Elephantology: How The Past Did Not Kidnap My Future
Elephants are fascinating creatures. In cultures that span the globe, the elephant is symbolic of all kinds of meanings. For instance, in Asian countries the elephant symbolizes happiness, longevity and good fortune while in African countries the elephant represents power and strength.
For me, elephants mean something very specific to my life. My first encounter were gaily-colored drunken pink elephants that held my parents whiskey sour glasses until my father died when I was seven years old. The scientific reason he died was from suicide, which I discovered from a bratty schoolmate outside the playground because the adults in my life didnt know how to tell me. These nebulous adults in my life also didnt know how to tell me the root cause of my fathers death: depression and substance abuse.
Continue reading to explore more about Elephantology and how the elephant in the room can become a theme of your life. Then, join us for some Q&A at the end of the page. We appreciate your feedback and try to provide a personal and prompt response to all legitimate inquiries.
Do Not Identify With Your Mistakes
Guilt gradually eats up your self-image, and this is what makes it very harmful. It pushes you to identify with your addiction, and it will last as long you continue to do so. Being an alcoholic, you may feel like a terrible addict. This thought usually preempts any other thoughts that you may have. Try being realistic, as you are not the only person trying to recover from an addiction. Do not identify with your past mistakes or behavior. Start by reviewing all the good things you’ve done in the past and all of the good things you plan to do in the future.
How To Beat Addiction: Your Ultimate Guide To Living A Life Free Of Addiction
Beating drug addiction is easier said than done. However, it is possible. Living a life free of addiction entails getting to the root of the problem. You might end up with addiction because youre using it as a way to fill in a void in your life, whether its past trauma or shattered dreams and aspirations. It can also be caused by a genetic chemical imbalance in the brain. To beat drug addiction, you need to figure out what made you addicted in the first place.
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Make A Smooth Transition To Normal Living
One of the reasons people get into substance abuse is because they are unable to cope with the pressures of normal life with all its rules, regulations, aspirations, and expectations among other pressures. A sober living homes, you would be taught the importance of struggle in life and how it makes life worth living.;
There is a sea of difference between the shady and lonely life you have led under drug addiction and the normal life you intend to lead after getting de-addicted. When you get admitted to a house in California for San Francisco sober living, you will find the right environment and company to help you understand the significance of normal life in society.;
I Won’t Be Me Without Drugs
For years, your identity may have revolved around being a drug addictor an alcoholic.
It doesn’t have to be that way. In recovery, you candiscover a new you. You can define who you will be without using anysubstances. You can learn to love yourself in a way you never did whenyou were using. This can be an exciting time of discovery for you.
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Dealing With The Past When New To Recovery From Addiction
The past is painful for all of us but for those of us who have gone through recovery, it can be a tender open wound. And bad memories can serve as a salt to that wound, salt that keeps you stuck in a cycle of addiction. Thats why its so important for you to deal with your past during your addiction recovery. It will heal that open wound and make it possible for you and your loved ones to recover from the pains of addiction.
Why Is Sexual Addiction So Difficult To Overcome
Sexual addiction is one of the most challenging addictions to overcome.
With substance addictions, like alcoholism or drug addiction, it is possible to simply discontinue the use of the substance entirely. But with process addictions like sexual addiction and eating disorders, its impossible to just give up food or sex for life. They are interwoven into the fabric of our being and so the goal is to integrate them into our lives in a healthier way.
But because sexual addiction and compulsive sexual behaviour is just the mechanism that numbs out the difficult emotions that addicts are unwilling to face and heal their way through, the most sustainable way that a sex addict can overcome their addiction is to work through their underlying emotional turmoil that keeps them stuck.
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Ways To Get Rid Of Guilt While Recovering From Addiction
During the initial stages of drug and alcohol recovery, addicts tend to experience shame, guilt, and resentment. Many beginning recovering addicts walk into rehab or 12 step group with their head hanging low and shoulders slumped. This is also true when a drug relapse occurs. Though you may feel horrible about your relapse or addiction, keep in mind that it is fairly normal to feel that way in the early days of recovery.
Guilt can also arise from the shame of letting yourself and others down or from the resentment that you feel towards those who did not support you in your time of need. Guilt, resentment, and shame are oftentimes linked to the stigma of being an addict. If they are not attended to, they can significantly hamper your recovery process.
Treatment Facilities
The following are five ways to get rid of guilt in addiction recovery:
Get A Hold Of Us If You Need Help
Hope is a present you must wrap and give to yourself and opening it up by dealing with the circumstances of your past can guide you towards recovery. And we can help. At TreeHouseRehab.org, we possess the vital guidance you need to help deal with your past in a healthy manner as you recover from addiction.
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Visit A Support Group
Research shows that peer-delivered support groups, including 12-step programs, can be helpful when recovering from substance use disorder.
These groups are designed to help you stay sober through mutual support provided by people who are also in recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are two well-known peer-delivered groups for individuals recovering from substance use disorder.
Though helpful, 12-step programs arent for everyone. If they arent a right fit for you, consider searching for recovery support groups near you.
Taking up new activities to replace ones that may be more harmful might help you on the road to recovery.
A review of 59 studies found that physical fitness and mind-body exercises can be helpful in the sobriety process.
Another study found that mindfulness meditation can also improve mood and self-control and reduce stress, which can be helpful for people with substance use disorder.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we return to old patterns.
Making any lifestyle change is hard, and maintaining that change over time can be even more challenging.
You can be prepared if your treatment plan fails. Here are some things you can do:
- having a sponsor or trusted loved one you can call when cravings strike
- avoiding places or people that may make you more prone to use substances
- having another activity you can do, such as taking a walk or jog, when craving hits
- rewarding yourself for reaching your goals, even little ones
Overcoming Addiction Through Increasing Self
Self-efficacy is really self-confidence, or a belief in your ability to successfully handle lifes challenges.
When it comes to drug and alcohol use, those who are highly confident that they can stay sober and clean are more likely to successfully complete treatment and maintain their sobriety.10
How do you develop more self-efficacy?
Building strong coping skills through cognitive behavioral therapy and then successfully bringing those to bear in everyday life is the best way to shore up belief in yourself.
In fact, a 2005 study identified coping skills as central to relapse prevention.11
Coping skills involve building communication, social and problem-solving skills. Each time you use these newfound skills in life instead of turning to drugs and alcohol, you have a mastery experience. In turn, each mastery experience builds your belief in yourself as someone who can successfully cope without illicit substances.
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Get Out And Socialize
When feelings of guilt cloud you during recovery, you may be tempted to isolate yourself from other people. Spending some time alone may be useful to take a break. However, isolating yourself for days on end is detrimental to your health. This is because you will be tempted to delve into negative thoughts and entertain them. Be sure that you make time to connect with others to support and encourage you in your recovery.
Why Stigmas Can Be Damaging
Stigmas can be damaging because they are misleading. And, when people receive the wrong information, it can lead to addicts being treated poorly by people in society. Not only can addicts face rejection from their peers, but it can also cause a relapse. For some addicts, the rejection and isolation that they get from their family is a reason their addiction can continue.
For an addict that is in recovery, being rejected by others during a time where support is essential can lead them to a potential relapse. Much like people that face discrimination, daily addicts face discrimination as well. They may feel people staring at them whenever they enter a store or attend family functions.
Handling this type of judgment can cause the addict to withdraw from others, causing them to become depressed and anxious whenever they need to enter social situations.
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Do I Need To Go Back To Treatment
If you find you just cant stop using your substance of choice after a relapse, it is a good idea to seek out professional help. If you have recently attended treatment and experienced a relapse, it does not mean that your treatment failed. Similar to other chronic illnesses, relapses during addiction may simply indicate that you need to enter treatment again or adjust the current course of your recovery plan.1 Renewed participation in a treatment program can help you to again stop using drugs or alcohol and reduce the risk of future relapses.4,7
Different types of treatment programs offer various levels of care to meet you where you are in your recovery process. If you have already completed a treatment program, you can reach out to your former treatment providers, such as your therapist, psychiatrist, or medical doctor to get their advice on the next step to take. It is also helpful to have the members of your support systemfamily, friends, and sponsorson board with whatever the best course of action is for you to help with the practical matters of everyday life while youre getting sober again.
When deciding whether to attend an inpatient or outpatient program following a relapse, discuss these factors with your treatment team and support system:
How Do You Find A Job After Entering Recovery
If youre intimidated by the idea of trying to find a job after rehab, theres less you have to worry about than you think. Know that the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act keep most employers from refusing to hire anyone because theyre in treatment for or in recovery from a substance use disorder;unless;the disorder would prevent the applicant from performing their job safely and competently.
Furthermore, employers are not permitted to ask whether or not a job applicant has ever abused substances, has had a substance use disorder, or is or has been in through rehab. However, an employer can rescind an offer of employment based on a positive drug screening, so be sure that youre going into a job interview with a clean record, or paperwork noting the reason for any potentially positive results.
You also have the right to take medical leave for substance abuse treatment if you need it under the Family Medical Leave Act , but you must have been worked for a covered employer for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours in that time. Your employer also has to provide reasonable accommodations to help you with recovery alongside your job, including making a schedule that allows you to attend treatment.
These laws only apply if youre not currently using substances, so staying sober is key.
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Help For Crack Addiction
Crack is very addictive, and those who abuse it soon discover that theyâre getting much more than they bargained for. The choice to use crack even one time is choosing a life of dependence and addiction on the drug. There is a high risk that it will eventually take your life. While recovery is possible, it is very difficult.
Crack recovery is a long multifaceted treatment process that will require a lot of help. The road is long and the challenges are many. Itâs important to realize that many of the top crack rehab centers in the Pacific Northwest offer top quality treatment for those who want to stop using this dangerous drug. However, if youâre currently addicted to crack, it can help to learn more about it and how you can recover. Many crack addicts wonât look for help on their own. If you are a parent to a crack addict, it may be up to you to stage an intervention so they can get the help they need.
Stock Up On Healthy Foods And Liquids
Your appetite might vanish during the first few days of the detox, but when it returns, you should do your best to consume healthy foods and liquids. If you absolutely cant stomach any solid food, then make sure youre drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can be very harmful and only worsen the initial detox symptoms. Its recommended to consume as little processed food as possible and, instead, focus on eating plenty of vegetables, beans, legumes, and lean protein. The foods listed below are especially helpful for liver support:
- Artichoke
Some useful vitamins and minerals include:
- Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate
- Passionflower
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I’ll Be Bored Without Drugs Life Won’t Be Any Fun
For a long time, the only fun you had in life involved drugs or alcohol. However, there are lots of other fun things to do in life. Think of recovery as an exciting time full of new experiences. You can discover new activities that you can enjoy instead of drugs or alcohol. You may discover that you like sports, reading, movies, music or lots of other things.
You Need To Unshackle Your Mind Off Many Myths
It is likely that you didnt get into the habit of doing drugs and become dependent on it all of a sudden on a particular day. The people you mixed with would have played a part in filling up your mind with a lot of wrong things about life outside drugs. In a state of drug dependency, you can deal with this situation only when you go to a halfway house in California.;
If you are desperate enough to get admitted to one such house, you will surely ask around, Are there any halfway houses near me? Getting de-addicted is as much a physical exercise in a detoxification center as it is a psychological exercise in a correction home. In fact, your mental strength will play a crucial role in preventing any relapse.;;
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Rule : Be Completely Honest With Yourself And Everyone In Your Recovery Circle
An addiction requires lying. You have to lie about getting your drug, using it, hiding its consequences, and planning your next relapse. An addiction is full of lying. By the time you’ve developed an addiction, lying comes easily to you. After a while, you are so good at lying that you end up lying to yourself. That’s why addicts often feel that they don’t know who they are.
The result of all that lying is that you don’t like yourself. You can’t look yourself in the mirror. Lying creates a vicious cycle. The more you lie, the less you like yourself, which makes you want to escape your feelings, which leads to more using and more lying.
Nothing changes, if nothing changes. Ask yourself, will more lying, more isolating, and more of the same make you feel better? The expression in AA is nothing changes if nothing changes. If you don’t change your life, then why would this time be any different? You need to create a new life where it’s easier to not use.
Recovery requires complete honesty. You must be one-hundred percent honest with the people in your recovery circle. If you can’t be completely honest with them, you won’t do well in recovery.
When you’re completely honest you don’t give your addiction room to hide. When you lie you leave the door open to relapse.
Admitting You Have A Problem
Many individuals end up admitting that they have a problem after a terrible experience occurs, such as losing a relationship or job or an accident after a night out. Regardless of the experience that leads a person to this step, it is important to remember that, despite the fact that hitting bottom is a horrible feeling, things can only get better from here on out. It is both a sobering and empowering situation to be in.
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