Lives in Recovery

Category: Wellness

  • Coping with ‘PAWS’

    Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (P.A.W.S.) and the Recovery Process

    The two stages of withdrawal symptoms are simply acute and post-acute.  The acute withdrawal stage involves the physical symptoms that usually only last a few weeks.

    Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (P.A.W.S.) involves less physical symptoms and a more psychological and emotional manifestation of withdrawal.  Long term drug or alcohol abuse damages the nervous system and produces psychological stress. The chemicals in your brain fluctuate as it improves causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms.  These symptoms are signs that your brain functioning is moderately returning to normal.

    P.A.W.S. is simply defined as, “a set of persistent impairments that occur after withdrawal from alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines and other substances.”

    Post-acute withdrawal syndrome symptoms include:

    Depression

    Mood swings

    Overwhelming feelings of guilt

    Pessimistic thinking

    Lack in ability to concentrate or focus

    Increased sensitivity to stress

    Blocking or numbness of memories and feelings

    Sleep disturbances

    Social anxiety and trouble with interpersonal skills

    Lack of motivation or initiative

    Intense cravings

    Memory loss

    Putting on a façade (looking good on the outside but feeling awful inside)

    Feeling lethargic or little enthusiasm in daily activities

    Difficulty multitasking and completing simple tasks

    Unrealistic expectations of self and others

    Surviving Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

    P.A.W.S. can last from six to 24 months after the last use. It may sometimes feel like you’re taking two steps forward and then five back. Awareness, along with a healthy support group of fellow recovering addicts who understand what you’re going through is suggested to get through these difficult periods.

    Don’t be so hard on yourself.  Give yourself a break.  Realize that you are not alone and that no one recovers overnight.

    Stimulate your mind with reading or cognitive exercises.

    Try to keep a healthy balance in your life.  Be careful not to do anything too extreme.  Only work 40 hours a week.  Never obsess over working out or physical fitness.

    Always keep your recovery first.  Try not to sweat the small stuff, instead focus on what you need to do for your recovery.  Never put anything before your recovery.  After all, anything you put ahead of your recovery you will lose.

    Remember, P.A.W.S. is not permanent.  Feeling this way is only temporary.  Your brain will recover.  It just takes time.  Be patient and continue to do the right thing.  Recovery is possible.

    For more information: Dealing with PAWS

  • Overcoming Social Anxiety

    Overcoming Social Anxiety in Recovery 

    Most drug addicts and alcoholics say they grew up feeling like they didn’t “fit in” before they even picked up a drink or a drug.  They felt less than, or just uncomfortable and out of place.  Using drugs and alcohol filled that hole in the soul and made them feel like they were part of something at last. 

    This is an illusion.  Drugs and alcohol actually heighten fear and anxiety.  In some cases, drug abuse and alcoholism can make a person feel nervous or anxious most of the time. 

    The progression of the disease leads many addicts to a world of isolation.  An intense fear of people and social settings is developed.  Drug addicts generally come into recovery with extremely low self-esteem driven by a hundred forms of fear.

    Social Phobias:  Walk Through the Fear

    Overcoming fear of social situations is possible.   Talk to other recovering addicts and alcoholics who understand what you’re going through.  Develop a support network of friends who you feel you can be yourself around without being judged.   Surround yourself with people who have what you want.    

    Go to “recovery friendly” places, like coffeehouses, meetings, and other sober social spots.  Check on the bulletin board at your local meetings and clubhouses for upcoming social events and activities.  Sign up for a sober sports team, or volunteer at your home group to do service work. 

    Get a phone list at the meeting and dial the numbers.  Set up coffee dates or ask for a ride to the next meeting.  12 step programs are about giving back, so healthy people in recovery have no problem reaching out their hand to the new person who is struggling. 

    Most 12 step meetings offer commitments specifically designed for newcomers, like making coffee or greeting people at the entrance of the meeting.  These are good examples of service work that will help you give back, but also put you in a position to meet others. 

    Tips for overcoming fear of social situations:

    Limit caffeine intake.  Caffeine is a stimulant so drinking too much of it causes nervousness and anxiety.  Drink caffeine free tea or juice instead.

    Get enough sleep.  Sleep deprivation can create anxiety.  Being well rested can help keep you calm in social settings.

    Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  Negative self-talk influences the way you see yourself and the way you think others see you.  Positive affirmations create positive energy and reduce stress in social settings. 

    Get out of yourself and help others.  The best way to build self-esteem and self-confidence is by helping others.  You will begin to feel good about yourself and whatever fear you’re experiencing won’t seem as significant.

    Getting comfortable in your own skin does not happen overnight.  Recovery is a process.  Sometimes you have to go through awkward and uncomfortable situations to grow.  The idea is that you remain willing to walk through these fears and difficult times. 

  • Codependency

    Defining Codependency

    Codependency is an excessive psychological or emotional dependence on a person. Typically a codependent person attaches themselves to those suffering from an illness, whether it is emotional, mental, or physical.

    Many times codependency, or codependent, is used to describe someone who is dealing with a person who suffers from drug addiction and/or alcoholism.

    More Information as it relates to codependency?

    Dysfunctional Family Roles: Growing Up With Addiction

    Are You In Love Or Lust?

    Defining Codependency

    Am I Codependent?

    Understanding Codependency: What is Codependency?

    Codependents usually display patterns that can be quickly identified if the person is being honest with themselves – they are: denial, low self-esteem, complacent, controlling, and avoidance. How do I know if I have these patterns? Click here: Codependent Patterns.

    Where can I get help for Codependency? CoDA: Co-Dependents Anonymous

    There is hope and recovery for codependency, but you have to first admit there is a problem before you can fix it. Find Codependents Anonymous Meeting now: CoDA Meeting Locator.

  • Balanced Living

    The Importance of Health and Nutrition

    Health and nutrition are critical in the recovery process and can increase your chance for long term sobriety.  The connection between the mind, body and spirit plays a critical role in reinventing yourself.

    Alcoholism and drug addiction deprive the body of the essential vitamins and nourishment that your body needs to function properly.  Long periods of restricting and neglecting your diet causes an imbalance and can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, an inability to properly digest foods, as well as a suppressed appetite.

    Learning how to properly nourish the body is an important and beneficial tool for your personal recovery.  Following a healthy diet can reduce cravings and decrease mood swings.  Eating properly teaches a recovering addict how to care for and respect their body.

    What does a healthy diet consist of?

    Balanced meals at regular times daily are extremely important for a person new in recovery.  Your diet should consist of foods with dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, and protein.

    Recovering individuals have a difficult time focusing, or concentrating on a particular thought or idea.  This is because drug use and alcoholism depletes dopamine levels in the brain. Eating foods high in protein can improve concentration and memory capacity.

    Foods high in tyrosine, an amino acid used in synthesizing protein, are crucial for mental preparation.  Foods such as meats, poultry, seafood, and tofu are high in tyrosine.  These foods promote alertness and mental activity.

    Healthy Nutrition Tips:

    Caffeine and sugar can intensify mood swings, so reduce or eliminate both early in recovery

    Consume different types of vegetables

    Enjoy plenty of fruit

    Eat wholegrain or sourdough breads

    Use breakfast cereals that contain bran, oats and barley

    Eat less starch, especially potatoes

    Take a multi-vitamin, recovering addicts lack many essential vitamins (find a supplement that includes: vitamins A and C, B-complex and zinc)

    Establishing and maintaining a balanced diet, along with regular exercise and relaxation aid in restoring an addict to health. 

     Importance of Exercise in Recovery

    Exercise detoxifies, as well as strengthens the body and mind. When your heart rate is elevated your body release endorphins, which can reduce stress.

    Drug abuse involves negative thinking and a distorted perception of reality, so changing these thoughts into healthy ones involves positive action. Physical activity focuses your energy and quiets urges to use drugs and alcohol.

    When we are physically active we have more energy throughout the day, and our thoughts are more positive and optimistic.  We start feeling better about ourselves, which in turn creates positive thinking and an improved perception of ourselves.

    The Mind and Body:  A Balancing Act

    The disease of addiction involves an obsession of the mind, so it is important to find a healthy balance in fixing both the mind and the body.  Individuals who are early in recovery should be careful not to focus too much on fixing the outside, as it is easy for a drug addict to transfer addictions.

    Look at your recovery as a pie chart.  Consider the mind, body and soul as equal pieces of the pie.  Anytime one piece is too big or too small, it’s time to do something different.  Finding this balance will enhance your recovery and increase your overall well-being.

  • Exercise In Recovery

    Exercise In Recovery

    Just Do It!

    You’ve been talking about it for months. Whenever you drive by the gym you’ve belonged to since 2001, you get the euphoric recall of how good it felt after an intense workout and how good you looked when you were doing it regularly, and you wonder why you haven’t been there since 2003! You even went out and bought yourself a new pair of tennis shoes and some matching gym shorts, but still have yet to break a sweat!

    Why do we procrastinate doing something that we know is going help us live longer, more fulfilling lives?

    Why are we so unmotivated to do something that we know is good for us? What can we do to get motivated?

    Few of us were motivated to go in to treatment, but we went anyways, and now most of us wish we had gone sooner. Most of us weren’t motivated to go to meetings, but we did it anyways, and now we look forward to going to our home group. Are you noticing a pattern here? Just like sitting at the bar thinking about going to an AA meeting didn’t going to get us sober, sitting on the couch thinking about doing sit ups isn’t going to get us ripped!  A wiser person than I once said, “We can’t think our way into right acting, we have to act our way into right thinking.” You might not be motivated now. You might not be motivated after a week. You might not even be motivated after a couple of weeks in the gym! But sooner or later you’re going to meet some cool people that train at the same time you do, or find a class that you love, like Zumba, Pilates or Yoga, or maybe you’ll just like the results you’re seeing and want more!

    Whatever your motivation, the benefits are still the same; jails, institutions and death! (Just kidding) Increased energy, less body fat, better self-image, and a sense of accomplishment that will inspire you to set higher goals in other areas of your life and give you the confidence and mental clarity to attain them. Furthermore, exercise decreases cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases the production of “happy hormones” in the brain. Even with all these positive benefits, most of us are still not motivated enough to start exercising.

    Getting the momentum going is the most difficult part of any job. There’s a common misconception that motivation leads to action, but in fact the opposite is true, action precedes motivation. If we sat around and waited until we were motivated to do things, nothing would ever get done! So don’t wait until you’re motivated to get moving, get moving until you get motivated! Move the body and the mind will follow.

    Soberfit Healthy Lifestyle

    Heroes In Recovery 6k

  • Understanding 12 Stepwork: 4th Step Inventory Spreadsheet

     

    It’s safe to assume nobody wants to be dredging up the past, but recovering from addiction requires you as an alcoholic and/or addict to take a serious look at your past when embarking on your journey in sobriety.  When working on the 4th step inventory in particular, it can be overbearing when you are overridden with memories you haven’t recalled for some time.  Mentally revisiting these occasions can be enervating, so it’s crucial to remember that it’s all part of the process.  Looking back at your life isn’t supposed to be torturous but rather get you in a better frame of mind so that you can live at peace with yourself in a restored sanity.

    Related: 4th Step Inventory Spreadsheets & Instructions

    About The 4th Step Inventory

    Each person’s walk during the recovery process is their own because everybody reacts differently.  It may take you quicker or longer than another alcoholic and/or addict when it comes to reaching and completing the 4th step inventory.  However, it shouldn’t matter; you shouldn’t be comparing!  When an individual hits their 4th step inventory, a thorough searching and fearless moral inventory is conducted.  The 4th step involves a great deal of work where you end up taking a good, hard, honest look at your resentments in a new light, the causes and the conditions that explain why you have them, and above all else, the truth behind the role you played in them.  Fears and relationships are also addressed in your inventory.  Decision making is taken a look at while your past is viewed right before your eyes.  Do your best not to live in what you cannot change.

    The Power Of Resentments

    You may not have realized it when you were actively picking up the bottle and/or headed to grab the drugs, but living with resentments brought you right to your substance.  Being able to see the people you resent as “sick” and seeing the part you play can help you come out of it.  The frustrating part for you may be when you have to put the pen on paper, becoming willing to do the work, and experiencing whatever feelings may arise as a result.  Now that your substances are no longer numbing you, feelings are bound to come and you are going to experience them.  Having feelings is nothing to be ashamed of.  It is completely normal to have feelings because it’s part of the human experience to display and process emotions.

    This Too Shall Pass

    You may conjure up memories you haven’t considered in a while since the 4th step inventory work is known for dredging up the past and it may be painful but rest assured pain is temporary.  Keep in mind, “This too shall pass.”  Recovery is a process and it may seem like it’s tough to deal with now that you don’t have the aid of alcohol and/or drugs to lean on for support.  However, now you have healthier coping mechanisms in recovery by working your program and reaching out to actual people who have experience with the same disease as you for support.  This ultimately can help to develop an understanding of how you should be living, which is trusting that better things are well on their way as long as you continue to follow through doing the next right thing.

    Are you still feeling stuck in the midst of active addiction to alcohol and/or drugs?  Contact The Watershed and begin the process of your recovery today.  Call now at 877-975-4837.

     

  • Building Healthy Relationships In Recovery

    Building Healthy Relationships In Recovery

    There are 5 types of relationships that you will be working on building in recovery and they look a little something like this: Higher Power, you, family, friends, and partner. This may seem like a daunting task since almost all of your relationships have become toxic and sick during addiction, but when you take some simple steps towards each of these relationships, you will be amazed at how much love you have to give, and receive.

    Healthy Relationships

    The great news about this journey into building healthy relationships is that when you work the 12-steps in your program, you will have the opportunity to start with your Higher Power, which ultimately is what helps you build all of your relationships.

    Higher Power

    When you work on this relationship, you are able to have the ability to have successful relationships in general. Getting to know your Higher Power and putting them first in your life doesn’t mean that you can’t have a relationship with yourself or others, in fact, it’s the complete opposite. It is because of this bond that you will even have healthy interactions with others and that is why it is so important.

    You

    You have ignored yourself for a very long time and it’s time you learned how to have a healthy interaction with yourself. You deserve love and care, but you can’t expect to get it from anyone else if you are not giving it to yourself first. If you treat yourself with respect and love while also being humble, then others will, too. If they don’t, then you will have boundaries that protect you because of the relationship you are building with your Higher Power and yourself.

    Family

    The members of your family that you want in your life, but may have been strained from addiction, will need some repairing as well. The healthier you get and the longer you stay in recovery, the more opportunity you will have at reconnecting with those you love. This may or may not be an easy task depending on how badly the bridge has been burned, but all you have to be about is the action and if the relationship is meant to be mended, it will be, as long as you don’t try to rush and control the process. This is most definitely where your Higher Power and the willingness to turn over your fears and expectations to them comes into play.

    Friends

    Whether you are trying reconnect with old friends or new ones, you are what you will attract. Working your relationship with your Higher Power and yourself will help you build, or re-build, healthy relationships with friends. Whoever you surround yourself with could help build you up or break you down, so make sure that you are connecting with people on the same spiritual journey as you are on.

    Partner

    Many of you may have never had a healthy relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and so skipping through all the other relationships to get this one fast, will defeat the purpose of inviting someone special and healthy into your life. Who you are right now, will not be the same person years to come. It takes time to heal and recover from addiction, why rush the process by inviting someone into your life that may be destructive? You will know when you are ready to have a healthy relationship, so be patient.

    No matter how little or long you have in recovery, the journey into building relationships takes time and effort, so give time its place. Everything comes exactly when it is supposed to come.

    Do you have experiences with relationships in recovery that you feel will help others? Please feel free to share in the comment feed below. 

  • How To Quit Smoking

     

    Quitting smoking in general can be difficult, but add on the fact that you’ve also quit drugs and alcohol, it can seem impossible. If you are tired of being a slave to cigarettes, vape, dip, and any other form of nicotine, we think we can help.

    What if we told you that you could quit smoking too? That you could be free from the obsession of nicotine and live a happy life clean and sober from all substances? Here is an excellent 3-part blog series on how to quit smoking in recovery.

    These quit smoking blog series include the following:

    How to prepare quitting smoking

    What to expect

    Withdrawal signs and symptoms

    How to cope and get through the tough parts

    How To Quit Smoking In Recovery

    Step 1: Quit Smoking In Recovery: Getting Prepared

    Step 2: Quit Smoking In Recovery: What To Expect

    Step 3:Quit Smoking In Recovery: Living Smoke-Free

    We are excited for you as you embark on this new journey in recovery. Please feel free to share in the comment feed below your experience. 

     

  • Living with Bipolar In Recovery

    Living with Bipolar In Recovery

     

    Living with bipolar disorder can mean constantly thriving in fight or flight mode, as the individuals go back and forth on the metaphorical merry-go-round, fluctuating between a variety of extreme exhilarating highs and debilitating lows.  It can stifle the sufferer so severely that they stumble in seeing any sensibility to sustain a standard set way of living.  Understanding that bipolar disorder is entirely different than feeling negative is an essential component to breaking the stigma behind mental illness that needs to be carried if the disease is to be comprehended in its entirety.  A fluctuation of moods can both be frustrating not just to watch a loved one deal with, but go through as a sufferer, not having any control of the moods that are being driven in every given direction due to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

    Living with Bipolar Disorder

    Living with bipolar disorder isn’t the same as feeling happy and sad.  Bipolar disorder lacks being conceptualized in the appropriate manner because the disease has far more than two extremes.  There are more faces and states that constitute the illness.  Despite what the stigma of society wrongfully voices, these states that the sufferer displays do not define who the person is or act as their personality.  Some people will say that how the sufferer acts is “just part of who they are” or that “they aren’t sick,” but that is the stigma behind mental illness.  Telling mentally ill people not to seek help and that “they are fine the way they are” prevents them from seeking help that they need and deserve. 

    Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Living with bipolar disorder is serious and shouldn’t go untreated.  It deals with a slew of complex emotions that rapidly swings and overpowers the individual’s capacity to function throughout the day.  The person can often be suffering from the illness without the ability to even realize how truly sick they actually are. 

    The mania from the disorder is constituted as literally being all over the place.  Some sufferers claim they enjoy feeling this, comparing it to the high produced from the effects of a high off a drug because of the extremity of the sensational “I can do anything” feeling.  In a manic state, bipolar individuals can be up for days doing projects in bouts of creativity and feeling like they are unstoppable. 

    Hypomania is a step down from mania, where the individual feels up.  A mixed state can be a bit more confusing for the sufferer because they feel two different emotions at once, like a low and high at the same time. 

    Rapid cycling is another state familiar to those living with bipolar disorder.  This is where four or more episodes of outburst can occur within the year.  These episodes are defined as having these states of elevated mood periods and acting on impulse. 

    Euthymia is the ideal state of mind for any individual because this is stability and an overall emotional well-balanced state. 

    Then there is dysthymia, which is a steadily low depressed state, where the bipolar individual stays in a monotonous, low mentality. 

    The absolute worst for the bipolar would be their manic depressive state, which can lead to suicide if their state of mind digresses to hopelessness.  This is why mental illness cannot be taken lightly because it does lead to suicide, which is 100% preventable when preventative measures are taken, like seeking reaching out for help through contacting suicide hot lines, seeking therapy, psychiatry, and support through friends, family or groups. 

    What does living with bipolar look like?

    Mental illness has no distinct look, which means the face of a sufferer living with bipolar disorder can look however.  There are an approximate six million adults in America living with bipolar disorder every day.  An intricate aspect about the disorder is that sufferers can blend in with society because their disease can lay dormant when their mania and depression isn’t at its peak or lowest point and the individual may grow overly confident that are more stable than they truly are, leading them to stop their course of cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and/or alternative course of treatment.  Sufferers need to be conscious of this because bipolar disorder is an illness that needs to be consistently watched and treated to avoid serious damage to themselves and interpersonal relationships. 

    An individual who suffers from bipolar disorder can begin to slip with their tasks at work as well when they aren’t emotionally and mentally stable.  They can begin to lack the ability to concentrate at work, begin arriving late, stop showing up, start taking drugs, become outraged or violent in public, and/or act impulsively by engaging in other odd behavior in the workplace.  The sight of someone living with bipolar disorder can be horrific when they are in the middle of the worst of their episode but do not be alarmed.  Instead get them the help that they need.  Bipolar disorder is just that, a disorder that is constituted as a mental illness.  Breaking the stigma begins with addressing the matter appropriately and seeing mental illness as the public health concern that it is in the country today.

     

  • Why Is Working With Others So Important In Recovery?

    Why Is Working With Others So Important In Recovery?

     

    Working with others is a vital aspect for maintaining recovery for alcohol and/or drug addiction.  Helping to pass the message along keeps you from reverting back to old patterns and behaviors yourself because you end up instead living in the solution.  Have you ever noticed how you could be in a complete slump but then come out of it when providing a message of hope for a newcomer?  It may seem like there’s no way out one minute, but then all of a sudden when you see the look on a newcomers face, you are restored to this brand new sense of inspiration.

    Working with Others in Recovery

    When you are able to see new faces throughout the process of your recovery, it can bring to light how important a recovery program is.  Carrying the message can prove to be a strong and integral part of the process that keeps you sober.  You may come to realize how their milestones lift you up because it provides hope by showing that recovery does truly work; it’s just a process that doesn’t necessarily matriculate at a particular speed.  Recovery happens at a different rate for each individual.  It may happen quickly or slowly, but the addicted individual has the opportunity to recover as long as they remain willing to do the work.  Working with others proves to be an essential part of the process because it is through helping others that selfishness can be subsided long enough for change to take place.  When working with others who are suffering the same malady, you may come to find you are not as innately unique as you had formerly become maladjusted to believing.

    Importance of the Newcomer

    The newcomer is often thought of as the most important person in the room because the reality is that you are one drink and/or drug away from being right where they are.  It’s imperative when listening to newcomers that you don’t talk down to them – even in your own head.  You should be listening to them without judgement.  Remember the newcomer is a sick individual dealing with the same disease as you and you were once in the same spot they were.  No matter how much time you have in recovery, it doesn’t give you the right to speak down to a newcomer, even if they aren’t following guidelines or have a bad attitude.  Try to treat the newcomer with respect and love them until they can learn to love themselves just as others loved you before you could love yourself.  The beauty about newcomers is they can show you how you once were when you first walked through the recovery door.  It can provide you a mirror image of how you looked when you were just as desperate, broken, sick, and tired wanting to recover from addiction.  Newcomers make it a point that you as an alcoholic and/or addict never forget how severe of a disease you are suffering from.  It’s vital that you continue to help these individuals recover from their malady and pass the message.

    More: A Newcomer Asks

    Are you unable to pass a recovery message because you still feel plagued by an alcohol and/or drug addiction?  Contact The Watershed now for help.  Don’t stay stuck in obsession.  Contact us today.