Strategies for Navigating Holiday Highs and Lows

For many people, the holiday season conjures mental images of warm family dinners, holiday parties, gift exchanges and crackling fires. However, for others, this time of year can bring sadness, loneliness, tense family dynamics, financial strain and a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder.

If you struggle with emotional ups and downs during the holidays, you are not alone. In one survey of 1,000 people, nearly half of them said they would prefer to skip Christmas altogether to avoid the finance-related stress the holiday creates. That eye-opening number shows how ill-prepared we often are to cope with the unique stressors of this time of year.

Stress is a significant relapse trigger for many people. However, your time in recovery has provided you with all the skills you need to protect your sobriety – you just need to know when and how to use them. Here are our top strategies for making it through this holiday season with your sobriety intact.

1. Remember You Aren’t Alone

Because addiction can have long-lasting effects, going through a recovery program does not “cure” you of your disease. Instead, it teaches you to manage the symptoms. However, learning how to balance your emotions and make good decisions is an ongoing process.

When you were in active addiction, you may have developed a habit of secrecy and isolation, but now that you’re working on your sobriety, you must learn how to come out of your shell and share your feelings with people you trust – especially when you’re feeling down. If you’re struggling, you don’t have to do so in silence. Others can offer valuable advice to help pull you out of a rut.

2. Don't Take Time off From Your Recovery Routine

Though holidays may be special occasions where you get to prepare your favorite foods, spend more time with loved ones and maybe enjoy a few days off work, you still need to engage in your recovery routine just like you would on any other day. Even though the holiday season can feel different, you can’t skip the things you consistently do to stay on track and maintain your emotional well-being, such as journaling, meditating, exercising, sleeping well and going to therapy.

3. Learn to Leave Your Past Behind

The holidays might bring back repressed memories of how you behaved when you were in the grip of your addiction. For example, maybe you drank too much at Christmas dinner one year and started an argument with your grandfather about your opposing political beliefs. Though you can use your past to reflect on the many good reasons you chose to pursue sobriety, it isn’t productive to dwell on embarrassing things you did or said.

Sobriety is an opportunity to make new memories and forge new traditions during the holidays. It’s also a time to recognize that you are working to be a better person, and that your past does not define you. Embrace the holiday season as a present you have given yourself.

The Greatest Gift Is Your Sobriety

This holiday, put yourself and your needs first. You decided to walk the path of sobriety, and while it is not always a smooth or straight one, there are countless rewards along the way. Don’t let stress get the better of you during this emotionally challenging time of year. You know what’s best for you, so now, all you need to do is act on it.

If you’re seeking a holistic route to recovery outside the traditional 12-step approach, Complete Harmony can help show you the way. To discover the benefits of our healing center, contact us today.

Take a Deep Breath: Breathing Exercises to Help You Stay Calm

Breathing is something you do thousands of times a day, usually completely unconsciously. Inhaling brings oxygen into your bloodstream, and you release the waste product of carbon dioxide on each exhale. If you’re like most people, you usually aren’t aware of how you’re breathing, but bringing your attention to your breath can make a world of difference – especially if you’re someone living with anxiety, panic attacks and other emotional disorders.

How Does Your Breath Contribute to Your Emotions?

Though you’re usually not conscious of your breathing patterns, you might be able to think back to times when your breath was rapid and shallow, as opposed to deep and relaxed. When people are experiencing periods of anxiety, they tend to take breaths from their chest, as opposed to their abdominal region.

If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you may recall that it seemed more difficult for you to draw full breaths during those times. Though you might not have been able to bring your full attention to this phenomenon in the moment, shortness of breath is one of the most common symptoms of panic attacks. It can make you feel like you’re suffocating or choking, which can lead to the near-death sensation that often accompanies panic attacks and panic disorder.

In contrast, deep, even breaths are a characteristic of the type of relaxed breathing that comes from your belly. If you’ve ever watched a family pet or a small child sleep, you are probably familiar with how this fully restful breathing pattern looks. It’s likely you do this yourself when you’re in your most restorative sleep stage.

Relaxing Breathing Exercises to Try

Next time you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, experiment with these ideas to help control your emotional levels naturally.

1. The 4-7-8 Technique

The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for four seconds, holding it for seven seconds, then exhaling for eight seconds. The idea is that this method requires you to take full, deep breaths in and out.

To begin, sit in a comfortable position and place the tip of your tongue directly below the tissue above the back of your top teeth. Then, do the following steps:

• Fully empty your lungs of air.
• Breathe in through your nose for a count of four seconds.
• Hold it for seven seconds.
• Exhale forcefully through your mouth, making a huffing noise, for eight seconds.
• Repeat, as necessary, up to four times per session to get maximum benefits.

2. Equal Breathing

If you need a quick solution to get control of your anxiety, give this method a try. Either in a sitting or lying position, breathe in through your nose for four seconds, then slowly exhale for four counts, also through your nose.

This approach derives from yoga breathing techniques, which require you to focus on your breath by adding the resistance of breathing slowly in and out through your nose. As you get better at this method, try adding a few seconds at a time to each breath – up to six to eight counts at a time.

3. Progressive Relaxation

For times when you need full-body relaxation – for example, if you are too anxious to fall asleep – close your eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for two to three seconds at a time. Start with your feet and toes, then move up to the rest of your body one part at a time – continually maintaining deep, slow breaths.

Discover a Place of Healing

If you’re interested in exploring holistic, non-12-step programming for effective recovery from addiction and related mental health disorders such as anxiety, connect with our advisors at Complete Harmony. We can help you retrain your mind to learn healthy coping skills and regain your overall sense of well-being.

How to Practice Gratitude This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday where you take stock of your life and be grateful for what you have, but many people lose sight of that purpose amid all the stress of planning, cooking, cleaning and hosting. Being grateful requires a mindful and intentional approach, which is why it can be such a beneficial practice for people in addiction recovery.

Why Can Thankfulness Help You?

Research suggests that developing a habit of gratitude not only makes you feel happier, but can also improve your health. However, many people overlook the need to be grateful every day. Instead, they focus on the negative things that have happened to them that day – the barista got their morning coffee order wrong, their meeting at work ran an hour longer than it was supposed to, their dental checkup revealed a new cavity.

Being aware of, and taking the time to appreciate, the small blessings that make up each new day is an integral part of minimizing stress and helping you build a solid foundation for success in addiction recovery. What are some easy things you can do to bring more gratitude into your daily life?

1. Don’t Try to Be Perfect

We’re all human, and part of being human means you will occasionally slip up. Perhaps, for example, you have a day where you decide to skip your regular recovery group meeting because you had to work late. Instead of berating yourself for things you believe you did “wrong,” think back and focus on all the things that went well. Maybe in staying late at work, you got yourself ahead of the game in preparing for a major presentation. Use this positivity to focus more fully on your recovery plan.

2. Write It Down

If you have trouble accentuating the positive, start a gratitude journal. Buy a dedicated notebook, or go digital and create a new file on your computer. Every day, make time to write down something you’re happy or thankful for, no matter how small. For instance, “Today, my co-worker helped me when I was struggling, and it made a big difference in the rest of my day.”

3. Bring Mindfulness to Every Day

Whether you’re eating a meal, taking your dog for a walk or going to sleep, there are plenty of ways to incorporate forms of mindfulness into your daily activities. Being more mindful can also be a tool to build your gratitude and sense of inner peace.

Benefits of Gratitude in Addiction Recovery

As a recovering addict, you can and should be grateful for your sobriety and the progress you have made. Working toward a positive mindset will help you be more resilient when setbacks occur, so you can meet the obstacles head-on, instead of allowing them to pile up.

The stressors and various family pressures associated with the holiday season can present a unique challenge for people in addiction recovery. However, with the right mindset, you can welcome the opportunity to practice your gratitude – not only on Thanksgiving Day, but year-round. You will be amazed at how quickly the right attitude can change your life for the better.

At Complete Harmony, you can discover the benefits of holistic addiction recovery at our beautiful facility by the sea. Contact us to learn more about starting your journey toward healing.

Ideas for Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder

Now that daylight saving time has ended and the days are getting shorter, you may be struggling to keep an optimistic attitude. If you find yourself dreading those premature sunsets and long nights, you’re not alone – you may have a condition called seasonal affective disorder.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder, aptly abbreviated SAD, is more common than you might realize. According to the Cleveland Clinic, approximately half a million people in the U.S. live with the so-called “winter blues.”

While experts don’t know the exact reason this condition occurs, it’s not a stretch to see the connection between a lack of sunlight and mood disorders. Having less available sunlight can shift the body’s circadian rhythms and disrupt the transmission of neurotransmitters – brain chemicals such as serotonin and melatonin that play a role in regulating your mood and your sleep cycle.

Recognizing SAD Symptoms

SAD sufferers share many of the common indicators of depression, such as sadness, withdrawal from your social life and an overall lack of interest in activities you normally enjoy. If you have SAD, you may also find yourself having trouble concentrating and feeling extreme fatigue, even if you’ve gotten the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep.

Tips for Treating SAD

If SAD is making you feel lethargic and unmotivated to participate in your normal daily routine, you may be relieved to learn there are some all-natural ways to treat SAD and help get you back on track.

1. Try Light Therapy

At-home light therapy lamps or boxes emit bright light that imitates sunshine. If you have SAD, you can sit in front of this lamp for about half an hour per day, usually when you first get up in the morning. Doing this will help regulate your circadian rhythms and suppress your brain’s release of melatonin, helping you feel more awake and alert.

2. Go to a Doctor

If the world seems grayer and less enjoyable in the fall and winter, a doctor can evaluate your symptoms and ask you questions to determine if you are living with seasonal depression. If your screening indicates you do have SAD, seeing a therapist to talk through your feelings can be constructive.

3. Use Essential Oils

You may already know how beneficial aromatherapy can be as part of your self-care routine. Essential oils can act on the part of your brain that regulates your mood and your body clock. Choose your essential oils wisely. For example, if you’re feeling sluggish and having trouble concentrating, peppermint oil can help perk you up. In contrast, use soothing oils like lavender to help you wind down before bedtime.

4. Work up a Sweat

Exercise is just as useful for banishing the symptoms of SAD as it is for other forms of depression. Getting your heart pumping can also help combat the weight gain that often accompanies seasonal depression. Outdoor exercise is ideal because it helps you get natural sunlight, but if it’s raining or snowing and you can’t get outside, do your workout inside next to a window.

Re-Balance Your Mood

Mood disorders like SAD are especially risky for people in addiction recovery because feelings like sadness and loneliness are often powerful relapse triggers. Experiment with one or more of these methods to regain your equilibrium, and try to keep a positive outlook – come Dec. 22, the days will gradually start getting longer again.

If you need help turning your life around, contact our team at Complete Harmony. We offer holistic healing as an alternative to traditional 12-step approaches, and we are available to speak with you about your needs 24/7.

How a Recovery Journal Can Help You Maintain Your Sobriety

If you have kept a journal or diary at any point in your life, you are probably already familiar with how therapeutic it can be to write down your thoughts and feelings. Doing so not only makes you feel calmer and more in control, but in going back and reviewing previous entries, you can put your progress in perspective.

Keeping a journal can benefit your mental health, but it can also be a tremendously useful tool if you’re working through the daily challenges associated with addiction recovery. Let’s explore some of the top advantages of keeping a journal, and you can decide whether to use this writing exercise to strengthen your recovery efforts.

1. Getting to Know Yourself

If you are trying to work on the root causes of your addiction, it can be helpful to spot patterns behind your triggers, cravings and the issues you struggle with most. You might also benefit from being able to identify specific negative thoughts and emotions that can put your recovery efforts at risk. When you can recognize harmful self-talk creeping in, you can take steps to reframe it into more positive language.

It’s both unhealthy and unconstructive to keep difficult emotions pent up inside. Retaining bottled-up feelings can overstress you and threaten your sobriety. Your journal, therefore, can be a quiet, safe place for you to express yourself with no worry about external judgment or criticism.

2. Evaluating Your Progress

If you are still in the early phases of your recovery, you might be relying on your journal as an outlet for your most complex, confusing emotions. Given enough space and time, you’ll see a bigger picture start to emerge as you get a more complete sense of what you need to navigate the waters of recovery. Your journal entries will reflect your growth and development one day at a time.

As you continue to make progress in your recovery, your journal can begin to serve as a series of inspirational messages from your previous selves. When you have a few moments to spare, take a few minutes to review your earliest journal entries and compare them to the more recent ones you’ve written. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by the progress you’ve made, which can enable you to let go of your past and begin starting over.

3. Freeing Your Mind of Burdens

If you struggle with anxiety, you already know the rush of unwanted feelings and intrusive thoughts it can bring on. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with stress and a near-constant stream of worry, journaling can help you unburden yourself. In many cases, the straightforward act of putting your worries into words will calm your racing mind and enable you to relax and let go of tension.

4. Protecting Your Privacy

One other noticeable benefit of journaling is that it allows you to put your thoughts and feelings on paper, while still keeping them private. Unless you want to, you never have to share your journal with anybody else. That means you can be as honest as you need to be about the challenges you’re having from moment to moment, or even in the long term.

Think of your journal as a conversation between your current self and your past self. There is no “wrong” or “right” way to keep a journal. Just put your fingers on the keyboard – or your pen on your paper – and let the thoughts flow out of your subconscious mind.

A Proud History of Recovery Results At Complete Harmony, we combine traditional, evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy with holistic approaches like massage, meditation, acupuncture and yoga to create a highly effective, non-12-step addiction recovery program. If you’re ready to discover a fresh beginning without relying on the crutch of drugs and alcohol, contact us today.

How to Explain Addiction to a Non-Addict

Millions of people have experimented with drugs, and many people regularly have a few glasses of wine with dinner. Most of those people can use these substances in moderation, and don’t overindulge to the point of jeopardizing their health, happiness and well-being. However, the situation is quite different for someone who develops an addiction. Once the powerful pull of a substance use disorder takes over your life, you lose the ability to say no.

As a person in recovery, you will eventually reach a point where you meet someone new and have to explain the difference between occasional substance use and a full-scale addiction. A casual user who has control over when and how much they drink or use drugs may say offhand things such as, “Just one won’t hurt,” without understanding how much harm it can do. What can you do when those around you don’t understand how challenging it is to walk the path of recovery?

Addiction Isn’t a Lack of Willpower

There is a persistent stigma around addiction that it stems from a place of weakness. However, addiction is a chronic, progressive disease. As with other such illnesses, there is no cure, but someone who has developed a substance misuse disorder can learn strategies to manage it and keep its symptoms at bay.

Many people, including some living with an active addiction, chalk substance misuse up to a lack of willpower. When you accept that you have a lifelong sickness, it becomes easier to stand by your convictions, avoid temptation and do what you need to do to protect your sobriety.

Become Your Best Advocate

As with any other chronic disease, there may be various times when your symptoms flare up. In recovery, you could struggle more during stressful times at work or with family members. Other triggering events could involve places or people that remind you of when you used to drink or use drugs. At these times, you must stay attuned to your triggers and take additional steps to protect yourself. If you encounter a situation that puts your sobriety at risk, give yourself permission to walk away. Tell people around you that you may need to leave an event suddenly if you feel endangered in any way.

Be an Educational Resource

Some people may not understand addiction as a disease because nobody has ever adequately explained it to them. With their permission, explain that many diseases and disorders may not display obvious symptoms, but that doesn’t make them any less genuine. People living with these conditions learn to develop strategies to help them manage their symptoms and live as close to a normal life as possible. No one would attempt to downplay the severity of heart disease, depression or diabetes. Addiction requires the same compassionate response.

Accept That Not Everyone Will Understand

No matter how thoroughly you spell out why addiction is an illness that requires you to manage it for the rest of your life, you will still encounter people who don’t believe you. You must be tolerant and have realistic explanations for what people will be able to accept. Some people you meet will not appreciate how many obstacles you have faced in achieving sobriety, and that’s OK.

What matters most is that you know what you’ve been through, what you need to be healthy and that you never compromise your health and happiness to meet other people’s expectations. Surround yourself with people who offer you the love and support you deserve. Your life is in the balance, and you deserve to live free of the burden of substance abuse.

Your Recovery Awaits

At Complete Harmony, we offer a holistic, non-12-step approach to treating substance misuse issues. To learn more about how we can help you achieve mental, physical and spiritual health, speak to a recovery advisor today.

5 Ways to Sneak Meditation Into Your Day

It’s hard to find a habit with more benefits than meditation. The practice creates a profound sense of self-awareness that can not only make you more mentally healthy and stable, but can also help you follow a lifestyle that improves the world around you.

For many people, the word “meditation” conjures an image of sitting still for hours at a time until they achieve a state of inner peace. This idea can turn some away from the practice because they believe it requires dedicating hours of time and effort every day.

The truth is, meditation is something you can do almost anywhere and anytime without having to rearrange your schedule or isolate yourself from the world. Here are five easy ways to sneak meditation into your daily life.

1. Greet the Day

One of the most straightforward ways to meditate is when you first wake up. Set your alarm five to 10 minutes earlier than usual. When your alarm goes off, sit up and take 10 deep, slow breaths. While you’re doing so, think of things, people or situations you’re grateful for, and linger on each item for a moment. This practice will help you start each day in a positive state of mind.

2. Mealtime Meditation

Before sitting down to a meal, take the opportunity to meditate. This practice is excellent for helping you feel thankful for what you have and improving your relationship with food. Either aloud or in your mind, say, “I’m thankful for this meal and for the nourishment it will provide my body.”

Then, take a moment to notice how your food looks and smells before you take your first bite. This practice is beneficial for helping you think about food in a new light, instead of mindlessly cramming meals into your mouth without noticing them.

3. Walking Meditation

Anytime you are walking for more than a few minutes, take the opportunity to do a walking meditation. This practice is an excellent way to live in the moment and contemplate the sensory experience you are having while you move.

Start by bringing your focus back to your breath. Then, shift your attention to how it feels to move your body through space. Finally, transfer your awareness to your surroundings. How does the sunlight feel on your face? Is there a breeze blowing through your hair? Can you hear birds chirping? What colors can you see? Notice all these small details.

4. Waiting Meditation

Use this meditation next time you’re waiting for something or someone. Instead of reflexively checking your phone or looking around for some other distraction, stop and take a few deep breaths. Again, check in with your body and see how you’re feeling. If you are holding tension anywhere, consciously release it.

Are there people around you? If so, how do they make you feel? You can learn a lot about yourself by observing how your surroundings affect your emotions.

5. Bedtime Meditation

Bedtime is one of the best times of day to sneak in a brief meditation session. As a bonus, this practice can help you fall asleep faster.

Start your nighttime meditation by writing down anything that’s on your mind, whether it’s a to-do list or a nagging worry that’s been following you around all day. Once you’ve gotten it all on paper, close your eyes and picture yourself placing these burdens under lock and key.

Mindfully take 10 deep breaths here, and tell yourself your worries are safe and they don’t have to follow you into sleep. This practice will help you enjoy a more restful night.

Achieve Balance at Complete Harmony

Complete Harmony provides a well-rounded alternative to traditional drug and alcohol rehabilitation. At our beautiful healing center in California, you can discover a new way of life without the burdens of addiction weighing you down. Learn more about our innovative treatment program, and reach out to our recovery advisors to start your recovery journey on the right foot.

The Advantages of Holistic Rehab Programs

When you are seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, you will quickly discover not all rehab centers are the same. While they share the common goal of helping you get to the root of your addiction and learning how to live a healthy life without relying on these dangerous substances, there are many paths to achieve that objective. Choosing the right rehab involves understanding your unique needs and your mindset.

What Is Holistic Rehabilitation?

Holistic treatment is an approach that addresses the mind, body and spirit. In other words, the treatment you receive at a holistic rehab center will address your physical health alongside your mental health and your spirituality.

Holistic rehab serves as an alternative to traditional 12-step addiction recovery. Because of its versatility, this approach allows you to receive a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. Many people who have not achieved long-term sobriety after undergoing conventional rehab discover success in a holistic program that allows them to find balance in all areas of their lives.

What Are the Benefits of Holistic Rehab?

There are several things that set the holistic addiction treatment approach apart, including the following.

• It supports both physical and mental wellness.
• You can undergo customized treatment based on your lifestyle.
• By incorporating physical activity and a variety of holistic treatments, you may notice your symptoms of anxiety or depression reduced significantly.
• Focusing on the spiritual aspect of recovery can teach you more about yourself, your relationships with others and the value you bring to the world.

Does Holistic Addiction Treatment Replace Traditional Therapy?

You can think of holistic rehab as a supplement to traditional approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and relapse prevention strategies. Incorporating methods like the following into your treatment can complement standard treatment methods and enhance their effectiveness.

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care
• Massage
• Meditation and mindfulness practices
• Yoga

Becoming the Best Version of Yourself

Your goal in addiction recovery is to discover what you’re truly capable of. Don’t confuse that with the idea of seeking perfection or other unrealistic expectations. Therapy will help you discover the underlying reasons for your addiction and teach you how to address them constructively. You may discover that continuing to pursue holistic treatments once you transition out of inpatient treatment can help you manage stress, cravings and triggers, thus making you less likely to experience a relapse.

Because of the many advantages of holistic treatments, they are a central focus of our recovery programs at Complete Harmony. We have seen firsthand how many people’s lives become richer and more fulfilling after completing our customized drug and alcohol rehab. When you are ready to rediscover and realign yourself physically, mentally and spiritually, contact our compassionate team of addiction specialists today. A full recovery is within your power to achieve.

Your Addiction Doesn’t Define You

For many years, you counted on drugs or alcohol to help you feel good about yourself and get through stressful periods in your life. Now that you’re working on your sobriety, you may be struggling to recognize who you are without these substances. Now is the time to commit to a fresh start, one in which addiction doesn’t control how you behave or see yourself.

Letting Go of Labels

Despite some progress society has made in recent decades, there is still a stigma around substance misuse and mental health disorders. Even people who have been sober for years might feel compelled to apologize for addiction as a shortcoming or a fall from grace.

You may have issues with substance abuse, but your life is larger than the label of “addict.” Recovery can free you to discover a passion for things like cooking, painting or spiritual practices such as yoga or meditation. To move past the guilt and shame associated with addiction, you need to embrace yourself as a whole person instead of focusing on one dimension of your experiences.

Replacing Shame With Positivity

Shame is a natural human emotion. Everyone has at least one thing they wish they could go back and change about their past, but dwelling on it is a sign that you are overly focused on negative thinking.

If you often feel worthless, or undeserving of love and happiness, you need to remember you are equally as valuable as everyone else. Eliminating negative self-talk can improve your mood and your self-esteem, and allows you to live the rich and fulfilling life you should strive to pursue.

Many people in early recovery incorrectly believe that any setback, no matter how small, means they are not good enough, or that they haven’t put in the right amount of effort to deserve the rewards that accompany sobriety. However, there is no such thing as perfection. Instead of getting frustrated or beating yourself up about mistakes you’ve made, welcome them as a learning experience that is helping you make progress.

Learning to Talk Through Your Feelings

Actively maintaining an addiction often requires secrecy and deceit. You may have kept your spouse in the dark about where you were or what you spent money on. Perhaps you were dishonest with your boss about having to leave work early for a dentist’s appointment, when in reality you were going to meet up with your dealer to buy more drugs. And you almost certainly lied to yourself about the extent of the damage you were causing to your health and happiness by abusing drugs or alcohol.

Now that you are clean and pursuing your recovery goals, you might find these old deceptive habits are hard to break. However, it is essential to be as open and honest as possible if you’re working on getting out from under the burdens of addiction. If you need help, feel lonely or are having a stressful day, reach out to your sober support network and talk to a friend, a sponsor or your therapist. Don’t get trapped in a cycle of negativity and guilt. Those feelings can erode the progress you’ve made.

Experiencing Gratitude

Learning to embrace gratitude is a vital part of recovery. You have received a unique opportunity to reinvent yourself, free of the substances that were crushing your spirit. Your addiction will always be part of who you are, but it’s not your whole story.

At Complete Harmony, we believe in a holistic approach to recovery that helps heal people physically, mentally and spiritually. If you are ready to explore our treatment options and learn how to find a healing home at our beach retreat, contact us today.

What’s the Best Diet to Follow in Early Recovery?

Healthy eating habits play a vital role in the process of recovering from a long-term drug or alcohol addiction. Staying drug- and alcohol-free after you complete a recovery program is a challenge, but maintaining healthy eating habits can help you accomplish this goal.

Nutrition Advice for Recovering Addicts

While there’s no one specific diet that’s best for you to eat when you’re trying to protect your sobriety, the optimal eating plan involves plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole-grain breads and cereals. Here are five nutrition tips to follow.

1. Establish a healthy eating routine. People who have used drugs and alcohol for a long time neglect good nutrition because they are more focused on getting their next dose than they are about what they are putting on their plates. Newly sober people should try to not only eat healthy foods, but to get in the habit of eating at the same times each day. Following a sensible diet can also help protect your sobriety by helping you avoid mood swings that may trigger addiction cravings.

2. Try to keep sugar consumption to a minimum. Many people trying to establish healthier eating habits still struggle with sugar, which tends to hide in processed foods. Some research suggests sugar affects the brain’s dopamine levels in a similar way as drugs and alcohol, which is why recovering addicts may crave sugar. It’s best to avoid any foods that spike your blood sugar levels in early recovery, since dramatic fluctuations could affect your mood and make you more likely to relapse.

3. Choose foods that are easy to digest. Recovering drug addicts, especially opioid abusers, frequently experience digestive disorders. Nausea and upset stomach are also common withdrawal symptoms. Easily digested foods, like eggs and toast, are a good choice if you are having gastrointestinal problems.

4. Consume caffeine with caution. People in early recovery should cut out caffeine altogether, or limit their consumption to only one cup of coffee per day. Though caffeine is not dangerously addictive like some drugs, it is a stimulant with the potential to create a physical and psychological dependence.

5. Get plenty of vitamins. People who have lived with substance misuse for many years can become malnourished. Eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fresh produce, dairy, nuts and heart-healthy fiber can help you get the nutrients you need. Try using an app such as Nutrition Facts, which can tell you at a glance about the nutrition content of your food. Or, experiment with the “eat a rainbow” approach to meal planning, which can help make sure you are getting a wide variety of nutrients every day.

Eating Your Way to Better Health

Your diet plays a tremendous role in your mood, energy levels and overall well-being, which is why it is essential to plan a balanced diet if you are working on your sobriety. Considering food as part of your holistic recovery plan is another strategy for bringing balance to your body, mind and spirit. Contact us at Complete Harmony to learn more about our unique approach to addiction recovery.

The Benefits of Adopting a Pet for Addiction Recovery

When you are working on your addiction recovery, it can be enormously beneficial to have something outside yourself to focus on and ease your distress. You will need a lot of support to succeed in your sobriety, and one holistic way to find this support is to open your home and your heart to a pet who needs a loving caregiver.

Advantages of Having a Pet as a Recovering Addict

The connection between humans and their pets has existed for generations, and there are many excellent reasons for this.

1. Pets give pure, unconditional love. Pets will never judge or criticize you, and all they ask from you in return is your care and attention. Knowing there is someone in your life who will accept you, no matter what, can do wonders to help you rebuild your self-esteem. No matter what mistakes you make during the day, they will always be there to welcome you home and make you feel needed. You may have human family members who will love you unconditionally, but the danger is that they will enable your addiction out of a misguided sense of love. Pets can never enable your addiction, but they will love you in spite of it.

2. Pets help you understand yourself better. Animals, especially dogs and horses, are emotionally honest all the time. It’s impossible for them to hide feelings like happiness, sadness and fear. After years of numbing emotions through drug and alcohol abuse, you will have to relearn how to recognize and express your emotions, and pets can be integral to that process.

3. Pets help reduce stress and loneliness. Because stress and loneliness can be such significant relapse triggers, people in recovery need to find healthy ways to avoid these problems. Interacting with your pet can help increase oxytocin levels in the brain, which can relax you and reduce anxiety and depression.

4. Pets help you build relationships with others. Staying committed to addiction recovery often requires you to let go of old, unhealthy relationships and create new ones. Because pets are always there for you, it’s easier to bond with them than it is to bond with people. Having a pet can also get you out of the house to meet other pet parents, and can be an excellent icebreaker as you seek to form new sober friendships.

5. Pets encourage responsibility. Before you adopt a pet, consider if you are ready for the extra financial and emotional commitment you’ll have to make in life. It’s not fair to your pet to neglect its needs. If you do decide you’re ready to take on the responsibility, having a pet can help you rebuild your feelings of self-worth and competence. A pet’s livelihood depends on you and the choices you make to provide a good home. Their reliance on you can help you feel worthy of trust as a pet owner.

Your Fresh Start Awaits

Complete Harmony is a California-based facility that provides alternatives to traditional 12-step addiction rehab programs. Our holistic treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, acupuncture, relapse prevention and more. When you are ready to learn more, reach out to our compassionate team for ‘round-the-clock assistance.

Rediscover Your Health With Alternative Therapies

If you’re working on overcoming an addiction, your primary focus is to reclaim your health. Long-term drug and alcohol misuse has left you physically, mentally and spiritually imbalanced, and now you have turned your attention to the quest for wellness. Alternative therapies, including the field of holistic medicine, can be the asset you’ve been looking for.

What Is Holistic Medicine?

Holistic healing is based on the idea that treating the whole person is essential to better health. All living beings are a system of interdependent parts, and if one of those parts is not working properly, it will cause all the other components to suffer.

While traditional Western medicine relies heavily on prescription medications to “cure” illnesses, holistic doctors rely on all forms of available health care to treat their patients. Giving you medication will not be a holistic healer’s first and only recourse. To begin with, they will take into account all the other factors that may be contributing to your imbalance, including sleep habits, stress, diet and exercise. A holistic treatment plan will include lifestyle modifications to realign your overall well-being, rather than addressing only one symptom.

Guiding Principles Behind Alternative Therapies

Holistic medicine draws its effectiveness from the concept that all people are born with self-healing abilities. A physician who specializes in holistic healing takes a person-centered approach. Instead of focusing solely on your ailment, they will address the underlying causes of the condition using a variety of treatment options.

Your practitioner’s goal will be to help you take responsibility for your health and well-being. Depending on their training, they may recommend specific lifestyle changes to help you achieve a better physical, mental and spiritual state of being. These changes may include nutrition, counseling, exercise or modifying your sleeping habits, among others. Some alternative wellness providers also offer therapies such as massage, acupuncture, homeopathy and naturopathy.

How to Find a Holistic Healer

If you are interested in working with a holistic practitioner near you, you can use the search feature on the American Holistic Health Association’s website to connect you with healers in your area. When choosing a doctor, be sure to research their training, experience and background, and make sure the provider is board-certified.

In holistic medicine, you and your health care provider work as a team to heal you physically, mentally and emotionally, so you should be sure to look for a doctor whose treatment philosophy and ideals align with yours. You also want to find someone who makes you feel at ease and respects your goals and beliefs.

Above all else, when researching potential alternative therapies, make sure the treatment options go beyond pills. You want to rediscover whole-person wellness that also takes your unique needs as a recovering addict into account. A doctor whose foremost approach is to send you home with one or more prescriptions is understandably someone you might be wary of working with.

An Alternative Approach to Addiction Recovery

Are you ready to rediscover the joy and confidence in your life? At Complete Harmony, our caring team of specialists is dedicated to helping you conquer your addiction and heal you with our state-of-the-art, non-12-step programs. We will develop an individualized treatment plan that respects your beliefs and boundaries, and you will realize the best in yourself along the way. Call our California addiction treatment center at 866-930-4673, or reach out to our recovery advisors online.

Making Relaxation Part of Your Recovery

Learning to relax and let go of tension is an essential recovery skill for several reasons. Most notably, stress is a key relapse trigger for many people. When you allow stress to take over your life, it may tempt you to throw away all the progress you’ve made in your sobriety.

Due to the way addiction hijacks your brain chemistry to the point where you associate substance use as your only way to alleviate stress, it’s natural to have cravings when you feel overwhelmed. If you don’t take daily steps to recharge and relax, you can jeopardize your physical, mental and emotional health. With that in mind, here are five ways to relax in your recovery.

1. Exercise

Bringing exercise into a conversation about relaxation may seem counterintuitive. After all, vigorous physical activity is the opposite of being calm. However, regular exercise is one of the best ways you can bring relaxation into your life. Exercising helps release feel-good chemicals that regulate your emotions. It also encourages deeper and more restorative sleep, which gives your body and mind the opportunity to bounce back from the challenges of the day.

2. Meditate

Meditation is one of the most valuable practices you can learn in recovery. This ancient technique teaches practitioners to be more present in the moment, lending both a focus and a renewed sense of purpose to your life. Meditation is also a way to explore your emotions without fear of anyone judging you or detracting from your experience. When you make time to practice meditation regularly, you will learn how to recognize negative or self-destructive thoughts as they arise, then let them go when they threaten your well-being.

3. Practice Progressive Relaxation

Many people tend to unconsciously hold tension in major muscle groups such as their lower back, shoulders, neck and jawline. Progressive muscle relaxation can help you not only learn where you store tension in your body, but also to release it. With this technique, you focus on relaxing one body part at a time, only moving on after you have allowed it to release completely. Progressive muscle relaxation can be helpful if you are struggling with insomnia, or if you are having a difficult day and need to make time to de-stress.

4. Breathe Deeply

Your breath is linked to many other components of your body. By slowing your breathing, you are sending your brain a clear message to calm down. Your brain, in turn, can slow your heart rate. Whenever you need to relax, even if you only have a few minutes, slow and regular breathing can help you regain control of your emotions and rein in the tension. You can even try a visualization alongside your breathing, such as telling yourself you are inhaling positivity and exhaling negativity.

5. Go Outside

Spending time in nature is an excellent way to relax. The sights, sounds and smells of the great outdoors are not only a feast for the senses, but there’s something about being in the fresh air and sunshine that helps bring a heightened sense of clarity to any day. Whether you’re planning to go on a hike to get your blood pumping, or are merely spending a few minutes reading in a patch of sunlight, you are bringing yourself some serious stress-busting benefits.

Reward Yourself for the Progress You’ve Made

Maintaining your sobriety can be a daily challenge, but you should recognize how to incorporate your recovery goals into your lifestyle. The first step begins with enrolling in a treatment center that recognizes your needs and helps you regain your health with a holistic approach.

At Complete Harmony, we put success within your reach with our range of innovative treatment modalities that allow you to reestablish healthy patterns and become a well-rounded individual. Contact our admissions team to learn more about what we offer.

Finding Joy in Recovery

Addiction is a cruel disorder that eventually strips people of everything they hold dear – their relationships, their livelihoods and even their home and safety. A crucial component of the recovery journey involves learning how to have fun and enjoy life without the burdens of drug or alcohol use weighing you down.

While you might expect to be miserable in an addiction recovery program, that’s far from the truth. On the contrary, rehab is where you can rediscover who you truly are without hiding behind alcohol and drugs. You’ll have the newfound freedom to experience the everyday joys you thought were lost to you forever. Here are our top three tips for finding the joy in your recovery.

1. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Especially early in recovery, you’ll need to avoid places and people that put your recovery at risk. Obviously, that means situations that remind you of when you were actively using, as well as your old drug or drinking buddies, but even some of the sober people you know can jeopardize the progress you’ve made if they belittle you or fail to respect your boundaries.

Instead of spending time around these negative people, find supportive friends and family members who understand your need to prioritize your recovery above all else – people who serve as a shoulder to cry on when you’re struggling, or who are willing to celebrate your successes with you, no matter how small.

2. Manage Your Stress

One of the earliest lessons you will learn on your recovery journey is that avoiding stress is essential if you hope to prevent relapse. When you start to feel overwhelmed, remember there are practical strategies you can use to manage stress in a healthy way.

• Be patient: There are no shortcuts in recovery.
• Learn to say no: It’s OK to set time aside for yourself when you need it. If you feel overtaxed, ask yourself what you can take off your plate.
• Find new outlets: Take up a new hobby, or learn to practice mindfulness meditation, journaling or yoga.

3. Find New Ways to Have Fun

Addiction eventually rewires your brain to the point where you can’t feel good or normal without drinking or using drugs. One of the most fundamental things you’ll need to learn in recovery is how to enjoy your sober lifestyle and find new ways to fill your hours. Boredom is another common relapse trigger for people, so you may have to force yourself to get out and about while your brain chemistry returns to its normal balance. Find activities you’ve never tried before to help stimulate your curiosity and expand your horizons. Take a class at your local community center, or give back to others with volunteer work. There’s no shortage of ways to have fun while remaining sober.

Rediscovering Everyday Happiness

In recovery, you can begin the work of regaining what addiction robbed you of. As you do so, you will begin to feel intensely grateful for everything you still have – including your life and your opportunity to rebuild a sober future. Every year, too many people lost to active addiction never get that second chance, but you don’t have to become part of those statistics. Your recovery is waiting for you at Complete Harmony. Our holistic addiction treatment programs give you the tools to start again. Contact us today to learn more about our California recovery center and start the admissions process.

How to Overcome Social Anxiety Without Relying on Alcohol

If you struggle with social anxiety disorder – a condition that affects up to 15 million American adults – you may have become accustomed to drinking alcohol as a “lubricant” that gets you through parties, family reunions, meeting new people and other situations that require you to interact with others. Now, in recovery, you’re learning to live your life without using alcohol as a crutch. Keeping that in mind, we’ve put together some tips to help you deal with situations that might cause you to feel nervous or inadequate.

What Is Social Anxiety?

The hallmark of social anxiety disorder is a fear of others judging you or viewing you in a negative light, accompanied by feelings of intense distress in unavoidable social situations. Common symptoms include:

• Sweating, shaking, dizziness, nausea or full-fledged panic attacks in social situations
• Fear of embarrassing yourself or people mocking you in public
• Experiencing emotional upheaval when you are the focus of people’s attention

Though people with social anxiety commonly experience shyness or low self-confidence, it’s crucial to note the difference between merely being shy and having social anxiety disorder. For people with social anxiety, almost any interaction with others can be nearly crippling. Even something as simple as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for a grocery store clerk’s help can cause a social anxiety sufferer’s heart rate to spike and their palms to sweat. People living with social anxiety might fret over things like going to parties, weddings or job interviews weeks before they occur.

Tips for Managing Social Anxiety Without Drinking

Now that you’re newly sober, you’ll need to learn to manage anxiety and other emotions you previously masked by drinking. Here are our top tips for keeping anxiety at bay without turning to alcohol.

1. Meditate and Reflect
At the first signs of anxiety or panic, take a moment for yourself. Find a quiet place where you can sit calmly and spend a few minutes practicing deep breathing and regulating your thoughts. Remind yourself that you are not alone, and that many other people experience social anxiety as well. If your attention wanders, bring yourself back to your breath.

2. Keep a Journal
Journaling is a beneficial habit for anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of themselves. Keep a daily log of your accomplishments and setbacks, and note times when you felt most like returning to your old, self-destructive habits. As you look back on the notes you’ve written yourself, you may notice a pattern emerging that you can learn how to leverage to your advantage.

3. Rely on Your Support Network
When you’re struggling to stay afloat, reach out to close friends or family members who understand what you're going through. Letting others know when you’re worried about social gatherings, parties or even merely leaving the house can help you gain a new perspective. If the prospect of going to a party has you on edge, bring a friend with you. Having a friendly, familiar face to focus on will calm you down and make you less susceptible to drinking.

You Deserve to Be Your Best

If you’re seeking help for your drinking or drug problem, let the Complete Harmony team help you reconnect with yourself and rediscover your full potential. We offer an innovative treatment model that represents a holistic alternative to traditional 12-step rehabilitation programs. Call 866-930-4673 to speak to one of our team members about our complete continuum of care.

The Healing Benefits of Aromatherapy

As you work on rebuilding your physical, mental and spiritual health through your recovery journey, there are many alternative therapies you can try, including aromatherapy, which relies upon the therapeutic use of essential oils from plant extracts. You can use aromatherapy on its own, or in conjunction with other holistic treatments like yoga and massage, as part of your well-rounded self-care routine. Here’s everything you need to know to get started with your practice.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

The use of aromatherapy dates back centuries, and today, aromatherapy is one of the fastest-growing areas of complementary medicine in the United States.

Practitioners of natural medicines believe aromatherapy works by stimulating the smell receptors in your nose, which then send messages into the limbic system — the part of your brain that regulates emotions.

You can inhale the highly concentrated oils directly or indirectly through an essential oil diffuser, or apply them to your skin through massage, lotions or bath gel. A word to the wise, however: You can’t use all essential oils topically in their undiluted form. Most need to be added to carrier oils such as olive, grapeseed or sweet almond. If you aren’t sure how to mix your own essential oils, many companies offer essential oils that are pre-blended with a carrier.

How to Choose and Use Essential Oils for Better Well-Being

Unsurprisingly, essential oils derived from different plants have a wide range of benefits. Some, like peppermint, help create a more alert, uplifted mood, while others, like lavender, are deeply soothing and can relieve anxiety and insomnia. Try different oils on different days to see what works best for you.

• Bergamot: Bergamot can be a way to treat stress, depression, anxiety and skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It can help stimulate your internal organs and provide an overall mood boost on days when you’re feeling low.
• Cedarwood: Cedarwood oil has calming properties that many users say help alleviate stress and anxiety. It’s an excellent way to improve mood, and plays a role in aiding respiratory problems, skin problems and urinary tract infections.
• Chamomile: Chamomile is a potent calming agent, as well as an antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant and all-around mood improver. It has analgesic properties and can also help fight inflammation.
• Lavender: In addition to providing some users with rapid relief from anxiety and stress, lavender users say it serves as an antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, deodorant, diuretic and sedative.
• Peppermint: Peppermint oil has a wide range of therapeutic properties in alternative medicine. It is a cooling agent that may enhances mood, sharpens focus, combats irritation and redness, alleviates symptoms of congestion and aids in digestion.
• Tea tree: Proponents of this versatile essential oil say it has abundant healing properties. Not only is it a natural immune booster, but it may also help the body fight off infection. It works to heal skin conditions, burns and cuts and is an insecticide. In addition, it can help soothe and treat cold sores, respiratory conditions, muscle aches, the flu and dandruff.

Holistic Addiction Treatment on a Continuum of Care

At Complete Harmony, we take a whole-person approach to healing the disease of addiction. When you need California drug and alcohol recovery for yourself or a loved one, explore our innovative, non-12-step treatment options, then contact our rehab team.

Why Substance Abuse and Intimacy Issues Go Hand in Hand

Addiction is, at its heart, a disease of isolation and secrecy. People who consistently misuse drugs and alcohol do so as an unhealthy coping mechanism that helps them mask unpleasant thoughts and feelings and makes uncomfortable personal interactions go more smoothly.

For example, perhaps you have unresolved issues with trauma, and drugs or alcohol have become a way for you to avoid thinking about the past. Or, maybe most social interactions make you feel anxious, so when you go to parties, you drink to the point where you feel more confident in socializing with others.

Reasons Substance Abusers Struggle With Intimacy

Many people with substance misuse disorders struggle to relate to other people and form close personal bonds. For obvious reasons, problems like childhood sexual abuse, anxiety and depression give rise to strong feelings of shame and guilt that tend to make people withdraw from society. The connection also leads to the urge to self-medicate and sweep those problems under the rug.

To make matters worse, many people who have underlying intimacy issues begin relying on drugs and alcohol to self-medicate relatively early in their lives, often in their teens or early 20s. As soon as they begin to form their addictive behavior, it stunts the process of emotional growth that forms the foundation of healthy adult relationships.

Often, those who enter recovery report feeling stuck at the emotional level of however old they were when they first began abusing substances. In other words, someone who began drinking or using drugs in high school will probably have the same emotional maturity as a 16- or 17-year-old until they eventually start their recovery journey and resume the process of growing up.

Others start off with deep-seated intimacy disorders that fuel their substance abuse, which in turn exacerbates their intimacy issues. Either way, for many people, substance abuse and intimacy issues become equal halves of a vicious and destructive cycle.

The Costs of Substance Abuse on Relationships

While addiction takes its toll on every relationship in someone’s life, the hardest-hit relationship is often the one between the drug or alcohol abuser and their spouse or partner. As the addiction escalates, it starts to create an emotional divide between the partners that is challenging to overcome. Worsening alcohol and drug use also leads to more arguments, which can sometimes become violent. In some cases, this tension can create an environment in which the partner with the addiction begins to rely on their substance of choice more and more to reduce stress and avoid having to think about the extent of the problems.

There are several telltale signs that drinking, drug use and self-destructive habits by an intimate partner are causing tension within the relationship to the point that drug rehab may be necessary to stop the cycle.

• Drinking or drug use is one of the only activities the partners like to do together.
• Domestic violence sometimes becomes an issue when a partner has been drinking or using drugs.
• One or both partners need to be drunk or high to become sexually intimate or to discuss the problems in their relationship.
• The substance abuser’s drinking or drug use has become the source of many arguments about failure to take care of household responsibilities, lying about where they are going or what they are doing, staying out too late, etc.
• The non-addicted partner has had to make excuses for the drug or alcohol abuser by apologizing to others for their behavior or calling in sick when they are too high or hung over to report to work.
• The partner with the substance misuse disorder drinks or uses drugs to alleviate tension or stress related to household conflict over their substance abuse problems.

Is Addiction Harming Your Relationship?

Don’t let drugs and alcohol destroy your life. Regain control with Complete Harmony’s cutting-edge holistic rehab program. Our professional California rehab team takes an individualized approach to healing every facet of the body, mind and spirit. Speak to one of our recovery advisors today to make a fresh start.

5 Apps That Help You Develop Meditation Habits

It’s no secret meditation has an incredible array of benefits, from lowering stress to curing insomnia to helping you find a sense of inner peace. But if you’ve tried to build a meditation practice, you already know it can be a challenge. Clearing your mind sounds so easy when you read about it, but as soon as you sit down, those intrusive thoughts creep in – and before you know it, you’re thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner instead of focusing on your breath.

If you’ve ever gotten frustrated by your lack of success in building a daily meditation practice, the good news is that there are apps to help you. If you are ready to bring a better balance and perspective to your life through meditation, here are five of the best apps to help you achieve that goal.

1. Calm

You may have learned about Calm from seeing their instantly soothing “Do Nothing for 30 Seconds” TV commercial, or perhaps you became familiar with this app after hearing that Apple named Calm its 2017 App of the Year. Calm is effective because it comes with a range of meditation lengths, as well as seven- and 21-day programs for people who need help developing a healthy habit. For users with insomnia, Calm offers “adult bedtime stories” that will relax you off to dreamland in no time.

2. Headspace

Headspace likens itself to having “a gym membership for your brain.” Its easy-to-follow guided meditations are categorized by theme, but there are also one-off meditations you can do whenever you need a quick break. Going through an especially rough patch in your day? The “SOS” meditation option is ideal for anyone who needs to prevent a mental meltdown. Headspace also offers meditation geared toward kids.

3. Buddhify

If you struggle with anxiety, you might want to install the Buddhify app on your iOS or Android device. Buzzfeed rated this beautifully designed app as their top meditation app to ease anxious thoughts. Buddhify differs from other apps in that its meditations are structured to fit into a busy lifestyle. With Buddhify, you can meditate on the go, no matter where you are. Even if you only have four minutes to squeeze in a meditation session, Buddhify is there for you. Choose your meditation based on what you are doing or feeling at a specific moment. Buddhify also allows you to share the good vibes by sending a meditation to brighten a friend’s day.

4. Stop, Breathe & Think

Available for both iOS and Android devices, Stop, Breathe & Think teaches users to check in with what they are doing and encourages them to take short breaks. After you tell the app where you are mentally, it will provide you with a recommended list of tailored meditations you can try. The app can also provide motivation that keeps you on track with developing your meditation habits by allowing you to view your progress.

5. 10% Happier

If you’ve been curious about meditation, but have found yourself skeptical about its benefits, 10% Happier is the app for you. An offshoot of journalist Dan Harris’ bestselling book of the same name, the app presents the facts about meditation so you can learn how to apply it in your life. This app offers guided audio meditations for coping with stress and anxiety, as well as for specific daily activities like walking and falling asleep.

Your Path to Inner Peace

At Complete Harmony, we have integrated holistic healing treatments like meditation into our hybrid addiction treatment model. Our California drug and alcohol rehab facility offers an integrated approach for clients who wish to undergo healing in a therapeutic setting that treats them as a whole person and allows them to address the roots of their addiction from a mind-body-spirit perspective. Contact us to learn more about beginning your recovery journey.

Stress Awareness Month: Finding Inner Peace

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 – and for good reason. Chronic stress can take a major toll on your physical and emotional health. Plus, it’s one of the biggest risk factors for relapse, Here’s a look at some of the long-term side effects.

• Mental health: depression, anxiety and personality disorders 
• Heart health: Cardiovascular disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks and stroke 
• Obesity and other eating disorders 
• Menstrual problems 
• Sexual dysfunction 
• Skin and hair problems: acne, psoriasis, and eczema and permanent hair loss
• Gastrointestinal problems: GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis and irritable colon 

Focus on Inner Peace to Fend Off Stress

Some experts say that a stubborn focus on your inner peace is the perfect antidote for stress. When you focus on your inner calm, you protect yourself from the stress around you. Stress is like a contagious virus that spreads from person to person. Inner peace helps you create harmony with yourself and the world around you – and it keeps you emotionally balanced so stress doesn’t interfere with your goal of lasting sobriety.

Like most things in recovery, learning to be at peace with yourself will require practice and patience; it won’t happen overnight. It will take some time and effort to forgive yourself for past, poor decisions or choices and to embrace who you are and how far you’ve come in your new sober life.

4 Steps for Finding Inner Peace

Consider incorporating the following steps in your recovery to find inner peace:

1. Seek out moments of silence. When was the last time you just unplugged – no smartphones, no laptops, no television – and just spent time with you and your thoughts? Whether you sit still on your couch or take a peaceful nature walk, carving out time for quiet reflection is a great way to look inward and discover who you are and what you need to feel calm and happy.
2. Make meditation a priority. The great thing about meditation is that it teaches you to notice your thoughts and accept them without passing judgment – and this, in turn, helps to generate inner peace. The peaceful practice of meditation can also enable you to find deeper calm as you release any built-up emotional tension.
3. Say goodbye to regret. Unfortunately, a lot of people in recovery struggle with the toxic emotion of regret. Yet holding onto your pasts mistakes will hold you back from forgiving yourself and finding inner peace. Try talking yourself out of any negative self-talk that perpetuates regret. For example, tell yourself “I’m taking steps to change or "I made mistakes but I can also make amends.”
4. Keep a journal. A great way to get back to who you really are is to write down and reflect on your feelings. Journaling is a safe and sacred way to connect with your inner dialogue and spirit. Make a habit of jotting down and reflecting on your feelings – for many, this process alone can be meditative.

Holistic Therapies for Recovery & Stress Management

Complete Harmony offers the ideal setting and programming to help you tap into your inner peace, keep stress at bay and heal your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Our model for hybrid addiction treatment includes holistic therapies like massage, meditation and yoga. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

Volunteering Your Time This Spring

Spring is almost here and it’s a great time to grow your altruistic spirit and brighten someone else’s day by volunteering. National Volunteer Week (April 7-13) and Earth Day (April 22) are also right around the corner, so the timing couldn’t be better to give back to your community.

What’s more, as the weather warms up and the days get longer, you may find yourself looking for things to do to occupy your time in a healthy way.

How Volunteering Helps

Before we talk about the many ways you can donate your time this season, let’s talk about the numerous benefits of volunteering for your recovery and your overall health. Have you heard of the phrase “giver’s glow”? This describes the many health perks of giving back, including lower blood pressure, decreased risk of depression and anxiety, higher self-esteem and increased happiness.

Volunteering is great for getting out of your head and ridding yourself of negative emotions like shame, guilt or anxiety that can hold you back in your recovery. Helping someone else is also a surefire way to boost your self-esteem and gain a positive perspective on your life. Plus, you’ll meet new friends and gain some valuable skills that might help when you’re ready to find employment.

Spring-Themed Volunteering Ideas

Certainly, you can give back to your community all year round, but springtime means an array of fun outdoor and season-appropriate activities. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired!

• Beautify a local park or beach. Volunteer to clean up your community park by picking up trash, fixing up the playground or planting flowers. You can also participate in a local beach cleanup to help protect the sand and sea.
• Take a pup for a walk. Check your local shelter to see if they need any dog walkers. Together, you and your furry friend can reap the benefits of exercising outdoors. 
• Clean up the earth. Find out what your community is doing for Earth Day and how you can help. This might include planting a tree, volunteering to clear off a road, helping out a climate change nonprofit or planting flowers around town. Or, gather some sober friends and plant a community garden for your local recovery community.
• Make a donation. If you do a little spring cleaning, make sure to give away your lightly used goods. For example, you can donate clothes and household and entertainment items to small, local thrift stores or larger nonprofit organizations that run thrift stores. Craft supplies and books can be donated to churches or local youth groups.

Volunteering during recovery is a wonderful way to keep yourself busy in a rewarding and productive manner. Just be sure to always put your recovery first. If you feel overwhelmed, scale back so you don't sidetrack your own sobriety. Remember: every bit counts and no impact is too small this spring!

Staying Sober, Staying Involved

After recovery, the staff at Complete Harmony encourages you to find groups and community resources that support your commitment to sobriety. To learn more about our cutting-edge treatments and services, call today: 866-930-4673.

The Role of Self-Acceptance in Recovery

When your life has been turned upside by a substance use disorder, it’s hard to feel great about yourself. In fact, it’s more likely that you’re struggling with feelings of guilt, shame and low self-esteem. While this is normal, it can also jeopardize your recovery. If you’re busy beating yourself up, you’re not fully focusing on beating your addiction. For a successful recovery, you’ll need to work on self-acceptance.

What Is Self-Acceptance?
Many people mistakenly interchange self-acceptance with self-esteem – but they are different. According to Psychology Today, self-esteem refers to “how valuable, or worthwhile, we see ourselves,” or our “esteem-able parts.” Self-acceptance, on the other hand, is a more global affirmation that requires embracing all facets of ourselves – including our weakness, limitations and faulty pasts.

How Can Self-Acceptance Help Your Recovery?
The more self-acceptance you have, the more strength you’ll have to overcome your substance use disorder. Getting on better terms with yourself and your addiction will open you up to grow in your recovery and give you the courage to move forward in life. Self-acceptance can bring you peace, as you’re no longer fighting against yourself or agonizing over your past or so-called failures. It can also make you more open to learn from others as you accept that you have more work to do to become a better, sober you – and that’s okay. Some experts say to think of self-acceptance as opening your heart to personal forgiveness and moving past any feelings of guilt, anger or depression.

Certainly, this all sounds great – but self-acceptance isn’t something you just wake up with one morning. It’s also easy to get off-track when you’re dealing with the day to day of recovery or struggling with the realities of addiction like relapse, damaged relationships, co-occurring depression and anxiety, or simply adjusting to life outside of rehab. As you grow your self-acceptance, it’s important to try your best to use self-acceptance as a calming force that helps you stay the course and/or get back on track.

Growing Your Self-Acceptance
There are ways to practice self-acceptance – here are a few to begin with:

• Shift your thought patterns. For example, instead of saying to yourself: “I’m a bad person,” re-frame your thoughts to “I am a person who has acted badly.”
• Be kind to yourself. Self-acceptance has to start and end with you – and so be patient with yourself and do your best to accept your flaws and give yourself permission to be you. 
• Stay positive. In addition to surrounding yourself with positive people, surround yourself with positive affirmations or inspirational quotes – or anything that can help you when you’re feeling insecure or negative about yourself.
• Accept imperfection. Recovery isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. Perfectionism can stand in the way of self-acceptance and your recovery by preventing you from letting go of the past, learning from others, bouncing back from mistakes or taking the full amount time needed to undergo the recovery process.
• Believe in yourself. You can grow your self-acceptance by working on positive self-talk. In other words, remind yourself why you are worth your recovery and how much you deserve to have a better, sober life!

Finding Self-Acceptance at Complete Harmony
At Complete Harmony, we use a combination of traditional and holistic treatment methods to help you manage your feelings, grow your self-confidence and self-acceptance and become a better, sober you. To learn more, call us today: 866-930-4673.