Surrender in Recovery

The definition of surrender is to cease resistance to someone or something and submit to its authority. For someone who’s experienced drug or alcohol addiction, the idea of surrendering to something isn’t a foreign concept. As someone in active addiction, you may have surrendered time and time again to drugs and alcohol, relinquishing the control you didn’t think you’d ever regain. But what does it mean to surrender in recovery? Today we’re going to talk about surrender in addiction recovery and ways you can do this in your own journey.

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The Relationship Between Alcohol and Heart Rate

Why Do I Lose Weight When I Drink Alcohol?

The correlation between alcohol and body weight has sparked curiosity and concern among many people. For some, it seems counterintuitive that consuming alcohol, which is considered to have empty calories, could lead to shedding pounds. However, if you’re wondering, “Why do I lose weight when I drink alcohol?” then there are several factors at play that can help explain. From the impact on metabolism and appetite to changes in dietary practices and fluid retention, we’re exploring the mechanisms behind this phenomenon to shed light on the complex relationship between alcohol and losing weight.

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A Guide on How to Support Someone in Recovery

Want to make a difference in someone’s recovery journey? Being a reliable source of support is often the best thing you can do. Your encouragement can help them overcome obstacles, celebrate their victories, and feel less alone in what can be a challenging process. Peer support and family support are equally important—no matter how you’re connected to the person in recovery, there are ways you can be part of their vitally important support system.

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Inviting Change

If you have someone in your life who is using substances in a problematic way, you may often wonder what you can do to help them decide to change. You may be frightened or mad at them for making bad choices. It’s also likely you have absorbed the cultural message that there isn’t anything you can do to help because that would be enabling or that the only way they will change is when they bottom out. Science, however, offers some different options about how to help someone change…

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3 Healthy Outdoor Activities That Will Keep You Well This Summer

This article was written by Ryan Jackson and published by RCA. Did you know that being outside can reduce stress, improve mood, and boost immunity?1 People who live near green areas report lower levels of anxiety and depression, and spending time in nature has been linked to lower levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress.2 With…

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What Is Relapse and What Is It Not?

This article was written by Ryan Jackson and published by RCA. Relapse is often seen as a step backward in addiction recovery, but it doesn’t erase the progress someone has made. For both those in recovery and their loved ones, knowing the difference between a relapse and other challenges can help guide the next steps.…

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Avoidance is Addiction’s Best Friend

Nothing feeds fear like avoidance.  Substance use itself often becomes problematic because it is such an effective method of short-term avoidance.  Eventually, the repetition compulsion of avoidance builds up so much unaddressed residual byproduct that the costs of continued avoidance outweigh the potential costs of facing what we fear.  The fulcrum of change and fear is the birthplace of courage.  Ultimately, whether it relates to addiction, career, love, health, anything that matters, fear keeps us stuck and change comes from honest confrontation with ourselves.

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Recovery on Social Media

You live in a time where the world revolves around Facebook and Twitter. Nothing is official or newsworthy unless you have updated your status and shared with you 700 closest cyber friends. If you want to post about a promotion at work or how wonderful your significant other is, then take a minute to get on your phone, tablet or laptop and update. But how much do you share?  There are certain things you might want to think twice about, especially when you are in recovery.

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Dual Diagnosis: Treating Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Addiction treatment is far more effective when doctors address mental health and substance abuse disorders concurrently.

Every day, patients who have entered into one of our substance abuse treatment centers for substance abuse find that mental health is a larger factor than they may have previously known. We consider these patients to have a “dual diagnosis,” meaning that both substance abuse and mental health disorder diagnoses are present, and we need to address them concurrently by a treatment program in order to give the best chance of successful rehabilitation.

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