Finding fun and happiness in sobriety is absolutely crucial for a successful recovery. Not only does finding holistic practices for sobriety help you enjoy life and form hobbies, but it also can treat lingering post-acute withdrawal symptoms that can lead to relapse or depression. Holistic practices are healthy activities that do not involve synthetic medication. They can be hobbies or they can be actual medical procedures. There are even “holistic medicines,” which usually means vitamins and other natural remedies. Some addiction treatment centers even have completely holistic approaches, meaning they don’t use medication at all. This might sound old fashioned, but holistic practices have proven to be extremely effective for people in recovery. Many times, holistic practices in sobriety can significantly reduce or even cure post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Depression, anxiety, and insomnia are all extremely common for people in early recovery. Finding healthy hobbies, remedies, and coping skills will ensure long-term recovery and motivation. Here are 10 practices in sobriety that you can start doing today: Meditation Meditation is one of the most useful and practical techniques to learn. It’s easy and it can treat an array of psychological symptoms, like depression, anxiety, insomnia, lack of concentration, irritability, and mood swings. Meditation can also increase happiness and motivation. Starting the day with a short meditation can clear the mind and help start the day on a good foot. Ending the day with meditation can induce relaxation and lead to a good night’s sleep. Meditation can also be used at work or in stressful situations to slow racing thoughts. There are many clinical studies that show the effectiveness of meditation. Yoga...
Using multiple substances at the same time, also known as polydrug use, can sometimes be very dangerous. Polydrug use is never considered safe, but some substances can be deadly and should never be used together. Polydrug use is very common because one drug can increase the effects of the other, resulting in a more powerful high. One of these popular and dangerous combos is alcohol and benzos, like Xanax. This cocktail can have a range of harmful side effects, which potentially could lead to death. Despite the dangers, mixing alcohol and benzos is popular among teens and young adults, mostly due to pop culture. The reason it is so popular is that taking a small amount of benzodiazepines can make one drink feel like several. Its popularity also stems from the misconception that prescription medications are not dangerous. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that people who abuse benzos typically have another primary drug of choice. This in itself shows the popularity of polydrug use when it comes to drugs like Xanax. Benzodiazepines are often abused in conjunction with either alcohol or prescription opioids. Benzos are central nervous system depressants, so when they are mixed with other depressants like alcohol or opioids, the ‘high’ from depressants is increased significantly. Depressants cause a slower heart rate and depressed respiratory system. The more depressants that are taken, the more pronounced these effects become. Eventually, the respiratory system can completely fail, causing unconsciousness and eventually cardiac arrest. Mixing depressants in any form is one of the most dangerous drug combinations and should never be experimented with. Mixing depressants is...
With consistent use of most addictive substances comes some degree of physical dependency. This means that the body comes to rely on the substance to function normally. When the substance is taken away, the body can react in a variety of ways. These reactions can be as minor as mood swings, to as severe as seizures or cardiac arrest. Depending on the severity of dependency, most withdrawal symptoms subside within a few weeks. But, for some people, one or more withdrawal symptoms may linger months or years into sobriety. This is something called post-acute withdrawal symptom, or PAWS. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome affects every person differently. Some people can struggle with PAWS for the rest of their lives while others may only experience it for a few months. Sometimes symptoms can go away completely but briefly return later in life. For people in recovery, it’s important to learn the signs of PAWS so that it can be dealt with appropriately. Those that are unaware of post-acute withdrawal may think they are doomed. This can be a trigger for relapse. Fortunately, symptoms of PAWS are not physical or dangerous like the withdrawal experienced in the first few weeks of recovery. PAWS symptoms are psychological in nature and can be treated in a variety of ways. Lifestyle changes and coping skills can also play a role in the severity of post-acute withdrawal symptoms. There are also medications that can be very effective. Substance abuse can permanently change the way chemicals in the brain work. Sometimes this needs to be corrected with medication in order to feel normal or happy. Here are some things...
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