Self-Care for Loved Ones of Addicts

If you’re a loved one of an addict, we don’t have to tell you that caring for a family member with substance abuse disorder is heartbreaking and exhausting. Addiction is a family disease – and it takes a toll on everyone involved.

We do, however, need to remind you that to best care for your loved one, you need to make time to care for yourself. This means getting proper sleep, eating well, exercising, managing stress, socializing, and continuing to experience joy in your life.

Practicing self-care isn’t selfish; it's a matter of survival!

4 Ways to Care for Yourself


1. Ease into the day your way. Set your alarm just 15 minutes earlier than usual, and use those extra minutes just for you. Cook up a healthy breakfast, write in a journal, meditate—whatever helps you set a positive tone for the day ahead. 
2. Get support. Consider seeking help from a therapist or join one of the many support groups (either in-person or online) for loved ones of addicts. This will remind you that you’re not alone; it can also give you some much-needed hope as you hear experiences and advice from other family members just like you. 
3. Allow yourself to have fun. Whether you enjoy gardening or going to the movies with your friends or grandkids, carve out some time for the things you enjoy most. Engaging in such simple pleasures is just what you need to relax and recharge right now. 
4. Learn to say “no.” Don’t do things for your loved one that he or she can (or should) be doing for herself. The key is to set boundaries about what you will and will not do to help the addict in your life. 

Detox and Rehab 
Is someone you love physically and psychologically addicted to drugs or alcohol? We’re here to help. Our staff at Complete Harmony has helped hundreds of patients detox and restore their whole body using holistic therapies. To learn more about our alternative rehab program, call 866-930-4673.

Protect Your Heart and Your Sobriety

Getting help for your addiction is perhaps the best thing you can do for your heart! Drugs and alcohol take a toll on this vital organ, causing cardiovascular problems ranging from abnormal heart rate and bacterial infections of the blood vessels to heart attack and stroke.

6 Heart-Smart Steps
Once you’re in recovery, you can continue to care for your ticker. And, perhaps, the best part: These heart-healthy habits do double-duty, helping your long-term sobriety and cardiovascular health.

1. Go fish. Just a few servings of fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines, tuna) can reduce your risk of a heart attack. The omega-3s in this type of fish helps your mental health, too; these healthy fats help fend off depression. Not a fan of fish? Other heart-friendly superfoods include berries, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), avocados, and cruciferous veggies (kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts).
2. Eat the right fats. Trans fat (found in some processed and fried foods) and saturated fats can increase the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your body — and this ups your risk of heart disease. Replace both trans and saturated fats in your diet with healthier unsaturated fats (mono- and polyunsaturated).
3. Stop smoking. With each puff, you’re putting your heart at risk. This is because nicotine releases a toxin that lowers the HDL (good) cholesterol in your body.
4. Get moving. Exercise boosts your HDL cholesterol, lowers your LDL cholesterol, and minimizes plaque build-up in your arteries — plus it helps keep stress in check. Build up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (jogging, cycling, hiking, playing tennis) most days of the week.
5. Prioritize sleep. A good night’s slumber isn’t a luxury, but a necessity for protecting both your heart and your sobriety. In fact, getting less than six hours per night can increase your risk of heart disease.
6. Make time for meditation. Meditation has long been associated with heart-healthy stress reduction, but it’s also been shown to improve LDL levels.

More on Meditation and Addiction

Many studies show that meditation has a notable impact on the brain’s self-control regions, making it an effective treatment for addiction recovery. Meditation is encouraged throughout your Complete Harmony residential stay. To learn more about our holistic addiction treatment, call 866-930-4673.

How Does Gardening Help With Addiction Recovery?

Toiling in the soil can do wonders for your mood and for your recovery – and, perhaps the best part, you don’t even have to have a green thumb to experience the many health benefits. 

Firstly, gardening is a great mental workout; it requires patience, planning, foresight, and persistence – all qualities you’ll need to strengthen as you heal from addiction. And it can teach you mindfulness, encouraging you to focus on the task at hand without letting your mind wonder to thoughts about past wrongs or pending recovery tasks. 

Digging in the dirt has also been shown to help fight depression and persistent low mood. Mycobacterium vaccae, a harmless bacteria found in soil, is believed to mimic an antidepressant drug by stimulating the production of the “feel-good” hormone serotonin. 

And, not surprisingly, if you opt to grow a small fruit or veggie garden, you’ll reap nutritional benefits, too. Gardeners have been shown to eat more fruits and vegetables, according to several studies.

Health Benefits of Gardening
Check out some other health benefits linked to gardening: 

• Better mental health
• Boosted self-esteem
• Increased levels of vitamin D
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• A greater sense of control
• A greater ability to achieve goals
• Improved immune response
• Lowered heart rate
• Reduced risk of bone loss
• Increased flexibility
• Weight loss (one hour of gardening is equivalent to roughly 35 minutes of jogging)

So what are you waiting for? Get out in the fresh air and sunshine and get digging today! And consider making it a family affair: Growing a small garden together can be a great way to bond and rebuild relationships. 

Begin Holistic Addiction Treatment Today

Complete Harmony is proud to provide a long list of holistic therapies that help clients detox more comfortably and pursue improved wellness during active rehab. To learn more about our alternative treatment avenues, call our admissions team at 866.930.4673 today.

Recovery Risk from Addiction Transfer

Shopping addiction, gambling addiction, food addiction, Facebook addiction, sex addiction, gaming addiction, smart phone addiction… 

The list of new behavioral addictions grows daily, but frequently, the people involved are not new to addictive behavior. In many cases, they are addicts in early recovery from one addiction who have fallen into the trap of addiction transfer.

A Long-Recognized Phenomenon
“How do you find an AA meeting? Look for the chain smokers gathered outside!”

Addiction counselors have long recognized that a percentage of recovering addicts will turn to or continue smoking after they have accepted alcohol or drug abstinence. Now a new behavior has been identified by doctors who perform bariatric surgery. Patients who are succeeding in their weight loss after surgery are starting to drink or exhibit other compulsive behaviors.

Sometimes the new compulsion is not an unhealthy behavior, at least for the time being. Working longer hours to dig out of a financial hole, or stepping up your exercising to fight boredom or a tendency to overeat may be beneficial behaviors. However, when these activities begin to negatively impact your overall well-being, even they may be considered behavioral addictions.

What Causes Addiction Transfer?
How can someone maintain sober living in one aspect of life, and yet display addictive behavior in another? Here are some possible causes of addiction transfer:

• Undiagnosed co-occurring mental disorder that is the root cause of the addiction.

• The chronic nature of addiction, which results in the repeated emergence of addictive patterns.

• Insufficient recognition of addiction triggers and training in how to manage them.

• The mistaken idea that the addiction has been cured, when it must continually be managed.

Addiction satisfies an emotional need and also causes changes in the brain. Both of these conditions leave the recovering addict at risk for addiction transfer.

Holistic Therapies for Lasting Recovery
Have you beaten one addiction, only to find your life disrupted by a new compulsive behavior? At Complete Harmony, we utilize cutting-edge addiction treatment and holistic therapies to offer you the best chance for a lasting recovery. Our goal is to find the underlying causes of your addiction so you can learn the strategies and tools you need to avoid relapse and addiction transfer. Dial 866.930.4673 to speak with our dedicated enrollment team about your personalized recovery options.

Signs That Your Loved One Has a Secret Drinking Problem

We like to think that alcoholism is obvious; that we would all know if we were living, working, or interacting with someone who was drinking. While addiction may be apparent in certain cases, some alcohol-dependent people manage to hide their compulsion to drink. Over time, addicted individuals become adept at concealing their behavior by lying about their whereabouts, banking creatively to fund their habit, or diluting liquor to conceal how much they have consumed.

5 Possible Signs of a Hidden Alcohol Addiction
Individuals with alcohol abuse problems hide their drinking for many reasons: to protect their family or marriage, secure their job, safeguard their image, or avoid nagging relatives. Over time, signs of alcoholism may become more apparent as a family member becomes less capable of managing their tangled web of lies and deception.

Common signs of a hidden drinking problem may include:

1. Frequent mention of illness. This complaint may just indicate a hangover, but could also be due to liver damage, a suppressed immune system or the inability to fend off viruses or bacterial infections. 

2. Changes in personal appearance or hygiene. A sudden disinterest in showering, oral care, or nutrition could be a symptom of alcohol abuse. Over time, unaddressed neglect of self-care may also lead to gum disease, malnutrition, or gastrointestinal conditions that could complicate a substance abuser’s health.

3. Defensiveness. Men and women struggling with an alcohol addiction can become agitated and defensive when confronted—especially when they are unprepared to admit the problem. Do not let this deter you; seek professional help if necessary. Our addiction counselors can assist you with scheduling a life-saving intervention.

4. Hiding places. Finding a bottle of liquor tucked away in the linen closet or behind tools in the garage is a red flag that your loved one is hiding evidence of their substance abuse problem.

5. Mint & gum use. If your spouse, child, or parent is never without gum or mints—even for short periods of time—they could be disguising the alcohol on their breath.

Help for Hidden Addictions
If you believe that someone you love is hiding a life-threatening alcohol compulsion or substance abuse disorder, call a recovery specialist at 866.930.4673 to schedule an intervention or inquire about comfortable detox programs for alcohol, street drugs, or prescription medications. Our team is available 24/7 and can also be reached using our confidential online form.

The Facts about Social Anxiety Disorder

When you get butterflies before making a presentation, or dream up a list of reasons to skip your high school reunion, you are showing signs of anxiety that almost everyone feels sometime in life. Social experiences are part of growing up, and most people have learned to take this normal anxiety in stride by the time they reach adulthood. For some 15 million American adults who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), however, the fear of new relationships and social interactions is debilitating.

More than Being Shy 
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by distorted thinking and fear of being judged or evaluated by others. People who exhibit this disorder may be extremely self-conscious, easily embarrassed, and fearful that they can’t measure up to what others expect of them. Their fear is so great that it can cause physical symptoms like dizziness, nausea, racing heart, and shortness of breath.

Lives Shaped by Anxiety 
To avoid being judged or even noticed, people with SAD curtail social interaction, try to hide in the background, and may even turn to self-medication. Their social anxiety impacts all areas of life: holding a job, advancing at work, developing friendships and romantic relationships, and enjoying activities and recreation. More than 36% of adults with SAD have suffered with symptoms for 10 or more years before they finally received treatment.

Overcoming Social Anxiety
Individuals who seek and follow treatment can make permanent changes in their lives. Effective therapies for SAD include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps to rewire the brain and reverse distorted thinking and behavior.
• Behavioral group therapy that incorporates role-playing and social skills training.
• Supervised pharmaceutical treatment using beta-blockers, benzodiazepines, or anti-depressants. This can relieve symptoms of anxiety, but are not a cure.
• Anxiety management techniques like breathing exercises and meditation.
• Lifestyle changes for better health, including limiting caffeine, not smoking, prioritizing sleep.
• Diagnosis & treatment of co-occurring disorders like addiction, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Holistic CA Rehab 
If you have been self-medicating to ease your fear of social interactions, Complete Harmony can help you to leave your fear and addiction behind. With comfortable detox, holistic therapies, and dual-diagnosis treatment, you’ll get the personalized help you need to experience a fuller, more satisfying life. Don’t sit on the sidelines any longer. Dial 866.930.4673 now to begin the enrollment process.

Integrating Holistic and Traditional Addiction Treatments

Substance abuse treatment philosophies can be divided into two broad categories: those that favor a holistic approach and those that use an evidence-based approach. While these treatment strategies have often been deployed in a mutually exclusive way, they both offer benefits and can be integrated to create a custom-tailored recovery program that yields lasting results.

The Benefits of Evidence-Based Therapies 
Evidence-based therapies are grounded in science and use detoxification strategies that include medications, psychotherapy, and counseling to treat acute withdrawal symptoms while addressing the underlying causes of substance abuse. When these strategies are conscientiously applied and attuned to individual needs, they tend to lead to predictable results that help patients get through the difficult initial phases of substance abuse cessation, while also empowering them with the psychological skills to avoid relapses.

Holistic Approaches to Addiction
Alternative therapies are generally geared towards activating the body's natural "feel-good" chemical reactions, helping the patient overcome addiction naturally while achieving a stronger sense of tranquility and inner harmony. Examples of holistic approaches include massage therapy, exercise therapy, yoga, art and music therapy, meditation, neurofeedback, and acupuncture, among others. Proper nutrition also plays a foundational role in holistic programs.

Proponents of these approaches emphasize that, because they do not substitute one drug for another, they help patients break the cycle of chemical dependence. For example, evidence-based approaches to heroin addiction have, for many years, been built around substituting heroin with a longer-acting and ostensibly less dangerous drug such as methadone, then reducing the patient's dosage until physical addiction has been overcome. While this approach can work in a carefully controlled clinical setting, critics have long contended that it effectively masks the problem rather than solving it.

Holistic approaches help patients recover their body's original state – the state it was in before substance abuse created the chemical changes that led to addiction.

Complimentary Combined Approaches to Addiction Treatment
At Complete Harmony Rehab, we've developed a groundbreaking hybrid addiction treatment program that combines the scientifically supported benefits of evidence-based approaches with the restorative power of holistic therapies. This unique treatment program is designed to help patients struggling with addictions to alcohol, street drugs, and prescription drugs, as well as relapses and co-occurring mental illnesses.

We recognize the shortcomings of one-size-fits-all approaches to addiction treatment, and we work with patients on an individual basis to develop custom-tailored treatment programs. If you or someone you care about is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, we invite you to learn more about our unique approach to recovery. Please contact us confidentially to learn more.