Let Get of Those Emotions (The Healthy Way)

The road toward sobriety can feel like an emotional roller coaster. After all, you’re likely experiencing a wide range of emotions – from hope to anger to anxiety – as you embark on recovery. And you may not always understand why. 

Take heart: You can take steps to slow yourself down, embrace your emotions and move to a healthy, calm state. And these techniques will serve you well as you continue to fend off relapse after rehab.

Start with these five ideas to tame emotional tension and release those worries:

1. Just breathe. But make it formal by focusing on your breath. The next time you’re overwhelmed by stress, anger or anxiety, close your eyes and inhale slowly. Then, slowly exhale to release those emotions and calm down.
2. Hone in on your creativity. Whether you decide to color, paint, play an instrument or write poetry, a little creativity can go a long way in helping you work out any negative emotions. 
3. Make meditation matter. This mind-body technique can help you move through those “stuck” feelings. This is because meditation teaches you to fully feel (without judgment) your emotions and then release them as you move to a place of healing. 
4. Start journaling. And don’t sensor or judge your words. Freely writing (or typing) out your emotions will help you let them go. Take 10 minutes and give it a try. 
5. Give yourself permission to cry. Or to laugh or to scream – or whatever you need to do (within reason) to feel better. While you don’t want to make this a habit, it’s OK to feel your emotions fully once in a while. 

Finding Emotional Support at Complete Harmony

At Complete Harmony, we use a combination of traditional and holistic treatment methods to help you manage your feelings without resorting to substance abuse. To learn more, call us today: 866-930-4673.

Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System

We all can benefit from some immune-boosting tips, especially since flu season is near its peak. And, given that substance abuse wreaks havoc on your immune system, people in recovery may want to go the extra mile to keep their bodies going strong. But beyond getting the flu shot, what can you do to fend off illness? 

Here are some everyday ways to boost your immune system this season and beyond.

• Eat a rainbow of colors. The brighter the colors, the more antioxidants, which are powerful friends to your immune system. Find new ways to get fresh fruits and veggies into you diet — for example, sprinkle berries on your oatmeal, add fresh spinach to a sandwich or snack on some bell peppers with hummus. And skip the processed stuff — foods high in polyunsaturated fats tend to suppress the immune system.
• Let some fresh air in. Crack your windows in the rooms where you spend the most time. This will help circulate the air and get the germs out. 
• Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Sleep deprivation is linked to poor immune function, so do your best to practice smart sleep habits. For instance, try to maintain a constant wake and sleep schedule, even on weekends. 
• Take care of your smile. Good oral hygiene means brushing and flossing each morning and night and going for regular check-ups at your dentist. This will help prevent any infections in the gums and teeth, which can increase inflammation levels in your body and weaken immunity.
• Make relaxation a ritual. Making deep breathing, meditation, yoga or tai chi part of your every day can keep your immune system strong by lowering inflammation-causing stress hormones.

Stay Well at Complete Harmony

From stress management therapies to nutrition and exercise planning, we help our clients feel their best and stay healthy during rehab and beyond. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.

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5 Ways Meditation Makes You a Better Person

When it comes to recovering from addiction, meditation can be a great tool to help you mentally push away any cravings for alcohol or drugs or another addiction behavior. But the benefits of this mindfulness technique go beyond staying sober. In fact, daily meditation practice not only helps with recovery, but it can also make the new sober you a better person with a more meaningful and joyful life. Here’s how:

1. You’ll have more self-compassion. Meditation teaches you to recognize and then let go any feelings of doubt or frustration as you go through the ups and downs, successes and failures of life. The result: You’ll be more caring and supportive of yourself on your recovery journey.
2. You’ll be better equipped to handle stress. Do you ever find yourself feeling out of breath or forgetting to breathe when a situation is particularly anxiety provoking? This is pretty normal. The good news: Controlled breathing can help you quell those nerves when you need it most. 
3. You’ll be less angry. Meditation is the perfect remedy for releasing any feelings of anger or resentment – toward yourself and toward others. 
4. You’ll be more forgiving. Meditation helps you learn forgiveness by developing your ability to be compassionate and empathetic. It also teaches you how to heal old wounds, clear mental blocks and manage any past trauma, which are all important parts of forgiveness.
5. You’ll be more self-aware. Self-awareness allows you to better identify what your body, mind and spirit is craving in order for you to live a well-rounded life. The best way to do this is to quiet your mind using meditation. 

Holistic Addiction Treatment  
Complete Harmony offers an evidence-based blend of holistic modalities, alternative rehab approaches and mindfulness practices. We customize care to your personal objectives, religious beliefs and health considerations to help you achieve personal sobriety goals. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.

Can Texting Deter Alcohol Abuse?

According to a first-of-its-kind study published in PLOS ONE, text messaging may very well be an effective alcohol-abuse deterrent. Researchers found that "adaptive-tailored texts” were similar to“in-person moderation treatments" when it came to helping problem drinkers.

The text messages, which were tested on 152 participants interesting in curtailing their alcohol use, factored in age, gender, and specific drinking patterns. There were four types of messages sent daily, according to researchers:

• Loss framed: “Think of all you have lost as a result of drinking too much. Make today a day that sets the stage for change.”
• Gain-framed: “Think of all you can achieve if you can control your drinking. Make today a day that sets the stage for change.”
• Static-tailored: “It’s been three weeks since you signed up.”
• Adaptive-tailored: These incorporated various individual factors, such as participant’s heaviest drinking times.

After three months, participants saw big results: Those who received adaptive-tailored texts reduced their weekly alcohol consumption by 9.64 drinks. In addition, 80 percent of all participants responded “yes,” when asked if they’d like to continue receiving the text messages for an additional 12 weeks.

“Today, text messaging is part of our daily routine,” Frederick Muench, director of Northwell Health’s Digital Health Interventions in Psychiatry unit,” said in press release. “If we could find a way to make this subtle but effective communication help those who are trying to drink less succeed when they need encouragement most, we have created something that can positively impact the 15 million American adults living with an alcohol-use disorder.”

Help for Alcohol Addiction
If you or someone you love has an alcohol abuse problem, know that you’re not alone. Our team has helped hundreds of patients detox and restore their whole body using holistic therapies for symptom management and improved wellbeing. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.