Tools for Managing Cravings in Recovery
When you are in recovery, you face a lifelong challenge of maintaining your sobriety and living a life of purpose. But one of the biggest challenges you’ll face immediately after you complete a treatment program is managing cravings in recovery. In this blog, you will learn helpful techniques that can aid you in managing cravings for a long-term recovery. Three Techniques for Managing Cravings in Recovery So, what are the best ways to manage cravings? Mindfulness and Meditation Managing cravings in recovery is best done when you are able to practice mindfulness and meditation. You have no control over when and how cravings will strike, how intense they will be, or what other stress might arise in your life. The only thing over which you have control is how you respond to those stresses and cravings. To that end, mindfulness and meditation skills can go a long way toward empowering you to take control over your emotional reactions. When many people face cravings or stress they try to suppress it, control it, or otherwise change it. What is healthier is to instead acknowledge how those stresses or triggers are making you feel, and then use healthy coping strategies to openly support those emotions, negative or positive. Meditation is a great tool for supporting those emotions and for making space to sit with them. Too often, when things are stressful, or there are triggers or cravings, people try to overload themselves so they don’t think about it, but too many distractions without paying attention to emotions can lead to self-medication and relapse. Instead, making time for meditation is a critical way to openly make space for how you are feeling, to figure out what has triggered your craving, and to reflect on what you might need to feel better. Yoga/Recreation Yoga is a wonderful tool for managing cravings in recovery because it provides you with a learning opportunity to sit with discomfort and recognize that uncomfortable feelings or sensations like stress and cravings are temporary. When you practice yoga, much of your work is meditative and mindful, because you are focused on your breathing and the poses you are holding. While practicing yoga, you are recognizing that the poses are uncomfortable, strenuous, and challenging, but when you focus on the things within your control, like your breathing, you can meditatively learn to cope with the temporary discomfort. More than that, you can recognize that all discomfort is temporary, whether it is physical, emotional, or mental. Other recreational activities like sports or hiking provide a chance to improve your physical and mental strength, boost your self-esteem, improve your mood, and give you a way to thoughtfully engage your mind apart from the cravings. Recreational activities also provide a chance to be social and to connect with other people. Social Support Social support is a key way to go about managing cravings in recovery. One of the biggest factors that contributes to relapse is feelings of isolation. A lot changes once you go through recovery. You might change, the people you associate with might change, and the activities you do will very much change. As a direct result, it can be lonely when you don’t have people to whom you can turn. For that reason, managing your cravings is best done when you make time to socialize with other people in a sober capacity and when you continue to participate in sober activities and support groups. Managing Cravings in Recovery with The Differents With The Differents, clients learn how to manage their cravings through personalized, holistic care at our trusted drug rehab in Reno. Whether you are participating in our partial hospitalization program or intensive outpatient program, you will find several holistic forms of care and activities that encourage craving management skills, including: At each level of care, we focus on reimagining the treatment process. In addition to traditional, evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy, clients can enjoy holistic therapy that provides more control over coping mechanisms like mindfulness and meditation, music therapy, art therapy, and recreational therapy. Ongoing support is a critical piece of the success of our programs, which is why we offer a continuum of care with ongoing groups for those who successfully complete their program, as well as family sessions and referral services. Participation in our alumni programs means access to ongoing support when you need it most. Overall, managing cravings comes down to developing coping techniques and other life skills that work best for you and your circumstances. When you work with a top-tier drug and alcohol rehab facility, you’ll have access to several techniques and resources that can support this. Contact our team today to learn more about our addiction recovery programs and how we can help you manage craving in recovery.
What is the Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Drug Use?
Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that can affect an individual’s well-being in many areas. Research has found that 78 percent of those with borderline personality disorder develop a substance use disorder at some time in their lives, raising questions about the link between the mental health condition and addiction. Keep reading to explore the relationship between borderline personality disorder and drug use, and find out how to seek professional help if needed. If you or a loved one are in need of addiction treatment, turn to The Differents for comprehensive substance abuse treatment in Reno. Our expert team can help you recover in comfort at our luxury drug rehab in Nevada, where you can learn the tools you need for long-term recovery. What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition defined by issues with impulsivity, self-image, and unstable interpersonal relationships. A diagnosis requires that symptoms begin in early adulthood across several contexts (like school, home, and work) with at least five of the following nine symptoms: One of the key features of borderline personality disorder is going out of your way to avoid rejection or abandonment, often imagined. People with this condition can experience high sensitivity to environmental changes and impending perceptions of rejection, which can have a negative impact on self-image, behavior, and relationships. Drug use is when an individual abuses prescription or illegal drugs and can develop into an addiction that results in cravings, withdrawal, and an inability to decrease or stop substance abuse behaviors, no matter how hard they try. The Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Drug Use The relationship between borderline personality disorder and drug use is multifaceted: For example, many people with borderline personality disorder have an intense fear of abandonment, and they usually struggle with inappropriate displays of anger, but most of that perceived abandonment stems from poor self-esteem and a belief that they are bad people. That same person might be overwhelmed at how quickly they change their emotions, feel like something’s wrong with them, and believe that the bad things that happen are because they’re a bad person. These same feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, and emotional outbursts are also heavily associated with drug use. Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Substance Abuse: Causes People who have a first-degree relative struggling with borderline personality disorder are five times more likely to develop it themselves. Moreover, those who struggle with BPD are also at a higher risk of also having: Many symptoms that develop in association with long-term substance abuse can mirror the symptoms and signs of borderline personality disorder. This can make it difficult to obtain a proper diagnosis or subsequent treatment. More importantly, many clients who struggle with borderline personality disorder struggle heavily with impulsivity, identity issues, and problems with interpersonal functioning, all of which can exacerbate or increase the risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. Getting Treatment with The Differents If you are noticing a relationship between borderline personality disorder and drug use, you can find support with The Differents. The most important part of your treatment will consist of individual and group psychotherapy, where you learn how to better express yourself and interact with others. You might also benefit from family therapy because both borderline personality disorder and drug use affect individuals and their families. Clients at our Nevada addiction treatment center benefit from our extensive programs and highly trained staff, including therapies and amenities like: With a 1:3 staff-to-client ratio, you can get highly personalized treatment that offers therapy and holistic care for both borderline personality disorder and drug use, providing the skills necessary to understand the relationship between the two. With the right treatment, you can learn to manage symptoms of both substance use disorder and borderline personality disorder to live a fulfilling life. Reach out to our team today to learn more about our innovative mental health and addiction treatment programs.
What Are the 5 Principles of Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma can have a lasting and harmful effect on your mind and body. It can hurt your emotional development, neurological health, and social well-being. Past experiences can continue to influence the efficacy of treatment later in life. With trauma-informed care, you can walk into care with a different relationship to the sessions and the therapists. By following the five principles of trauma-informed care, your care team can help you find a path toward healing for a happier, healthier life. The Differents can help you with this. Our trusted drug rehab in Reno offers a range of levels of care that can help you work through your trauma in a safe and effective way. Contact us to learn more about our addiction treatment center in Nevada. How is Trauma-Informed Care Different? Trauma-informed care is an approach to treatment that aims to avoid re-traumatization. Re-traumatization is when the care you seek triggers you or causes additional trauma, hurting your progress instead of helping. If you have trauma in your background, getting treatment can be a challenge when you are constantly worried about additional risks or triggers. That is why The Differents incorporates the five principles of trauma-informed care. What are the 5 Principles of Trauma-Informed Care? The five principles of trauma-informed care help ensure that you can stay emotionally and physically safe during your treatment. 1st Principle: Safety First is safety. Trauma-informed care aims to keep you safe while receiving care. Recovery is best achieved when you are able to curate a healthy relationship with your therapist and treatment center. 2nd Principle: Trustworthiness Building relationships with your therapist is important. If you do not trust your therapist, it will be hard to take anything they suggest seriously or believe that their suggestions or help can be useful. With trauma-informed care, your therapist will ensure you feel safe enough to truthfully discuss your past experiences, knowing that your vulnerability will be respected. But you get to ensure consistent boundaries are set with your therapist, too, letting them know what things you might not like or might like, such as: The more your therapist honors these requests, the stronger your trust can be. 3rd Principle: Choice You have many choices and control over your care plan. Often in traumatic experiences, it can feel like your power, choice, or control was taken from you. Getting help if you have a history of trauma can be more difficult when you worry about lack of choice or control. That is why the third principle of trauma-informed care is that you have control over choices related to your treatment plan. If you are able to provide information about your treatment or what you need to feel safe, you are more likely to be invested in the outcome and more likely to experience greater healing. You can choose things like: 4th Principle: Collaboration You work with your therapy team as you work through your recovery. Under normal circumstances, the therapist with whom you work is more of an authority figure, and they provide specific rules that you follow. With trauma-informed care, that is not the case. Instead, you work together with your care team toward your recovery. You collaborate, and you provide input and insight into how your recovery is going. This gives you greater control and improves the safety you experience during your healing. 5th Principle: Empowerment The fifth and final principle is empowerment. When your power is taken from you through trauma, it can have a lifelong impact. Trauma-informed care helps you regain that power and rediscover it within yourself through healthy coping skills, self-care, and a safe exploration of your personal experiences. By doing this, you can better understand your current thoughts and emotions and change them for the best. Getting Trauma-Informed Care with The Differents With The Differents, you can get access to trauma-informed care at several levels, including in our partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP). You can learn how to understand the impact of trauma within a safe environment and navigate the behaviors and beliefs you have curated as a result. We can help you see how your trauma affects the way you see the world and how you respond to it. We specialize in several therapies that support those who are overcoming trauma, including: Our facility has a 1:3 staff-to-client ratio, and all of our staff focus on a holistic viewpoint, unlike other treatment centers. We also ensure that our group and individual therapy is carried out with a trauma-focused approach. We focus on ensuring you feel safe, that you build trust with our team, and that you have control and collaboration in the care you receive. Reach out to our team today to learn more about our outpatient rehab in Reno.
The Connection Between Social Anxiety and Substance Abuse
Social anxiety and substance abuse represent two common co-occurring disorders. People who struggle with a social anxiety disorder or acute social anxiety may be likely to self-medicate with alcohol, especially so they can feel more at ease and less anxious in social situations. In most cases, people self-medicate regularly, leading to tolerance and addiction. Social Anxiety and Substance Abuse: Self-Medicating Anxiety is a common emotion experienced by people in various situations throughout life. However, for some, anxiety becomes much more severe than this, manifesting as a legitimate mental health disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorders, and a diagnosis for one or more comes from your primary care physician. Some anxiety disorders overlap, and it is common for people struggling with anxiety to have more than one disorder, such as social anxiety and panic disorders. Social Anxiety Disorder Social anxiety disorder involves intense and regular fear, particularly around social situations. This fear often involves a fear of being judged by others, and it can be so intense that individuals with a social anxiety disorder avoid social situations altogether. Those who don’t might try to control some of their symptoms or hide them with drugs or alcohol. Symptoms of a social anxiety disorder include the following: It’s common for people who struggle with social anxiety to also experience feelings of fear, irritability, problems concentrating and sleeping issues. These feelings can be significantly disruptive. Let’s look at example: Someone who knows that they have to attend a company party in three months might start feeling anxious now, and over the next three months they may struggle with anxiety that gets significantly worse as the event approaches. In this example, that same individual might have trouble concentrating, and this can lead to sleep problems. Poor concentration can cause problems at work. Poor sleep quality can result in irritability, which increases the fights they have with their partner or their children and makes them generally unpleasant to be around. This can compromise the safety of driving to and from work as well. Getting Professional Help for Anxiety Drug Abuse If you are struggling with social anxiety and substance abuse, you can find treatment programs that specialize in care for co-occurring disorders. These programs are called dual diagnosis treatment. At The Differents, a trusted drug rehab in Reno, you can get help for anxiety drug abuse with several levels of care, including: No matter which level of care you choose at our luxury addiction treatment center, social anxiety and substance abuse are best treated with our Nevada dual diagnosis treatment program, where the symptoms of addiction and anxiety can be treated simultaneously. These programs include several types of evidence-based practices, from individual and group therapy sessions to holistic treatment. Holistic care and therapy can provide the coping skills needed to control the symptoms of social anxiety without turning to drugs or alcohol. Detox Treatment for anxiety and substance abuse starts with detox, where you can flush out any remaining compounds from your substance abuse and tackle your long-term recovery from a sober starting point. Therapy Therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective way to treat anxiety disorders. Acceptance and commitment therapy or other psychotherapy might focus on relaxation techniques that you can use when you struggle with acute symptoms of social anxiety or how to cope with your symptoms without using drugs and alcohol. Medication In certain cases, medication like benzodiazepines or beta-blockers might be used to help you manage symptoms. You may use these for acute symptoms that arise before a social setting or even for long-term management. The right type of dual diagnosis treatment can offer solutions for managing both addiction and social anxiety in a sober and successful fashion. Contact The Differents today to learn more about our dual diagnosis programs for anxiety drug abuse.
The Essential Guide to Dual Diagnosis Sober Living: What You Need to Know
Overcoming addiction and mental health disorders can be full of struggles that require you to change many things in your life, such as: There are unique challenges associated with dual diagnosis situations. In addition to tackling the physical and mental struggles associated with addiction, you must take on the responsibility of managing mental health issues. Most Common Dual Diagnosis Situations Dual diagnosis refers to any situation where you have a co-occurring mental health disorder alongside an addiction. Common dual diagnosis examples include: How to Manage Dual Diagnosis Sober Living If you are living with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, try these strategies to manage dual diagnosis sober living after treatment. Get Treatment The first step is getting professional treatment. Professional treatment can ensure you have a proper and correct diagnosis. It’s not uncommon for people struggling with bipolar disorder or PTSD to be mistakenly diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders, as these can have very similar symptoms. Know Your Triggers It’s important to identify your triggers. Knowing what your triggers are can help you prepare yourself with extra coping skills before you find yourself in a triggering situation or may even help you avoid certain triggers altogether. Practice Emotional Regulation Next, you need to know how to practice emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is a tool that you can use to change the way you automatically respond to stressful situations or triggers. Many of the emotional regulation techniques that are used today are based on cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most common evidence-based practices for mental health disorders and addiction. Emotional regulation technqiues include: Use Medication If Needed If you participate in dual-diagnosis treatment and are prescribed medication for part of your mental health symptoms, don’t stop using it because you don’t feel relief straight away. The medication may take several weeks to become fully effective, so it’s important to be patient. Many dual diagnosis services include medication management, which means a chance to review the medication you are taking regularly with a professional to determine how effective a given prescription is. Sometimes, the medication you are prescribed is designed to help with acute symptoms or is something you can wean yourself off of with time and other coping skills. Work with your care team to ensure you get the right solution. Keep a Sleep/Mood Diary A sleep or mood diary can help you uncover activities or lifestyle habits that might interfere with sleep quality. With dual diagnosis sober living, it is important to identify which sources of stress, mental health symptoms, or triggers might contribute to your poor focus or poor sleep. For example: If you are struggling with dual diagnosis sober living, make time for journaling either during the day or before bed. This can be great for reflecting on your day and the quality and quantity of sleep you had the night before. Dual Diagnosis Treatment at The Differents Overall, don’t be afraid to get the right type of treatment when the time comes. Dual diagnosis sober living relies on your ability to regulate emotions and apply coping skills to stressful situations. You can learn more about these techniques in treatment at The Differents, a trusted drug rehab in Reno. We offer dual diagnosis treatment in Nevada at our luxury addiction treatment center. Reach out to The Differents today to learn more about dual diagnosis care.
The Benefits of Laughter Therapy in Healing
If you are moving through mental health treatment or treatment for substance abuse, the healing process can at times seem slow, isolating, and challenging. With the right type of treatment program and the right type of therapy, you can add a modern twist to your healing process. How? By capitalizing on the science of laughter. What is Laughter Therapy? Laughter therapy is a form of treatment where participants intentionally laugh in order to promote improved mental and physical well-being. While it’s all too common to seek out a depressing movie or television show full of conflict and violence if you’re feeling depressed or angry, doing so only further fuels those emotions. When you are feeling depressed or anxious, laughter is actually the best medicine. Watching something funny or doing something silly can help promote the physical and physiological benefits of laughter, even if your laughter is fake. What to Expect with Laughter Therapy In laughter therapy sessions, you might participate in exercises like relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and intentional laughter, even if that laughter is fake. These techniques help to promote natural healing, improve your physical and mental well-being, and relieve stress. Practiced in a group session, laughter therapy can also provide social benefits. Scientific Benefits of Laughter Therapy in Healing There are several benefits of laughter therapy in healing, no matter what it is you are trying to heal from. Psychological Benefits When you laugh, it has a positive impact on your mood. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which can improve your mood, reduce depression, and even relieve pain temporarily. Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones in your body, which can reduce the following: Moreover, the benefits of laughter therapy in healing extend beyond just the levels of stress hormones. Too often, people who are struggling with recovery or healing are consumed with doubt, fear, anxiety, or worry. But laughter can transport you somewhere else, giving you better perspectives and letting you recognize that problems that may have seemed all-consuming before are not as bad. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of laughter therapy and healing is its ability to increase resilience. Your level of resilience represents how quickly you are able to bounce back from challenges. Resiliency comes from having gratitude, an optimistic outlook, and a growth mindset. Laughter gives you the ability to see the funnier side of things and to build your resilience in such a way that when you are next facing a challenge, stressful situation, or even a setback in your long-term goals, it won’t bring you down as far. Physiological Benefits Physiologically, studies have found when you laugh, it increases your blood pressure and heart rate. These increases help deliver essential nutrients to your muscles and your immune system while also increasing oxygenation in your blood. Laughing can increase your breathing rate, which helps improve lung function. When you laugh, it causes muscles to contract and relax, which can release tension that you didn’t realize you were holding on to. In fact, studies have found that deep laughter can leave your muscles relaxed for up to forty-five minutes after the fact. Social Benefits The benefits of laughter therapy extend to social aspects. Group therapy sessions centered on laughter therapy or any type of comedic environment can help you create a sense of connection with other people. Laughter helps you build relationships that can prove vital in your long-term healing and recovery and also strengthen existing bonds with friends and family. Reaping the Benefits of Laughter Therapy with The Differents The Differents is a luxury addiction treatment center in Nevada. With each of our inpatient or outpatient rehab programs in Reno, we help clients foster improved resiliency, learn essential coping skills to manage stress and triggers, and build self-esteem. All of these skill sets come through evidence-based therapies and holistic treatments, including laughter therapy. The social benefits of improving connection with others are among the biggest benefits of laughter therapy for those who come to our facility. It’s not uncommon for new clients at The Differents to struggle when they don’t know anyone, especially in a group setting. Shared laughter can strengthen bonds and reinforce connections. These social benefits can extend to other programs like family therapy sessions where you can share a laugh with friends and family to help diffuse any tension or resolve conflicts that might exist in your relationship.If you are ready to learn more about laughter therapy at our trusted drug rehab in Reno, call our team at 844-290-1362.
Exploring Expressive Arts Therapy in Addiction Recovery
Scientific research has recently pivoted to the many benefits of holistic programs like expressive arts therapy in addiction recovery. But what is art therapy for addiction? Is it only something for artistic people, and what are its benefits? What is Expressive Arts Therapy in Addiction Recovery? Addiction recovery art doesn’t need any type of skill or artistic knowledge to be useful. Art therapy and addiction recovery incorporate several expressive therapies, such as: In essence, art therapy for addiction incorporates one or more of these expressive therapies as well as imagination and playfulness in integrative ways through psychotherapy and counseling. Benefits of Art Therapy and Addiction Recovery Art therapy has proven very useful in the healing process of substance abuse. For some clients, art therapy provides a better medium for emotional expression, especially for male clients who might feel uncomfortable sitting in a room and talking about their feelings. For other clients, art therapy provides an easier way to connect with emotions that may not have been recognized and to tell a story of trauma or previous experiences that contributed to substance abuse. How Does Art Therapy for Addiction Work? Integration is key. Symptoms, behaviors, pain, or suffering can be tackled with several forms of art, such as play, sound, dramatic enactments, and other expressive art forms, blended in different ways to make an expression of emotions a lot more helpful. Art therapy for substance abuse can help restore self-compassion and positive feelings. Art therapy is something used in conjunction with other psychotherapy, like talk therapy. While therapy is useful, and it allows clients to talk about issues, pain, struggle, or trauma, psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors can’t talk someone into improved self-compassion. People need to experience those feelings for themselves, and that is achieved through expressive arts therapy in addiction recovery. Making gestures, moving the body, and other simple ways of expressing yourself physically can encourage social engagement, curiosity, playtime, self-regulation, and imagination, all of which serve as important components in addressing trauma, restoring components of yourself, and helping with the healing process. Do I Have to Be Creative or Artistic? One of the many things that people worry about, especially before their first session, is whether they have to be creative or artistic for this type of therapy to work. The answer is absolutely not. There is no artistic requirement behind participating in addiction recovery art. Even creative people have days when they don’t feel creative, but everyone can draw a line or make a mark on a piece of paper, wave their hand, or move their body in some gesture or another. These small things are all ways of being expressive. Expression is a human behavior. Curiosity has always existed, and it helps us let go of fear and trauma. What Should I Expect During a Session? While you might be apprehensive at first, realizing that there is no pressure to be artistic or creative and that there are several ways to be expressive can help alleviate some of that fear and boost your curiosity. At The Differents, our team works hard to ensure clients get holistic care on their schedules with several inpatient and outpatient programs. Our trusted drug rehab in Reno offers an idyllic location where nature inspires relaxation and artistic expression. Curiosity and fear are opposite feelings. Once you become curious about arts therapy, what to expect next, what other forms of creativity or expression you might use, and how they might make you feel, you are opening yourself up to curiosity and doing away with fear. The fear you might experience will only serve to hold you back from achieving true healing in your sessions. Discover Arts Therapy at The Differents Expressive arts therapy is a form of treatment that incorporates different art forms to help boost emotional expression, play, imagination, and healing. There are several forms, and participants don’t need to be creative or artistic to reap the benefits. Don’t worry about being pressured. Your therapist will work with you to find the right combination of integrative arts for your circumstances, and they will guide you through simple starting points like drawing, writing, moving figures around on a computer screen, painting something, or acting something out.If you are ready to learn more about our addiction treatment center in Nevada, our approach to substance abuse treatment in Reno, and how we incorporate art into recovery, call our team today.
What Are the Signs of Drug Addiction?
If you or someone you love is struggling with mood swings, money problems, irritability, and similar symptoms, you might wonder if these changes represent symptoms of addiction. Some of the common symptoms of drug addiction are physical symptoms–which happen while under the influence or during withdrawal–and these can include shaking, chills, muscle pain, or cramps. But many of the symptoms that a family member or close friend might notice extend to behavioral issues such as severe mood swings, paranoia, sudden lying or stealing, or experiencing legal issues because of drug use. An individual struggling with addiction might notice that in addition to their mood swings and changes in behavior, they keep forgetting to do important things like go to work or pick up their kids from school because they are focused exclusively on drug use. Thankfully, no matter what, there are ways you can get help with The Differents, an addiction treatment center in Nevada. Physical Symptoms of Addiction Physical symptoms of addiction have the widest range and depend on the substances being used. For example, someone might experience: Behavioral Signs of Drug Addiction The symptoms of addiction might vary from one substance to the next in physical manifestations, but there are similar behavioral signs. Mood Swings Mood swings and irritability without cause happen often. Someone you know might be an otherwise even-keeled person, but soon, they start to show signs of drug addiction like rapid mood shifts, being particularly irritable for no reason, or snapping at small things that don’t matter. Lack of Responsibility Another common feature of drug addiction is a lack of responsibility. Individuals might forget to do important things for work or personal life because they are preoccupied with obtaining, using, or recovering from drugs. This can include being late to work regularly or even skipping work without calling in or having an explanation. Paranoia Some substances lead to extreme paranoia. This can manifest similarly to mood swings, and someone with an addiction might make accusations of people taking things from them, conspiring against them, or trying to harm them. In other cases, individuals might demonstrate paranoia about their environment, checking windows continually, keeping doors locked and curtains shut, and always hesitating when someone comes to the door. Lying or Hiding It is not uncommon for someone dealing with addiction to start lying or hiding information about where they were or how they got money. This lying can happen when someone tries to mask their addiction, and it might not always make sense or be believable. Other Symptoms of Addiction Other signs of drug addiction are interrelated, such as financial problems, bad habits, lying, or stealing. Financial Strain It is not uncommon for people struggling with addiction to start to experience financial strain. That strain can come in many forms, such as: Legal Issues This financial strain can be exacerbated by legal issues like: These legal issues come with fines as well as potential jail time, probation, or court-ordered classes and volunteering. Many of the most significant symptoms of addiction revolve around the development of tolerance. An individual might start taking more and more of a particular substance in order to achieve the same effect. Moreover, that same person might try to stop or reduce their drug use and find that no matter what they do, they can’t seem to quit. It’s not uncommon for individuals to reach a point where they truly want to quit, and yet, despite understanding all of the negative consequences addiction has, they are unable to. Getting Help with Symptoms of Addiction Once you notice signs of addiction in yourself or a loved one, it is important to reach out for help. The Differents offers clients several levels of care, including PHP, IOP, and programs specific to groups like first responders. Our Reno substance abuse treatment programs are intended to help those in need with a remote, exclusive location nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just minutes from Lake Tahoe. The serene backdrop makes it easy for clients to step away from their daily stress and focus on turning attention inward and rebuilding what addiction may have broken. Overall, the symptoms of addiction can look different from one substance to the next but revolve around physical symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and other symptoms. Learning to recognize them can help you decide when it is time to get help.Call The Differents today to learn more about common signs of addiction and how our trusted drug rehab in Reno can help.
How to Do a Drug Intervention
If someone close to you is struggling with addiction, one of the ways you can offer support is to learn how to hold a drug intervention. A drug intervention is an opportunity for loved ones to come together and express the ways in which addiction has affected them and the reasons why they love and support their friend or family member and want the best for them, including professional treatment. There are several steps to take to hold a successful drug intervention. Decide on Participants One of the most important steps when figuring out how to hold a drug intervention is deciding on who will be there. Not every family member or close friend has to be in attendance. In fact, you need to pay particular attention to the relationship between the person for whom the intervention is being held and the people who are participating. For example: It is important to decide on the participants based on their positive relationship with the person for whom the intervention is planned. Don’t plan to bring people who don’t have a good relationship or people your loved one doesn’t trust, even if they are direct relatives. Write What to Say The next step is figuring out what you want to say. An intervention should not be a spontaneous event. Rather, everyone who has been invited to participate should write down what it is they want to say to their loved one. Don’t be afraid to share the things you write with someone else who will attend the intervention as well, giving one another a chance to review or edit where necessary. Practice Additionally, you’ll want to practice with everyone. Figuring out how to do a drug intervention takes practice and rehearsal, especially when it comes to reading important and intimate information that might elicit an emotional response. Find a Location and Time Find a good location and a time for the actual intervention. This step should come after everyone has been invited and written what they want to say. You want to be as prepared as possible for the intervention. The location you choose might work more effectively if it’s someplace neutral, a location that your loved one may or may not be familiar with but wouldn’t be apprehensive about visiting. The time you choose should work for everyone, including the person for whom you are staging the intervention. If possible, you want them to be sober during the intervention, and it might take a while to find a time frame that works for everyone. In many cases, going to a third-party location like a doctor’s office or a professional interventionist can be useful in encouraging openness and attendance for everyone. Work with a Professional The Differents is a trusted drug rehab in Reno and can help you learn how to hold a drug intervention. We can even offer locations that are neutral and more suitable to your intervention needs. One of the most important parts of an intervention is having a location for treatment available in case your loved one decides to move forward. At The Differents, we offer clients several outpatient programs for Reno substance abuse treatment at a stunning location nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With our programs, you can present your loved one with several viable options if they decide to pursue treatment at the end of an intervention. Calling our team gives you a chance to ask questions about our programs and how to do a drug intervention properly. We work with you to verify insurance so that you know, if your loved one agrees to get help at the end of your intervention, you have a place set up and ready for them right away. Overall, figuring out how to hold a drug intervention might seem overwhelming at first, but there are several resources that make it easier, such as working with a professional and practicing ahead of time what you want to say. If you are ready to learn more about interventions and our outpatient programs, call the team at our luxury drug rehab in Nevada today.
Coping Strategies for Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in Daily Life
Everyone deals with stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are biological imperatives that keep you alive. For example, it is heightened adrenaline and stress that might cause you to pause when you hear an unfamiliar sound and wait to determine if that sound is an intruder in your home or your trash cans being knocked over outside by a raccoon. What happens when things get out of hand or if you don’t have coping mechanisms? Coping Strategies for Dealing with Stress and Anxiety: Why They Matter While stress and anxiety historically were useful tools in keeping you alive, today, many people experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety in non-threatening situations. This can cause elevated resting cortisol levels, depression, mental health disorders, and compromised physical health, particularly immune health. You can use stress and anxiety coping strategies to help you manage these emotions in your everyday life. These strategies can help you build tolerance to stressful situations and enable you to perform at your best mentally and physically. For example: If Margaret doesn’t develop coping skills to learn how to tolerate stressful situations in daily life, simple changes or disruptions like missing a flight, not reaching a deadline, or having the car break down can cause unnecessarily high distress and emotional impairment that disrupt daily function. If Thomas doesn’t learn healthy stress and anxiety coping strategies, then when things get stressful at work or with his family, he might turn to harmful coping techniques like avoidance or substance abuse. Different Stress and Anxiety Coping Strategies We all have different ways of handling stress. Some people like to take comfort in quality family time or time spent with pets, while other people like to focus on hobbies. When you are struggling with high stress or anxiety levels, you need positive coping mechanisms that help you pragmatically tackle problems and manage your emotional response to things outside of your control. Problem Solving The first set of coping strategies is more practical. This is a problem-centered approach where you focus on the causes of your stress and anxiety within your control. You can’t control the death of a loved one, but you can control whether or not you stay in a job with an abusive workplace or whether you rely on drugs and alcohol to cope with anxiety. The source of your stress or anxiety might be somewhat within your control. You might not be able to control financial strain, but you can learn how to budget and control your reaction to that stress. Meditation Meditation is a useful coping strategy for stressful situations. Elevated concentrations of cortisol are a natural reaction to high stress levels. However, elevated daily cortisol levels can have several harmful effects on your mental and physical well-being. A meta-analysis reviewed cortisol or stress levels in several samples. This research concluded that there was a measurable change in cortisol levels using blood samples when individuals practice meditation, especially at-risk sample groups like those who are struggling with substance abuse or mental health disorders. Yoga Similar studies have concluded that yoga on its own was an effective antidepressant, lowering cortisol levels. Research has indicated that no level of experience with yoga is necessary to reap a significant decrease in cortisol levels and anxiety. Even those with no experience who participate in basic yoga poses on a regular basis are able to control stress levels and anxiety as well as alleviate depressive symptoms significantly more effectively than antidepressants. Getting Professional Help If you are still struggling with stress or anxiety and are interested in learning new coping skills, The Differents can provide co-occurring treatment that offers personalized coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety. Our luxury drug rehab in Nevada provides partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs in Reno, both of which incorporate therapies like: With a staff-to-client ratio of 1:3, we focus on cultivating creativity at our private addiction treatment center in Nevada, offering individuals stress and anxiety coping strategies in addition to a deeper understanding of the causes of these emotions. Stress and anxiety are regular parts of life. If you are working on recovery for substance abuse or co-occurring mental health disorders, you have control over your stress levels and the impact anxiety has on emotional and physical health through coping methods. Contact our team today to learn more about our services and how they can help your stress and anxiety levels.
