Addiction & Substance Use
A New Take On Life
As a substance abuse counselor, I’ve heard it all. I’ve heard every excuse and defense under the sun in defense of an addictive behavior or that someone is not addicted to something, or someone. What I have learned in my career so far, and in my own journey of recovery, is that people find something that helps them feel good or better, and whether it is healthy or not, they will use it repeatedly and will be reluctant to ever admit that they may be addicted to it.
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A New Take On Life
With National Recovery Month behind us, let us not lose our momentum in the fight against addiction. In July we talked about the concept of being “California Sober, ” and this month I want to continue that conversation and address another interesting argument in favor of the use of Marijuana that I have been encountering more often…Christian’s and THC.
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Dietary Supplements | What’s to know
There are all kinds of dietary supplements on the market today for just about anything. Not all supplements are created equal, and there is little quality standardization of these products. Unlike prescription and over-the- counter medication, the Food and Drug Administration does not establish standards for the contents of dietary supplements. With so many products on the market to choose from, an independent third-party certification program can help guide you in deciding what supplements to choose.
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A New Take On Life
National Recovery Month:
Promote and support an understanding of mental health and substance use disorders. The official color for National Recovery Month is purple. The theme for 2023’s Recovery Month is: Hope is Real. Recovery is Real. Please visit www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month to find out ways that you can join in the celebration of healing and freedom from addiction!
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A New Take On Life
Substance Use Disorders are characterized by chronic dependence on a substance, despite having mental, physical, and social consequences. They also include socioeconomic, biochemical, genetic (more on this in upcoming months), and increasingly, Smicrobiological underpinnings. It is well known that addiction is a brain disorder and affects the wiring in our brain, but there are new and emerging studies showing the link between the gut microbiome and drug addiction.
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A NEW TAKE ON LIFE
We are born with social attachment points through how our parents try and mold us in childhood. Seeking a hit of certain neurotransmitters, children look for approval from their parents & will try to correlate their actions with positive responses. As adolescents, we replace parents with peers – oxytocin is released as a result of social belonging or validation.
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Financial Wellness
Money may be a little more on everyone’s minds this month with Tax Day right in the middle of April. Just like the need to eat and sleep, money is a piece of our everyday lives that plays a role in our overall wellness. Wellness is more than just physical health – it is multi-dimensional including physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, social, occupational, and financial health. Each area is interdependent and influenced by the others. When one area is out of balance or not working well, the other areas are affected, and all are vital for optimal health and well-being.
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A New Take on Life | April Showers Bring May Flowers
Mindfulness: I keep hearing this word both from my clients and on social media posts. When I think about mindfulness, I am reminded that within the span of a few minutes our human brains can have a dozen different thoughts which will cause all sorts of different emotions all at once. Depending on the type of thought, if we do not take them captive (2 Cor. 10:5) they can quickly spiral out of control and take us down paths that are not productive or healthy. Mindfulness means that we can maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and surroundings, through a gentle nurturing lens.
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Kiss me, I’m Sober!
Why do we drink on St. Patrick’s Day? Saint Patrick was born in the fifth century in Roman Britain. When he was 16 he was captured and brought to Ireland, where he was enslaved for six year. Eventually, he escaped back to Britain, where he became a priest and years later, he went back to Ireland and brought Christianity to the region with him. He passed away on March 17th , 461, and Voila!, the date became St. Patrick’s Day. Legend says that Saint Patrick liked to have a drink from time to time- but funnily enough, that’s not the reason people drink on this holiday. Instead, it’s because the celebration falls in the middle of Lent, a 40-day period when Christians focus on charity, fasting, and prayer. Lent’s restrictions are suspended for St. Patrick’s Day, so people have historically eaten (and drank) to their heart’s content to celebrate the holiday.
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Practicing Gratitude in Recovery
With Thanksgiving this month, I wanted to focus on what it means to be grateful, to have an “attitude of gratitude”, and how that can help us in our recovery- whether from drugs, alcohol, or from mental health issues. Being grateful for where you are in this very moment means stopping right where you are and saying thank you; it means recognizing the good things in your life instead of focusing on the negative. Read more on how and why gratitude can help you in recovery.
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