What To Expect When Going To Rehab

 

Have you decided to enter a rehab treatment program? If so, you are probably wondering what to expect from this new experience. If you have not yet made the decision to go to rehab, you can benefit from learning more about the process to help you make an informed choice about whether or not to pursue this course of action. There are countless rehab centers spread throughout the United States, and there is enormous variety in the different types of programs and facilities which are available. It would be impossible to use generalized statements to provide an accurate picture of exactly what to expect during your stay in rehab, but there are certain things that most have in common:

The first thing to know about rehab is that it is entirely voluntary. You will not be locked into the facility, and your continued participation is fully up to you. This aspect is key to the success of any rehab program, since you cannot get clean and sober on another person’s determinism; you have to be fully engaged in the program, and in the end your success depends on your own decision to get sober and to quit being addicted to drugs or alcohol. Rehab addresses not only the physical aspects of addiction, but also the emotional dependence on chemical substances.

Your first step in rehab is the period of detox. Many programs now require participants to complete their detox at separate facilities which specialize in this stage of the process, though others continue to offer detox in house. Depending on the nature and scope of the program, detox may take a few days or longer, and it may run concurrent with other aspects of the rehab. Some detox programs are relatively simple, essentially providing a drug- and alcohol-free environment where the individual can ride out the withdrawal symptoms while quitting cold turkey. Others take a more proactive approach, with exercise, time in the sauna and nutritional supplements to ease the withdrawal symptoms and give the body a boost in recovering from the ravages of drug and alcohol abuse.

As mentioned above, there is tremendous variety in the different types of rehab facilities. Some are very much like communal living houses, while others are similar to retreats in the outdoors, located in the country, in the woods or in the mountains. Many of the higher priced rehab programs are delivered in facilities which are almost indistinguishable from luxury resort spas, with poolside patios and massage for the participants. Your choice of facility depends in some measure on your preference, though your insurance coverage, your available financial resources and how much you are willing to pay will also be major determining factors.

Addressing The Mental And Emotional Side of Addiction

Of primary importance in any rehab program is the educational component. As with the other aspects, this varies depending on the nature and focus of the program, but you can expect to spend a considerable amount of time learning about the physiological and emotional aspects of addiction, how drugs and alcohol work on the body, and about tools which you can use to better cope with the stress and pressure which lead people to turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place. In addition, there will usually be some form of counseling, whether this occurs in one-on-one sessions or in group therapy. You may also be participating in drills and exercises to equip you with techniques and skills for handling people and stressful situations in life.

Some rehab programs incorporate family participation, in which your loved ones would be invited in to take part in classes or in counseling. This can be effective in helping your family members to better understand what you have been going through, as well as preparing them to assist you in your life after rehab. Following release from the facility, you may continue to be involved in an aftercare program, such as living in a halfway house for a month in order to transition back into the outside world with the assistance of others who are committed to sober living. Some programs urge graduates to join a 12-step group or to attend ongoing counseling to further address the underlying issues which lead to addiction. While there may be a finite beginning and end to the program, your rehabilitation is an ongoing process and one which you should never stop working on even once you have achieved recovery after treatment.

Source: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pro/a/drug_rehab.htm

The Importance of Thinking Positive During Rehab

 

It would be difficult to exaggerate the degree to which you can benefit from adopting a positive attitude during your time in rehab, and of continuing to hold a positive outlook on life in the time after you complete your rehab program. A large percentage of people who get addicted to drugs or alcohol end up in that position as a result of negative thinking: faced with stressful situations, life pressures and self-criticism, they start drinking or using drugs as a way to find relief from it all.

Before long, what began as a pleasurable activity becomes a habit and then takes over control of the person’s life. Now that you are making big changes in your life by getting clean and sober, it is time for an attitude adjustment. It is time to realize that this life is yours to live and that it will be as happy as you make it be that way. You simply cannot depend on outside factors to determine whether you enjoy your life; some of the most miserable people in the world are enormously wealthy, while some of the happiest have lived lives filled with challenges and adversity. The only person who, in the final equation, decides whether or not you are happy is you, and it is up to you to establish and maintain a positive attitude.

 

Negative Thinking Makes Things Go Wrong

Anyone from any walk of life can benefit from going out of the way to have a positive attitude, but this is especially important for an individual who is fighting to overcome an addiction. Beating alcoholism or drug addiction is probably one of the greatest challenges you will ever face, and you can give yourself an enormous boost by approaching it positively. Negative thinking will actively undermine your efforts, since it will tend to blow small failures all out of proportion and make the entire struggle seem to be simply not worth it. A bad attitude actually increases the likelihood that you will have a relapse, in light of the fact that you may be more prone to look for relief by drinking or using drugs.

By thinking negatively, you will tend to make a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, due to the fact that you will tend to approach your tasks with the idea that they are overwhelming or pointless and will therefore not throw your full effort into succeeding. Then, when you fail, the fact will only serve to reinforce the bad attitude.

Positive thinking has the opposite effect. When you approach life with a can-do attitude, you are more likely to achieve the goals you set for yourself. It is important to make realistic goals which you are capable of completing, so that you can enjoy the snowball effect of winning at a challenge, getting a confidence boost and then being capable of taking on even more. Those who think positive thoughts also tend to enjoy better physical health, such as with a more robust immune system and lower levels of stress and inflammation.

You will also probably enjoy higher levels of overall energy, and will likely notice that other happy people now seek your company, since positive people are simply nicer to be around. Of course, it is not enough to simply think positively; you also have to take action towards achieving your goals. But when you do engage in positive thinking, you will be far more likely to aggressively go after the things you want in life, and will progressively become more and more successful. Start now by listing out all the things that are going right in your life already, followed by listing out the changes you want to make and the things you want. Choose the easiest targets on your list, set out to do those things and do them until they are done. This will set you on the road towards becoming someone who is known for being positive in thought and action and for being a success in life.

Source: http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/positive-thinking-in-recovery/

Fact or Fiction: Yoga Can Be An Effective Way To Relax

 

If you are like most people who are looking for answers to the problem of alcohol or drug abuse, you could stand a little bit of relaxation. For a large percentage of addicts and alcoholics, stress and anxiety are a major part of life. After all, most of these people only began drinking heavily or using drugs after they ran out of other solutions for coping with the pressures of life. Nobody ever plans to become an addict; usually, it only happens after the person has started becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs as a way to unwind and to escape from unpleasant or overwhelmingly challenging situations in life. Now that you are working to get clean and sober, it is time for you to find effective tools which you can use to manage stress and to keep your life under control, because it is not enough to decide to quit; you also have to make changes in your life so that you don’t find yourself in the same position again.

One of the most popular methods of developing greater mental and physical control, and therefore of becoming more capable of managing stress and relaxing, is yoga. With a history that dates back several millennia, yoga has been practiced by countless people throughout history, but it has only recently taken on a mainstream appeal. Yoga was originally developed as an aspect of religious practice for the Hindus of India, and it maintains its status this capacity today. It was first recognized on any noticeable scale in the Western world in the 19th century, and in the past few decades it has taken on a new role in the United States and other countries. A large percentage of those who now practice yoga do so without any thought of it as a religious practice, but instead are looking for a way to relax and to achieve a higher level of physical fitness. Some question whether yoga actually provides an effective route to relaxation, but its workability in this respect would be difficult to dispute in light of its history. Even if you have never personally tried yoga, you may be able to ascertain whether it serves to assist the practitioner in relaxing based on the fact that so many millions of people have used it in the past as a way of pursuing spiritual peace and enlightenment.

 

Physical And Mental Health Benefits Of Yoga

It is easy to understand the reasons why yoga may be useful in helping you to relax. One of the fundamentals

of yoga is the development of a greater degree of attention on and control over one’s breathing. Throughout a session, you will be expected to exercise active control of the rhythm and pace of your inhalation and exhalation, and this discipline will tend to carry over into the rest of your life. Taking longer, deeper and more regular breaths has the effect of flooding your brain and the rest of your body with oxygen, which can lead to greater relaxation and overall health. In addition to breathing exercises, yoga also involves the performance of a wide variety of poses, ranging from the simple and easy to those that are extremely challenging to get into and to hold. Many people who start doing yoga are surprised to learn that it is far more than simply sitting in the lotus position, but can be enormously physically demanding. Yoga practitioners not only enjoy increased levels of flexibility and limberness, but also far greater strength and balance. Further, the breathing and exercise in yoga tend to improve blood circulation, which among other things serves to achieve greater balance throughout the body. As a result of all these factors, most people to start practicing yoga soon find that they are able to enjoy better levels of overall relaxation, both during the class and in their daily lives. In support of this, the Mayo Clinic reports on several scientific studies which have demonstrated that yoga can reduce stress and anxiety while also giving a boost to one’s mood and overall sense of well-being. The best way to find out whether it works for relaxation, however, is to try it for yourself.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yoga/CM00004

How to Develop a Healthy Daily Routine

If you are working to overcome an addiction to drugs or alcohol, one of the most effective steps you can take toward getting clean and sober is for you to put a greater degree of order into your life. By establishing a regular routine, you can regain a greater degree of control over your life. Getting your life back under control is important at this stage because, after all, that is what you are doing in quitting your substance abuse. In many ways addiction is an experience of being unable to control the cravings and the compulsions to take the next drink or get the next fix, and when you find yourself in the grips of an addiction, you are likely to feel like your life is simply out of control. Your actions throughout the day are determined by your need to get drunk or high, and unless you keep up with the addiction, you may face a world of turmoil and physical and emotional suffering in the face of withdrawals.

Now is your time to make a fresh start and begin ordering your life in a positive manner, and establishing a routine to follow on a daily basis should be one of the first steps you take in this direction.

 

Lead a Purpose-Driven Life

To make things simple, consider breaking your day up into three segments: The start, the middle and the finish. These three will not necessarily be even, since the bulk of your day will occur in the middle section. All of them, however, are important. The actions you take just after you awake in the morning set the stage for how the rest of the day will go, to a large degree. With this in mind, you should begin making a habit of setting the alarm clock earlier. It may be difficult at the outset, but you will soon discover that giving yourself more time to start the day pays dividends later.

Rather than starting your day out by rushing around in a stressful hurry, you will be giving yourself time to ease into wakefulness, to prepare a good breakfast and to set your day in order. The morning is also a good time to review your goals for the day, the week, and longer. In your new, well-structured life, you will do well to set goals and targets for yourself, since this provides purpose to your actions rather than leaving you hustling on a hamster wheel and looking for some way to fill the void left by having no idea of where you are going. Further, you will be able to enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishment as you start checking items off your list, and you may even find that you are developing a new -- and entirely healthy -- addiction to achieving your goals.

 

Stick To Your Routine

In addition to orienting the rest of your day towards the pursuit of your goals, you can use the time you now have in the morning to do some exercise, which helps to jumpstart your metabolism and give you a boost of energy, as well as working to improve your physique and health. As your day progresses through work and into the evening, make it a point to stay focused on your priorities, rather than letting small things get in the way, no matter how important they may seem at the moment. The most part of having a routine is maintaining the routine, and you can’t let yourself get thrown off track. Allowing yourself to be buffeted around by other people’s problems and “emergencies” only leads to exhaustion and a lack of accomplishment in your own life, and it is a sure road to stress. Another policy which you should implement is to avoid promising more than you know that you are capable of doing. By operating in this manner, you can ensure that when you surprise the people who count on you, it will be the pleasant surprise of finding out that you have fulfilled your promises more quickly than expected or that you have done more than you said you would, rather than the surprise of learning that you have let them down.

 

Include Proper Diet And Rest In Your Routine

As important as it is for you to incorporate practices into your routine which will help you improve your mental and emotional health, it is also highly beneficial to take steps to achieve a better state of physical health. Most people simply overlook the fact that they have to take care of their bodies, just the same as taking care of their car, house, and other possessions. Quitting drugs or alcohol is an excellent first step in this direction -- you are no longer actively poisoning your body -- but now you need to begin rebuilding your body and repairing the damage that has been done. In addition to drugs and alcohol, you should cut sugar and caffeine out of your diet, and replace these things with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to fit in some exercise every day, whether it is during your morning routine or perhaps after work.

Finally, get to bed early. It is easy to get wrapped up in things such as watching TV or surfing the web, only to find that it is well after midnight before you finally turn the lights out, but every minute that you stay up late is a minute of sleep you are burning up. Don’t think that going to bed at a reasonable time means that you will get less done; how much do you really achieve after 9:30 or 10:00? From the time you get home until the time you go to bed, make sure that you are following some sort of schedule -- even a loose one -- which includes making a healthy dinner, eating and spending time with your family, spending a few minutes tidying up so that your home is orderly and comfortable to look at, and finally taking a little while to wind down by reading, stretching or doing some other relaxing activity. You can use this period before going to sleep to review the day, congratulate yourself on your successes and learn from your mistakes. By the time your head hits the pillow, you can rest knowing that, with your routine in place, it was you who were in charge of your day and who are determining the course of your life.

Source: http://www.thechangeblog.com/24-daily-habits/

Three Musicians Who Overcame Drug or Alcohol Addiction

 Keith Richards

Best known as the lead guitarist of the British rock group The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards has been recognized for decades as being among the most innovative and talented guitar players in modern history. He is at least as famous, if not more so, for the fact that he was for many years living in the grips of a massive addiction to heroin and cocaine. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Richards spoke candidly about his drug use and would often perform while high. He was arrested and ended up in court on drug-related charges five times between 1967 and 1978, with the final trial resulting from a 1977 arrest in Toronto, Canada where he was found with heroin in the hotel room where he was staying with his current wife and children. This arrest led to Richards entering a drug rehab program to recover from his addiction to heroin. In the years since then, it has been revealed that despite the fact that he had many other factors which would motivate most people to quit drugs -- including his arrests and the drug-related deaths of several friends -- what finally gave him the purpose he needed to get sober was his realization that drugs were getting in the way of his music.

 

David Bowie

David Bowie has been a superstar in the music industry since his rise to fame with the 1969 hit “Space Oddity.” He has gone out of his way for much of his career to present himself as an oddity, wearing bizarre costumes and even creating eccentric stage personas such as “Ziggy Stardust” and the “Thin White Duke.” During the first half of the 1970s, Bowie’s outlandish behavior was to a large degree fueled by a continually increasing addiction to cocaine. As he became more and more hooked on the drug, he began to waste away physically, as well as developing emotional and mental disorders including paranoia. In 1976, Bowie overdosed on cocaine several times in short succession, and his drug addiction had progressed to the degree that he was becoming incoherent during publicly broadcasted interviews. Soon after this point, however, Bowie received custody of his young son, a life change which provided him with sufficient motivation to quit, and he has not since touched cocaine. In a recent interview, the musician states that he wishes that he had followed the advice which he received at age 18 to never use drugs.

 

Stevie Nicks

The lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks spent a large portion of her adult life addicted to drugs, beginning with cocaine and ending with a psychiatric tranquilizer medication. Nicks first tried cocaine in 1973, shortly before she joined the group and was launched to stardom. At this time, she was told that cocaine was a purely recreational drug and was not addictive, but she soon found that this was far from the truth. For more than a decade, she engaged in ongoing cocaine abuse, until the point in 1986 when a plastic surgeon warned her that if she snorted cocaine one more time she would likely drop dead. Determined to recover from her addiction to cocaine, Nicks began seeing a psychiatrist who placed her on a series of increasingly powerful tranquilizers, starting with Valium, progressing to Xanax and finally ending up with Klonopin. Ms. Nicks spent eight years addicted to Klonopin, and now makes a point of spreading the message about the dangers of this drug in nearly every public interview, stating that it ruined her life and in all likelihood was the reason why she never married and had a child. Nicks says of this psychiatric drug that it turned her into a zombie, and that it made her gain considerable amounts of weight and suffer from severe depression.

Finally, she made the decision to get her life back under control and checked into rehab to free herself from the grips of Klonopin, and she describes her experience detoxifying from the drug as though someone opened a door and pushed her into Hell. During her 47 days of rehab, Nicks received inspiration from a photo of her young niece, a picture which motivated her to push through to the end so that she could be there for the girl.

Source: http://www.listal.com/list/stars-have-overcome-drug-addiction