In early addiction recovery, feelings of guilt and shame are common and expected. In fact, it can bet difficult to overcome those negative feelings…but a proactive approach can help you develop self-confidence. This article describes several things people in recovery can do to boost their low self-esteem. Then, we invite you to share your own experiences about building self-esteem in recovery or ask questions about the techniques at the end.

Increasing Your Self-Esteem In Addiction Recovery
Addicts are prone to self-loathing, and negative feelings about ourselves tend to spike in early recovery. As you come off the drugs or put down the bottle, you can look back at addiction with clearer eyes and really see the extent of the damage you caused to yourself, life, and loved ones. Feelings of guilt and shame in early recovery are to be expected, and it’s so important to learn how to manage the negative feelings and low self-esteem in recovery and get past them.

Overcoming those negative feelings is difficult, but it’s possible. Self-esteem is something that needs to be developed, and it’s best to take a proactive approach. As long as you want to feel better about yourself, in time, you will. Here are some suggestions that can help you.

4 Tips To Increasing Self-Esteem In Recovery
1. Forgive yourself.
In recovery, forgiving yourself for what you did during your addiction is often one of the hardest things to do. There is no one more critical of ourselves than ourselves. But you need to remember that the person you were under the influence is not the person you really are. You cannot change the past, so you need to forgive yourself for it and move onto the present with the promise that you’ll learn from your mistakes and won’t repeat them. Accept your past, and focus instead on being a better person today.

2. Be proud of yourself.
Once you’ve forgiven yourself, it’s time to try and turn some of those feelings of guilt into feelings of pride. As addicts, we tend to beat ourselves up even when we should be giving ourselves credit. Instead of feeling guilty about your past addiction, feel proud of yourself for doing the hard work it takes to make a change. Quitting drugs and alcohol is incredibly difficult for an addict, so you’ve already overcome quite the hurdle, and that is nothing to shrug about.

3. Surround Yourself with positive people
It’s essential to have a support system in recovery, because overcoming addiction isn’t something you have to or should do alone. If you surround yourself with positive people, by proxy you’ll start developing a more positive attitude about life and yourself. Your friends and the people you associate with should make you feel good about yourself. Anyone who puts you down or is a negative influence should not have a place in your life.
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4. Be kind to yourself
Finally, be kind to yourself. Treat yourself the way you would treat a beloved friend or relative. You would most likely never be as hard on a loved one or hold them to standards as high as you hold yourself to. Don’t criticize yourself, and don’t get caught up worrying about what you “should” be doing. Love yourself, compliment yourself, and focus on all your good attributes and accomplishments no matter how “small” you think they are. You’re someone who has been through a lot and deserves compassion.

Self-Esteem In Addiction Recovery
Do you have more ideas on how to improve self-esteem? Please share your thoughts or comments in the section below.

No. There is no quick fix – not to addiction, diabetes, or any other disorder. For that matter, quick fixes rarely appear in any other context, including climate shift or family budgeting.

Here, we explore what it really takes to recover from addiction in the long term. Then, we invite your questions or comments about addiction recovery in the section at the end.

The Mythical Quick Fix For Addiction
In general, most types of quick fixes are more of a “duct tape” than a solution. In fact, one of the reasons relapse is that a short-term treatment view was taken in addiction recovery. But when it comes to addiction recovery, the longer and more active approach is the best solution. People don’t become addicted to drugs or alcohol overnight. Likewise, recovery cannot be expected overnight, either.

The problematic quick-recovery perspective, was recently highlighted in the New York Times by guest columnist Peg O’Connor, Ph.D. Dr. O’Connor takes issue with the rampant trending idea of, “the addicted brain”. She does not disbelieve this idea; it is just that she view addictions as much more complex, and the treatment for a person’s addiction equally so. Brain addiction is just one part of the larger picture.

Beyond Getting Clean
Detox and residential rehab provide the opportunity, structure, and environment to become drug free. It is a good start, but not the whole enchilada. Dr. O’Connor states, “One still needs to learn the skills or ways of living healthfully and happily”. That is a long term proposition and far from a quick fix. It is also something that is profoundly personal. Why and how?

During the drug, alcohol or even food addiction years, the substances themselves took on a major meaning and focus of life. They provided release, comfort, and even a kind of joy. They gave purpose to daily life, even if that purpose was only in finding the next fix. One of the hardest parts of addiction recovery is learning ways to fill that gap.

Many individuals experience addiction, or the root causes that led to an addiction, at the center of life for years and even decades. Take that away, and the idea of “a meaningful life” can be intimidating. Making healthy choices can be overwhelming and confusing. Those in recovery must also recognize that a meaningful life does not mean it is a perfect one. This adds the idea of how to be human along with that new, purpose driven life.

Finding Meaning In Life
The continuum of addiction treatment is a more stable solution than the “quick fix” idea of addiction recovery. Beginning with detox and residential care and carrying right on through outpatient addiction care, finding meaning in life is a core part of treatment. This includes experiential therapies and also some personal soul searching through journaling or contemplation. It means finding purpose in life. Just as the idea of a Higher Power is defined by the individual, so is the notion of meaning and purpose in life.

Another problematic notion of the “quick fix to addiction idea” is that there will be a sudden, powerful “AHA” moment during recovery that defines personal purpose and meaning. For most, it takes time and a willingness to keep moving forward that helps create a deeper meaning in life. Moreover, it may even take a bit of trying and experimentation in terms of jobs, volunteering, and health pursuits before finding a comfortable combination.

As a society, one of the best things we can change is the idea of a quick fix. Believing that change takes time, effort and shared support also helps reduce the isolation of recovery.

www.addictionblog.org

The disease of addiction never goes away; it only goes into remission. No matter who you are or how long you’ve been sober, relapse is always a possibility. Unlike other diseases, however, relapse doesn’t just happen. Relapse is a process. And it’s better to acknowledge signs of relapse than deal with the consequences after a slip up.

For this reason, self awareness is especially important in recovery (as is increased self-esteem in recovery). You need to continually check in with yourself in order to keep your addiction at bay. Being self-aware will allow you to identify the beginning of the relapse process so that you can stop it in its tracks.

Be Honest With YourselfTo see the warning signs of relapse, you must be honest with yourself and how you’re feeling. Relapse usually begins with unmanaged stress. Everyone experiences stress, and it can either be dealt with or left to fester, grow, and eventually lead to relapse. That’s why it’s so important to recognize stress and learn how to cope with it.

There are also other events and emotions in life that tend to lead to relapse if they’re not handled properly. In order to keep yourself healthy and happy in recovery, you should be on the look out for the following warning signs of relapse:

• avoiding dealing with problems
• being excessively bored
• changes in hygiene or health
• changes in routine (such as sleeping or eating)
• conflicts with others
• criticizing yourself for not being “good enough” or failing to meet your own expectations
• dwelling on negative emotions, the past, or unresolved issues
• feeling overly confident in your recovery (believing you no longer need support or treatment)
• feeling overwhelmed by your life or your emotions
• isolating yourself
• major, sudden changes in life (positive or negative)
• not following your treatment plan
• obsessive thinking about using drugs or drinking
• returning to “people, places, or things” (that you associate with drugs or drinking)

Create A Plan To Cope With Stress
If you notice any of those feelings or behaviors in yourself, it’s time to take a closer look at what’s going on. These warning signs indicate a problem that you’re not dealing with, and the stress of it can build until you eventually relapse. You need to identify that problem and create a plan to handle it.

The sooner you catch the warning signs, the better. The longer you ignore them, the closer you’ll get to relapse. It helps to be honest with someone in your support system (family, friends, therapists, sponsors, etc.), and that person can help you stay on track in reaching your goal to resolve the issue that’s putting your recovery in danger.

Relapse is not a requirement of recovery. As long as you know the warning signs and remain self aware and vigilant, you can stay far, far away from the possibility of relapse.

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By Lisa Hann

Addiction recovery takes time. And each person’s path is unique and different. But one thing most addicts have in common? Low self-esteem.

Addiction Blog has met up with John Myers and Corey Wesley, from Urban FLRT, to talk more about affirmations and how positive thinking can influence our lives. They are trying to change lives, one affirmation at a time by spreading good vibes through motivational apparel and accessories. We welcome your questions or comments about how to use affirmations in recovery, how to define what is addiction recovery or your personal tips for addiction recovery at the end.

ADDICTION BLOG: Hi, John and Corey. Tell us a little bit about how affirmations work in the brain. And why positive affirmations are so important in addiction recovery.

In my own experience, I used affirmations in my own early recovery after following suggestions given to me by my sponsor. In fact, I wrote ten (10) Post-It notes and stuck them up all over my house. I remember feeling a boost to my self-esteem. It was really the beginning of starting to like myself again. Why and how do affirmations work?

URBAN FLRT: Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this with you. We believe that affirmations can help define our focus and they help develop new thought and behavior patterns that will move us in the direction we wish to go in life. Unfortunately, our minds tend to wander and we are often overcome by negative thoughts that prevent us from pursing a better path. Through affirmations, we define what and who we are and we define our focus. Our thoughts and behaviors begin to follow.

ADDICTION BLOG: What are some of the most important affirmations for people in recovery? Can you list the Top 10 for us?

URBAN FLRT: It’s difficult to develop a Top 10 list because the same affirmations may not work for everyone. Affirmations must be personal to the individual so each individual will have their own Top 10 list. You must be connected to and have a desire to develop new patterns in your life in order to benefit from affirmations. A few of the affirmations we’ve been working with at Urban FLRT are:

• Freely Living Real & True
• I Care, I Believe, I Celebrate
• Live & Be Free, Real, True
• I am where I am
• I love myself

Corey found our signature affirmation, Freely Living Real & True, to be successful in his life. Freely represents the fact that you are making a decision of your own free will. You are Living for a better life and you are being an active participant in your life. By being Real & True, you are acknowledging where you are in your life and you are being truthful and open with yourself and others about the direction you are taking in your life.

ADDICTION BLOG: What are some funny or more popular affirmations that you’re exploring at Urban FLRT? How can humor help us in addiction recovery?

URBAN FLRT:Humor is important in life, not just in recovery. We believe it’s healthy to have light-hearted moments to break up the very intense issues that you have to deal with sometimes. The fact that we’re using the acronym FLRT helps create some light-heartedness.

ADDICTION BLOG: We view relapse as a part of recovery.  What kinds of affirmations can people who’ve been through relapse use?

URBAN FLRT: We believe that those who’ve been through relapse need to be supported and encouraged on the path to recovery. Freely Living Real & True could be especially helpful. Recovery is a process that takes time. Being real about a relapse is also being truthful that there may be setbacks along the way. We also found this quote to be quite motivational: “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”- Abraham Lincoln

ADDICTION BLOG: What is your hope for people (young and old) coming into addiction recovery? Do you have any words of wisdom for people coming into recovery for the first time?

URBAN FLRT: Don’t let stigma or the term recovery hinder you from striving for your goals. Understand that it is a life-long class that creates more opportunities to flex the strength to get up and keep striving for better.

ADDICTION BLOG: Do you have anything else to add?

URBAN FLRT: Affirmations are a tool that can be used in anyone’s life to help improve their patterns of thinking and behaving. Corey, our co-founder, who is a New York State trained Recovery Coach successfully used our Freely Living Real & True affirmation and we hope that others will connect to it and find it useful.

Photo credit: Urban FLRT

By Lucas Tolbert


It Began With Morphine…

In the early 1960s my grandfather, a smoker of two packs of unfiltered Camels a day, died of lung cancer. Unfortunately for him, WWII and the Korean War had seen a spike in the incidence of morphine addiction from soldiers bringing home the habits they’d picked up to deal with the horrors of war. This influx of addiction precipitated a national opiate addiction scare that was responsible, no doubt, for the medical professionals treating my grandfather to withhold morphine for much of his illness. This denial was certainly enforced during his last days and resulted in an exceptionally painful death.

Heroin As An Alternative To Pain 
In 1898 (through 1910) what is now the Bayer pharmaceutical released diacetylmorphine under the brand name ‘Heroin’ as a pain reliever and (perhaps more so) as a cough suppressant. Pure Heroin was sold for less than $5 (US) an ounce, and, it was advertised, less than that if bought in bulk. Heroin was widely advertised by Bayer as a less addictive alternative to morphine, safe for men, women and children.



Oxycodone Is Our Generation’s Response To Pain
Almost exactly 100 years later in 1996, Purdue Pharma release an extended-release formulation of oxycodone called “OxyContin” (OC). This release was accompanied by an aggressive marketing campaign and the application of “significant political pressure” to relax the prescription restrictions regarding OC. Purdue’s advertisements and literature to doctors touted OC as having “less euphoric effect and less abuse potential” than other opiate painkillers and, in fact, those taking low doses of the drug could quit without suffering any withdrawals. They went so far as to suggest that OC should be considered“a safer alternative to even Aspirin and Tylenol and good for anyone who needed pain relief for ‘several days’ or more.”

Purdue was eventually ordered to pay $634 million in fines for their marketing practices and misbranding. While that’s a whopping fee, it pales some in comparison to the profits OC generated for Purdue (more than $2.5 billion dollars in 2008 alone). In 2007, Purdue was producing 75.2 tons of OC; up from 11.5 tons in 1997. As is generally common knowledge now, OC addiction tore through rural North America. Overdoses skyrocketed and entire regions were swamped with OC. Some First Nations communities have adult OxyContin addiction rates of more than 70%.

And heroin? It’s now one of the world’s most abused drugs, and certainly one of its most dangerous, with an estimated 21 million addicts worldwide.

Balancing Pain Management With Addiction Awareness

That prescription drug abuse and addiction is a serious problem is a fact it’s doubtful anyone would deny, medical professional or layman. And there’s no shortage of publicity to that effect. However, less well known is the widespread (and understandable) cost of under-medicating patients with chronic pain which results from opiate-prescribing concerns. One poll of pain specialists suggested that some 77% of those suffering from acute and/or chronic pain (and without addiction issues) are without sufficient pain medication.

Finding a balance between keeping patients pain-free and keeping a sufficiently tight rein on opiate medication to ensure that they are not distributed irresponsibly has become an increasingly difficult prospect for medical professionals. While there are probably no perfect answers – some people will live with unnecessary pain and some will abuse painkillers.

Are Measures To Reduce Pain Pill Abuse Working?

There are some interesting experiments being done in pain management and some universal steps that can be taken to mitigate abuse. There’s an almost perfect microcosm of this issue being played out in Tillamook County, Oregon. Dr. Harry Rinehart runs a pain clinic in the town of Wheeler where he has become unofficially known as the ‘Pioneer of Pain’ due to the novelty of his philosophy: that patients with pain (and even addictions) should get enough medication to ensure their comfort.

That flies in the face of the current prescribing trend – to issue medication as conservatively as possible. Dr. Rinehart’s methods have even drawn the ire of law enforcement. Tillamook County’s Attorney General William Porter has filed a number of complaints against Dr. Rinehart to the Board of Medicine, concerned that the seemingly liberal prescription policy is possibly responsible for putting opiate pills on the street. To date, all of the complaints have been dismissed.

Rinehart further differs from his colleagues in that rather than meet with patients individually, those under his care are required to attend a group pain management meeting once every three months. Rinehart points out that those group meetings have had huge success in other contexts, creating bonds of camaraderie, shared experience, and support…So why not pain management?

An Individualized Plan Is Key 
To be sure no one unauthorized has access to the medications, he also insists that his patients bring him a photograph of their medication locked up in the lockbox he requires them to keep. Those patients are further required to bring their lockboxes with them when picking up any medication. Whether or not his system will prove an effective (or ethical) one in the long term remains to be seen. For the duration, however, prescription abuse can be curbed and pain more effectively treated when doctors, patients, pharmacists, families and caretakers work together to establish individual plans for each patient and keep an eye out for indications of abuse.

The Importance Of Honesty
by: Michael Sigal

The first step towards recovery is an acknowledgement of the problem. The second step is full disclosure. Anything short of that will allow denial or secrecy to rule behavior and minimize the chance for recovery.

More than likely, those seeking treatment are well-practiced at keeping things to themselves and when asked to share the specifics of their habit may automatically withhold information. This is detrimental during the assessment or intake process for two reasons. The first is that without a clear and concise understanding of a patient’s current situation the staff is put at a huge disadvantage in formulating an initial recovery strategy. The second is that it feeds in to the “me against them” mentality. That’s not what rehab is about. Rehab is about “we.”

Of course, there are situations when someone is detoxing or under the influence which will make honest communication very difficult. In those cases, the staff is trained to respond accordingly.

There is another factor at play when it comes to being honest from the beginning of rehab and that’s money. There is typically a finite time that someone will enter in to treatment and every day that a patient withholds information is another day not spent on trying to effectively treat the addiction.

Some may not want to divulge everything about their addiction for a very simple reason. They’re embarrassed. The best way to overcome this is with the understanding that the person the patient is speaking to is not only trained and non-judgmental but has probably “heard it all” and won’t be shocked.

Being Honest Isn’t Easy, But It’s Worth It When we go to the Doctor and are asked about symptoms and possible causes for something ailing us we generally don’t blink and respond honestly. We know that by sharing everything we can our doctor will be better equipped to help us get well. That same type of honesty needs to be exercised upon entering rehab. It needs to take place at intake, during therapy and, just as importantly, upon exiting the facility and moving forward.

Being honest, whether with ourselves or relative strangers we’re entrusting with our care, isn’t easy. But the benefits far outweigh whatever reticence we may have.

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About Michael Sigal
Michael Sigal is the founder and CEO of BookYourCare.com, the first and only service that provides unbiased reviews of residential treatment facilities. Longtime treatment industry professionals physically visit facilities to analyze and prepare thorough assessments in an effort to better inform those in need. Facilities cannot pay to be included in the BookYourCare directory. Additionally, BookYourCare provides the opportunity for prospective patients to bid on treatment stays to help keep high costs down.

Words carry a tremendous amount of power. They can be positive and reinforcing, or negative and condemning. Recognizing this intrinsic power, a White House summit on drug policy reform recently recommended a change in the language used to describe addiction. The hope is that by doing so, the stigma, shame and blame associated with addiction will be reduced. 

In the past, words such as abuse and abuser were regularly used in the addiction field. This terminology was rooted in old beliefs and implied that substance addiction was somehow a choice, which is certainly not the case. Few people would choose to have a drug or alcohol addiction that destroys their lives and the lives of their loved ones. The truth is, substance addiction is a medical illness, a disease of the brain. Therefore, the new recommended term will be “substance use disorder,” which is more accurate and appropriate medical terminology. 

Whereas the word “choice” is not applicable in terms of the origin of addiction, it is still relevant in the discussion of recovery. Whether to recover from addiction or not is up to the individual. With the correct treatment, in tandem with true commitment on the part of the person, true and lasting recovery is absolutely possible. 



Dr. Kimberly Dennis on Jan 07, 2014

Blog By: Addiction Blog.org



Do You Feel Neglected?
If someone living with an addicted spouse was asked which person in their life was most neglected, the answer might be, a child, friend, family member or parent. The least likely answer would be “me.”In fact, a co-addict will usually neglect themselves the most. If this person loved and took care of themselves, it would be highly unlikely they would be able to focus some much time and energy on an addict.

But if you’re feeling neglected by a drug or alcohol using spouse, you might just be experiencing features of co-addiction.  So…are you a co-addict? And how can you cope while living with an addicted spouse and becoming a recovering co-addict? We review here and invite your questions, comments, or stories about letting go of an addict at the end.

When Is The Last Time You Felt Good About Yourself?
Remember the last time you awoke feeling happy and ready to start the day, glided into the bathroom to take a nice hot shower and walked out of your bedroom excited for what the day might hold? When was the last time you felt attractive, in good shape, happy in your clothes? Can you remember a time when you felt overall wellness? Read a book, took a class, and participated in a hobby just for the sake of enjoyment?

Negative Feelings Breed Negativity
When living in or dealing with a situation where you are faced with an abundant amount of fear, anxiety, depression, loss, betrayal, hopelessness, and pain, it may be difficult to put a positive spin on your life. As a co-addict, living with my addicted spouse, I was exposed to negative feelings on a daily basis. If there was peace for a few weeks, I never trusted it. I was living with the fear of what might happen next and could never relax in the moment or feel good about my life.

I always worried about how I was going to take care of everybody else. My needs were last on my to-do list. There became a point where I did not even know what my needs were or how to start to address them. I felt trapped beneath rubble and I could not find my way up. If I was going to bed feeling like there was a black cloud over my life, then it made sense that I woke up feeling the same way.

When the bulk of emotions a person experiences are discouraging and negative in nature, it can’t be expected they would feel good about their life. The body and mind are meant to handle extreme stress. When that stress occurs too often, it can take a toll on physical and mental well-being. To enjoy life or hobbies or anything that makes people happy, we must be able to be present in that moment. If a person is preoccupied with worry or ill feelings, it would be difficult to enjoy even the simplest of pleasures. A co-addict may get to a point where food becomes tasteless, and numbness and sadness supersedes all good feelings they once experienced.

Co-Addiction Meets Co-Dependency
When a co-addict neglects themselves and their own basic needs, living can become impossible. They may find that the things they used to enjoy have become a distraction from dealing with the addict. When a person supports, enables, becomes addicted to, and/or loves an addict, they are making a choice on a subconscious level. They are choosing to invest their life and well-being into someone else’s. This is where co-addiction meets co-dependency. When a loved one has a serious addiction, there is cause for alarm. Your energies will be refocused, but as the addiction continues, and if you stay engrossed in the outcome of someone else’s life, you will be less engaged in how well your own life will be. When your happiness, sanity and well-being become compromised by the condition of another person, then you are neglecting yourself.

Change The Focus And Educate Yourself
Sometimes it takes a simple walk out of the door of your life, and a gaze into it from the outside window to realize that something is terribly wrong. To recognize that there is extreme neglect going on, is a difficult insight to grasp, but one necessary to change the focus off of the addict and work on making positive changes. Negligence is a word that implies lack of care, attention and abandonment. Most people find neglect an awful offense and the person accountable, a criminal. If you look at it from this perspective, the co-addict is both the offender and the victim, a situation extremely difficult to reconcile and repair.

To change focus, a co-addict needs to make a conscious choice to put the focus back on themselves. This cannot be emphasized enough. It may seem like a large task. Educate yourself on the cycle of co-addiction on the propensities of co-dependents. The more information and knowledge you obtain, the sooner you will have your “ah-ha”moment andthe more your actions will make sense to you. Armed with knowledge of your own condition and the situation you have become immersed in, you can use this to help you focus, and make a positive change.


Blog By: Addiction Blog.org

The synthesization of methamphetamine, …

Toddlers exposed to methamphetamines in the womb have abnormal responses to stress, but only when they also live in unstable home environments.

Unfortunately for kids, prenatal drug use and unstable homes often go hand-in-hand. In a new study, 68 percent of kids whose mothers used meth during pregnancy showed a blunted response to stressful situations.

“The lack of hormonal stress response that we observed in these children has serious implications, such as a greater risk for depression, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” study researcher Namik Kirlic, a doctoral student at the University of Tulsa, said in a statement.

Meth is a stimulant that can give users a sense of euphoria. But the drug is highly addictive and toxic to brain cells. Babies born to meth-addicted moms show stunted growth, and they may have behavioral problems that stretch well into childhood, studies show.

Meth’s stimulation of the nervous system may also affect a fetus’ developing stress response. Kirlic and his colleagues observed 123 2-year-olds, whose mothers had used meth during pregnancy, playing with their moms in a room. They then had the mothers leave the toddler alone in the room for a maximum of two minutes, a situation that provokes short-term stress in young kids. Before and after the experiment, the researchers took saliva samples to measure the toddlers’ levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

The majority of the children showed a lower-than-typical level of cortisol production in response to the stressful moments alone, the researchers report in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. This sort of dulled cortisol response has previously been linked to substance abuse, delinquency and even asthma in young people. [5 Ways Your Cells Handle Stress]

But the child’s environment was key, the researchers found. Kids who were exposed to meth but whose families were now stable did not show the blunted response. Kids still in stressful homes did.

“It’s not the meth alone,” study researcher Barry Lester, director of the Brown Center for Children at Risk of the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, said in a statement. “It’s the combination of meth exposure and adversity after birth. We see other things coming into play — the mother’s psychological health, alcohol use, exposure to violence at home or in the community. The postnatal environment is hugely important,” added Lester, who is also at Brown’s The Warren Alpert Medical School.

The study highlights two messages, Lester said: First, kids whose mom did meth during pregnancy can overcome the damage, provided they get support and security. Second, that support and security need to come early.

“Unfortunately,” Lester said, “we are not doing a good job of getting to these children during early infancy.”