The Dangers Of Addiction Program Romance

A new romance sparked within an addiction program poses a serious threat to the rehabilitation process. As such, most facilities seek to prevent recovering addicts from engaging in romantic relationships in an attempt to emphasize a concentration on healing and self-reflection.

Addiction counselors are not acting out of prudish ideals against sex and romance, but rather a concern for the patients… mainly the evidence showing how effective a romantic relationship in rehab can be at derailing a recovery.

The reasoning here is simple:

–       Rehab romances are most commonly frowned upon due the fact that most everyone, when involved in a blossoming relationship, place the majority of our focus and attention towards the individual with whom our affections lie. As such, patients involved in a rehab romance are left with less energy and time to devote towards the addiction treatment process and personal reflection. Rehab is one of the few places where the emphasis must be placed on oneself 100%. Distractions will get you nowhere.

–       New relationships cause people to present themselves in a positive light. Showing off favorable attributes is only natural to new love birds, and while this practice is typically harmless in normal society, it presents issues within the confines of recovery. One of the most vital aspects of recovery is a patient’s ability to be open and honest in individual and group therapy sessions. To realize the full benefit of these experiences, it’s crucial that patients feel comfortable being completely honest, with both themselves and others. In this way, patients can best face and deal with their addiction. Throwing on your game face will only serve in hindering your openness, ultimately hindering the recovery process.

–       Many patients transitioning from a long period of abuse may be unable to initiate a sexual relationship from a physical standpoint. Long periods of abuse and addiction are often combined with periods of risky sexual practices. As such, it’s not uncommon for rehabilitation patients to have an undiagnosed sexually transmitted disease, requiring medical attention. Those struggling with the recovery process would be best to limit the complications associated with recovery by avoiding potential health obstacles.

Why The Temptation?

An array of personal and environmental variables make the recovery process seem an opportune time to develop a romantic relationship.

To start, many patients re-energized by the positive rewards of sobriety may feel the process to be a reawakening of sorts. Because drug and alcohol abuse often subdues our emotions and sex drives, it’s only natural to suddenly crave the affection that’s been missing.

Many patients find a spiritual bond easily obtained with those going through similar experiences. Patients will commonly interpret these feelings as love, when in reality, they are still coming to grips with their emotions.

To sum up our discussion:

Friendships = WONDERFUL… romance can wait for another day.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers and Making the Change

“The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself. As we became subjects of king alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down, it thickened, ever becoming blacker. So many of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding ,companionship, and approval. Momentarily we did then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous four horsemen Terror, bewilderment,  frustration, despair. Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand.”-A Vision for You pg. 151 from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

This is a perfect illustration of our lives as alcoholics before we find sobriety. We live in constant fear, resentment, or are just numb to everything. We shut down completely and isolate from the world. As alcoholics we are ultimately face with two decisions both of which have to do with surrender. We either have to choose to surrender to the booze, give up, and make the supreme sacrifice. This leads to an empty meaningless life full of fear, darkness, powerlessness, and loneliness. Then there is our other option which is choosing to surrender to sobriety by perhaps going to places like 30 day rehab programs, or an affordable rehab. Through alcohol addiction help and recovery life will take on a new meaning, we will know a new freedom and a new happiness. For there exists a fellowship among those who have recovered from this disease that is full of love, happiness, hope, laughter, and light. Many of us do not get help in time and therefore never get the chance to experience the amazing life that comes from getting sober but it is available to you if you are willing to do the footwork.

Life After Rehab – Sober Living CA

Sober living CA homes are drug and alcohol-free spaces offering recovering addicts a positive environment for integrating back into normal society. Though these facilities are not acute treatment or detoxification centers, they are run in accordance to strict guidelines and quality assurance standards. In the following entry, we will provide you with a general outlook regarding what to expect from a sober living facility.

Zero-Tolerance:

Above all else, the single most important guideline in a sober living facility is a zero-tolerance policy in regard to alcohol and drugs. This includes use both on and off the facility premises. Most sober living Los Angeles homes even extend this prohibition to over the counter items, such as high-proof mouthwash and certain cold medicines. In addition, many facilities will also incorporate random drug tests and room searches to ensure the property and residents remain clean and drug-free. Resident who refuse to participant in tests or provide search consent will typically be discharged from the program.

Chores & Health:

Most sober living facilities also keep to a strict line of rules regarding personal hygiene and daily chores. Residents will be placed on a rotating chore system of daily tasks, while assuming responsibility for the home’s continued cleanliness. Residents are also required to bathe daily, wear clean clothing, and wash their bedding regularly.

Financing:

Residents in a sober living community must be self-sustaining, including food and clothing purchases. Rent must be paid on time each month, with failure to meet these payments resulting in eviction. Rent varies according to the home’s location, the number of occupants, and special services that may be included with the residency package. Additionally, sober living communities will also require their residents to gain steady employment or enroll at an accredited educational institution.

Safety & Order:

Disorderly conduct is strictly prohibited in a sober living community. As such, residents are required to conduct themselves in a calm and positive manner at all times, avoiding any behaviors that might potentially jeopardize the structure and safety of the environment.  Threats or acts of violence, theft, fighting, property damage, harassment, unexcused absences and curfew violations will hold varying degrees of consequence, up to and including expulsion. Residents are also required to interact with one another in a respectful manner, adhering to privacy, light, noise and attire standards. Unlike residential treatment centers, these types of facilities work in creating structured real-world home environments where the relationships between residents reflect that of a family. Residents who do not abide by these standard place themselves as risk for disciplinary action. Those who take advantage of the lessons afforded by sober living facilities stand to benefit greatly in their integration into real-world sober living.

Outpatient vs. Residential Treatment Centers

Once you’ve decided to enter a drug or alcohol addiction program, you must determine which type of facility is right for you. Simplified, your available options come down to outpatient vs. residential treatment centers. Do you feel it necessary to reside at your chosen facility in order to achieve a successful outcome? Would a short-term treatment plan suffice in providing you with the results you’re after? These are questions that must be answered to ensure the best possible outcome. If you’re having difficulty deciding which option best suits your needs, the following entry will serve in outlining the differences between the two.

Residential/Inpatient

Studies show residential/inpatient rehab facilities to be the most effective means in addressing addiction. The first stage, alcohol drug detox, is extremely difficult to complete on an outpatient basis, with the vast majority of specialists recommending a medically monitored withdrawal. Those who are physically dependent to a substance will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms once intake is hindered. To alleviate and minimize these symptoms, patients can opt to enter a medically supervised detox program at an inpatient rehab center.

The second phase of treatment deals primarily with the psychological aspects of the addiction… a stage that is integrated seamlessly into the treatment plan at a residential facility. Patients are provided with 24/7 psychological, medical and peer support, thus increasing the chances of a successful recovery exponentially. In most cases, the longer an addict chooses to remain in rehab, the longer they will remain sober following the program’s completion.

Outpatient

Most outpatient programs will hold patients to a commitment minimum in regard to the amount of time each they must attend on a weekly basis. Typically short-term in nature, this recovery option incorporates treatment education classes, support groups and 12-step meetings into their recovery platform. Some facilities will require weekly therapy sessions as well. Patients are afforded the ability to return home in the evenings. Many people find these types of programs beneficial due to the freedom and scheduling aspects. With this option, patients can continue working and caring for loved ones at a cost far less than what they might pay at a residential/inpatient facility. However, studies find very few patients able to maintain sobriety, as the afforded freedom ultimately allows for easier access to the problem substances.

Which One Is For You?

While both options can prove effective long-term, the real variant is the patient themselves. Aspects including personal circumstance, abuse history and other exterior factors can all play a part in determining exactly how a patient will respond to treatment.

Those who have only been using heavily for a year or so, are actively participating in a career, still have their family and do not experience withdrawal symptoms when use is hindered may benefit greatly from an outpatient program. However, if you find yourself experiencing withdrawal symptoms, losing friends and family members and are having difficulty holding a job, an inpatient facility may very well be the best option for you.

When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to seek the advice of an addiction specialist with the knowledge and experience necessary to properly assess your condition. Call up a local treatment facility and schedule an appointment to speak with someone regarding your potential recovery options to best determine which course of action is right for you!

Best Practices – 12 Step Recovery Programs

12 step recovery programs were initially created for those suffering with an addiction to alcohol. The first incarnation, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), used the same basic ideas used in many other 12 step programs. The founders of AA found the most effective means in achieving long lasting sobriety was through sharing stories, successes and pain with other individuals going through the addiction treatment process. If you are considering 12 step programs as a way to help combat an addiction, the entry below will provide you with a few tips to help you get the most of your involvement.

Step 1 – Gather any necessary information pertaining to the meetings you will attend well in advance to avoid any obstacles that could possibly keep you from attending. While making the initial decision to attend these meetings is a wonderful step forward, addicts are not necessarily well known for their follow through. A basic online search or community yellow pages should be able to provide you with the information you require.

Step 2 – Call up a trusted friend or relative and ask them to accompany you to the meeting. Determine which meeting best suits your schedule and location, while making any necessary transportation arrangements well in advance.

Step 3 – Attend your first meeting. Though you are not required to participate, first-time attendees are encouraged to stand before the group and introduce themselves. If you find yourself uncomfortable with the meeting you have chosen, it’s never too late to select a different time or location. Locating a meeting that you are comfortable attending is key to your success within the program.  If at first you do not succeed… try, try again.

Step 4 – Once you’ve found a 12 step program addiction meeting that suits your schedule an taste, the next step is getting yourself a sponsor. Sponsors are individuals within the 12-step program who have significant amounts of sobriety time and reflect the type of recovery you are looking for. Your sponsor will act as a sobriety support, and someone you can contact when you’re feeling tempted to use. They will discuss the situation with you, while holding you accountable for your actions. Locating a sponsor takes little more than asking.

Step 5 – Those looking to receive the full benefit of the program must utilize all of the available tools found therein. This includes, sponsors, meetings, phones, and of course, the 12 steps themselves. Those who attend meetings will be provided with contact information for others to call when the need arises. Use these contacts to help alleviate boredom and feelings of isolation that can commonly trigger the want to use.

Step 6 – Keep an open mind. Recovery is a life long struggle for many people. By opening yourself up to the recovery process in a positive manner, you stand the best chance for enjoying the happy, fulfilling and sober lifestyle you’re after.

The Alcoholic and Watching Others Recover in Alcohol Rehab

Life will take on new meaning .To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you. To have a host of friends- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with new comers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.- Working with others pg 89 big book of AA.

There is nothing quite like seeing the light come on for others, and knowing the amazing life they are about to live. Often times when it comes to alcoholism it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many might wonder how it would be possible that something so amazing could come from such a devastating disease. When we get sober most of us are hoping for manageability and a solution to our drinking problem, at best. As it describes in the excerpt from working with others we get so much more than that. We begin to be able to cherish our relationships with others. We are whole where we were once empty. We know a new freedom and a new happiness. We are complete as well as content with our lives, ourselves, and others. We begin to have a purpose and we can find joy and paying it forward. How does this happen? In many ways. Perhaps we decide to get sober, find a 30 day rehab program, and get to work on cleaning our lives up. We may reach out to loves ones for alcohol addiction help, or we might end up in an addiction program in Los Angeles. Regardless of how we start our sobriety we can all end up with the life previously described. We can start cleaning up our side of the street and helping others do the same by showing them exactly how we recovered.

Life After Drug Addiction Detox

Many individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction have a desire to complete a drug addiction detox without rehabilitation treatment following it. While many people confuse the two processes, the difference between them is actually rather great.

The majority of medical detox programs take between 3 – 10 days depending on the type of drug, use history physician recommendations. The purpose of this process is to work the body through the initial withdrawal symptoms in a safe and healthy manner.

Individual who complete a medical detox program are not cured of their addictions, and are likely unable to deal with the underlying issues that have caused them. Though some patients would like to believe that a successful recovery is possible directly following detox, the evidence proves otherwise… countless have tried; most have failed.

Choosing to enter a 30 or 90 day rehab program following detoxification is key to ensuring a happy, long-lasting recovery. Unlike some diseases, addiction has no cure-all treatment, as many patients struggle for years to maintain their sobriety. Rather than cure the addiction, detox works as a foundation from which to build a recovery. By clearing the addict of the addictive substances, they will be best able to absorb, learn and move forward with their lives following treatment.

Once a patient has enrolled in a rehabilitation program, a team of counselors, therapists and addiction specialists will work with the patient through individual and group therapy sessions. These sessions will allow the addict to share their experiences with others, while confronting their issues in a safe and healthy manner. Patients are often encouraged to keep a daily journal to better track their emotions, by which they can reflect on down the road.

Addiction can only occur in instances where the individual was unable to notice the trap. By making the effort to educate oneself, an individual will be better prepared to recognize and avoid similar traps down the road. Life is full of mistakes – Learning from these mistakes is what makes the journey worth while.

Rehabilitation procedures and treatments vary depending on the type of facility selected. Different programs commonly cater towards patients with different issues. As such, it is important for patients to locate a treatment facility that is able to properly assess and address their needs and behaviors to ensure the best possible results.

Those who are truly intent on a drug-free existence must make a true commitment in order to achieve the desired results. Without the tools and resources provided within an addiction program, many addicts place themselves at high risk for failure and relapse within the addiction cycle. Help and happiness is available to those who seek them. Make a choice and make it count!

Alcoholism and the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde Effect

“He does absurd, incredible, tragic things while drinking. He is a real Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”-pg 21 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

This is usually the sad truth behind alcoholism. Alcoholism robs people of pretty much everything good in their lives such as their jobs, families, friends, homes, and happiness and it doesn’t end until the alcoholic either surrenders and gets sober or until there are jails, institutions or death involved.

There’s no reason for alcoholism to have to end in jails, institution or death when there are rehab programs in California as well as Los Angeles rehabs that can help.

There is also support for family of addicts. There’s Al-Anon, and plenty of treatment centers willing and able to work with families to rebuild a broken relationship. When were in the midst of our disease it can seem nearly impossible to find a way out especially when the life of an alcoholic seems to become the only normal one to them. However many people have recovered from this thing that holds us hostage. There are several tools to aid us in our recovery. Through them we can be freed from the bondage of self. We can mend our broken relationships, make right what was once wrong, learn to forgive, love ourselves, our lives, and trudge the road of happy destiny.

Regardless of what we have done or how powerless we think we are there is hope for all of us if we reach out and ask for help and take it one day at a time.

Alcohol Drug Rehab Before a Holiday?

With St Patrick’s Day right around the corner getting sober might seem like a lost cause. There are so many times when someone thinks about getting sober yet that thought is followed by a million reasons why the timing just isn’t right….thoughts such as “I’ll get sober  tomorrow,”  “I’m just so stressed out right now maybe when things calm down a bit,”  “I’m dealing with x y and z I just can’t deal with all of that and get sober,” or what seems to be the most common justification of all  “(insert holiday here) is coming up and its unrealistic to think that I can stay sober through it and I want to have fun so I’ll get sober after (insert holiday here)…”

Regardless of the date or the circumstances anyone can attain sobriety at anytime. Here are a few suggestions and places available to you …

1. Check out rehabs that take insurance

2. Check out some local drug rehab blogs .they are here to provide information on rehab programs in California.

3. For alcohol addiction help you can check out California rehab centers or perhaps a 12 step centered recovery house

There is all sorts of information available via internet. Getting sober isn’t easy but well worth it. If you decide to get help you don’t need to go through anything alone ever again. It doesn’t matter if it’s just another day or your favorite holiday today can be the first day of the rest of your sober life…may it be full of joy and peace!

 

Finding Affordable Rehab and Getting Sober

When one first starts to think about getting sober it can often be a scary and confusing time. Many questions might come up such as where can I go for help? Where should I go for help? What would be the best or most affordable rehab? What is the process? And am I going to be able to stay sober?

A couple of good suggestions for finding the answers you are looking for are to search for drug rehab blogs or FAQs about rehab and recovery in Los Angeles.

The last thing someone wants or needs when getting sober is to feel alone or uninformed. Obtaining as much information through research as possible is not only a great way to provide support, find support, and find a place/way to recover that works for you but also a great way to get informed and potentially inform your loved ones of the recovery process .There are many ways to find the answers you or your loved ones are searching for. Familial support, and support from peers plays such an important role in the quality of sobriety and the life that results from it.

While the recovery process is a very personalized and an individualized thing it doesn’t need to be done alone .nor should it be.

The disease of alcoholism doesn’t just affect one person but several people from loved ones to co workers. Therefore the gifts of recovery should not just be bestowed upon the recovering alcoholic/addict but the people that play a big role in their lives as well. May you and your family find the quality of sobriety, life, and relationships you are looking for as you start this amazing journey!