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People call me weird

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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.

Sober Life
Woman living a sober life
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Dry January Day #1: Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude

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Today we want to talk about something really important – having an attitude of gratitude.

Now it might sound a bit funny or even a bit weird but having an attitude of gratitude is a very powerful tool in your addiction recovery process. What do we mean by an attitude of gratitude?

People that we often see in the addiction recovery field, specifically addicts, especially when they first ask for help, often find themselves in a situation where they feel like they don’t have a lot to be grateful for it. They may have really damaged relationships in the past they may have done some really messed up stuff they may have broken laws. There are even situations where they have potentially physically injured other people.

And so it can be difficult for them to get to a place where they have gratitude in their lives and they may not even believe they are worthy of gratitude.

One of the first things that we teach people is that there are lots of things in your life to be grateful for. Cultivating a strong practice of gratitude causes the universe to respond in a way that presents you with more to be grateful for. We learned a long time ago from a great spiritual teacher, Dr Michael Bernard Beckwith, who said essentially that what you focus on expands. For people that are struggling with addiction having a focus on gratitude ensures that you are able to focus on the positive things in life and then more of those positive things can come back to you.

Well, that’s all fine and dandy but coming up with an attitude of gratitude isn’t something that you can just switch on and off. It requires deep, thoughtful, hard work. How do you do this? One of the best ways that we recommend doing this is simply through the use of a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal works pretty easy and should be kept on a bedside table. Either right when you wake up, which is a great time to do it, or right before you go to bed, you just simply take a few moments to write out between five and 10 things that you’re grateful for. And that’s it!

We had a funny interaction just the other day with somebody who said “Five to 10 things? I can’t think of five to 10 things that and I’m grateful for”. To which we responded with:

Do you have fingers? They said yes. There’s one thing.
Do You have toes? They said yes. Now we have two things.

So you can see that there are things to be grateful for even if you can’t think of any even if you can’t think of something in your life big you start with something small.

Start with the small things in life like your ability to breathe for instance; it’s crucial, but it goes under appreciated. So every day as you develop this practice it’s OK to duplicate things. It’s perfectly ok to be grateful for things repeatedly as well – we just suggest that you mix it up a little bit every day so not every day you’re just thankful for your fingers and toes and breathing but you know find little things throughout the day.

Then, try and keep those things in your mind throughout the day. Think of those things whenever you can. And this is just a key pathway to developing these different skills and an attitude of gratitude will undoubtedly lead you into a much better mind spacing and a much better healing space where some of the really deep work can start.

So I ask you to put in the comments today – what are five things that you’re grateful for?

To your recovery,

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7 Things about Drug and Alcohol Recovery Nobody Tells You

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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?

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No Fine or Jail Time for Possession or Dealers?

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Life here in the UK is vastly different from life in US. I know this may seem like a shock to many but having lived in both countries, I can say that the differences are clear. While both countries appear to be quite similar, the approach to health, social services and a desire for better outcomes for all, couldn’t be more apparent (let’s not talk Brexit right now!)

Let’s take for instance drug addiction and the approach that law enforcement takes. In fact, let’s focus on a narrow section of the UK who were recently in the news. For those unaware, Durham Chief Constable Mike Barton just announced that after a 2 year trial, they will stop arresting people who use drugs and ‘low level dealers’ in favour of sending them to a rehab program.

There are many things to unpack within this announcement and the impacts are incredible. While the US clings to its War on Drugs (with some of the more liberal states at least legalizing marijuana), more progressive countries realize that the way to help people who use drugs is not through jail time.

Avoiding prison means that people who struggle with an addiction don’t have to be punished once they get sober.

What do you mean by that?

Well for many people who struggle with an addiction, coming out of jail with a conviction basically eliminates them from many jobs (even though discrimination like that is likely illegal) and severely limits prospects for the future. So, then what happens? They go right back to using again.

It’s a familiar addiction recovery story we hear all the time. But it looks like Durham will be trying something a bit different this time around.

‘What’s the point in an addict going to court and getting a £50 fine? If they pay it at all, they will only steal or sell five bags of heroin to fund it. How does that help us?’ argued Mr Barton.

Well said.

You can read the entire article HERE.

Obviously, my hope for you is that you can obtain a life free from addictive substances so you don’t have to worry about being caught and having to face a fine or jail time.

We have a course, that helps people who struggle with opioids, learn how to kick their habit from home.  Check out our course HERE.

To Your Recovery

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Effects of Psychoactive Substances

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psychoactive substances

Behavioral Effects of Psychoactive Substances

Psychoactive substances affect the behavior of people using.  Different substances affect different behaviors.  For example, those who abuse alcohol may behave violently or belligerently.  Those who abuse opioids may behave neglectfully.  Not everyone behaves the same of course but it’s important for addiction professionals to understand how different psychoactive substances affect behavior.

Psychological Effects of Psychoactive Substances

The age old question: what came first?  The addiction or the mental health struggle?  This is important for addiction professionals to understand and uncover when working with clients.  For example, did smoking marijuana cause their client’s anxiety or did their client smoke marijuana to try and get rid of their anxiety?  Different substances have different psychological effects and it’s crucial for professionals to recognize this.

Physical Effects of Psychoactive Substances

Psychoactive substances have different physical effects too.  While some effects are behavior related it’s important to know what kinds of physical effects different substances can cause.  For example, opioids can cause constipation and alcohol can cause high blood pressure. Outward physical effects are more noticeable but the addiction professional should always ask the important questions and provide resources to a medical doctor if needed.    

Social Effects of Psychoactive Substances

Some psychoactive substances are more social than others but when thinking about the social effects it is important for the addiction professional to gain cultural knowledge.  For example, alcohol is often culturally accepted and when someone quits alcohol it can be shown as a sign of weakness.  Other social factors to consider would be poverty and wealth.  Addiction doesn’t just affect the poor it equally affects the rich but in different ways.  Just because someone has a ton of money and can dress and look the part, doesn’t mean they are struggling any less. Addiction professionals need to be aware of this.

Effects on Significant Others

All of these effects can affect significant others incomprehensible ways oftentimes leading to exhaustion. Also, it’s important to connect the relationship between infectious diseases such as sexually transmitted infections and substance use.  Significant others can be impacted.

Addiction professionals need to be sensitive to all of these influences and how the development of addiction progresses.  I.E. initiation, intoxication, harmful use, abuse, dependence, withdrawal, craving, relapse, and recovery. 

Addiction professionals need to be interested in new research and findings so they can bring the latest developments to their practice Click To Tweetto benefit their continuous efforts when working with clients.

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Sobriety on your terms

We understand that traditional rehab may not be a realistic choice for you. If you’re feeling bad about destroying relationships, clouded decision making and being addicted, Live Rehab will guide you in helping you break free.

We’ve helped hundreds of people get sober from home.

Our students are:

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– Sober
– Clear Headed
– Free from the chains of addiction
– Motivated
– Energetic

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