interest in the conversation.

Step 2 – Begin by telling your teen about your own encounters with drugs. If you do not have any personal experiences with drugs, you can recall stories of friends or relatives who do… but be discreet. There is not right or wrong in this conversation. By opening yourself up to your child in an honest way, you will likely gain their respect and confidence. Avoid the horror stories and glamour and stick to the facts.

Step 3 – Ask for feedback and find out what they think about your experiences. Opt for open-ended inquiries that will allow them to open up to you about their feelings and thoughts on the matter.

Step 4 – In a calm and loving manner, simply ask your teen about their drug experiences. Make sure to declare the conversation punishment-free and hope for the best. In order to have an open dialog with your teen, they must feel comfortable communicating with you. A swift punishment for admitting to past drug use will only close them off in the future.

Step 5 – Do your best to react with compassion and empathy. If your teen does not have any experience with drugs, commend them for it in a calm and positive fashion. If they do, your reaction should remain composed. Discuss the circumstances behind their usage to find out more about their interest and history.

Step 6 – Get the facts. Going into these types of conversation without a grounded education will only serve in making you appear silly. Treat this situation as you would a business meeting; with preparation and a healthy dose of respect.

Step 7 – Whether or not your teen is taking drugs, it’s important to offer your support. Outline the potential consequences and ways to avoid future use. If you suspect a real problem, it’s important to consider the possibility of treatment. The quicker you can nip the problem, the better chance your teen will have of a healthy future.

If you’re interested in learning more about your teen’s available alcohol and drug treatment options, Above It All is here to help. Give our addiction counselors a call to find out about our drug treatment plans, philosophies, and financing options. Raising a teen is hard enough without the presence of drugs and alcohol. Get the facts and help you deserve today!

Mending A Relationship Following Relapse

When an addict relapses, it can often revive or create issues within a relationship. The effort required to repair these relationships can commonly be as or more difficult than maintaining sobriety. As such, an individual who has chosen to be in a relationship with an addict must be loving and supportive while working not to enable the negative behaviors associated with the addiction at hand. In this entry, we will offer up a few tips and tricks to help you through the repair.

1)    Be sure to communicate how the relapse has hurt you. This should be done in a non-accusatory fashion, simply stating that you are interested in a healthy and positive relationship with the individual but that it is being prevented by the addiction. Offer your support and love.

2)    Determine whether the addiction has reached a point where it is threatening to end the relationship completely. If is has, make sure that your partner is aware of the situation by offering them an ultimatum. A challenge such as this will often inspire a fight towards maintaining sobriety. WARNING: Do NOT offer an ultimatum unless you are truly committed to it. Failing to follow through with these types of threats will only serve in teaching the addict that they are not to be held accountable for their actions.

3)    Seek guidance and support from your loved one’s family. These people will know the individual just as well as you, and can offer up insight to help encourage your partner’s continued recovery. Communicate your concerns in regard to your relationship status and ask for ideas on how to better reach your partner. In some instances, the family may be unaware of just how bad the addiction has become.

4)    If your options have been exhausted, it may be time to consider an intervention. These positive, calm and loving exercises help friends and family members confront the addiction head-on, while emphasizing the need for treatment. While an intervention may be a painful ordeal for both you and your partner, your relationship will only benefit from the experience long-term.

5)    Locate a support group that caters specifically to loved ones of addicts. These forums offer participant the opportunity to alleviate their frustrations, while offering valuable insight into the addiction from others going through similar experiences. There, you will not only gain perspective on the addiction, but the acknowledgement that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

If you are struggling with the addiction of a loved one, help is available to you. Pick up the phone and call one of our Above It All addiction counselors today to educate yourself on available options and drug treatment plans. With support, patience and determination, you will find that hope is never out of reach.