What is the Key to Long Term Recovery?

Recovering from an addiction is a process that involves so much more than the few months you might spend in a rehab center. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to managing the symptoms over the course of a lifetime. People who achieve long term recovery have set up their lives in a way so that they can remain sober at all times.

Relapse rates after treatment can be high because people struggle to find the right routine and to learn the skills to help manage their addiction. It is an unfortunate reality that many people have to return to treatment more than once to get back on track. Sober living is a challenge that can take a long time to get the hang of especially if you have had a serious substance abuse problem.

The most important keys to long term recovery involve the need to feel positive, motivated and to find happiness and meaning in sobriety. In order to cultivate these things a person in recovery must learn to develop good habits that make them feel better and keep them fulfilled. Positivity and an effective sober routine are essential for long term sobriety and avoiding relapse.

Understanding Addiction and Replacing Habits

There are certain reasons that people seek out drugs that they themselves may not even be aware of. They may use drugs or alcohol as a way to feel positive emotions, have heightened experiences, connect with others or discover meaning in life. If someone in recovery feels that they are missing these aspects of drug use then they may feel more inclined to relapse.

Recovery means finding fulfillment and positive experiences without the use of drugs. People in treatment need to learn how to find positive emotions and build those up so that they are not looking for happiness in substances. They can develop positivity through regular therapy, support groups and good habits like meditating often.

During treatment or even in their time after returning home, former addicts can try to find new activities or hobbies that make them feel happy. They might enjoy writing, playing music, running, swimming or playing sports with their friends. Anything that provides them with a positive experience that they look forward to can help them cultivate feelings of happiness.

The important thing is to replace old habits with new activities that are healthier and boost your mood without causing problems. There are infinite possibilities to find something that truly makes you feel good and pursuing these hobbies is a good way to focus on positivity. Making time for things that you enjoy can create lasting happiness in life and works as an effective strategy to prevent relapse.

Connecting with Others

One of the reasons that people abuse substances is that it can lower their inhibitions, making it easier to be social and connect with other people. Alcohol or drugs may make them a experience a feeling of connection that is hard for them to find in their normal life when they are sober. In recovery, creating a lasting sense of connection can help minimize the desire to use drugs as a way to feel closer to people.

In recovery it is crucial to make high quality connections with others so that you can avoid feelings of loneliness, isolation and withdrawal which are all very dangerous to addicts. Making close friends through a sponsor or through peers in your treatment program and twelve step group can help get you through difficult times. It is important to feel like someone will be there to help when you are struggling with sobriety.

Feeling connected can also mean resolving issues with family or repairing broken relationships that were damaged by drug use. Attending family therapy and working on communication skills can help a person in recovery fix some of the problems in their life that may have made them feel more isolated. Having close connections with others is an essential part of living a positive and meaningful life in recovery.

A Healthy Sober Routine

In many cases people end up relapsing because they have been neglecting to do the things that keep them sober. Everyone in recovery develops their own sober routine that they know will make them feel healthier and more positive about their life. This could include a healthy diet, exercise routine, spending time with friends, meditating, and getting involved in hobbies or classes.

Once you know the sober routine that works for you it is a good idea to maintain it the best that you can. Long term recovery not only means creating a new lifestyle, it also means investing in these healthy habits for the rest of your life. If you need help with long term recovery or avoiding relapse, find a twelve step group in your area that can help you work on maintaining sobriety.

The post What is the Key to Long Term Recovery? appeared first on Serenity Malibu.

source https://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/key-to-long-term-recovery/

Will Gen Z Be the Most Sober Generation?

Post-millennial youth are proving to have very different values than previous generations, returning to more traditional and less rebellious behavior. Generation Z or those born after 1996 are focusing more on sobriety, good grades and spending time with family rather than partying. While the previous generation of millennials helped boost the alcohol market, this new generation is drinking significantly less.

The younger generation now is hooked on other things like social media which is taking over their time and attention. They see going out and drinking as too repetitive and time consuming when they could be creating and consuming media online. It has even become somewhat of a faux pas among generation z to drink socially.

Younger people instead have small get togethers where they might play video games or simply spend time together. Sober dance parties are also becoming popular among young people who are encouraged to feel good off of natural chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. In general young people are looking to connect with each other and find that alcohol doesn’t provide them with what they want out of life.

Changes in Drinking Habits

Millennials were known for having a common pattern of heavy drinking a few years ago. In 2016, millennials drank 42 percent of of all the wine sold in the U.S., topping every previous generation. However, with the younger generation of post-millennials now reaching drinking age their tendency to remain sober may affect these numbers dramatically.

Craft beer experienced a recent boom because of the millennial generation but with falling sales and an oversaturated market many breweries are now closing. With a younger generation less interested in alcohol, some of the alcohol market is likely to slow down and fail to see the type of growth that it has in previous years. The use of marijuana and cigarettes has been steadily declining as well with younger kids choosing sobriety and avoiding partying.

The generational shift in substance use has been mainly due to changes in personal values that have been slowly taking place. Post-millennial young people no longer see getting drunk as cool because they care more about their health, their integrity and understand that substances are simply a way of escaping. They have a much deeper education about physical and mental health than previous generations and focus on nourishing their bodies with superfoods rather than consuming toxic chemicals.

A Different Lifestyle than Previous Generations

There are many reasons why generation z chooses not to consume alcohol but one may be related to growing up online. They are much more aware of how they can be perceived by other people by living their lives publicly on the internet. They choose to portray themselves in a more conservative way so they won’t be shamed for getting drunk or being messy around others.

Their presence online has also allowed them to see themselves as being connected to the whole world and that they are part of a global community. They are more concerned about the political state of the world and issues that affect everyone rather than escapist substance abuse. Young people are also aware of the economic issues that may affect them and their future in spite of working hard and getting an education.

Generation z has to work harder than any previous generation in order to reach their career goals. Many understand how rare it is to be able to purchase and own a home now compared to older generations. They have to focus their values on achieving a comfortable life and drinking doesn’t coincide with any of their goals.

The younger generation tends to socialize online and get their feeling of connection through social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. They can communicate with large groups of people and document their life in a way that they will want to remember. Being constantly connected feels more fulfilling for young people and they don’t feel the need to bond over alcohol.

Avoiding Addiction and Focusing on Health

Post-millennials may have learned more about health and know how to practice healthy habits. They understand that altered states will only cause more problems and will do nothing to resolve feelings of stress. Young people are more conscious of other options such as a healthy diet and meditation in order to cope with personal issues.

As more young people lose interest in alcohol it may be good news for the overall mental and physical health of the nation. In the future there may be less strain on recovery resources, less money spent on treatment and addiction statistics may improve over time. The direction that this new generation is taking may indicate a positive change for the values of young Americans who choose hard work, health and well-being over partying and substance abuse.

The post Will Gen Z Be the Most Sober Generation? appeared first on Serenity Malibu.

source https://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/gen-z-most-sober-generation/

How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting Different Age Groups

The opioid crisis has been devastating to the health of our nation and has led to many tragic deaths due to overdose. The epidemic has not affected everyone the same way however, as certain demographics have been hit harder by the wave of addiction. Young millennial adults and the baby boomer generation are the ones that have been struggling with opioid dependency more than other age groups.

These age groups may be more vulnerable to opioid addiction for a number of different reasons and they are also experiencing higher rates of overdose deaths. One of the problems with opioids is that they are very easy to obtain even among young people who can find it from friends or even easily obtain their own prescription. For baby boomers it can be even simpler to ask their doctor for pain medication because of their age.

Young adults tend to struggle more with heroin overdose while older adults are more likely to be dependent on prescription painkillers. These findings indicate that is is important to expand education about the dangers of opioids across all ages but to specifically target certain groups that are struggling more. Helping teens and baby boomers to avoid developing an addiction may help reduce the climbing numbers of the opioid crisis.

Young Adults, Baby boomers and Opioids

Researchers studied overdose deaths related to opioids between the years of 1999 to 2014 and found that people born in the late 50s and early 60s, or baby boomers as they are commonly called, were 27 percent more likely to die from a prescription opioid overdose. They were also one third more likely to die from a heroin overdose.

Studies also found that younger adults of the millennial generation (those born between 1979 and 1992) had high rates of heroin overdose. Millennials were 23 percent more likely to die from a heroin overdose compared with those born in the late 70s. These younger adults are vulnerable to both prescription opioids and heroin but tend to use heroin more often than older adults.

One of the reasons that baby boomers have higher rates of addiction to opioids is because they were middle aged during the rise of prescription painkillers in the 1990s. Opioid medications like Oxycontin were heavily advertised as being safe and non-addictive during the 90s. Baby boomers were also the primary target for advertising opioids during that period of time.

Young adults may be more likely to abuse heroin because it has become a cheaper alternative that is easier to obtain on the street. Many people become hooked on prescription opioids first and then switch to heroin because it is more affordable. Millennials tend to have less economic security compared to baby boomers and may choose heroin abuse as a result.

Prevention and Treatment for Specific Age Groups

The biggest obstacles in starting to resolve the opioid crisis are the need for education regarding opioids and increasing access to treatment. For the baby boomer generation, they may not understand how dangerous opioids are because they grew up in a time when drug culture was normal during the 60s and became adults when painkillers were considered safe. Their attitudes about drug use may lead them to end up becoming addicted to opioids before they realize it.

Baby boomers may also have obstacles with getting into treatment because they experience a deep sense of denial. They may believe that because of their age and health they need to use prescription medication more than others. Older adults that live alone can also find it easier to keep their addiction hidden and avoid being confronted.

Millennials may have other issues regarding getting help because of their age group. Since they are still young they often feel that getting sober will lead to a more boring life for them. There is also a greater stigma among young people about going into treatment for an addiction.

When baby boomers are able to get into treatment they tend to have high success rates because they find it easier to follow the rules. Millennials that are able to get treatment can prevent some of the physical and mental health problems that tend to develop over years of abuse. Getting help early can be crucial to avoiding serious risks including overdose.

There are many steps to take in order to minimize the effects of opioid addiction on these and all age groups that are affected by the growing crisis. Increasing education as well as making it easier to access treatment programs may help these generations recover from addiction. Breaking down the stigma behind addiction and discussing these problems openly can be one of the keys to getting more people help.

If you or someone you love is addicted to opioids, contact a local treatment center for recovery as soon as possible.

The post How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting Different Age Groups appeared first on Serenity Malibu.

source https://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/opioid-epidemic-on-age-groups/