Emotional Immaturity and Substance Abuse

Emotional immaturity points to issues in a person’s childhood development. Between the ages of three and five years, children start to learn how to regulate their intense emotions and outbursts. They also learn about impulse control. When these areas of their emotional development are not addressed, emotional immaturity can be the result.

The relationship between emotional health and addiction is often dangerously intertwined. Although not all cases of emotional immaturity lead to substance abuse, it’s certainly possible.

Unresolved Trauma

When trauma in your life stops your emotional development, you may be in a state of “arrested psychological development,” and you may not outgrow some childlike methods of showing your emotions.

One of the ways some people choose to cope with unresolved trauma is by abusing alcohol or drugs. Self-medication can help you deal with any emotional pain or leftover anxiety that is related to your past trauma.

You may also find yourself coping with vivid memories and flashbacks by overindulging in alcohol or drugs. Individuals suffering from unresolved trauma may need to regulate their emotions as well to avoid crashing into intense depressive estates. Drugs and alcohol can help with this.

Unresolved trauma can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals may develop a substance use disorder in an attempt to cope with PTSD symptoms.

Poor Coping Skills

Emotionally immature individuals tend to have poor coping skills when it comes to handling stress or navigating challenges. Turning to alcohol and drugs can be an effective way for them to escape from the stress and pressure in their lives. Alcohol and drugs can also help them control sudden outbursts (violently lashing out at loved ones) or tendencies to overeat. Poor coping skills typically lead to a lack of problem-solving skills, especially under pressure. This feeling of inadequacy may cause them to turn to drugs or alcohol.

Lack of Emotional Regulation

When people have problems regulating their emotions, they may turn to drugs or alcohol to help. Self-medication can make it easier to deal with overwhelming emotions, such as pain, stress, anger, or anxiety. Since the highs that come with drugs or alcohol are often short, returning to a substance as a solution can turn into dependency.

Emotionally immature individuals who lack emotional regulation may also need a drug to improve their moods or avoid feeling empty.

How Substance Abuse Impacts Mental Health

Substance abuse not only impacts mental health, but it can worsen the symptoms of emotional immaturity.

Emotionally immature people are unable to regulate their emotions, and substance abuse can worsen the situation. Abusing alcohol or drugs can result in heightened sensitivity, mood swings, and intense bouts of depression.

Substance abuse can also increase anxiety. Emotionally immature people may already have anxiety due to their poor coping skills, and abusing alcohol or drugs can further contribute to their anxiety.

Some people are aware that they are emotionally immature and may try to develop healthier methods of coping. However, substance abuse can interfere with their learning journey, warping their mindset or ability to understand their emotions.

Substance abuse can create strained relationships, too, significantly impacting mental health. It can also result in feelings of emotional inadequacy or low self-worth.

People with emotional immaturity issues struggle with problem-solving skills and managing stress. When they abuse drugs or alcohol, they impair their cognitive functioning, making it even more difficult to manage their stress or cope with challenging situations.

Finally, addiction alters the brain’s chemistry, creating a cycle of dependency. Alcohol or drug abuse over many years can eventually cause psychosis.

Granite Recovery Centers’ Holistic Approach

At Granite Recovery Centers, we offer a holistic approach to those suffering from both substance abuse and emotional immaturity. Some of the therapeutic interventions for substance abuse include:

Inpatient Addiction Treatment

Granite Recovery Centers offers three inpatient addiction treatment centers. Inpatient addiction rehab provides clients with 24/7 supervised care by healthcare professionals. Our treatment plan addresses both the physical and psychological dependence.

Our inpatient addiction treatment programs run from 30 to 90 days, depending on the severity of the addiction. During this time, clients receive individual counseling and group psychotherapy sessions. Their daily routines include physical exercise, chores, and study.

Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Program

Like the inpatient addiction treatment program, our inpatient mental health treatment program offers 24/7 supervised treatment under the supervision of healthcare professionals. We treat schizoaffective disorder, social anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Our partial hospitalization program can benefit clients transitioning out of inpatient rehab or those who need an intense clinical rehab experience — programs five days a week — while living at home. Our PHP program offers group therapy, medication management, individual therapy, and family therapy.

Intensive Outpatient Program

If your substance use disorder isn’t severe, you may not need 24/7 supervision. In this case, Granite Recovery Centers offer an intensive outpatient program (IOP) that lasts anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks. The IOP program allows you to stay at home while attending intense three-hour meetings three times a week. Once you complete the program, you can step down to the regular outpatient programs. The program offers individual therapy, group therapy, and whatever additional treatment your customized treatment plan demands.

Outpatient Program

We offer outpatient programs to clients who have just completed intensive outpatient programs or residential treatment programs. Our outpatient programs are the final step of treatment before clients return to the normal world. The main goal of the outpatient program is to provide clients with a support system. They have access to the same counselors they were seeing during their inpatient program, but they have more independence.

Therapeutic Interventions

At Granite Recovery Centers, we offer comprehensive addiction treatment in the form of therapeutic modalities and counseling approaches. Approaches that can address emotional immaturity and addiction include:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy is a skill-building psychotherapy that was developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha M. Linehan. It was originally used to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the therapy was found to help those with substance use disorders as well.

DBT focuses on helping people control their emotions and reactions to stress. There are four main components to DBT. These are:

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness teaches clients to live in the present moment instead of feeling anxious about the future or depressed about the past.
• Emotion Regulation: Clients learn how to regulate their intense emotions, so those emotions aren’t overwhelming. There are three goals: understanding emotions, reducing emotional vulnerability, and decreasing emotional suffering.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness: Clients learn how to communicate in their relationships, such as asking for things, setting boundaries, or simply saying no.
• Distress Tolerance: Clients are taught how to cope with distressing situations and accept those events without making harmful and self-destructive decisions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the relationship between our emotions and our actions, in which negative thought patterns can create self-destructive behavior responses. The goal of CBT is to change negative thought patterns into positive thought patterns instead. Some principles of CBT include:

• Identifying negative thoughts: Clients identify negative thoughts and modify unhelpful ones, thereby changing how they react emotionally to triggers.
• Problem-Solving: Clients learn how to identify a problem, generate solutions, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each solution, and generate the most effective solution.
• Behavioral changes: CBT teaches clients to change self-destructive patterns of behavior and implement new behaviors that provide feelings of accomplishment.

Yoga Therapy

Yoga can be used therapeutically to allow clients to connect their minds, bodies, and spirits in order to heal emotionally and mentally. The components of yoga therapy include:

• Postures: By emphasizing physical postures and different movements, yoga can help individuals focus on their bodies, improving their balance and flexibility. This intense focus on slow movements and holding postures can help clients manage stress and anxiety.
• Breath Control: Controlling your breathing is an important part of yoga. Learning how to breathe properly can reduce stress, tension, and anxiety.
• Meditation and Mindfulness: Yoga movements teach clients to be fully present in the moment. When their mind wanders, yoga therapy emphasizes the skill of bringing the mind back to focus on the moment.
• Relaxation: Yoga therapy teaches clients to embrace relaxation techniques that can promote mental and emotional healing.

Recreational Therapy

Recreational therapy uses activities to improve clients’ emotional, physical, and social well-being. These activities may vary; they can include arts and crafts, dance, music, sports, and more. Recreational therapy offers clients numerous benefits, such as improving their depression, boosting their self-esteem, and increasing their cognitive abilities.

Recreational therapists customize a treatment plan based on the needs of the individual. The activities can also be modified as clients make progress. In addition, therapists can evaluate how clients respond to the therapy, thus tracking their progress.

Individualized Care

Granite Recovery Centers offers tailored treatment plans for emotional immaturity and substance use disorders. Individuals suffering from both emotional immaturity and a substance use disorder fall under the category of dual diagnosis.

• Assessment: This diagnosis requires a comprehensive assessment first to identify the substance use disorder as well as the reasons for the emotional immaturity. Included in the assessment is identifying any unique challenges that the client is faced with.
• Integrated Treatment Plans: To address an emotional immaturity disorder alongside a substance use disorder, Granite Recovery Centers offer integrated treatment plans. These plans offer counseling to address the emotional immaturity disorder as well as the addiction disorder simultaneously. Integrated treatment plans are important because they take into account how the two disorders affect each other.
• Psychotherapy: Individualized care also involves using therapeutic modalities, such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, recreational therapy, and more. This may be combined with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) if the client needs it. During individualized care, clients learn about the relationship their substance abuse has on their emotional health and vice versa. By gaining this knowledge, clients can then take steps to make realistic changes.
• Support Groups: Support groups are also instrumental to the comprehensive treatment plans offered in individualized care. While individual counseling is important, clients often need peer support. This supportive community allows clients to share their experiences with others who have similar experiences.
• Relapse Prevention: Clients with a co-occurring disorder learn to build skills that can prevent relapses. These skill-building sessions teach clients to identify and manage stressors or emotional triggers.
• Family Involvement: At Granite Recovery Centers, we like to involve family members in therapy sessions if the client and family are willing. This approach can help address any family issues that contribute to the client’s disorders. Family therapy sessions can also provide a supportive environment for clients feeling isolated and depressed.

Success Stories

Granite Recovery Centers’ expertise in addiction treatment simply means we know what works after years of experience. We combine the best parts of evidence-based clinical psychotherapy with 12-step study and action. Here is what some of our clients have to say:

“An amazing experience that saved my life and helped me get my children and family back in my life. I’m an addict and alcoholic of the worst type.”

“A majority of the staff here are also in recovery, which makes an incredible difference knowing that the people teaching me have been exactly where I was.”

“I’m coming up on two years clean now, and I still wear my Granite State Recovery T-shirt all the time. I would strongly suggest this place to ANYONE. They really go above and beyond if you’re actually willing to turn your life around.”

“Best. Treatment. Facility. Around. I stayed at NFA Canterbury for three months and loved every single second. The staff here are beyond amazing. I was so engaged in all groups. My therapist and case manager were nothing short of incredible. NFA holds a very special place in my heart & will forever. I recommend it to absolutely anyone looking for substance use/mental health treatment.”

“This program helped save my life in 2014 and ever since then, I have had the honor of working for this organization. Amazing things are happening here! I’m thankful that Granite was where I wound up when I was seeking treatment. I don’t think I would have been successful in other programs, knowing what I know now about the field.”

The post Reducing Emotional Immaturity in a Healthy Way appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

What Is Naltrexone? 

Naltrexone is a medication that the Federal Drug Administration approved to treat opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. People often take opioids to feel the euphoric effects that the drug produces, but naltrexone blocks these effects so that the user cannot experience them. By binding to opioid receptors and blocking them, naltrexone also helps to reduce cravings. It is considered a safe option for individuals with opioid use disorder because it does not have addictive properties.  

You have the option of taking naltrexone in pill form. The dose is 50 milligrams each day, but you may also take an injection of naltrexone, which is an extended-release form. In this case, you would receive a 380-mg injection into your muscle every month. Lastly, you may be able to receive implantable pellets, and they are another extended-release option.  

Benefits of Naltrexone Therapy

Naltrexone treats people with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder, but it is for a segment of the population who has been through a detox program and is in treatment to help them move forward on their journeys to sobriety. Naltrexone assists them in continuing to abstain from opioids or alcohol by eliminating cravings for their drugs of choice and blocking the effects of drugs or alcohol while they are recovering. It is instrumental in helping people remain sober in the long term.  

Therapists include naltrexone in the treatment plans they develop for their clients with opioid use or alcohol use disorder. Along with the medication that gives them the positive benefits described above, these clients also receive counseling in their treatment programs. They may also participate in behavioral therapies that treat substance use disorders.  

Potential Side Effects of Naltrexone 

You may experience side effects while taking naltrexone. Naltrexone side effects include the following: 

• Rash
• Joint or muscle pain
• Drowsiness
• An increase or decrease in energy levels
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Fearfulness
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramping or pain
• Vomiting
• Nausea

If any of the above symptoms are very severe or they do not seem to be going away, you must inform your physician.  

The following naltrexone side effects are serious, so you should not wait to inform your doctor if you experience them: 

• Severe vomiting with or without diarrhea
• Blurry vision
• Visual or auditory hallucinations
• Confusion

You must stop taking naltrexone if you experience the following naltrexone side effects: 

• Jaundice of the eyes or skin
• Dark urine
• Light-colored bowel movements
• Pain in the upper portion of the stomach that lasts longer than a couple of days
• Loss of appetite
• Unusual bruising or bleeding
• Excessive tiredness

You must report the naltrexone side effects listed above to your physician immediately upon experiencing them.  

Is Naltrexone Right for Me? 

You or your loved one may be recommended for naltrexone treatment if alcohol dependence is moderate to severe. Criteria for being a good candidate for naltrexone include drinking alcohol on more than 50% of days in the year, consuming more than five drinks daily, experiencing alcohol-related issues, and having a history of unsuccessfully attempting to quit drinking. If you tried to quit drinking in the past and failed but are highly motivated to succeed in reducing or stopping your consumption of alcohol, considering naltrexone treatment would be an excellent plan for you.  

Your physician will require you to abstain from alcohol before you can begin treatment with naltrexone. If you can abstain for several days before your treatment starts, this will indicate that you are motivated enough to begin treatment with naltrexone.  

Should I Take Naltrexone? 

Before you ask this question, you must consider the following. Naltrexone may or may not be appropriate for you even if you fit the description above. Before you commit to naltrexone therapy, discuss this issue with your doctor first. Naltrexone therapy may be the perfect solution for you, or your doctor may have an option that may be better.  

The Effectiveness of Naltrexone 

Naltrexone is an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. It is also prescribed to prevent relapse in people who have completed an opioid detoxification program. To obtain the greatest effects, the person must be involved in a comprehensive management program that provides the person with additional support. Research studies conducted on naltrexone demonstrated that it is effective for the treatment of alcohol use disorder if people also receive counseling and psychosocial support.  

Success Stories From Those Who Used Naltrexone 

Many reviews posted on WebMD demonstrate the effectiveness of naltrexone for treating alcohol or opioid use disorders. For example, one person stated that he drank heavily every day for the past 12 years, but he “desperately wanted to quit.” After beginning treatment with naltrexone, he needed less than 24 hours to make a positive difference. He took the first pill in the middle of having a drink, and it stopped his desire to continue drinking within 30 minutes. He doesn’t even have any cravings.  

Another user has been taking naltrexone for one month. During that time, he didn’t have the desire to drink any alcohol. Unlike the first testimonial, this user has experienced some cravings, but he stated that they were decreasing in severity. This former drinker used to consume one or two bottles of wine daily for the past 10+ years. He is experiencing a few minor side effects, such as ringing in the ears, low libido, and foods tasting different, but he isn’t experiencing as much depression. He stated that he is less emotional but experiences anxiety at times. He believes that naltrexone must be a miracle because he has not had one drink since taking it, and he was at an extremely high level of consumption.  

This last person was wary of taking naltrexone, but he is glad that he decided to do it. He states that he has had an alcohol use disorder for most of his life, but when he is taking naltrexone, he can reduce his consumption to a normal level. He also states that the cravings he experiences are relatively minor. He gives naltrexone the credit for being able to work in a career he loves and giving him the ability to improve his life.  

Most of the reviews for naltrexone were excellent, but there were a few lower reviews. For effectiveness, 81 people gave it five-star reviews while 32 people gave it one-star reviews. Also, 11 people gave it two-star reviews, 23 people gave it three-star reviews, and 28 people gave it four-star reviews. The majority of reviewers were happy with the results they received from this drug, so it may be worth a try for you as well.  

Treatment Considerations and Options 

You may receive naltrexone at Granite Recovery Centers. Your therapist will prescribe the dose that you will need to treat your alcohol use or opioid use disorder. This may be one tablet each day, one tablet every other day, one tablet every three days, or one tablet a day except Sunday. 

Naltrexone cannot help you if you do not take part in the therapy sessions that you receive in the treatment options you have at Granite Recovery Centers. The first step in your treatment for your alcohol or opioid use disorder would be to complete the detoxification program. Then, you may enter the inpatient addiction treatment program, where you will receive counseling, group sessions, and education programs.  

If you receive naltrexone medication for addiction, you must not take either prescribed or illicit opioid drugs. If you were to take these drugs at low doses, the naltrexone would prevent you from feeling the effects. If you were to ingest opioid drugs at high doses while on naltrexone, you would be in danger of experiencing a serious injury or falling into a coma. You might even die.  

The Benefits of Personalized Treatment Plans 

You are not like anyone else in the world. Each person is different, so drug and alcohol treatment centers must treat each addiction with a personalized treatment plan. For example, your personal history, social factors, and co-occurring mental health conditions play a role in the reason that you became addicted to alcohol or opioids. These differences require personalized treatments, so that is why we will get to know you and your history before we develop your treatment plan at Granite Recovery Centers. This ensures that our therapists address all of your issues in your therapy sessions and make sure that we can heal you in every way.  

The Role of Naltrexone in Achieving Lasting Sobriety 

Naltrexone is a medication that is highly advantageous to those experiencing alcohol use or opioid use disorders. It is instrumental in keeping you on your way to sobriety after you complete the detoxification process. Because you are taking naltrexone, you are less likely to relapse and return to substance use.  

Although naltrexone treatment options give you hope that you will be able to stop your use of alcohol or opioids sooner rather than later, it is a medication that does not work for everyone. You must gather as much information as you can from professionals before you will be able to begin naltrexone for addiction treatment.  

You will find the support that you need to select the appropriate naltrexone treatment options. Once you find them, you will be on your way to sobriety with determination. 

The post Exploring Naltrexone: A Comprehensive Guide to Treatment for Alcohol and Opioid Disorders appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

The brain’s reward center is the area most impacted by dopamine, often referred to as the “pleasure molecule.” When the reward center is triggered, we feel pleasure. Also, dopamine can cause us to feel more hopeful, more curious about life, and more willing to try something new. 

It is possible to overload the reward center of the brain. Dopamine receptors, when overloaded by some drugs, will shut down. For many who struggle with addictions, this creates a roller coaster of cravings. The first dopamine flood that is experienced when trying a new drug becomes the goal, but the brain, attempting to find balance, lowers the number of functioning receptors as well as their sensitivity. 

Those attempting detox and rehab may find that physical cravings are not the worst part of withdrawal. Because the brain has shut down the available dopamine receptors, a person may experience deep feelings of anxiety and depression in the early days of detox and rehab. Simple pleasures, such as sunlight on the skin and fresh air, will have little impact on them. Bringing dopamine receptors back online takes time; clients may feel very low while the reward center is under reconstruction during detox and rehab. 

The Function of Dopamine 

Our sleep quality can impact dopamine levels. The foods we eat can also affect our dopamine levels. There are many forms of mental illness, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, that appear to be impacted by the brain’s ability to use dopamine. Because dopamine contributes to our ability to be curious about the world around us, low doses of dopamine in early childhood can impact our ability to learn as we grow up. 

When we enjoy good food or engage in exercise releases a dopamine flood. However, it is also important to note that dopamine does much more than give our brain a warm, fuzzy glow. Dopamine boosts our brain’s ability to store memories. It fuels our creativity. This chemical pushes us to make better use of our time, learn about our world, and boost our desire for a little more dessert. 

In a Healthy Brain 

Dopamine receptors activate when we note tasty food nearby. When that craving is satisfied, our dopamine levels go up, and our pleasure center lights up. However, the boost is short-lived. The first taste of chocolate cake is better than the middle bites because the highest release occurs when the craving is satisfied, not sated. 

Because this chemical makes us curious, wonders and questions also activate dopamine receptors, and dopamine production increases when the answer is found. Getting out into the sunlight and fresh air can be an excellent way to boost our ability to produce dopamine, as can regular exercise and quality sleep.  

The craving and reward cycle is a healthy way to keep our dopamine receptors fully activated for the best brain health. However, dopamine receptors can become overloaded by any pleasurable activity or substance, triggering the receptors to shut down. While food and exercise can also trigger this shutdown, the dopamine flood caused by some drugs is more likely to set off this protective reaction. 

 In the Addicted Brain 

If chocolate cake produces a teaspoon of dopamine, there are illegal drugs that produce a quart. These measurements are made up, but the overload risk is real. No matter how good the user feels, a brain overloaded with dopamine is in crisis. In an attempt to balance the experience, the brain will shut down the number and sensitivity of dopamine receptors. The next time the drug is used, the reaction will be dulled.  

Once dopamine receptors have been shut down or suppressed, it will take time to bring them back online. These receptors are fragile and may not return to full health once the flood stops. In the meantime, the user suffers. Damaged dopamine receptors and a lower ability to feel pleasure can contribute to terrible cravings, anxiety, and depression. 

When drug or alcohol users attempt to enjoy the same level of euphoria with fewer receptors, the body begins to develop an addiction making the cravings at times of withdrawal even worse. The brain is bereft of dopamine, the receptors are offline, and the body is also ill. 

How Does Pleasure Become Addiction? 

Another chemical commonly linked to addiction chemistry is serotonin. Serotonin is widely believed to be the primary mood regulator. While 10% of our serotonin production happens in the brain, 90% of this critical chemical is produced in the gut. While the brain seeks pleasure, dietary choices can fall by the wayside, damaging the health of the gut and putting our ability to maintain our mood at risk. When our attitude becomes uncontrollable, we may turn away from our family and friends. The choice to seek nothing but pleasure by using drugs and alcohol will become your primary goal. 

Addiction is a driving force because it creates intense cravings. It is important to note that cravings are not always dangerous; when it’s hot and we’ve been working outside, craving water can keep us alive. Likewise, craving salt can help balance our electrolytes. However, chemical cravings cause a reordering of some of our most basic instincts and can lead to extremely poor choices. 

The chemistry of craving is doubly destructive when it comes to dopamine production. It is possible to boost your dopamine production through healthy means naturally. Building a healthy series of sleep habits and eating a diet high in low-fat protein can increase our dopamine production. Using an illegal drug can send dopamine production into overdrive, overloading the dopamine receptors. 

Taking the drug next time in the same dosage may produce the same amount of dopamine, but the brain will not be able to put that amount of dopamine to use because the receptors will have been shut down. They may be irreparably damaged or very slow to reactivate. Our expectation of dopamine pleasure minus our brain’s ability to receive the rush effectively may lead to increased drug intake. This bump-up in dosage can damage even more dopamine receptors. 

Once dopamine receptors are damaged, our brain’s reward center will take less pleasure in everything. Over time, this reward center may function at a much lower level. For example, the simple joys of walking the dog may do nothing in the reward center because, though dopamine is released, the brain can’t put it to work. Bringing dopamine receptors back online will take time. We will also need emotional support and a caring community to help us understand what has happened to our thought processes and how to rebuild a healthier life. Granite Recovery Centers helps our clients to understand past traumas better and align them to future goals. 

What Happens When Drugs Hijack a Brain? 

 The mammalian brain has a series of needs or triggers that keep the creature alive. Mammals need food, water, and protection from the elements. Higher functioning mammals also need to care for their young and to be part of a community. Preparing healthy food for ourselves and our families can give us a dopamine boost. Because dopamine is tied to curiosity, the ability to find just the right recipe or seek out the right ingredients can also be part of that dopamine production. Isolation and a feeling of uselessness, often experienced by the elderly, can be incredibly destructive to many people. 

When a human takes an addictive drug or engages in addictive behavior, the drug or behavior becomes the highest goal on that list of needs. In such cases, the desire and drive for the addictive substance can push other needs entirely off the list. For example, an addicted parent may neglect their child’s needs because the need for the drug is greater. In addition, because addictive drugs can impact dopamine and serotonin levels, addicts can also lose emotional control of their families and create an unsafe environment. 

Serotonin levels can also impact our ability to make good choices for our family in the future. While dopamine receptors shut down when overloaded with the pleasure chemical, there are indications that alcohol alters the function of serotonin receptors. For those at genetic risk for alcoholism, the ability to produce and process serotonin may already be altered. An overlying culture of shame may lead many to increasingly poor choices regarding alcohol use. 

The shaming culture around addiction can cause emotional harm when dopamine receptors are damaged, and our serotonin level is altered. As a result, we may believe we are weak or uncaring people. We may struggle to keep our family’s needs front and center. We may miss the simple pleasures that we used to enjoy. However, bringing dopamine receptors back online while still using an addictive substance is likely impossible. Both psychological and physical, detox will probably be necessary to reset and reactivate the brain’s reward center. 

Recovering From Addiction 

Dopamine production can have a serious impact on our future. Using drugs that bathe the brain in dopamine to the point that the receptors shut down can limit our ability to maintain a healthy brain as we age. Detox and treatment will not be easy, but taking the steps necessary to bring the brain back into balance is imperative. 

Good food, family, outdoor activities, and quality sleep can all be pleasurable. However, they will likely never produce an overloading flood of dopamine. Backing away from that expectation will take time. Part of the detox and rehab process involves giving the brain time to reset dopamine receptors to simpler, less destructive expectations.  

If you or someone you love is dealing with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, help is available. At Granite Recovery Centers, our team of doctors and addiction specialists can provide a range of services to help you get and stay sober. So reach out for the help you need today. 

The post How Drugs and Alcohol Disrupt the Brain’s Reward Center appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

Early in your recovery, drug and alcohol dreams are a fairly common occurrence. They can feel so real that you may even wake up thinking that you lost your clean time because you relapsed. However, once you discover that it was just a dream, your anxiety and fear can lower.

There actually can be some positive reasons why these dreams occur in the first place. Here are some common reasons that these types of dreams occur and what you can do about them.

Dreams About Using Can Be a Collection of Memories

Your brain could just be putting together memories from when you were using or drinking and processing them while you’re asleep. While in active addiction, drugs and alcohol suppress the brain’s ability to dream. Therefore, these dreams could be old memories and people from your past. Let’s say that you spent a significant amount of time using or drinking. In that case, dreaming about using or drinking can be your brain’s way of reorganizing some of those suppressed memories. The brain does this with all dreams, so dreaming about using or drinking does not imply that you will relapse.

Dreams Can Indicate How Serious You Are About Your Recovery

Suppose you genuinely dedicate yourself to your recovery, and you happen to have drugging or drinking dreams. In that case, they can be positive affirmations that you are on the right track in your treatment process. In addition, if you turned the drug or drink down in the dream, that can be a significant step forward in your recovery process. Regardless, you are unconsciously saying no!

Although you may still wake up with anxiety or guilt from the dream, it may not be a negative sign. A study in the “Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment” suggests that as the body and mind gradually adapt to abstinence dreams that result in negative feelings will decrease. This study reinforces the fact that these dreams happen in early recovery. Still, there is a good chance that the longer that you remain clean and sober, the fewer of these dreams you will have to experience.

You Could Be Experiencing Cravings

Sometimes, drinking or using in your dreams can be caused by your body or brain craving the chemicals. Although you are now sober, the brain has not learned how to adapt to a new chemical makeup. These dreams do not mean that you have to use or drink again. You need to be strong and prevail on your path to recovery, and they will eventually decrease over time.

There are numerous ways to help your brain focus on other things when these cravings hit, like reading a book or journaling. It is crucial to change the way you think to change how you react to stress and cravings in recovery.

Your Brain Is Healing

Just like your body is healing from abstaining from drugs and alcohol, so is your brain. People dream during rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. REM sleep is your body’s way of reprogramming itself at night. Your brain needs to recharge itself for the next day, so when you dream about doing drugs or drinking, this could be your brain healing itself.

Healing is a positive thing, but it can take time, especially if you were using drugs or alcohol over a long period. Although you may feel some negative emotions when you wake up from a relapse dream, this healing process can also be a way to purge unwanted feelings.

Dreams About Using Can Make You Stronger

Sometimes, when we have nightmares, it can prepare us for real-life events that can be hard or scary to face. A study conducted by the Université de Genève on dreams and fear reported that humans simulate negative situations in order to better react once awake.

The dreams that you are having about drugs and alcohol can prepare you to deal with the temptation of those in your waking life. When someone is new to recovery, there is a great fear of falling back into the old pattern of behaviors. These dreams can help you face the fear of relapse when the scenario presents itself.

Easing the Discomfort Caused by Relapse Dreams

Taking care of your body is the most crucial step to living your life sober. If you’re focusing on yourself, you are equipping your mind to dismiss those cravings. Below are some ways to practice self-care techniques that can assist you in fighting the negative emotions that arise when you have drugging or drinking dreams.

Get Enough Sleep and Set a Daily Routine

Sleep is the body’s way of recharging itself. If you are not getting enough sleep at night, how will you focus on your recovery? Eight hours or so of sleep every night will help your body function at its best. It can also become part of forming a daily routine, which helps too.

While you were using, you most likely did not have a healthy daily routine. Children need structure to grow, and parents provide daily patterns to know what to expect every day. Routine can also help recovering addicts in the same way. Having a routine every day is safe because you know how the day will go. Therefore, you have more time to focus on recovery rather than trying to plan each day as you go.

Make and Keep Regular Doctor Appointments

When you first get sober, you may have some mental or physical health issues that you ignored while addicted. It is an excellent practice to get to a doctor, make sure that everything is working the way it should, and follow up when needed. If you need any medication, make sure you take it properly and get your refills.

Your recovery will be much easier if you don’t need to worry about health problems. If using or drinking dreams concerns you, finding a mental health therapist to help you process them and share your fears could be a wise choice.

Exercise

Exercising may be one of the more challenging self-care practices for you, but it is one of the best ways to help you stay sober. When you exercise, your body produces adrenaline, which makes you feel good. If you have any drugging or drinking dreams, exercise is a perfect way to get your mind focused on something else. Exercise is good for blood flow and your heart too, and since exercise is known to help you sleep better, you could experience fewer relapse dreams with consistent, vigorous exercise.

Do Meditation or Yoga

Meditation and yoga help you relax. When you are new to recovery, some emotions come back up that make you uncomfortable. Meditation is a fantastic way to clear your mind of all those worries, and it can also fight off any cravings associated with your drugging or drinking dreams.

Yoga can help you focus on the present. Practicing yoga can help you learn to concentrate on your mind and body by paying attention to your breath and mindfulness. Yoga is an excellent tool to reduce stress and give you a sense of well-being that you deserve in your recovery process.

These are just a few ways to practice self-care to help you continue your recovery journey. By keeping your body and mind in good shape, you can resist the urge to fall back into those old habits. Drugging and drinking dreams can be bothersome, but remember that they should decrease the longer you stay clean.

Where Can You Turn for Help?

Anyone can decide to stop drinking or using drugs, but staying that way might be challenging. If you want to start the recovery process, a detox facility should be your first stop.

Medically detoxing is the only way to begin a brand-new way of life. Withdrawal from drugs and alcohol is not only a painful experience, but it is not safe to stop abruptly in some cases. After a safe medical detox, the second step should be an inpatient or a residential drug rehab center.

These facilities can help you learn to live again in a safe environment. They can teach you how to reprogram your thinking and actions. These treatment options will also focus on any medical areas in your life that you may have neglected while you were using drugs and alcohol.

Sometimes, substance use disorders can co-occur with other mental health disorders. You can obtain proper treatment during your stay in these programs.

Going back home after treatment may not be safe for your recovery for various reasons. Sober living homes can be a great transition from treatment into the real world.

Recovery Is Possible

If you are struggling with substance use disorder and want help, there are many different treatment options available to help you get your life back. Here at Granite Recovery Centers, we know how tough battling addiction can be on your own, and we want to help you. We can help you decide which treatment option will work best for your recovery, and we’ll be by your side as you strive to overcome your substance dependence.

The post Drinking or Drugging Dreams in Early Recovery appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

Although cases of sexual assault have reduced in the past 20 years, it is still a significant challenge in the United States. For every six women, one of them has been sexually abused. On the other hand, for every 33 men, one has been abused sexually. Approximately 63,000 children in the U.S. experience sexual abuse each year.

Sexual assault, also known as sexual abuse, can refer to forceful sexual intercourse, inappropriate touching, coerced kissing, or taking sexual photos or videos without the victim’s knowledge. Sexual abuse happens to people of all genders and ages, and its effects can last for a victim’s entire life.

Risk Aspects in Sexual Assault

Sexual abuse is associated with various risk elements, including community, individual, family, and societal. Females 6 to 17 years old and individuals with exceptional needs are more likely to be sexually assaulted. Alcohol or substance abuse, violence, and neglect among the parents within the family may lead to sexual assault as well.

Tolerating sexual abuse, lack of education, and shaky regulations concerning sexual abuse within the community also promote the act. Socially accepted norms such as promoting male chauvinism and the subjection of women are also risk factors in sexual abuse.

Sexual Assault and Alcoholism

Within the past several decades, the media has highlighted the effects of alcoholism on sexual abuse among college students. Approximately half of the cases of sexual assault involving college students are influenced by alcohol or other drugs. According to studies, an ordinary adult American is sexually abused every 68 seconds. Therefore, campus and college students are not the only victims of sexual assault. Alcohol and substance consumption significantly increase the chances of one experiencing sexual abuse. Additionally, being a victim of sexual assault is a risk aspect for substance use and addiction in the future. Below are various ways in which sexual assault and alcohol consumption are related:

• • Substance use by the culprit: Culprits in sexual abuse are often under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
  • Drug-aided sexual abuse: Alcohol and drugs are a means to blur someone’s perception concerning sex, prevent their chances of resisting sex, or inhibit them from recognizing the incident.
  • Alcohol and substance use by the victim: The individual experiencing sexual abuse may have consumed alcohol and other substances.
  • Using alcohol and other substances as a coping mechanism by the victim: Individuals often use alcohol and drugs to suppress the trauma from the sexual assault.

There have been several conversations concerning the use of drugs by rapists facilitating sexual assault. However, according to studies, alcohol is the prevalent substance used by perpetrators in committing the offense. A majority of rapists consumed alcohol either before or during the act and ended up blaming their behavior on alcohol use.

Substance Use Among Men and Women

Men who use alcohol and become intoxicated have high chances of misunderstanding sexual signals from women. Furthermore, men under the influence of alcohol or drugs are more likely to disregard lack of consent and resistance concerning sexual situations. Sexual culprits do not have to take a lot of alcohol because just a small amount of it usually boosts their confidence to perform a sexual act. Furthermore, a higher rate of intoxication by the rapist corresponds to higher instances of applying force.

The danger of consuming alcohol is that you may not be able to defend yourself from a sexual perpetrator or avoid the experience. Alcohol blurs your judgment in perceiving any alteration in the rapist’s actions and makes it difficult for you to separate yourself from a culprit. As a result, fewer victims report sexual assault due to their “involvement” in the crime.

The cause of some rape victims feeling responsible is due to rape myth acceptance (RMA) convictions. These myths lead to victim-blaming when a sexual assault occurs, especially if the victim was under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the assault. Those who perpetrate these myths often claim that the assault was partly the fault of the victim because they put themselves in a bad situation. Other times, people will claim that the victim did not correctly remember the situation because they were under the influence.

Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol consumption causes mental disorders that affect the general well-being of an individual. It also prevents the proper functioning of the various organs, including the brain. Excessive intake of alcohol often leads to higher chances of interacting with others with aggression. According to research, aggression and alcohol intake generally correlate, in that almost half of the sexual violence and aggressive offenses are partly due to alcohol intake. Furthermore, the majority of the sexual offenders typically blame alcohol consumption for their aggressive misconduct.

In most cases, violent and sexual criminals allege having consumed alcohol during the sexual behavior. Since most of them are never in custody within an hour of assault, alcohol examination cannot occur. Therefore, it is challenging to prove the number of criminals who are under the influence during the act. A study discovered that individuals who seem to have consumed alcohol have higher chances of becoming aggravated when provoked.

Relationship Between Trauma and Addiction

Alcohol and substance use link with assault in a loop with no beginning or end. Children are mostly at risk to entering this cycle. They are in more danger of being sexually or physically assaulted if they stay with parents who have an substance use disorder. This is due to such drugs interfering with the parent’s ability to properly take care of their children without harming them as they would when sober.

In turn, sexual trauma increases the chances of individuals seeking comfort in alcohol and drugs. It is more prevalent in homes where parents are also addicts. In some individuals, this behavior becomes extreme, and they become unable to live without drugs or alcohol. It is because their brain and body adapt to functioning with the substances.

Reasons for Using Alcohol or Drugs After Trauma

Despite clients acknowledging that they have addiction issues, they may not understand or admit that their addiction connects with their traumatic experience. It can be very challenging to recover from addiction when one does not address the underlying cause. The victim may begin using alcohol or drugs to:

• Minimize the emotions of isolation and loneliness
• Enhance their self-perception
• Cope with the traumatic incident and the feelings of depression and sadness

Dealing With Alcoholism Due to Sexual Assault

If someone you know is suffering from an alcohol use disorder due to sexual assault, it is vital to assist them in seeking professional help. Offer them support and encourage them to visit a medical treatment facility. It is also important for you to allow them to talk about their traumatic incident with you as a starting point for dealing with their trauma. The four main ways of showing support for sexual assault victims is by:

• Understanding that recovery is a process
• Being aware of the available resources
• Checking on them frequently
• Showing them that they are not alone and have a support system

Therapies to Consider

There are various evidence-based therapies, also known as psycho-therapeutic treatments, generally combined with a 12-step program that provides higher chances of maintaining sobriety. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and grief and loss therapy. They are applied in both individual and group sessions to find the root cause of addiction for effective treatment. These clinical interventions enable the client to fully comprehend their trauma and other factors that may affect or inhibit their recovery process. It also provides them with the tools they need to properly deal with the trauma instead of turning to drugs and alcohol to cope.

Granite Recovery Centers

Granite Recovery Centers offers you a comfortable and safe environment to easily share your bottled emotions. You will also have the chance to create a trusting relationship with your therapist. This includes engaging in group therapies with people who have the same experiences as you. Our facility and recovery programs assist individuals with addiction by providing them with the necessary tools and coping skills to undergo the healing process and finally live a quality life. If you think that one of your family members is experiencing addiction caused by past sexual assault, our dual-diagnosis program can help. By scrutinizing and addressing the root cause of the trauma and helping them deal with it, they can stop turning to alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism.

For over a decade, Granite Recovery Centers has been helping individuals who are suffering from alcohol and drug abuse. We provide evidence-based clinical psychotherapies, as well as the all-inclusive 12-step program. We also offer a variety of care services that you require in your recovery from drug use. Feel free to contact us so that that we can assist you in leading a fulfilling life.

The post The Link Between Sexual Assault and Alcoholism appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

Many adults’ social lives revolve around alcohol, from attending significant events like weddings and birthday parties to participating in sporting and networking events. After attending multiple alcohol-filled parties and celebrations, some people end up feeling like they need to take a break from drinking.

Following so many hangovers, you might begin to question the need for alcohol in your life. You start realizing that you don’t like alcohol that much, and you even wonder why you drink at all. At such a point, people begin to think that giving up on alcohol might positively impact their well-being. Such feelings attract sober curiosity. Read on to learn more.

What Does Sober Curiosity Mean?

Sober curiosity means having the urge to experiment with leading a sober life or changing your drinking habits. Sober curious individuals are not necessarily addicts but alcohol users who want to abstain from drinking to experience the positive effects this can bring on their lives.

Note that there is a significant difference between a sober life and sober curiosity. Sobriety is a lifestyle where one chooses to abstain from alcohol after struggling with addiction. Being sober curious doesn’t mean that you completely abstain from alcohol but just an idea of cutting alcohol for some time, to know how leading a sober lifestyle would feel. After this, you might start drinking again, abstain entirely, or get back to occasional drinking with a better attitude.

The main focus is on curiosity. You want to self-examine to know what fuels your desire to drink and the way alcohol affects you. People who want to try out the sober curiosity lifestyle should try abstaining from alcohol for about 100 days to feel the benefits.

The Origin of Sober Curiosity

Although alcohol might not pose a problem to everyone, excessive consumption isn’t that good for you. Sober curiosity isn’t a new thing, and there have been various movements that emphasize the importance of sobriety.

Sober October is a fundraising challenge that began in 2014 to support people living with cancer. The rule of this challenge is that you dedicate 14, 21, or 31 days to take a closer look at the impacts of alcohol in your life. The main aim of this movement is to help people work toward alcohol moderation.

Dry January is another popular campaign that began in 2013, whose primary purpose is to encourage people to lead an alcohol-free month. This movement has gained vast popularity, and in fact, 15% of Americans planned to forego alcohol for the first month of 2021. This shows that people have been sober curious for a long time.

The term came into light through an author, Ruby Warrington, after she released a book, “Sober Curious,” in 2018. The book describes various drinking patterns familiar to many. Some people try to drink more than others in their cycle or have a drink even when they don’t crave it. Others use alcohol since it doesn’t seem to hurt anyone else. The author’s main aim is to invite people to get sober curious and realize that there are other ways to experience fun rather than with alcohol.

Why People Get Sober Curious

The culture of drinking alcohol at events makes it difficult for people to turn down a drink. As a result, there is a large number of people who use high amounts of alcohol and are still not clinically considered alcohol dependent, also known as high-functioning drinkers. Such people will sometimes experience decreased functionality, work or school disruption, or extreme hangovers. These adverse effects of heavy drinking, or binge drinking, can push someone to realize that they would be better off without alcohol. They have the urge to try out a sober lifestyle.

Other times, you might notice that you are relying on alcohol a little bit more than usual, or you realize that you need to work on your skills without alcohol influence. People who have addicts at home are usually more cautious with alcohol. They drink carefully to avoid falling into the same trap as their loved ones.

Some people don’t have a definite reason for sober curiosity; they only want to figure out how it feels at the end of a sober period. Society is also becoming more health-conscious. People have begun realizing that consumption of alcohol can still lead to adverse effects such as:

• Dehydration: Alcohol causes your body to remove water from your blood into the kidneys faster than usual. If you fail to drink enough fluids, you are more likely to get dehydrated. The intoxicating effects of alcohol may impede your judgment, so you are less likely to feel the dehydration effects until it’s too late.
• Poor sleep: Alcohol consumption also leads to sleep disruptions and decreased sleep quality. You will begin to notice that you wake up after a few hours, and you find it difficult to go back to sleep. As the liver metabolizes alcohol, it speeds up other body processes, decreasing the ability to achieve deep sleep.
• Increased cancer risks: The rate of throat, stomach, and colon cancer is very high for long-term alcoholics. Any person who consumes alcohol for an extended period is at  a risk of developing cancer. The human body breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde, which destroys DNA cells. They begin to grow out of control, developing cancer tumors.
• Weight gain: Alcohol is an appetite stimulant that is also high in calories. You are more likely to feel hungry when you drink alcohol, and it impairs your judgment, so you make wrong dietary choices. Alcohol also affects your body’s ability to burn fat.

What to Do When You Are Sober Curious

Once you begin to experience sober-curious thoughts, you need to embrace them, rethink your habit, and opt for lower consumption. Focus more on what you will gain after the short-term sobriety instead of what you lose. For instance, instead of thinking that you will miss out on fun with friends, think of the benefits to come along with sobriety.

Abstaining from alcohol, even for a short while, involves making different choices on how you spend your time. You, therefore, need to create a plan. Watch your patterns to know when you tend to consume alcohol more to establish self-awareness around such periods. If going out with your friends or late-night dates makes you drink more, you need to determine how to navigate such situations.

Once you identify what motivates you to drink, try finding alternatives to alcohol. As more people continually opt for a sober lifestyle, various sober bars that offer non-alcoholic drinks have emerged. You will even realize that, sometimes, you only need water to quench your thirst.

If it’s pretty challenging to resist alcohol temptation when you are around bars, you can choose to meet with friends in other fun places like a coffee shop, museum, or bookstore. Those with persuasive friends should try holding most meetings on Zoom to avoid explaining to each person about their plans to reduce alcohol intake. If you must, open up your social circle to a few friends and try out activities like cycling, hiking, or camping rather than clubbing.

When you know that you will attend social gatherings that involve alcohol, prepare yourself in advance. You can carry your non-alcoholic drink and leave earlier to avoid temptations. Prepare your responses in time, stick to your decision, and don’t allow other people to dictate what you drink.

Once you choose to stay alcohol-free, you need to connect with like-minded people for support and accountability. Keep in mind that it isn’t always easy to turn down alcohol in the company of others who are drinking. Yet, when you have a friend who is also exploring sober curiosity, you don’t have to keep explaining yourself. You can even try linking up with people practicing sobriety who have finished an inpatient treatment program from a rehab facility.

Be aware that you might find yourself with more time than usual after quitting alcohol. If you don’t manage your time appropriately, you might find yourself slipping back into drinking. Dedicate more time to self-care and other satisfying hobbies to keep yourself busy. Some activities that you can try out to maintain a sober-curious lifestyle include joining fitness sessions, reading books, meditating, and exploring nearby parks.

If you aren’t sure about giving up on alcohol entirely, consider moderation. This way, you will reduce the effects associated with alcohol use. Keep in mind that alcoholism is a very complex issue. For casual drinkers, it’s easier to identify fun alternatives that reduce exposure to alcoholic drinks. However, for people struggling with addiction, sobriety is a very demanding lifelong process, so you wouldn’t want to find yourself in such a situation.

Moderation won’t work for everyone. For some people, you should cut out alcohol completely. Try to know your limits, and if your reactions to missing a drink are agitation or frustration, this indicates the onset of a drinking problem. At such a point, you need to seek immediate professional help before the issues get out of hand.

You can go for medical detoxification and enroll in a program. Granite Recovery Centers provides medical detoxification for people who do not need immediate medical intervention, are not a danger to themselves, and are capable of self-evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Our institution creates safe spaces for people to heal and find hope amidst the struggle to stay sober. Our detoxification program involves flushing out the toxins from the body to prepare a person for therapy. Medical experts will also help you manage the side effects associated with detoxing.

On the other hand, Granite Recovery Centers’ aftercare program involves residing in sober living facilities. Such facilities help create a smooth transition for patients who have just completed the residential drug rehab into everyday life. You will still participate in the 12 steps meetings, group therapy, meditation, chores, and case management to promote lifelong sobriety.

Benefits of Taking a Break From Alcohol

Sober curiosity changes the culture surrounding alcohol. This proves that people can have a great time without getting drunk. There are various benefits associated with reduced alcohol consumption. Keep in mind that alcohol impairs communication between your brain neurons, resulting in short-term memory loss. You will, thus, experience improved memory function after quitting alcohol.

Abstaining from alcohol will save you the hassle of dealing with hangovers. This will also help prevent addiction. Anyone who drinks is at risk of developing alcoholism, and it becomes difficult to stop drinking alcohol, despite the negative consequences. While some people like to pinpoint the benefits derived from drinking lower amounts of alcohol, you will realize that you can get the same effects from grape juice.

When you adopt a sober curiosity lifestyle, you will enjoy improved health and overall well-being. You will also see improved mental health. Alcohol increases the serotonin level in your body, creating some temporary feelings of happiness. After some time, the serotonin levels return to normal, which creates a shift in the mood, leading to depression. A sober curious life will help stabilizes serotonin levels to protect your mental health.

Limiting alcohol consumption also improves liver health and lowers blood pressure and heart rate. This will also boost your immune system. Time spent away from drinking makes it easier to refrain from alcohol entirely. If you keep pushing through moments of temptation, it becomes less appealing to go back into taking a drink. Enjoying sober experiences will also protect your finances. You will end up with some extra money that you can channel to investments.

Bottom Line

When you are sober curious, you begin to question your drinking habits. If you get honest with your answers to such questions, it makes less sense to drink alcohol. Sober curiosity also promotes mindful drinking, which will eventually make room for a lasting lifestyle change.

If you need professional support, you can always reach out to us at Granite Recovery Centers. Our institution aims to transform the lives of alcoholics and people struggling with substance use disorder through various treatment programs.

You can begin with an inpatient program where you live within the facility to receive intensive monitored support. Our facility also offers an outpatient program to provide continued care for people who have just left the residential treatment program. You stay at home and only attend meetings five days a week for agreed-upon hours. The treatment within the facility involves medical detoxification, sober living options, and individual and group therapies.

The post What is ‘Sober Curious’? appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

Summer is usually a very relaxing season. Most people look forward to spending time with their loved ones, attending pool parties and concerts, going for picnics, and other social events. However, people who struggle with substance use disorder and are working to maintain a sober life aren’t always excited about summer.

Events during the summer usually come with a lot of alcohol and other intoxicating substances. Staying sober thus becomes challenging even for a person who just finished a recovery program and is trying to stay sober. If you are not careful, it’s easy to relapse. No matter how fun summer seems, staying sober should always be your priority.

Substance Abuse in Summer

Drinking alcohol during summer will affect your recovery journey and impose some detrimental health effects on your body. Being out in the sun increases the dehydration rate. Alcohol also makes your kidneys release more water through urine, which worsens dehydration. If you are already intoxicated, it can be hard to notice that you are getting dehydrated until it’s too late. When dehydrated, a person may experience symptoms like dry mouth, headaches, and seizures. People often confuse these symptoms with withdrawal, and attempting to stave off withdrawal can lead someone back into substance abuse.

Although it might seem difficult to maintain sobriety throughout the summer, it actually provides an excellent opportunity to recover. The weather is refreshing, the stress is low, and you have time to focus on yourself. Plus, if you have children, this is the perfect time to bond with them since they are out of school. Maintaining sobriety will depend on how well you utilize your free time.

Why It’s Harder to Stay Sober During the Summer

The summer months make sobriety a struggle for a number of reasons. First, days are longer than nights, freeing more time for backyard barbecues and pool parties. The extra time and social situations increase the chances of alcohol cravings. You will have to spend more time fighting the temptations to indulge in drugs during summer than in other seasons, so you need to stay strong.

People also have more free time in the summer. Even those working on a tight schedule still plan for more activities with friends and family. Balancing all the social gatherings that summer brings along with the job becomes overwhelming at times. Sometimes when partying, people take stimulants to stay up longer, be able to drink more, etc., which can lead to addiction rather quickly.

More music festivals and concerts take place during summer. Alcohol and drugs are prevalent in such gatherings, and there could be smoking marijuana and sometimes people recreationally using other drugs. If you hang around people drinking alcohol and taking other drugs, you are more likely to feel the pressure to join them.

Although alcohol is readily available throughout the year, summer brings out alcohol-related activities in abundance. Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, as well as festivals and other holidays often feature parties that involve alcohol and possibly other substances.

Most companies also hold happy hours and other parties to foster a positive culture in the workplace. All these events have a surplus of alcohol which can result in binge drinking, and the peer pressure to participate is strong because it’s for work. If someone had already begun drinking before the summer, this season creates a perfect opportunity to increase the intensity and frequency of use.

Summer is vacation season, and many people enjoy sitting on the beach with a cocktail or two. This can lead to drinking alcohol on vacation despite your resolve to stay sober. Recreational drugs are legal in some countries and states. If a person working toward sobriety finds him- or herself on such vacations, it might be tough to resist the temptations.

Summer Activities that Encourage Sober Living

Staying sober is a choice that you need to make every day. However, some seasons and days are more challenging than others. It can be tough to stay on track during summer, but it’s doable. Fortunately, summer is a great season to find a new hobby because it’s so much easier to spend time outdoors.

Try Out Some Water Sports

Just like any other sports, water activities are suitable for your body and mind. Swimming, for instance, can help improve your mood. It’s a rigorous exercise that stimulates the production of feel-good endorphins. The water also makes you feel light, which enables your muscles to relax.

The tranquility in such an environment can help boost mental health. You can learn how to surf, paddleboard, river raft, canoe, and kayak in the summer. Focusing on such sports will give you something to concentrate on, so you use your time developing new skills that distract you from drugs and alcohol.

Go Camping

You can also plan for camping with your sober friends or family members. Camping gives your body and mind a chance to relax in nature. This will eliminate common addiction triggers and lowers stress as well. The new challenges that come with camping, like gathering food and managing your shelter, help to keep your brain healthy.

Join a Hiking Club

Explore various hiking trails with your sober friends. Hiking is good for your body and mind. This activity allows you to spend time in nature, which can melt away stress and evoke a more positive outlook on life.

Plan a Barbecue

You can still enjoy some outdoor barbecuing, provided that you do it with people who understand and respect your intention to stay sober. Invite supportive friends and family members to try out various dishes and a special array of nonalcoholic mixed drinks, or “mocktails,” which have become very popular.

Ride Bikes

Aerobic exercises like cycling reduce anxiety and depression. Take bike trips from one destination to another and explore various terrains. Cycling requires you to concentrate on the road, which redirects your focus from addiction triggers.

Pursue Your Passion

Summer activities don’t have to be social. Take some time alone and find out what your strengths and interests are. If you have a passion, spending time with it will create a sense of fulfillment and self-awareness. Your passion will give you a chance to keep learning new things, and you will discover better sources of happiness than drugs and alcohol.

Set up an Outdoor Movie Theater

You can set up an outdoor screen in your backyard and invite your friends and family members for a movie. The outdoor temperature at night during summer is fantastic, and you can do other things for backyard recreation, too. You have a chance to play board games, bond with your family, and talk things out.

Tips for Staying Sober During the Summer

To overcome temptations during summer, you need to plan and stay flexible to handle the challenges that you might face along the way. As you explore the above ideas for sober recreation, here are some additional tips to help you continue a healthy recovery without missing the summer fun.

• Pay Attention to Your Emotions. Most times, people turn to drugs and alcohol when they feel stressed, upset, or angry. Summer brings along a set of challenges that can lure you into abusing drugs. You might feel bad that other people can drink as much as they want while you can’t. Avoid resentment since it can trigger the urge to indulge in drugs. You can always share with your therapist about your encounters or write your feelings down to release them.
• Keep in Touch With Your Recovery Program. People commonly get complacent about recovery, especially in the summer months. However, you need to give your recovery more attention than anything else. Continue attending meetings for your outpatient program, and stay involved in your recovery. If you usually attend meetings a few times a week, make an effort to do it more often. When traveling for vacations, participate in online therapy sessions or find local support groups for addiction recovery. You have a chance to interact with people suffering from a similar problem as yours from a different region to strengthen your coping strategies.
• Hang Out With People Who Know Your Sobriety Goals.One great way to stay sober during summer is by spending time with the right people. If you hang out with friends who take alcohol and drugs, you are more likely to fall back to addiction. Stay with people who accept and understand what you stand for. If you must attend parties, bring along a sober friend who can keep you accountable.
• Connect with Friends from Rehab. Granite Recovery Centers offers an alumni program to allow those in recovery to find the support they need. The facility offers events like bowling, movies, paintball, and laser tag.
• Be Honest With Yourself and Those Around You. If you recently left the inpatient recovery program, people around you will be curious about what it feels like. Be prepared to answer some questions honestly. If there are questions that make you feel awkward, you can give a brief response. Let people know that recovery is an integral part of your life, and you are happy to change your behaviors for the better. Your social life is one of the things that might change, as people that aren’t supportive of your new way of living are not worth keeping around. Be honest about what you feel at particular moments. Honesty will help you take responsibility for your actions, rebuild trust, and mend relationships with the people you hurt during active addiction.
• Plan for Events Appropriately. If you must attend parties that encourage a lot of drinking and drug use, you must prepare in advance to avoid temptations. Carry some non-alcoholic refreshments so that you have options during the party. Don’t allow people to dictate what you use. If being around alcohol makes you uncomfortable, you can also choose to take walks with your friends rather than meeting them in a bar.
  You don’t have to stay until the end of each party. The longer you stay on, the more intoxicated people get, and they might push you into having a drink. Leave early enough to avoid such incidents. To avoid slipping up, keep reminding yourself of your recovery journey, how far you have come, and your goals. If you feel that you can’t abstain from drinking alcohol when you attend a particular event, don’t go.
  Keep Yourself Busy. During summer, you might have more time than you are used to. This can lead to boredom, which is a common trigger of relapse. Therefore, keep yourself busy with activities. Whenever you are out with friends, you can preoccupy yourself with cards or other games to keep alcohol off your mind.
  If you still have a lot of extra time, pick up a part-time job. You can also choose to do volunteer work for nonprofit organizations that deal with children, animal welfare, or environmental protection. Volunteering will make your summer break more meaningful while at the same time encouraging you to stay sober. You may even meet some great new sober friends.
  Take Sober Vacations. If you travel to areas that bring back memories of the old days, you are more likely to relapse. Change your vacation plans, explore new places, and try discovering new adventures. With so many people seeking addiction treatment, hotels and companies that offer alcohol-free vacations have emerged. Various tour agencies provide travel arrangements for people in recovery. You can connect with other people with a common goal through such trips.

Sobriety Is a Journey

Even after treatment, recovery is a continuous process, and staying sober all the time is your ultimate responsibility. You don’t have to give up your summer fun time to stay sober. However, you should always be mindful of situations that can tempt you to slip back into your old habits.

Unfortunately, not every person will manage to stay sober throughout the summer. If you or your loved ones do relapse, it’s a good idea to seek immediate professional help from a facility like Granite Recovery Centers. We offer effective addiction treatment for alcohol and other harmful substances. Let us help you take your life back, and give us a call today.

The post How to Stay Sober Over the Summer appeared first on Granite Recovery Centers.

If you ever find yourself going about your day when you begin thinking about past trauma or unhealthy desires without intending to, it may feel as though you are being attacked mentally. It can even take you to the point where you want to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, and before you know it, a substance use disorder can develop. When that happens, you need to stop the thoughts, which will help in stopping the addiction for good.

What Are Intrusive Thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts are thoughts or images that pop into your head from time to time that directly contradict your core values. These thoughts tend to stand out because they make you extremely uncomfortable. Frequently having intrusive thoughts and not knowing how to manage them can lead to depression and substance abuse.

Examples of intrusive thoughts include:

• Thoughts about embarrassing yourself
• Thoughts about having medical problems
• Flashbacks to past events
• Inappropriate sexual thoughts
• Excessive focus on superstitions
• Desires to hurt people or yourself
• Urges to take drugs or commit crimes

For example, a veteran with PTSD can picture the carnage of war every time they hear a loud noise that reminds them of a gunshot or bomb explosion. Another person may picture hurting people in graphic ways without any provocation.

These thoughts are simply thoughts, and the majority of people who experience intrusive thoughts do not act on the thoughts. The problem occurs when someone does want to act on the thoughts or when the thoughts start to affect a person’s day-to-day activity. When experiencing intrusive thoughts does start to become a problem, it can be difficult to talk about it.

Intrusive thoughts can scare an individual, and many people don’t want to talk about their thoughts out of fear of judgment. However, intrusive thoughts are more common than you might expect. In fact, a study by Concordia University found that 94% of people across the world experience intrusive thoughts. You do not need to worry if you experience intrusive thoughts, but you do need to take action if these thoughts start to affect your life or your mental state.

Intrusive Thoughts, Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder

Debilitating intrusive thoughts can be a sign of a mental disorder. Many people who suffer from depression experience self-deprecating thoughts or thoughts about self-harm. People who suffer from OCD may experience intense anxiety if certain actions aren’t completed, and they tend to fixate on certain thoughts. People who suffer from PTSD may experience intense anxiety from thoughts of past events popping into their heads.

It can be hard to control intrusive thoughts and the anxiety that they bring. Some people turn to drugs or alcohol to stop the thoughts from overpowering their lives. Unfortunately, substance misuse can actually make the thoughts worse.

If you use drugs to calm your intrusive thoughts, you may start to depend on the substances to get you through the day. Soon, you may have to face your original intrusive thoughts, which have possibly been amplified by the drugs, as well as new intrusive thoughts about doing drugs and where you’re going to get them. It’s up to you to control the thoughts and how you respond to them in a more productive way than substance use.

Addiction treatment at Granite Recovery Centers involves treatment for both the addiction as well as the intrusive thoughts and associated mental disorders. This strategy of treating both mental illness and addiction at the same time is known as dual diagnosis. If you take part in dual diagnosis treatment, you will learn how to get sober, and professionals will also help teach you how to control and respond effectively to intrusive thoughts.

When You Need Rehab

Since intrusive thoughts are so normal, how do you know when it’s time to get help? Here are some signs that you should get into treatment for intrusive thoughts.

• Inability to Work: Some people get so anxious that they allow their invasive thoughts to interfere with their work-related responsibilities. This may happen if anxiety prevents someone from leaving the house or makes people at the office uncomfortable. An abundance of intrusive thoughts can also prevent you from concentrating and make performing even the smallest of tasks difficult.
  If intrusive thoughts have interfered with your work, rehab can teach you ways to cope with your intrusive thoughts so that you learn how to be productive every day and behave in a socially acceptable manner. Eventually, successful treatment might lead to promotion and a raise.
• Intensely Disturbing Content: Some intrusive thoughts contain explicit and scary content that can cause alarm. These thoughts may be violent and indicate serious mental illness. If you have intrusive thoughts with disturbing content, treatment can help you determine why your mind takes you to those places. Eventually, successful treatment can lead to less graphic thoughts and a better way of handling them when they do occur.
• Substance Use Disorder: Intrusive thoughts can lead to someone using drugs to shut their brain off. Unfortunately, the substance use disorder becomes even more damaging than the thoughts over time. If you have intrusive thoughts that have led you to misuse substances, rehab will help you get sober and stay that way. Successful treatment will teach you how to manage intrusive thoughts naturally.

How to Prevent and Control Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts don’t just go away with time. You need to put effort into getting things under control. Here are some tips on how to prevent and control intrusive thoughts and how you respond to them.

• Understand Your Intrusive Thoughts: You need to understand your intrusive thoughts if you expect to keep them under control. Since intrusive thoughts attach themselves to your core values, you need to identify your core values. These are values that drive you and form who you are as a person. The reason that intrusive thoughts are so disruptive in the first place is that they contradict the things that matter most to you. If protecting your child is one of your core values, you may experience thoughts involving your child getting hurt or sick. In some cases, you may even be the cause of the illness or injury. When you experience these intrusive thoughts, you can tell yourself that you are only experiencing that thought because of your love of and concern for your child. Understanding this can help you move past the thought so that it doesn’t disturb you as much.
• Face Your Intrusive Thoughts: Most people’s first instinct when they experience an intrusive thought is to try to forget about it as quickly as possible because it was unsettling. It can feel scary to take the time to actually face your invasive thoughts, but confronting them is the best way to resolve them permanently. Many intrusive thoughts are unrealistic. Try actually facing the thought. How realistic is the scenario presented? Dealing with the thought can make you realize that it is silly to give it attention since it is so unlikely to happen. This will make it easier to put the thought toward the back of your mind where it belongs.
  Some intrusive thoughts may come from genuine fear, such as getting fired. For intrusive thoughts that may have credibility, you need to do what you can to minimize the possibility of the thought becoming a reality and prepare for the worst-case scenario. At the same time, you want to identify what precautions are appropriate and which ones might be going overboard.
• Talk Therapy: It can be extraordinarily helpful to talk to people about the thoughts that fill your head. A professional therapist at Granite Recovery Centers can help you express them in a productive way and understand them better. By talking your problem out, you can learn patterns and triggers that help you keep things in control.
  In therapy, you will meet with a trained psychologist in a one-on-one session. Working with a psychologist individually gives you the opportunity to make the most out of the session since other people aren’t telling their stories as well. Plus, sessions remain confidential, and no one else needs to know about your specific thoughts. The psychologist will get to know you and your condition on a personal level, making it easier for them to suggest the proper treatment methods. You can also opt for a group therapy format where a counselor will lead a group of people who have similar issues. Group therapy gives people the opportunity to meet other people who relate to them and can show support. It’s also helpful for people who don’t necessarily want to talk about their problems with their loved ones.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: The brain can be trained. This will take an extensive amount of time and patience, but it can be done through what is known as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. When going through CBT at Granite Recovery Centers, a patient will identify bad thoughts and triggers. Once the patient recognizes the triggers, they can take action to avoid those triggers. When the thoughts happen even without a trigger or a trigger can’t be avoided, the patient will learn how to control those thoughts. The goal is to eventually not have the troublesome thoughts at all, and reaching this goal starts with learning how to deal with the thoughts productively.
  Patients start CBT by taking a detailed assessment of their invasive thoughts. The assessment will cover the content, frequency and effectiveness of the thoughts. Then, the therapist and patient will challenge dangerous beliefs and analyze the patient’s thought processes. Role-playing and situational exposure can train the mind to push out intrusive thoughts when they pop up.
• Medication: If your intrusive thoughts derive from a mental disorder, a psychiatrist may prescribe medication. In general, most psychiatrists will prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, for people with OCD and anti-anxiety medication, or antidepressants for people with depression. In many cases, the goal is to relax the nervous system. However, the problem occurs when medication may interfere with a person’s sobriety. If you are worried about taking medication, talk to your doctor to help weigh the pros and cons of both options. There may also be alternative methods of treatment that you can try before going on medication.

Granite Recovery Centers

At Granite Recovery Centers, we provide high-quality substance use disorder and mental health services in New England. We offer inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, sober living homes, and many additional services and aftercare resources. Call today to get help for your intrusive thoughts from qualified professionals.

Don’t let your thoughts control your life. Get help today by attending treatment at Granite Recovery Centers. Our goal is to help make you a healthy and happy individual again, and this starts with you taking ownership of your own recovery. You don’t need to drink or take drugs to make the disturbing thoughts go away. We’ll help you regain control of your life.

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How Alcoholism Is Defined

Alcoholism is a common disorder that occurs when alcohol use becomes uncontrolled. If you notice that you are having difficulties controlling your drinking or are experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking for an extended period of time, it’s likely that you are suffering from alcohol use disorder.

This indicates that your body has become dependent on alcohol to properly function. When you try to stop drinking alcohol, your body will experience unpleasant effects, and you will experience cravings for alcohol that are difficult to ignore. The intense cravings and side effects that result from not drinking alcohol indicate that you are suffering from alcohol use disorder and should obtain treatment so that you can stop drinking safely. Entering treatment can prevent serious health problems.

Alcohol use disorder commonly occurs when someone starts to drink alcohol at an unhealthy rate. Unhealthy drinking is denoted by:

• Consuming at least four drinks in two hours
• Drinking alcohol to the point where it puts your health at risk
• Always having a drink nearby
• Continuing to drink despite negative consequences

How People Develop Alcohol Use Disorders

There are many risk factors that can make someone more likely to experience alcohol use disorder. While alcohol use disorders can occur at any age, they are more common among people in their 20s and 30s. The main risk factors behind alcohol use disorders include:

• Drinking alcohol regularly or binge drinking
• Having a history of trauma
• Having a family history of alcoholism
• Drinking at a young age
• Having existing mental health problems
• Seeing cultural and social acceptance of alcohol

Primary Stages of Alcoholism

If you want to properly understand the dangers of alcohol use disorder, it’s important to look at the main stages of this disorder and how it begins. While millions of Americans occasionally consume alcohol without developing alcohol use disorder, addiction can occur if you start drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that more than 14 million Americans are estimated to be suffering from alcohol use disorder. This disorder doesn’t solely affect adults. In fact, more than 414,000 children between the ages of 12 and 17 are known to be suffering from this disorder.

• Stage 1: Occasional Use
  The initial stage of alcohol use disorder occurs when you occasionally drink too much alcohol. It’s very common for young adults to engage in binge drinking or heavy alcohol use as a way of testing their limits. Young adults who have rarely drunk alcohol before may not yet understand how much alcohol they should drink, which can be problematic when attempting to avoid alcohol use disorder.
  Binge drinking occurs when you consume more than four drinks in a two-hour period. Teenagers and young adults who attend parties often exceed these limits, which significantly increases the likelihood that they will suffer from a substance use disorder. If these episodes of heavy drinking become increasingly frequent, you may progress to the second stage of alcoholism.
• Stage 2: Heavier Drinking
  The second stage of alcoholism occurs when the rate of alcohol consumption is more frequent. During the first stage of alcohol use disorder, many individuals will drink too much at parties or other social events where alcohol is readily available. Stage two occurs when the heavy bouts of drinking take place outside of parties and similar social events. If you start drinking alcohol whenever you’re stressed, bored or lonely, it’s likely that you’ve progressed to the second stage of alcoholism.
  Keep in mind that this stage doesn’t always result from moderate drinking. While many adults choose to drink a glass of wine with dinner, increased drinking tends to occur when alcohol is consumed because of an emotional reason. If your heavy drinking occurs because you want to feel better, there’s a good chance that you may eventually become dependent on alcohol.
• Stage 3: Uncontrolled Alcohol Use
  When you can no longer control how much or often you drink alcohol, you’re likely in the third stage of alcohol use disorder. At this stage, it’s common to feel sick after drinking too much and to feel increasingly anxious and depressed. If you find that your behavior is becoming more erratic or your relationships are suffering as a result of your alcohol use, this means that you can no longer properly control how much alcohol you drink.
  Stage 4: Dependence on Alcohol
  The fourth stage of alcohol use disorder occurs when the body becomes physically dependent on alcohol. If you want to avoid the more serious problems of alcohol use disorder, it’s important that you seek treatment before you get to this stage.
  However, dependence on alcohol is usually accompanied by continuing to drink heavy amounts of alcohol even when you’re fully aware of how damaging it can be. If your body is dependent on alcohol, you may need to consume more of the beverage to become drunk, which could result in you drinking even more alcohol to obtain the same feelings. The first withdrawal symptoms could affect you at this stage. These symptoms include everything from irritability and body tremors to sweating and nausea.
• Stage 5: Alcohol Use Disorder
  The fifth and final stage occurs when you are fully addicted to alcohol. Your heavy use of alcohol will no longer be tied to the pleasure you obtain from drinking. Because your body physically craves alcohol, your psychological and physical dependence on the substance will cause you to drink even when you don’t feel like it. It’s common for people who are suffering from other substance use disorders to suffer from alcohol use disorder as well.

Signs That Indicate an Alcohol Use Disorder

If you believe that someone close to you may have been drinking too much alcohol as of late, there are some clear signs that indicate a person may be suffering from alcohol use disorder. These signs include:

• Not being able to limit how much alcohol they consume
• Drinking alcohol even when it’s causing social and physical problems
• Going through withdrawal whenever they attempt to stop drinking
• Feeling a craving to consume alcohol
• Spending large amounts of time drinking
• Not being able to successfully reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
• Not meeting work and social obligations
• Drinking alcohol even when it’s not safe to do so

Health Symptoms Associated With Alcohol Use Disorder

When someone starts drinking too much alcohol to the point that they develop alcohol use disorder, they will start to experience various health symptoms. These symptoms can be divided into short-term and long-term symptoms, the latter of which are more dangerous to a person’s health. When high amounts of alcohol are located in the blood, the affected individual may experience:

• Slow reflexes
• Slurred speech
• Memory problems
• Concentration issues
• Problematic behaviors
• An inability to control bodily movements

As for the long-term health effects caused by alcohol use disorder, the primary effects that you could experience include:

• Liver disease that could be irreversible
• Problems with menstruation and sexual functions
• Heart problems, which could include everything from high blood pressure to heart failure
• Eye problems
• Complications with diabetes
• Neurological issues like dementia and memory loss
• An increased risk of various cancers, which include breast cancer and colon cancer

In addition, women who struggle with alcohol use disorder can give birth to children with birth defects. The long-term effects of alcohol use disorder are the worst ones that you could experience. Many of these effects could lead to irreversible damage to your body, which invariably increases the likelihood that you will suffer from other health problems. If you want to mitigate these concerns, it’s highly recommended that you seek treatment immediately.

Withdrawal Symptoms That You May Experience

If you develop alcohol use disorder and eventually attempt to stop drinking alcohol, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms result from your body becoming dependent on alcohol to properly function. When your body is no longer receiving alcohol, it reacts accordingly. The severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on the severity of the alcohol use disorder. The main symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:

• Nausea
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Seizures
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Hallucinations

Main Treatment Options Available to You

There is a range of treatment options that you can seek once you have admitted that you are suffering from alcohol use disorder. These treatments include inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment and detoxification, the latter of which is considered to be the starting point for any treatment program.

Detox is a process that involves getting the substance out of your body, after which you can begin the recovery process in earnest. The point of detox is to make sure that you can get through the withdrawal symptoms without experiencing too many adverse side effects. In many situations, patients will receive small amounts of medication to ensure that any withdrawal symptoms are mitigated as withdrawing from alcohol without medical assistance is dangerous.

Granite Recovery Centers provides medical detoxification for people who do not need immediate medical intervention, are not a danger to themselves, and are capable of self-evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Outpatient treatment is commonly administered for mild and moderate alcohol use disorders. When attending outpatient treatment, you can still stay at home and travel to work whenever necessary. During treatment, you’ll be expected to attend sessions around three to four times each week. These sessions include many of the same treatments and therapies that you’ll receive during inpatient rehab.

Inpatient rehab requires you to stay in a residential facility on a 24/7 basis until the treatment program is completed. The main benefit of seeking this kind of treatment is that you will be in a drug-free environment alongside other individuals who are experiencing the same things that you are. The treatments provided during inpatient rehab include family therapy, individual counseling and group therapy.

Seeking Treatment at the Granite Recovery Center

Granite Recovery Centers offers a combination of a 12-step curriculum and evidence-based psychotherapies. The treatment available to you offers a comprehensive continuum of care, which includes residential treatment, medical detox, sober living, and intensive outpatient therapy. Patients can undergo four different types of psychotherapy, which include dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, and grief and loss therapy.

Once you have admitted that you’re suffering from alcohol use disorder, it’s important that you consider all of your treatment options. No matter what stage of alcoholism you’re in, receiving treatment early on can help you keep severe side effects at bay. In time, you can learn how to live a life free from alcohol.

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