Life in Recovery

Physical sobriety and emotional sobriety are two parts to a single unit in living a life free of alcohol and drug abuse. Physical sobriety means more than putting down the drink or refusing to pick up the drug. In other words, it means more than abstinence. Physical sobriety can take different amounts of time, depending on the substance and the length of time a person has abused it. Long-time alcohol use, for example, can involve serious liver damage and heart problems. Some drugs can cause almost immediate deterioration in brain chemistry, not to mention nerve damage and lung problems. Cases of severe addiction require medical intervention. Through a process of detox, followed by treatment to rebuild strength and maintain proper nutrition, physical sobriety results. Addiction, however, is more than a physical problem. It is a mental, emotional and spiritual problem. Unless treatment involves all those aspects of addiction, recovery is not complete. Emotional sobriety is the ability to experience feelings without relying on the relief of drugs or alcohol and to make choices about how to respond to stress. Emotional Sobriety Restores Sense of Balance One common trait of alcoholics and drug addicts is to imagine the “worst-case scenario” when faced with a problem. If a loved one is late in arriving home, they must have been in a fatal accident. If an object is missing, surely someone stole it. If the dog doesn’t come when called, it no doubt has been struck by a car and is lying abandoned in the street. In other words, addicts and alcoholics are used to reacting. They go from zero to panic in less than 60 seconds.  Recovery tools help substance abusers take a deep breath before reacting. They learn to realize that many situations, as dire as they may seem at first, do not require immediate action. Recovery treatment teaches people how to recognize emotional triggers and how to deal with them. With practice, alcoholics and drug addicts develop balance in all areas of their lives.

A growing body of evidence supports what many therapists know from experience: patients with a fighting spirit have a better chance of recovery than those who surrender to their addiction. There is solid evidence on how negative emotions and mental attitude can affect a patient’s physical condition and well-being. Many people use drugs and booze as a way to relax and cope. Others are simply lured by the escape that drugs seem to offer. Maybe you’re a stress pot or you’ve got negative emotions linked to a job you hate, a relationship that isn’t working, you’re shy, or you’ve got overwhelming financial problems. You may have turned to alcohol and drugs as a lifeline. Feeling pressured to be cool all the time, you may have started drinking and taking drugs to feel happier, more relaxed, more outgoing, and more daring. We’re All Looking for a Solution We all need a solution for feelings of inferiority, loneliness, and anxiety. The first time you use a drug to ease these feelings; wonderful feelings of pleasure are experienced. With continued use, the pleasure becomes weaker, and you will need ever-larger doses of drugs to experience that original flood of euphoria. Withdrawal from alcohol and drugs can be excruciating and even life-threatening. You Stop Thinking Properly Drug addiction is a complex disorder with each drug-producing different physical effects. Repeated use can actually change the way your brain functions and you won’t be able to think clearly. Unsafe sex, drunk driving, injury, and death can result because all good judgment leaves. You may face a whole set of problems at school, at home or at work, embarrassing yourself and alienating yourself from your friends, colleagues, and family. Negative emotions during times like this often cause one to take more alcohol and drugs. It is important to know that help is available with any addiction and you may need professional help and treatment. Overcoming an addiction is better achieved with support from your family, and the medical teams who will help you with your addiction are trained to help and support you and your family and not judge and condemn. The more serious your drug use, the longer and more intense the treatment will be. A good treatment program will address your drug abuse by looking at your environment and lifestyle to get an idea of what caused your addiction in the first place. People Who can Help You Cope Depending on the seriousness of your addiction, you may require residential treatment, which requires living at the treatment facility for about 3 months or longer. An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) doesn’t require the patient to live on-site, but the patient will attend programs that last a few hours each day at the treatment center. There is also counseling offered for your family as they have been dealing with mixed emotions of disbelief, confusion, love, loathing, and even hatred because of the havoc you may have brought into their lives. Yes, negative emotions can compromise your sobriety, but deciding to get help is the first positive move towards changing your life and learning coping skills. It’s never too late to learn from your mistakes. You aren’t alone and resources are available to you, offering support and guidance.

The ability of alcohol and drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms is the primary catalyst in the cycle of addiction. But there are also certain risk factors and characteristics leading a person toward alcohol and drugs in ways that can contribute to developing addictive patterns. The cycle of addiction begins simply with a problem; stress or discomfort, and some form of emotional or physical pain are the most common the experiences where people want to change the way they are feeling. Working through discomfort is never easy, and some individuals find it unendurable, and aren’t able to see a solution to the problem. Using drugs and alcohol in this way, often call self-medicating, can be very common. People self-medicate with alcohol or drugs to blow off steam after a hard day at work, and won’t necessarily progress into an addiction cycle. Drugs and alcohol may temporarily change the way a person feels about a problem or painful situation, but ultimately they don’t change the situation itself. People with healthy coping strategies will find an effective and more constructive method for managing what is troubling them, sober. For an addict or alcoholic who is actively using, substance use appears to solve the problem, and the drugs or alcohol become valuable. An addict or alcoholic believes drugs or alcohol are a cure, the painkilling effects are the solution to unwanted feelings or discomfort. Excessive or continued use, or self-medicating of any mind altering substance will progress the cycle of addiction. Drugs and alcohol change the way a person’s brain functions, so that normal reward systems (or dopamine responses) are replaced with the effects substance use. Habitual substance use not only alters the normal functioning of the brain and body, but it will also produce withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms will perpetuate the strong desire to use. It is possible to break the addiction cycle with help and support. Resolving underlying symptoms of discomfort or unhappiness, while adapting to new coping strategies are part of the overall treatment process which helps individuals struggling with substance use find freedom from addiction. Don’t hesitate to reach out today if you or someone you love is struggling!