Avoiding the Temptation to Use This Summer

Beach parties, outdoor music festivals, barbecues — tis the season for additional triggers and temptations, but don’t fret. You can enjoy the summer season and safeguard your recovery with the following tips:  

• Identify your triggers. Understanding which triggers can derail your recovery will help you better stick to your recovery plan this summer. In general, a trigger can be any person, situation or thing that leads to cravings or a slip up. And this can also include difficult emotions like anxiety or depression. 
• Focus on your health. Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean you can take a vacation from your recovery must-dos. This means doing your best to stick to a normal sleep and exercise schedule, eat a healthy, well-rounded diet and manage stress.
• Connect with sober friends. Take the time to hang out with sober friends during the summer, whether you grab a quick coffee, go for a long walk or meet up at the beach. You’ll be more relaxed and less likely to relapse if you surround yourself with other people who support and understand your sobriety. 
• Try something new. Have you always wanted to write a blog or try yoga on the beach or experiment with a cute summer craft project you’ve been eyeing on Pinterest? Summertime is the perfect time to tackle a fun, sober project or hobby that keeps you busy and makes you feel good about you and your hard-won sobriety.

Summertime at Complete Harmony

The summer season is the perfect time to begin your journey toward lifelong sobriety. At Complete Harmony, we help you explore your own recovery journey while learning to heal relationships and build a sober social network. For more information about our cutting edge treatments, call today: 866-930-4673.

Helping Your Loved Ones Help You

You’ve likely heard of addiction referred to as a “family disease,” meaning it impacts not just the person in the throes of substance abuse but also his or her loved ones. This means that while recovery is challenging (to say the least) for you, it’s also daunting for family and friends. They may feel guilty or unsure of what to do or say to help support your sobriety. And you can help by learning to communicate your feelings and needs. It’s really a win-win. Helping them is helping ensure that you have the support system in place that you need to endure the ups and downs of recovery.  

But where do you start? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a few suggestions. Take a look and then talk to your counselors or recovery peers for some more ideas. 

What Might Help Me: 

Consider not only what your loved ones can say but also what they can do when, for example, you’re having a down day or struggling with feelings of guilt, hopelessness, anxiety or intense cravings. Ask yourself:

• Do you want to be held or do you need a little space?
• Can your loved one exercise with you or cue up a funny movie?
• Can you sit together and color or listen to music for relaxation?
• Should your loved ones just listen (without judgment, advice or criticism) or do you want them to reassure you that you’re doing the right thing?
• Can your loved one cook you a healthy meal or take you for some coffee?

What Might Hurt Me: 

Now more than ever you need a solid support system, so don’t be afraid to speak up if someone is saying or doing something that could possible jeopardize your hard-won sobriety.  

• Does your loved one lose his or her patience or judge, criticize or scold you? 
• Does he or she tend to talk “at” you or “down” to you?
• Is he or she trying to do your recovery work?
• Is he or she drinking or doing drugs in front of you?

Our Customized Addiction Treatment

At Complete Harmony, we understand that each person’s addiction history, family dynamics and emotional experiences differ. To this end, we customize care to your personal objectives, religious beliefs and health considerations. To learn more about our holistic addiction treatment, call today: 866-930-4673.

Suicides Rates on the Rise in U.S.

Amid the startling news of the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain came a disturbing new statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 1999, the suicide rate in the United States has risen 28 percent.

Despite growing efforts toward prevention and awareness, suicide rates increased in almost every state between 1999 and 2016. Since 1999, rates rose more than 30 percent in half the states and, in 2016 alone, nearly 45,000 lives were lost to suicide. 

While nearly half of those who lost their life to suicide had a diagnosed mental illness, other factors also played a role, including relationship problems, financial troubles, health issues and substance abuse. 

This is further proof that using alcohol or drugs to self-medicate or escape life’s stressors is risky business.

Recognizing the Redflags

It’s important to recognize the following warning signs of suicide in yourself or someone you love. 

• Talking about suicide — for example, making statements such as "I'm going to kill myself," "I wish I were dead" or "I wish I hadn't been born"
• Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone
• Mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next
• Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence
• Feeling trapped or hopeless 
• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Risky or self-destructive behavior (driving recklessly, substance abuse, cutting)
• Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order for no logical explanation 
• Saying goodbye to people as if they won't be seen again
• Personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated

Suicide is preventable and any suicidal thought or ideation warrants immediate attention. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

Getting Help for Depression and Addiction
For men and women struggling with mental illness and addictive tendencies, rehabilitation may seem like an impossible journey. Complete Harmony offers integrated therapeutic, holistic, and medical support for clients dealing with co-existing addiction and mental illness. Our experience with mental illness is broad and deep. For more info, call 866-930-4673.

Study: Exercise Can Help Treat Addiction

Exercise really is crucial for long-term sobriety. A new study by researchers at the Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo found that daily aerobic exercise altered the mesolimbic dopamine pathway in the brains of animal models. 

So what exactly does that mean? Doing “cardio” each day can help stop the flood of the feel-good chemical dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with drug and alcohol use disorders. 

"Several studies have shown that...aerobic exercise has been effective in preventing the start, increase and relapse of substance use in a number of categories," Panayotis (Peter) Thanos, PhD, RIA senior research scientist and senior author of the study, said in a statement. This includes alcohol, nicotine, stimulants and opioids (heroin, morphine and fentanyl). 

Dr. Thanos adds: “Current work is looking at whether exercise can normalize dopamine signaling that has been changed by chronic drug use, as this may provide key support of how exercise could serve as a treatment strategy for substance abuse.” 

While more studies are underway to determine new ways to “integrate exercise into treatment regimens,” it certainly can’t hurt to get your heart pumping with a bit of brisk exercise. Current exercise guidelines recommend adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week.

The physical and mental benefits are far-reaching, including reducing stress, anxiety and depression, which often co-occur with addiction. Plus, a regular cardio routine can help you sleep better, manage your weight and prevent arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Finding Your Fitness Motivation

The best form of exercise during addiction recovery is the kind that motivates you and supports your new sober lifestyle. At Complete Harmony, our hybrid addiction recovery program offers exercise planning to strengthen your body and mind during addiction recovery. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.