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When you picture what rehab is like in your mind, what do you see?
Maybe an addict lying on a couch with a therapist listening and asking questions? Perhaps a group of people sitting in a small circle of chairs together and talking?
Pretty stereotypical scenes and also not far off.
Individual and group therapy for drug addiction are both hallmarks of the process for a reason. In a moment we’ll get into why group therapy, in particular, is so important.
But first, what does addiction look like?
A substance use disorder isn’t something that manifests and takes hold overnight. There are common signs and symptoms along the way that begin to paint the picture early.
Generally speaking, here’s what you should be looking out for:
Of course, different drugs have differing signs of addiction but the above can usually be seen across the board.
Now that you know what addiction can look like, what’s the added benefit of group therapy to your recovery journey.
Drug use and addiction are incredibly isolating. You might use in a group but once you stop, those people disappear and your addiction may have alienated your close family and friends. Loneliness and depression can set in. Group therapy shows you that you’re not alone and that others have gone through the same.
Because you’re in the company of people who’ve been there, you have a unique support system of people who really can support you from a place of genuine understanding. It’s easy for anyone to say “I get it” but those words mean a lot more when they come from someone who’s walked in your shoes.
In individual therapy, you work on several things en route to a sober life. One of those is coping mechanisms. In group therapy, you can talk those through and sharpen your understanding. Also, addiction isn’t known for working wonders on your communications skills, being in group setting forces you to hone those people skills.
Naturally, once you finish your rehab program, you shouldn’t go directly back to the same group of friends you hung out with before who continue to do drugs. You don’t want to let temptation get the best of you or find yourself in a triggering situation that leads to a relapse. In group therapy, you can build a new community of friends and acquaintances that you can stay connected with long after the therapy ends. Having those types of people in your life helps with accountability too.
Among the best aspects of group therapy is that you’ll likely find yourself in a group where people are at different points of their recovery. Those that are farther along than you can serve as an inspiration for you to strive towards. Likewise, you can be that for someone else.
There are plenty of other reasons why group therapy is often considered an integral part of the recovery process, we surely think so here at Inneractions. If you’d like to learn more about our group session, give us a shout.
Recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD) doesn’t stop when rehab ends.
Whether you’re coming from an inpatient setting or outpatient care, there’s going to come a point at which you’ll have to meld back into your daily life.
Understandably, an abrupt shift from the 24/7 care of inpatient rehab to the regular hustle and bustle of life outside can be incredibly difficult to manage.
In inpatient rehab, for example, you had a regimented schedule and very much had triggers and distractions removed so you could truly put all your energy into recovery.
Even with outpatient care, even though you didn’t live in a facility 24/7, you had regular touchpoints with addiction specialists in both group and individual therapy sessions. Something of a safe space to shelter from the difficulties you might’ve found in your regular days.
There has to be a way to transition, no?
That’s where sober living comes in.
A sober living home functions more or less as a bridge between your dedicated treatment program and the “real world”.
You’ll sometimes even see them referred to as “transitional housing” or “halfway homes” for that very reason.
The basics of taking up residence at a sober living home are that you’re in a place that’s free of drugs and alcohol where you’ll be able to put into practice and further develop the coping mechanisms you learned while in rehab.
You’ll also generally be required to participate in some type of support group.
Recovery is all about small wins that turn into larger ones over time. It’s about cementing positive habits and routines that make maintaining your hard-fought sobriety more manageable.
Look at it this way, it’s much more difficult to get used to a sudden change than it is to slowly adjust and then reinforce those adjustments through guidance and repetition. Sober living gives you a comfortable place to do that.
Some other key reasons sober living is an important part of the process are these:
Loneliness is part of addiction and it can linger after you’ve stopped using as well. Living in a home with others who have gone through the same thing allows you to build meaningful friendships and a whole sober network.
There’s tremendous value in being surrounded by people who understand you on a deep level and those relationships help immeasurably.
Being surrounded by sober people and those working towards the same overarching goal naturally creates a supportive environment. That’s further bolstered by the fact that you’ll be participating in some type of support group, often a 12-step program.
This introduces accountability and even more camaraderie with like-minded people.
A critical component of sober living is getting your independence back.
While there are rules at sober living homes, you’re largely free to do as you please. You can go to and from work and do all the things that come with day-to-day life while having the safety net of a supportive home which helps in re-establishing your independence.
Taken together, all these things are meant to lower the risk of a return to drugs and/or alcohol. If you’re surrounded by people who care about their sobriety journey, it’ll help you with yours, and the support you give one another coupled with group work means the risk of relapse diminishes greatly.
Sober living in Encino at Inneractions in the San Fernando Valley offers all of the above and more in a luxurious Southern California setting.
To learn more about The ISLE, or the Inneractions Sober Living Environment, you can read here.
The common denominator for those living in recovery is a need for support. No matter the nature of your addiction, what you were addicted to, for how long, etc. building a support system you can rely on is critical to maintaining the sobriety you worked so hard to achieve.
To be honest, it’s right near the top of the post-rehab checklist.
Support groups help with everything from dealing with triggers to accountability to just being a place where folks truly understand you, where they just get it.
In that sense, it’s less SMART recovery vs. AA in the competitive sense and more about how each is more uniquely suited, or better suited, to the needs of various people.
The first thing you’ll notice is the all caps and that’s because SMART, like AA, is an acronym; it means Self-Management and Recovery Training.
The fast facts are that SMART was founded back in 1994 and is currently headquartered in Ohio. Their approach focuses on science and self-empowerment in the battle to overcome addiction and meetings can be found across the whole of the United States as well as a number of countries around the world.
You can find their handbook in at least 10 languages.
Their reliance on scientifically validated methods to empower change is a key differentiator from the distinctly more spiritual approach of AA, noting in their purpose and methods statement that their “efforts are based on scientific knowledge and evolve as scientific knowledge evolves”.
Rather than a 12 step program, which AA relies on, SMART is defined by their 4 point program which is:
Arguably the most well-known support group on earth is AA or Alcoholics Anonymous.
AA dates back to 1935 and also has an Ohio link, having been started there. You may sometimes see AA meetings referred to as “Friends of Bill W.” in places like cruise ships with the Bill W. in question being the founder of AA.
They define themselves as “an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem”.
AA is where the concept of the 12 step program originated and it’s these very steps that form the core of the program itself.
A clear difference between the two programs is AA’s emphasis on spirituality in the pursuit of sustained sobriety. It’s not expressly required that you believe in God to join an AA meeting but the spiritual basis of AA is something to keep in mind. For some, it’s a wonderful thing. For others, they may prefer a different approach.
NA, or Narcotics Anonymous, was founded in 1953 and operates with the same 12-step program.
As for the meetings themselves, both SMART and AA are non-profits and their meetings are free of charge. Generally, only a small donation is recommended to cover the costs of putting on the meetings.
Conquering your addiction to drugs and/or alcohol is doable and among the best ways to go about it is through a professional treatment program that’s customized to your needs.
At Inneractions, that’s exactly what we do.
Moreover, once you complete rehab, we can help you transition back to your day-to-day life at our San Fernando sober living facility.
To learn more about support groups or aftercare, reach out to us today.
Recovery is a process.
Or, recovery is a journey, not a destination.
You may have come across lines like these when looking into rehab options for yourself or a loved one. Perhaps you even scoffed at them, feeling like you were reading trite cliches or platitudes.
Thing is though, recovery is a journey. Why? Well, let’s look to a definition of drug addiction from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to add some color here:
“Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs”
Because addiction is thought of as a brain disorder and not as a purely physical concept, it’s something you constantly work on and nurture. Moreover, if you stop working on it, a relapse is possible at any point.
Learning coping skills for drug addiction, therefore, becomes imperative to staying on the path of sobriety.
Addiction to drugs manifests itself in several ways that tend to compound the longer a substance use disorder lasts.
These are just some of the signs you may encounter and if you see any of them, it’s important to take note and monitor. Ignoring symptoms only makes things worse and harder in the future.
Coping skills are what help you stay the course, they’re the little “tricks” that help overcome those cravings and inevitable tough times on the journey of sobriety.
Among the best places to learn these new skills is in treatment for addiction.
In rehab, you’re in a place where all your attention is focused squarely on healing and developing the tools necessary to cope with triggers back in the real world.
As the physical addiction to drugs dissipates after detox, working on the mental side is what rehab programs are all about. You’ll work with professional addiction specialists in both individual and group settings to dig deeper into the root causes of addiction.
This is also the time you’ll be introduced to a host of coping skills ranging from practicing mindfulness, breathing exercises as well as general exercise, journaling, the importance of keeping busy, building a support system, 12-step programs and more.
As mentioned at the top, the journey of recovery doesn’t end when your time in rehab does, it’s something you actively work on but shouldn’t feel like work. Your post-addiction life is meant to be more fulfilling and enjoyable than the days of addiction and developing a routine that you love is crucial to that.
That’s where aftercare planning and sober living come into play, these are important parts of cementing a sober life. Sober living homes are particularly beneficial because you live in a supportive setting with a community that’s going through the same thing and building bonds with them. It also allows you to transition slowly back into your day-to-day life in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming.
To learn more about the coping skills you’ll develop or what sober living is like, reach out to us at Inneractions today.
Happy May, everyone. As we welcome in the next 31 days (and the first glimpses of summer), we also want to raise the flag about an important viral movement that’s happening. Thanks to some fantastic work from advocates across the country, Mental Health Month is generating big headlines and helping to bring important conversations to the forefront.
Interestingly enough; this month-long event began back in 1949, but often lacked the mainstream awareness that it deserved. But now, major outlets like The Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNBC and The Los Angeles Times are working to spread the word.
The AJC, in fact, shared some important statistics surrounding mental health in this country. In their headlining piece, it was referenced that as many as one in five U.S. adults live with a mental health issue. Half of all lifetime conditions begin by the age of 14, it mentioned, and 75 percent by age 24. The most important piece of data, though, was that those numbers can be curbed with early intervention.
The organization Mental Health America deserves the primary credit for this campaign. They’ve been behind it for seven decades now and offer ongoing resources to help people champion the cause. On their site, for example, there is a complete downloadable toolkit. In it, you can find shareable logos, press releases, banner images for websites, fact sheets, social media material and much more.
There is also a special hashtag for 2019, which emphasizes both mental and physical health. #4Mind4Body is what MHA wants followers to share, with the hope that those suffering will look to things like animal companionship, humor, recreation and exercise for help.
There are also new, bolder colors being incorporated into the campaign; in the hopes that the message will continue to stand out.
And to their credit, Mental Health America themselves have taken swift social media action since the first of the month. Their @MentalHealthAm handle shares regular wellness tips to offer inspiration and hope on people’s Twitter feeds.
For #MentalHealthMonth, we’re sharing daily wellness tips to care for your overall health – mind and body. Show us how you’re putting them into practice using the hashtag #4mind4body! pic.twitter.com/T4Y8mwZ7oz
— Mental Health America (@MentalHealthAm) May 1, 2019
As they simply and effectively stated on their site, “Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable.”
Let’s hope it encourages more people to seek out help and does some broad de-stigmatizations around this very important issue.
In our minds, it is a very scary circumstance when someone suffering from severe depression or dementia has access to a weapon. If suicidal thoughts were to enter the equation, then having a nearby gun could be extremely dangerous to their well being. And it’s worth noting that seniors may be especially vulnerable to this type of scenario, as referenced in a new article on The Fix website.
According to stats they published from The Annals of Internal Medicine, as many as 16 percent of senior Americans with symptoms of mental illness have guns in their home. Couple that with the fact that men aged 65 and above have the greatest U.S. rate of suicide (particularly from firearms) and you can see the dark direction of these situations.
In the dementia scenario, things can take an even more dangerous turn. Confused older Americans may accidentally turn the gun on a spouse or a family member in the home who they may no longer recall. It’s a more common issue than you may think, with more than 100 cases per year of people with dementia injuring themselves or others with a gun.
The Internal Medicine study cited all of these risks, believing that this issue deserves national attention. Co-author Ali Rowhani-Rahbar was quoted in the article, emphasizing that firearms safety is essential for people suffering from these types of diagnoses.
“If we were doing a good job in promoting gun safety, you would expect that the prevalence of living in a home with a gun or unsafe storage would be lower when somebody’s experiencing dementia or suicide risk factors, right?” he explained in the article. “But the lack of any difference indicates that many of the guidelines or recommendations so far have fallen short and we need to be much more active about promoting firearms safety.”
We understand that gun control is a very delicate topic in this country. But wherever your leanings may lie, there is no denying that people with dementia or severe depression could pose a big risk if they have regular weapon access.
Particularly in the case of afflicted seniors, having close family members monitor and properly store firearms is essential. And in both cases, getting older Americans into proper treatment programs can make a world of difference as well.
For depression and suicidal thoughts, we highly recommend getting in touch with our trained professionals. Choosing to live isolated and armed is simply not the proper solution.
As we’ve discussed many times before on our blogs, living with an untreated mental illness can be absolutely devastating. But can it actually shorten your life? According to some new research from U.S. News & World Report, the answer is yes. But most alarming is the fact that it can impact life expectancy as much as smoking and even diabetes.
Over 3,000 different communities took part in this study, which touched on a variety of health-related spectrums. Everything from nutrition, to housing, to education was measured, all in the hopes of understanding what can help Americans live long and fruitful lives. Of course it’s not a stretch to think that a mental illness could shorten your years (issues like suicide and anorexia come to mind), but the fact that it’s on par with cigarette consumption or a debilitating disease like diabetes is surprising.
Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation, spoke to the press following the findings. He too was quite surprised to see mental health rank so high as a life expectancy hindrance; particularly since it was not at this level for several years prior.
“I at first wanted us to double check,” Graham told CNBC. “Mental health did not have as strong of an effect last year. However, the change is consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that showed increasing opioid overdoses and suicides weighed on U.S. life expectancy.”
Indeed, mental health and addiction often go hand in hand. Those dealing with depression and similar issues often turn to substances to help numb the pain. America’s opioid crisis certainly isn’t helping matters either, with many fatal overdoses that appear to be intentional.
Several states were named in the study as having been the most impacted by mental illness. Nebraska, for example, saw life expectancy shorten significantly because of depression and addiction. They see roughly 26 suicides to every 100,000 people and the count is quite similar when it comes to drug-related overdoses. New Mexico, Ohio and Maryland were also named as having shorter life spans due to mental health struggles.
The only silver lining we can see is that issues like this are most certainly treatable. As opposed to something like diabetes, mental health does not have cut your life short. Counseling, support systems and proper therapeutic care can make a major difference. If you or someone you care about is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out.
We all know that your late teens and early 20’s can be a stressful time. Gaining independence and beginning a college career, or perhaps first entering the workforce and taking on new responsibilities…Regardless of what the journey may be, those years have traditionally been associated with with anxiety, depression and self doubt. But now it appears as though things have taken a turn for the worse. According to new research, the rate of adolescents experiencing mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts has jumped up by 52 percent since 2005.
The time span of the study ran from 2005 to 2017. Even more alarming is the fact that the percentage switches to 63 percent if you measure just the past eight years alone. USA Today touched on the research on their site, sharing modern stressors that may be contributing to the uptick. One big call out was digital media usage, as in social networks where issues like cyber-bullying run rampant. There have also been economic woes, global fears, gender struggles and (as we know right here in Los Angeles) a sharp rise in homelessness.
Interestingly, the depression and suicidal stats remained somewhat stagnant among older adults within the same time period. In our opinion, this truly goes to show that the newer generations have much more pressure than ever before.
San Diego State University professor Jean Twenge co-authored the report and shared her own reasons for these alarming stats.
“Cultural trends in the last 10 years may have had a larger effect on mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes among younger generations compared with older generations,” she explained. “These results suggest a need for more research to understand how digital communication versus face-to-face social interaction influences mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes and to develop specialized interventions for younger age groups.”
Indeed, other studies have shown that depression and anxiety now rank higher among this set than even drug or alcohol abuse. Many young people are also closely connected to their phones and the web, which can often lead to more harm than good. Upsetting news amongst their Facebook circle, rejections from dating apps and potential trolling from unwanted associates all play a big part in a person’s self-esteem.
Whatever the reason, if you or someone you are close to is a young person struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please know that help is readily available. There is no doubt that the modern world can be a difficult place to navigate through, but with professional support and guidance there is always a brighter tomorrow.
A common phrase used to describe the times we live in is “gig economy,” as in the average American is now working multiple “gigs” to keep up with the increased cost of living. And that can mean moonlighting as an Uber driver, freelancing in the evening and all sorts of tasks that expand your work week beyond 40 hours. But how does all of that affect mental health? A new article on The Fix offered some interesting insights.
The truth of the matter is, those who put in longer than average work hours do show more signs of depression (particularly among women). And let’s not forget about the anxiety factor as well. If you now serve multiple bosses, chances are you’re undergoing twice as much stress.
Fix writer Kelly Burch gathered most of this data from a recent study published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. As lead research author Gill Weston explained, some interesting data arose, but there is still much more to be explored. She was particularly concerned with the stats about overworked women (who were showing a 7.3 percent more likelihood to be depressed after putting in dozens of hours).
“Women in general are more likely to be depressed than men, and this was no different in the study,” Weston explained. “Independent of their working patterns, we also found that workers with the most depressive symptoms were older, on lower incomes, smokers, in physically demanding jobs, and who were dissatisfied at work.”
Sadly, many of the people who do take on extra jobs find themselves in the midst of a thankless profession. Driving an Uber, for example, can put you in front of cranky customers, just as you would experience if you were working an additional part-time retail gig.
The extra jobs usually start off because of a need for more income as well. So we are definitely certain that added bills (perhaps relating to child costs) can trigger some of these depressive feelings.
Though Weston understood that, in many cases, people may not have a choice when it comes to taking on extra work, she did hope that these findings could get in front of employers in the hopes of making them more sympathetic.
“We do hope our findings will encourage employers and policymakers to think about how to reduce the burdens and increase support for those who work long or irregular hours—without restricting their ability to work when they wish to,” she concluded. “More sympathetic working practices could bring benefits both for workers and for employers—of both sexes.”