alcoholism Archives - Live Rehab

People call me weird

March 28, 2018 By Denise Leave a Comment

Aren’t you going to just have one?

“Come on you can have just one drink”

I hear this over and again.

Ever since I stopped drinking people don’t invite me out anymore, call me weird and just can’t understand why I don’t drink.

I want to be sober because I want to live the best possible life I can. And alcohol messes that up.

I’m like Tom Cruise. Because not drinking in today’s society is basically Mission Impossible.

The problem is that now I don’t fit in with most people, workplaces or even my own family.

Every time I’m out with other people they have questions about my sobriety or make comments about their own habits.

“You never come to happy hours.”

“I don’t drink that much.”

“I just drink on the weekends.”

Looking back that’s probably why I started Live Rehab with my partner.

We were talking the other day about this exact thing, “People aren’t going to understand are they?”

I replied, “Nope. But we have to keep on trying anyway.”

She paused, then laughed, “There has got to be other people like us right?”

When we’re looking to help people through Live Rehab we look for people who want to live the same kind of life.

Fathers who don’t want to wake up hungover anymore.

Mom’s who are sick of drinking around their kids.

Athletes who can’t risk they professional careers by drinking too much.

Hollywood celebrities that aren’t interested in traditional rehab.

Because there is nothing better than finally getting sober and living the best life possible.

The key is to know you’re in the right.

Then live it consciously.

Dry January Day #3: Get Outside on the Double! 2327 days Sober

January 4, 2018 By Denise Leave a Comment

I am a terrible runner and exerciser. For a while I did Crossfit only to injure myself halfway through the year. My feet are in terrible shape and I pay for it with every run. Pushups are the devil for me and pullups are a close second. Just this morning I was panting, wheezing and hating every single moment of my workout.

I’m telling you this because you need to hear it. Being physically active in your recovery is incredibly, incredibly important. Did I mention it was incredibly important? You need to find anyway that you can to be moving, grooving, shaking or lifting. Personally, I love the feeling of throwing heavy weights around in a gym but my partner prefers the feeling of running.

Exercise has been shown to improve the lives of people who are in recovery, battling addiction or mental health issues. Many studies report that exercise helps in rewiring the parts of the brain that reward us for those bad habits we have previously enjoyed so much. If we can rewire those parts of the brain then perhaps we have a chance at beating this.

Going back to yesterdays post on Intenional Living and Visioning, I’d include putting some time in to your visions that are specifically focused on health and exercise.

On a more personal note, I’ve decided to start including the number of days we’ve accumulated in sobriety. It’s not meant to be a badge of honour but a reminder that the journey is continuous and that confidence can be a silent threat (more on this in tomorrow’s post!). As of now, here at Live Rehab we’re 2327 days sober.

How many days has it been for you? Even if it is just 1,2 or 3 – that’s still a massive win.

To your recovery,

Live Rehab

7 Things about Drug and Alcohol Recovery Nobody Tells You

December 19, 2017 By Denise Leave a Comment

7 Things About Recovery they Don’t Tell you

Thinking back to the early days of recovery I remember a certain sense of bewilderment and shock. Now some of that was certainly due to the fact I was no longer a chronic drinker but some of it was due to how the world would treat me now. Over time I’ve come to realise that nobody really talks about these things out loud. In fact, I’ve talked to many addicts who have been through professional rehab facilities that agree with these 7 things. So, without further adieu, here are the 7 things about recovery nobody tells you.

Your body is coming back to you like a foreign object

When you first stop drinking or smoking or snorting whatever it is you are addicted to, some changes occur in your body. Now you might be thinking – duh! Obviously. But what most people don’t realise is that the body you get back has been wrecked in ways you have no way of knowing. Your body won’t fully recover for years to come and, when it does, it’s going to be a different beast altogether.

People hate/admire what they don’t have

I’ve talked about WTF moments of sobriety before but you’ve got to prepare yourself, in advance, for the avalanche of fucked up shit you’re going to have to deal with. People are going to say the weirdest things to you. I won’t go into all of them but BE PREPARED!

Free time

Yep. You’re going to have lots more free time that you used to. It’s not all going to come back to you at one time though. For every 3 minutes you spend smoking a cigarette each day multiplied by number by day! That’s the trick though – you have to think about the time as adding up in general.

New things to fill that free time

Find some new things to fill that time. If you were a smoker for instance and took smoke breaks at work, try filling it with something else. Take a quick walk around the block. Fidget with some legos at your desk. You need to be an active participant in this stage. Find a hobby. Quick.

Extra brain power

This one is a bit weird and may not apply to everyone BUT lots of people we talk to find a surge in brain power. Now, some of this comes from not being in a fog or daze from the drugs or alcohol. But to get this affect it’s going to take a while. Some people report 6-12 months before this onset occurs. Be patient.

Your balance

Your balance is going to get a bit wibbly wobbly for a while. Alcohol affects the equilibrium and it’s not until 3-9 months before it comes back properly. You’re going to see weird things happen over time including potentially being way off balance.

You find yourself

Ok this one was cheesy. But nobody prepares you for the emotional changes you end up experiencing until it settles in for real. Then you get to see, experience and feel the best possible version of yourself.

So, now we ask you, our Live Rehab community, what things have you noticed that nobody warned you about in recovery?

Stages of Addiction and Recovery

October 10, 2017 By Denise Leave a Comment

Did you know that people who suffer from addiction go through stages? While not everybody has the same experience, most people hit these same stages in this order. Here are the stages of addiction and recovery:

Stage 1: Initiation

This is the “I’m curious” stage. This stage typically happens as a child or teen and starts with that wonder and curiosity rather than the icky and gross we were taught in drug education.

Stage 2: Experimentation

In the experimentation stage, a person will do drugs or drink alcohol to explore the effects and will not crave or want more once the drug or alcohol wears off. They are simply experimenting.

Stage 3: Regular Use

During this stage, a person starts to get on a pattern. Maybe it’s every Friday and Saturday night but generally, there are no negative consequences and the use is still light and fun.

Stage 4: Problem or Risky Use

Now this is the stage where red flags start to surface. The behavior turns risky and there are consequences and problems after each use. For example, a person at a college party blacks out or a person purchases drugs from someone they do not know. It’s problematic and risky.

Stage 5: Dependence

This is a problem stage. This is where a person is feeling psychologically or physically dependent on a drug or alcohol. For example, a person who feels like they can’t work or get through their classes without using a substance. During this stage, a person is likely to keep on using, every single day to avoid some sort of withdrawal.

Stage 6: Substance Use Disorder

This is an actual mental health disorder that can be diagnosed by a mental health professional. When someone is diagnosed with a Substance Use Disorder, it means that the drugs and/or alcohol has had and is having a serious effect on their life, to the point where they need some sort of treatment or intervention in order to obtain a full recovery.

Stage 7: Treatment

This is the final stage in the stages of addiction. When a person enters this stage they are, hopefully, on board with wanting to make gain sobriety.

When Your Partner Drinks – And You’re Trying to Stop

October 9, 2017 By Denise Leave a Comment

It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too

[clickToTweet tweet=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too #liverehab” quote=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too”]

If you have a partner that drinks or is not willing to give up alcohol when they are around you, getting sober will be very hard. It is so important, and I mean so critically important, that your partner is there to support you and does not drink around you, or gives it up entirely. If they are not willing to, I am here to tell you that you will need to have the strongest will power or you may need to take a break for a few months until you can stabilize.

Why Communication is Important

I want you to be open with your partner. It’s important to have strong communication skills so your partner knows exactly how hard this is going to be for you and having their support can mean the difference of obtaining full sobriety or not. Most people who do not have supportive spouses fail. That’s not to say it’s impossible but if you have a supportive partner, it makes things much easier.

Does Your Partner Have a Problem Too?

One thing you are going to want to evaluate is whether or not your partner has a problem too. If they don’t have a problem then not drinking will be easy for them. They’ll be able to not drink around you or give it up completely. If they have a problem, it might not be that easy for them and then perhaps, you should try and get sober together. If they’re not ready to get sober but you are, don’t give up on yourself. Take a break, get some distance, and when you are strong and able, you can go back to help them.

Your Action Item

Is your partner on board or not? If not, are you ready to take a break – get some distance for a few months? Take some time to figure this out. Once you’ve made a decision, communicate this with your partner. To eliminate conflict, it’s important for them to understand that it’s about you and when it comes to alcoholism, the best thing you can do is help yourself first. In the end, you’ll come out stronger.

People call me weird

Dry January Day #3: Get Outside on the Double! 2327 days Sober

Going back to yesterdays post on Intenional Living and Visioning, I’d include putting some time in to your visions that are specifically focused on health and exercise.

How many days has it been for you? Even if it is just 1,2 or 3 – that’s still a massive win.

To your recovery,

Live Rehab

7 Things about Drug and Alcohol Recovery Nobody Tells You

Stages of Addiction and Recovery

Stage 1: Initiation

Stage 2: Experimentation

Stage 3: Regular Use

Stage 4: Problem or Risky Use

Stage 5: Dependence

Stage 6: Substance Use Disorder

Stage 7: Treatment

When Your Partner Drinks – And You’re Trying to Stop

It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too

[clickToTweet tweet=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too #liverehab” quote=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too”]

Why Communication is Important

Does Your Partner Have a Problem Too?

Your Action Item

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Going back to yesterdays post on Intenional Living and Visioning, I’d include putting some time in to your visions that are specifically focused on health and exercise.

How many days has it been for you? Even if it is just 1,2 or 3 – that’s still a massive win.

To your recovery,

Live Rehab

Stage 1: Initiation

Stage 2: Experimentation

Stage 3: Regular Use

Stage 4: Problem or Risky Use

Stage 5: Dependence

Stage 6: Substance Use Disorder

Stage 7: Treatment

It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too

[clickToTweet tweet=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too #liverehab” quote=”It’s Extremely Difficult to get Sober if Your Partner doesn’t Give it Up Too”]

Why Communication is Important

Does Your Partner Have a Problem Too?

Your Action Item

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