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.

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.

5 Ways Yoga Helps Recovery

A regular yoga practice may not be for everyone – but everyone can give it a try. Here are five ways this ancient practice can help you on the road to recovery: 

1. You’ll feel calmer. Perhaps the most widely known benefit of yoga is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, which can interfere with your recovery and even trigger relapse.

2. You’ll have greater self-awareness. Yoga can put you in a state of calm and focus so you can reflect on where you are and where you want to be in your recovery. It also teaches you to be more self-aware – but without judgment or reaction – and this can certainly help you better manage any negative feelings you’re having.

3. You’ll handle cravings better. Again, this greater self-awareness brought on by yoga can give you an edge when it comes to identifying and managing any drug or alcohol cravings. 

4. You’ll be in a better mood. The deep breathing exercises taught in yoga have been found to boost mood (lowering stress hormones) and lessen depressive symptoms. In fact, one study found that a specialized set of breathing exercises called Sudarshana Kriya Yoga (SKY) helped people during detox for alcohol dependence. SKY uses three types of seated breathing: victorious breath (a slow deep breathing), bellows breath (a forced inhalation and exhalation) for 12 to 15 minutes, and cyclical breathing of slow, medium and fast cycles for 30 minutes, according Psychology Today.

5. You’ll become more confident. Yoga challenges you mentally and physically and can help build confidence in your body and your ability to set and reach recovery goals. 

Making Yoga Part of Your Addiction Treatment

Stepping out of the confines of traditional rehab programs, Complete Harmony empowers clients to achieve and maintain sobriety through the use of holistic therapies and non-12-step alternative approaches. To learn more about our complementary therapy approaches, including yoga, call us today: 866-930-4673.