What You Do If Reaching Out For Recovery At Holiday Time. The Perfect Time To Gain Your Precious Life Back and Steps To Take …

What Are the First Steps to Getting Help with Addiction~by Alek Sabin

When a person is struggling from any addiction, especially gambling addiction, it can be hard for them to recognize how far gone they are. Feeling hopeless from the financial pressures as well. Even if they see that they need help, understanding how to get help and the first steps towards getting it can be complicated. There are so many addiction recovery options, each with their own pros and cons.

Adding to the confusion is stress over the cost of treatment and the logistics of leaving your life behind in order to get better. I know it seems overwhelming, but once you take that first step, things will begin to fall into place. Here are some ideas of what that first step might look like, and where you can start your recovery process.

See Your Doctor

The first step on the road to recovery can be as simple seeing your family physician. And let’s not forget, Addiction is a disease, and you don’t need to be ashamed to tell your doctor that you have a problem and to ask for help. Your doctor will be able to provide you with recommendations to an addictions facility or to other addiction recovery programs.

 

Once the doctor gives you some referrals, the next step is to call around to the different programs and see which one you feel best about, and then get started on getting better. Just like you would go to your doctor for a referral to an oncologist if you had cancer or a diabetic who has diabetes, there are medical professionals that specialize in addiction recovery that your doctor will be able to put you in touch with.

 

Meet With a Rehab Center

Most addiction recovery programs will provide a free assessment to anyone who needs one. You can meet with a team of experienced addiction recovery experts who can help you to determine what the best plan for healing would be for you.

Whether a residential stay would be appropriate for you, or an outpatient program, having an assessment will give you an idea about where you’re headed. These professionals can also help to get you enrolled in a 12-step program or other programs and support groups which are completely free, and put you in touch with other resources.

…

…

Detoxification Programs

If an addict is physically dependent on an illicit substance or nonsubstance like gambling addiction it is incredibly dangerous to stop using it all at once, especially on your own. There are many misconceptions about gambling addiction and a “withdraw” process, as addicted gamblers DO have and go through a “detox” period just like any other addict.

This is one harmful way that many addictions like drugs operate, by, ironically, making it unhealthy for you to stop using them. This is where detoxification programs come in. A detox program provides a safe, medically supervised space for an individual to get treatment as a substance and brain chemicals change or begin with substances, leave their body.

 

12-Step Groups

Most treatment centers and facilities will start you along in a 12-step program during your initial treatment, and you should continue this work with a group of your choice once your treatment program is completed. These 12-step meetings like AA, NA, and GA are a great place to gain perspective from people who understand what you’re going through so you will see your not alone. You can make new friends, gain support, and expand your support system as you continue to overcome your addiction.

Other resources that can help you to find work or a safe place to live can also be found in a 12-step group, so getting involved can really save your life. For recovering gamblers, ask your GA, (Gamblers Anonymous) trustees to schedule a “Financial Pressure Relief ” meeting with you and your spouse and go over the packet to begin your financial inventory and on the road to the accountability of the financial damages and pressure, you may be feeling.

…

,,,

Trustworthy Friends and Family

Recovery resources are essential, but social support and love are important parts of your life as well, so you shouldn’t neglect them. Weed out friends or family members who would hamper your recovery and learn to rely on those who are supportive of your process. Include those who love you in your recovery, and let them help you to reach your milestones.

Making new friends can be hard, but it will be one of the most rewarding parts of recovery if you can connect with safe, sober, uplifting people to share your journey with. Don’t allow the isolation of addiction to continue to have a hold on you. Branch out to others for support and enjoy the opportunities it gives you to serve and to give back.

 

Helping a Loved One Get Started

Sometimes the first step to recovery doesn’t come from the addict themselves, it comes through the help of those who love them. If you can see that your loved one is struggling with addiction, but they are resistant to getting help, it’s probably time to stage an intervention. Prepare yourself and other attendees well ahead of time, and have some recovery options ready to get started on right away. Check out Catherine’s Resource Page while your here.

There are also other support groups like “Celebrate Recovery” … Find one in your area with the Celebrate Recovery Locator.  You’ll be well on your way to a Brand New Life within Recovery! 

 

Advertisement

How to Help a Loved One When They’re Depressed by Alek S.

Hello and Welcome Friends and New Visitors,

Many of my regular friends here know I am living with mental health challenges along with maintaining my recovery from addiction. Many suffer in a variety of ways and depression seems to be a popular disorder affecting more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.

Persistent depressive disorder, as I have, or PDD, (formerly called dysthymia) is a form of depression that usually continues for at least two years or longer according to “The Anxiety and Depression Association of America” Alek has written a great article for us to help those we know who suffer from depression. I hope it helps friends…
________________________________________

“How to Help a Loved One When They’re Depressed”

It is incredibly difficult to watch someone you love go through depression. Depression is a disease that doesn’t operate within the normal bounds of reason. The chemical imbalances in the brain of a person who suffers from depression put them into a different mode of existence, where little things might seem like the end of the world, or it might be difficult to get excited about the big things, at all. Indeed there’s a reason that depression can be so closely linked to substance abuse. According to some studies, as many as half of the people with depression may also struggle with a substance abuse or addiction disorder at some point in their lives.

However, this doesn’t mean that a depressed person has to be resigned to living a life of sadness and repressed emotions. By using effective coping skills and learning to manage their mind, people all over the world live fulfilling lives, despite the effects of depression. Here are some key things that you can do to help a loved one who struggles with depression…

Don’t use shame to fight depression:

Shame is a tool that is too often utilized when it comes to our intercourse with mental illness. What makes this a real shame is that it doesn’t really work. You can’t shame someone into getting over the way that depression makes them feel. Phrases like “just be happy” don’t do anything to actually mitigate the effects of depression, which are caused by real and tangible chemical imbalances in the brain, and instead, work to make your loved one feel like they are understood, not more alienated. As you can imagine, this doesn’t work towards improving healthy habits that are able to help them cope with depression.

Small acts of kindness go a long way:

We don’t need a big sweeping gesture that shows the people we love that we are willing to help in their struggle with depression. Instead, it’s important to remember that little acts of kindness can build up to make a person feel respected and appreciated. Don’t only offer these kind gestures towards your loved one, but encourage them to do the same for other people. There are studies that show that small acts of kindness actually are able to increase the happiness of the person who carries them out.

Encourage professional help:

It can be hard for people to determine when depression requires the help of a professional. However, it’s important to realize that someone who is severely depressed will never seek the help of a professional themselves. That’s just the nature of the disease; when you’re in it, you can’t find hope that it will get better. Do whatever you can to urge your loved one to seek help, since you know that there are numerous ways today that we can help to manage the symptoms of depression.

Don’t undermine their experiences

Even though the overwhelming feelings of a person with depression may be caused by the actual chemical effects of depression, rather than external factors, it is still important to understand that those feelings are still real, whether they are rational or not. Depression can be a part of a person’s existence, and even though it is important to learn coping skills to deal with the weight that depression can be on a person’s shoulders, it is also important to not undermine these experiences. Instead, just listen or give them their space. You don’t need to fix everything at every moment.

 

Encourage healthy habits

Because depression has to do with brain chemistry, it is very beneficial for a person with depression to be engaging in healthy behavior that improves brain balance, such as dieting, exercising, or eliminating the toxins in their body. This can be difficult since depression, by its very nature, can get in the way of doing important life things, including just eating at all. What you can do, as a person who loves them is encourage the healthy habits that are going to make them feel better, in the long run. While depression can undermine the desire to do such things, be persistent and know that it will help them.

Don’t expect quick fixes

If you are looking for a quick fix to get rid of the effects of depression, then you should probably hang up the cape right now and save yourself the time. Combatting depression takes time and is a battle of a bunch of little things, rather than any one big thing that gets rid of the entire problem.

Just be there

Sometimes, you don’t have to actually do anything. Feeling like you have to constantly be “fixing” this person because of their depression is just going to have the opposite effect that you want. Sometimes, just being there and not doing anything counterproductive is going to mean the world to them.

________________________________________________

“Presented by Recovery Starts Here!  ~ Author, Catherine Lyon”