Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery

May 30, 2015

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Why we must defeat Relapse

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery is often the beginning of lasting treatment for patients suffering from addiction

When dealing with drug addiction by all means there will be numerous challenge along the way. How you go about those challenges will determine how determine you are with the treatment program. Ideally it will not be a walk along the park and occasionally you may stumble, that is very normal however the way you will behave when you stumble matters a lot to your recovery process. Many have relapse and stood up to pick the pieces and have succeeded while others have relapsed and deteriorated further into addiction of the substance they were taking and even more. This article is going to help us comprehend the challenges involved in addiction recovery and how best we can overcome them. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center tells us that comprehending the challenges involved in addiction recovery is not very easy due to the fact that most addicts are in denial and do not want to acknowledge that they have a problem.

In our last article we mentioned that a healthy mind and clear goals are very crucial when dealing with challenges involved in the treatment process. When the mind is not healthy, goals cannot be realized. That is why many are in great denial because their minds have been corrupted with the substances they are abusing. However it is not only a clear conscience that will help in this challenge, there are very many factors which when addressed properly, the issue of will be settled and that is what we want to further on this discussion.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Healthy Relationships

You may get the best professionals like doctor Dalal Akoury taking you through the recovery process but if the people around you are not supportive in your course, then the treatment efforts will be greatly affected. Remember that these drugs are very addictive and life threatening. Therefore maintaining your sobriety goes hand in hand with caring for the relationships in your life. There is no two ways about it; the relationship must be healthy and supportive by all means. And for the avoidance of doubt a healthy relationships will offer you support in your recovery program best. This support is very essential in drug relapse prevention. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a healthy family environment contributes in many ways including the following:

Providing support in sobriety
Creating a stress-free environment
Providing happiness and overall well-being
Offering a healthy outlet to talk about your feelings openly

How then do you bond with your family? Because these people will be there for you, it is very important that you strengthen your relationships with your family by attending family therapy with a mental health counselor. You and your loved ones will work on your communication skills with one another and strengthen the bond that you share through the therapy. You will learn to work through potential conflicts in healthy ways and establish a healthy family atmosphere says doctor Akoury.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Reaching Out to Others

Oh yes, education or reaching out with addiction recovery programs is very important not just to the recovering addicts but also their counterparts who are yet to register into the program. If you have made the first step of acknowledging the problem treatment becomes easy and even drug relapse prevention becomes attainable. At this level you can become a very good tutor tor the other addicts. Therefore creating awareness to other drug users and surrounding yourself with drug prevention materials encourages you to stay sober and serves as a reminder of how far you’ve progressed. Drug relapse prevention is strengthened by holding yourself responsible for spreading encouragement and education to others.

An opportunity to reach out is to speak to members of our youth such as students at a high school. According to the 2010 NSDUH report, 10.1 percent of youths ages 12 to 17 use illicit drugs. Speaking to youths about your addiction promotes drug-free habits in young people, and working with them is very rewarding for some addicts. Educating others about drugs helps you feel empowered and reinforces what you know about drugs and the effects of addiction. This will lessen your risk of relapse as you will continue to feel good about what you’re doing. You will begin to feel responsible for your work as a drug educator and feel a sense of accomplishment. This feeling of accomplishment will help you in drug relapse prevention.

Educating young adults is especially helpful in alcohol relapse prevention. Over 15.6 percent of college-aged persons are heavy drinkers, and 42.2 percent are binge drinkers according to the 2010 NSDUH report. These rates are extremely alarming, and a recovering alcoholic may find solace in educating students about alcoholism and sobriety.

Attending group meetings for addicts is very beneficial for recovering addicts as well. Meeting with other addicts provides peer support for recovering addicts. Other addicts understand what you are going through and provide encouraging words to help in recovery. Seeing people who have maintained sobriety for an ongoing period is uplifting and helps in drug relapse prevention.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Mistakes Do Happen

As hard as recovering addicts try, some may slip up and relapse. If you suffer a relapse, do not fear that your path to recovery is blocked, because you are not the only one who may go through ups and downs on the road to recovery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 40 to 60 percent of substance abusers relapse at some point in recovery. Drug relapse prevention is an ongoing process that may need to be adjusted after treatment.

Should a relapse happen, it is important to immediately seek treatment for yourself or a loved one? Starting the addiction treatment process over again is most beneficial as you or your loved one will relearn the essentials of sobriety and detox in a safe environment that is free of temptations. It is also important that the addict remains in treatment for as long as needed. According to NIDA, the most effective treatments for substance abuse addiction last longer than three months.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: The Best Drug Relapse Prevention

As with treatment, the best form of drug relapse prevention varies by the addict. Different addicts need different kinds of treatment to continue recovery. The most effective method of drug relapse prevention is one that not only treats the substance addiction but also any underlying physical or mental conditions that may exist. And that is what we will give you at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Get to that phone and call us right now and we will be there for you all the way to your total recovery process.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Why we must defeat Relapse

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery

April 6, 2015

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: What can be done within reach?

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery forms one of the fundamentals of treatment of addiction

If only we could prevent all the harms that affect our wellbeing life could be very enjoyable. The society we live in is saturated with toxic pollution that even if you are not using any drug, your safety can not be guaranteed. If this is the position, then you can imagine the kind of life people who are addicted with drugs are living. It is one that you would not want to associate with if given a chance. But because we are not living in isolation we have a duty to care for our friends who are struggling with various kinds of addictions. Treatment then becomes a must for those affected and proper follow up thereafter. The process or practice of follow up is very important because besides being part of the treatment process, it is also a way of prevention of relapse after heroin addiction recovery or treatment. This article is going to dwell much on the prevention of relapse as a way of keeping healthy. Therefore we can say that relapse is generally the deterioration in someone’s state of health after a temporary improvement. Nevertheless in the context of addictive behaviors, a relapse would occur when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility states that, for people who are trying to control their behavior rather than trying to quit entirely, a relapse is a period of uncontrolled behavior. Like for instance, for one trying to control his/her drinking, the occurrence of relapse could result in a session of binge drinking. In the same way when it comes to shopaholics who are trying to follow a spending plan, a relapse could be going on a shopping spree. In whichever way you look at it, relapse is not healthy. It takes you back several steps from the steps you have made in recovering from the bigger problem. Doctor Akoury explains that the way to prevent a relapse is to primarily recognize and deal with some of the elements that are likely to get in the way of recovery. Effective learning on how to overcome these challenges will go a long way in helping you to keep up the changes you’ve made during treatment. There are several things that a person can do to prevent relapse. And the following are some of the strategies that you may find helpful:

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Identify a support system and stick to it

It is all about pooling together, what you know is not known by another and vice versa. It is therefore very important to surround yourself with people who are positive, those who loves, support and encourage you. Such people could come from your family, your friends, or your care providers. They will be there to help you when you are struggling with a difficult situation and experiences. I appreciate that opening up may not be very easy, however it is still very crucial that you should feel comfortable seeking for help whenever you need it. Some people find it useful to make a list of names and phone numbers to call if they start to slip back into old thought patterns or unhealthy eating behaviors.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Eliminate all negative influences

Try to get rid of any negative influences in your life. That includes people who make you feel bad about yourself or who constantly obsess about their own weight and appearance. Remember that your own thoughts can also be a bad influence. It is therefore very important that you learn on how to question any destructive thoughts you have about yourself. You could start by making a list of all of your good qualities and use it when you feel critical or pessimistic.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Get to know your Triggers

This is very important since you will be guided when there are indications of relapsing. Knowing your triggers is very helpful in defeating relapse since these are the biggest enemies of sustainability. A trigger is anything that can cause you to return to disordered eating or thoughts about disordered eating. Each person has their own triggers. They can include feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or lonely. Sometimes a traumatic experience, such as the death of a loved one can be a trigger. Some people are more likely to relapse at certain times of the year, such as during holidays or exams. To identify your triggers, think of times when you were tempted to relapse. Try to figure out what made you feel that way.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Prepare your coping plan

Make a list of different triggers that could cause you to relapse. Then, come up with a plan for dealing with each of these triggers in a healthier, more constructive way. Your coping plan might include calling a friend, taking a walk, or writing in a journal something that will destruct you from thinking of going back to your old habits.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Eat your meals regularly

A meal and snack schedule can prevent you from going back to disordered eating or even thinking of your drugs. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, and remember not to skip any. Take seriously taking the three meals a day plus snacks, at regular times (about every 3 hours). A consistent schedule will be good for both your emotional and physical health. Your family may be able to help by making sure that you don’t skip any of the three meals and also incorporating snacks in between.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Keep busy and stay involved

Creativity can be of help to you in keeping you busy. Your mind needs to be engaged in productive things. This will help you escape the temptation of getting back to the old habits. Activities which could help you engaged may include anything from arts & crafts, to volunteering, to nature walks, to joining a club. If you make time to do the things you enjoy, or to do nice things for others, your focus will shift away from your addictions and eating disorder. It can also help to keep you motivated to recover and to stay connected to your surroundings and the people in your community. Finally always seek for assistance from the experts from time to time. Doctor Akoury and her team of expert at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be there for you should you need any help.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: What can be done within reach?

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition

February 24, 2014

relapse occurs when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence.

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-what is relapse

Relapse is the deterioration in someone’s state of health after a temporary improvement. However, in the context of addictive behaviors, a relapse occurs when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence. For people trying to control their behavior rather than trying to quit entirely, a relapse is a period of uncontrolled behavior. For example, for someone trying to control their drinking, a relapse could result in a session of binge drinking. For a shopaholic who is trying to follow a spending plan, a relapse could be going on a shopping spree.

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-Relapse Prevention

The way to prevent a relapse is to recognize and deal with some of the things that could get in the way of recovery. If you learn how to overcome these challenges, you will be more likely to keep up the changes you’ve made during treatment. There are several things that a person can do to prevent relapse. Below are some strategies that you may find helpful: Develop a support system – and use it! It is very important to surround yourself with people who love, support and encourage you. These people can be members of your family, your friends, or your care providers. They will be there to help you when you are struggling with a difficult situation or experience. It’s not always easy to reach out, but you should feel comfortable asking for help when you need it. Some people find it useful to make a list of names and phone numbers to call if they start to slip back into old thought patterns or unhealthy eating behaviors. Reduce negative influences Try to get rid of any negative influences in your life. That includes people who make you feel bad about yourself or who constantly obsess about their own weight and appearance. Your own thoughts can also be a bad influence. Learn to question any destructive thoughts you have about yourself. Make a list of all of your good qualities and use it when you feel critical or pessimistic. Identify your “triggers” A “trigger” is anything that can cause you to return to disordered eating or thoughts about disordered eating. Each person has their own triggers. They can include feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or lonely. Sometimes a traumatic experience, such as the death of a loved one can be a trigger. Some people are more likely to relapse at certain times of the year, such as during holidays or exams. To identify your triggers, think of times when you were tempted to relapse. Try to figure out what made you feel that way. Make a personal coping plan Make a list of different triggers that could cause you to relapse. Then, come up with a plan for dealing with each of these triggers in a healthier, more constructive way. Your coping plan might include calling a friend, taking a walk, or writing in a journal. Eat meals regularly A meal and snack schedule can prevent you from going back to disordered eating. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, and don’t skip any! Eat three meals a day, plus snacks, at regular times (about every 3 hours). A consistent schedule will be good for both your emotional and physical health. Your family may be able to help by making sure that you eat meals together as often as possible. Keep busy and stay involved Get involved in a hobby or activity that you enjoy and that makes you happy. It can be anything from arts & crafts, to volunteering, to nature walks, to joining a club. If you make time to do the things you enjoy, or to do nice things for others, your focus will shift away from your eating disorder. It can also help to keep you motivated to recover and to stay connected to your surroundings and the people in your community. Make time for yourself It is important to take time to do something good for yourself every day. Some people find it helpful to use this time to relax or reflect. Some do yoga or meditation, some draw, paint, write, or listen to music. No matter what you choose, remind yourself that you are important. You deserve to take this time to do something that is just for you!

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-Quick tips for healthy living

Nutrition is the process of breaking down food and substances taken in by the mouth to use for energy in the body or it is the process of obtaining and consuming food. By practicing a healthy diet, many of the known health issues can be avoided. With good nutrition comes healthy living. Therefore, healthy living is all about moderation, balance and flexibility. Attaining this may be difficult because there will be some days when you don’t eat healthy foods and some days when you don’t do enough exercise. This is totally normal in your busy, sometimes stressful, life. You get a more accurate picture of how you’ve been doing if you look back over the past month or so. For the month ahead, aim to make small changes that will improve your health, both mental and physical. Here are some ideas:

Nourish your body throughout the day—avoid skipping meals
Eat a variety of foods and aim for a balance over the month
Rather than worry about ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ foods, remember that moderation is the key
Try to eat more fruits and vegetables
Drink lots of water. It helps reduce fatigue and replenishes the body
Use caffeine in moderation, particularly if you are prone to anxiety or sleep problems
Listen to your body’s signals—it will let you know when you are full or hungry. Become more conscious of why you eat when you are not really hungry. Try to find other ways to cope with feelings of boredom, unhappiness, loneliness or social pressure
Use exercise as a way to deal with stress
Slowly increase your physical activity level
Consider joining a gym or other formal exercise program
Check out your local community centre for a range of fun options and programs people of all ages
Try adding in extra activity throughout your normal day, such as parking a block from work and walking the rest of the way or using the stairs instead of the elevator. Even getting up to change TV channels can make a difference!
Remind yourself that weight and shape are not the only way to evaluate your self-worth—think of at least one other way that shows you are a worthwhile, loveable, talented person who has something to offer the world

Tag Archives: nutrition and relapse