Recovery Fellowship During Thanksgiving

Cheerful group of people with sparkles together celebrating New Year eve

All of us at 10 Acre Ranch would like to wish everyone in recovery a safe and sober Thanksgiving. With less than 24 hours to go, it’s vital you have or are creating a plan for getting through the day. If this isn’t your first significant holiday in the Program, you know that this can be a difficult time for a substantial number of people. There is a list of reasons why holidays are more trying on one’s recovery, compared to standard days of the year.

One of the byproducts of many people’s addiction is your dear ones may have cut ties with you. Years and decades of abuse can wear one’s loved one’s thin; while it is possible to rekindle relationships in recovery, it doesn’t occur overnight. You can’t blame family for being skeptical about your recovery, at first, they must protect themselves from upset. In early recovery, the risk of relapse is unfortunately high, because of this families are cautious not to get their hopes up. If your story is anything like most people in recovery, then you have a history of breaking commitments and falling short of expectations.

Please do not get discouraged if your family chooses to stay on the periphery of your life for now. In time, your actions will prove to your family just how earnest you are, they will see that your choice to seek recovery is not another manipulation. If there is one thing addicts and alcoholics understand well, it’s that one’s word doesn’t carry much weight. Without visible action, people are unlikely to believe one’s seriousness regarding recovery. Those who honestly work the program will not receive any guarantees in life, but family is likely to come around to trusting you again, if one stays the course.

A Family in Recovery

You may not have family back in your life, yet, but rest assured they are in fact rooting for your recovery. It’s crucial that you keep doing the next right thing in the program, regardless of how you feel about what you don’t have in your life today. Instead, be grateful for what you do have, like a fellowship of men who will do just about anything to help your recovery.

In early recovery, individuals have a fellowship to rely on when times get rough. It’s wise to lean on such people during the holidays, for these are days of the year that are likely to stir up one’s emotions. People relatively new to the program are often inclined to isolate during major holidays. It’s only natural, many people’s go-to-setting is to recoil into their shell when they are unhappy with the situation. For some, being unable to spend time with family this Thanksgiving is a severe blow. It can make one question why they are bothering with this “recovery stuff” anyway?

Naturally, that’s a selfish and self-centered response to an undesirable situation. When we can’t get what we want when we want it, it’s common to bemoan one’s position. If you find yourself questioning your mission for change this Thanksgiving, please call your sponsor or another person in recovery immediately. Get to a meeting, or go to several; you have a support network, please utilize it whenever necessary. You may not have biological family back in your life yet, but you do have recovery family now. You are not alone, others are feeling the same way you are, and meetings are a perfect opportunity to hear how others manage these situations. Who knows, you might share something that helps another who’s having a hard time, as well.

Sober Holidays

Everything that happens in our recovery takes place on our “higher power’s” schedule. Exercising patience is difficult early on, but it gets simpler in time. Traversing the holidays is exponentially more comfortable if you take time throughout your day to recognize everything you have today is worth your gratefulness. If you didn’t drink or drug today, that’s as good a starting point as any. You may find that you have more to be grateful for then you realized, draw strength from such a realization. And remember, wherever you are, the helping-hand of recovery is close.

Methamphetamine Use Linked to Heart Failure

Methamphetamine also known as crystal meth

Methamphetamine is nasty stuff that can cause serious harm to one’s mind and body. Despite being heavily abused and highly addictive, we don’t hear much about the drug these days. With everyone’s focus fixed firmly on opioid use disorder, it’s easy to forget that others drugs are impacting people’s lives.

Veterans Day was last weekend, a time to honor the brave men and women who’ve served their country overseas. It’s no secret that many of those same Veterans come back from armed conflict changed; experiencing trauma can wreak havoc on an individual’s psyche. Some veterans receive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, but not all; those whose PTSD is left untreated turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their symptoms. This is a choice which regularly leads to addiction and makes the symptoms of any form of mental illness more severe.

Being in the field of addiction medicine, we have treated numerous cases of co-occurring disorder involving clients who served in the armed forces, developed PTSD, and self-medicated their way to alcohol or substance use disorder. In some cases, such individual’s drug of choice is/was meth.

Methamphetamine Impacts The Heart

A new study looked at the medical records of heart failure patients at San Diego VA Medical Center between 2005 and 2015, CNN reports. The researchers found a link between heart failure and methamphetamine use. What’s more, instances of heart failure involving meth are on the rise. In 2005, 1.7 percent of the VA hospital’s heart failure cases involved meth; compared to 8 percent in 2015. The researchers presented their findings at the annual scientific meeting of the American Heart Association.

The researchers found that heart failure was occurring at a younger age (average 61) when methamphetamines were involved, whereas 72 was the median-age for non-meth users. Not surprisingly, the data revealed that Veterans who used methamphetamine were more likely to struggle with PTSD and depression.

“Methamphetamine is an addictive drug, which could have a wide range of effects on patients’ physical and mental well-being,” said Dr. Marin Nishimura, the study author and internal medicine resident at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Nishimura adds, “Heart failure patients with methamphetamine abuse were younger, more likely to be homeless, unemployed and diagnosed with other substance-abuse and psychiatric conditions.”

Stimulant Use Disorder

Meth is an exceptionally toxic substance, made in a crude manner that often involves caustic chemicals. Scientists are still making discoveries about the drug’s actual impact on the human body. Fortunately, stimulant use disorder (i.e., amphetamine and methamphetamine addiction) is a treatable condition, and recovery is possible. However, it’s vital that both the addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders like PTSD and depression be treated with the use disorder simultaneously. At 10 Acre Ranch, we specialize in the treatment of clients with dual diagnosis. Please contact us today.

Alcohol Use Linked to Cancer

At 10 Acre Ranch, we treat alcohol and substance use disorder 365-days a year. We see the havoc that substance use and abuse wreaks on people’s lives and do everything in our power to give clients the tools to work a program of lasting recovery. Our team of addiction professionals must consider the unique needs of each client to ensure successful outcomes. We know that while opioids remain in the limelight, alcohol use continues to affect more people negatively.

Alcohol misuse, such as binge drinking and long-term heavy consumption, often leads to use disorders. Mental health conditions of this type have no known cure, but we can treat use disorders, and individuals can maintain a program of recovery. Our mission is to show people who have already been touched by the disease that recovery is possible. However, we would be remiss if we failed to do our part in steering young people away from behaviors that lead to lifelong health problems or cause premature death.

Addiction is not the only byproduct of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Research continues to reveal how alcohol can negatively impact one’s health, short of alcohol poisoning and fatal car crashes. In fact, alcohol use (even when consumed moderately) can cause a host of health problems that can easily result in premature death. Young people must be made aware of the scope and scale of dangers associated with even casual alcohol use.

2 glass of champagne

Alcohol Use Linked Cancer

The Journal of Clinical Oncology recently published a statement from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) warning that even light alcohol use can result in cancer, The New York Times reports. The group says that women are at an increased risk of breast cancer and heavy drinkers are more likely to develop mouth, throat, voice box, liver, and colorectal cancers. This is the first time the group of cancer doctors has cited the risks of cancer associated with drinking alcohol.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines moderate drinking as having one daily drink for women and two for men, according to the article. That may not seem like much, but such people are at twice the risk of developing certain types of cancer, compared to individuals who abstain.

“The more you drink, the higher the risk,” said Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, the chief executive of ASCO. “It’s a pretty linear dose-response.”

The findings above are essential for several reasons, especially when you consider that young people don’t associate much risk with drinking from time to time. Alcohol is legal; which means teenagers and young adults believe the substance to be relatively safe. The ASCO statement could have a hand in leading to policy change one day in the future.

Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery

It’s crucial that everyone who drinks or will drink one day know the risks associated with drinking. Alcohol is a caustic substance that results in more health problems than any other drug. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol use disorder, the sooner a person receives treatment, the better for all concerned. The more prolonged unchecked addiction, the higher the risks to one’s health. Please contact 10 Acre Ranch, today.

Addiction Treatment Funding Cuts

woman taking post-surgery pain medication

In the wake of an opioid addiction epidemic more Americans than ever see the value of use disorder treatment. It doesn’t matter where you come from, the color of your skin, or your socio-economic standing — survival is contingent upon getting help. When people can’t access addiction treatment they remain in a vicious cycle; substance use disorder has the power to cut one’s life short. This is why we need to make sure our los angeles addiction treatment centres are properly funded!

When taking addiction into consideration, it’s easy to think that the problems in the U.S. are unique. It’s an opioid addiction epidemic, after all, not a pandemic. However, alcohol and substance use disorder is a severe problem in other parts of the western world. Many countries face obstacles similar to our own regarding getting people the help they need.

Addiction is deadly. Treating such conditions usually comes at a steep price; a bill that in many cases falls on the Federal and state governments to foot. Logically: Investing money into addiction treatment service saves lives. The data overwhelmingly supports the above conclusion; something that the United Kingdom had to learn the hard way.

Cutting Addiction Treatment Funding

In recent history, countries in the western world have been forced to address opioid use disorder. Again, the U.S. may have the most severe problem with such drugs, but others have been affected as well. While it’s hard to compare our staggering overdose deaths rates to other countries, any number of deaths is not right, and precautions should be taken to mitigate.

The U.K. has witnessed a trend from which we can all learn something — funding addiction treatment is a must. Wherever funding for addiction treatment gets cut, more people die from an overdose in England, The Guardian reports. Areas with heightened mortality rates directly correlate with treatment spending reductions.

In 2016, there were 3,744 overdose deaths compared with 2,640 a decade ago. That may not seem like much when compared to the 64,000 overdose deaths in America U.S. last year. Those were 3,744 mothers and fathers, and they were somebody’s children. Directing the necessary funds toward addiction treatment might have prevented some of those deaths.

“Funding cuts are reducing the ability of drug treatment services to reduce the risk of death among people using heroin,” said Alex Stevens, criminal justice professor at the University of Kent. “The government is fully aware that drug-related deaths are highest in the places with the highest levels of deprivation and that they are cutting budgets the deepest in areas with deepest deprivation.”

Treatment Is Worth the Investment

When it comes to addressing addiction, treatment is the most effective way to prevent future overdose events. Life in recovery is possible, but without help, it is challenging to break the cycle of addiction. The United Kingdom is not alone, here at home public addiction treatment services require much more significant investment than currently exists.

If you or a loved one is in need of addiction treatment, please contact 10 Acre Ranch. Our affordable program is for men who are ready to take specific steps for a better life. We can help make your recovery a reality.

Recovery: Newcomers Learn About Fun

photo of young people during an addiction treatment

When people contemplate the decision to seek addiction treatment and recovery, there are several false perceptions. Individuals have ideas in their mind about what they think recovery is, and perhaps more importantly—what it is not. Misconceptions keep people from beneficial pursuits; unfamiliarity is often a roadblock to recovery.

If much of a person’s life has been about substance use, it’s hard to imagine having a good time without drugs or alcohol. Thinking that fun is contingent upon substance use means that without drugs or alcohol there will be no enjoyment, logically. However, that is a faulty line of reasoning for the simple fact that fun can be experienced clean and sober. You only need to ask people working a program to find out that they’re not sticks-in-the-mud.

Walking into a meeting for the first time is usually an eye-opening experience. Newcomers witness the unexpected, people smiling without chemical encouragement. In the rooms, laughter is heard before, during, and after the meeting. People are happy to see one another, and plans are made to extend the socialization outside of the meeting hall. If you are new to the program, quickly you’ll come to understand that fun in recovery is more than possible. Fun in recovery is a requirement!

Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor In Recovery

Working a program of recovery is hard work; one must engage in significant reflection, processing, and spiritual maintenance. While working the Steps with a sponsor one has to confront aspects of one’s life that is troubling. Recovery lifts the curtain on your life revealing “your” part in the misfortunes that your disease brought you. An enormous effort to be sure, emotionally draining to the point of some newcomers leaving before the miracle happens. To put it another way, people were not ready, to be honest with themselves and others. Hopefully, such individuals find their way back to the rooms, sooner rather than later.

Newcomers who are willing to do whatever it takes to recover will learn the joy that comes with self-discovery. The process takes time, but it will be worth it, and that will become clear in short order. Along the way, you will develop lasting friendships with people who will be there when the going gets tough. Such people will be there during the rough times and, equally valuable, during the good times. When we get our house in order, we can enjoy ourselves; both inside the rooms and out. On page 132 of “The Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, it states:

“But we aren’t a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn’t want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life… We think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others.”

The Promise of Recovery

Every day, people around the world committed to working a program find ways to enjoy themselves in recovery. Many of those people would probably tell you that they couldn’t ever imagine having sober-fun before recovery.

Life in the Program is not without difficulty, but it’s a balanced life. Rough weather always passes, and the sunshine always returns; because we manage our problems spiritually not chemically, today. If you are ready to experience the joys that accompany a program of recovery, please contact 10 Acre Ranch. We place great emphasis on showing you that fun in recovery is possible.

Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression’s Toll

Photo of a Pretty Depressed Young Woman, Looking Down by a Window, Worried or Sad.

Taking time off from work to address your mental health is of the utmost importance. If people typically don’t go to work with the flu, then should they go to work when experiencing a depressive episode? They shouldn’t, but more times than not they do because they fear repercussions from their employer. A trend that affects both individuals and society; hopefully, employers will start encouraging their staff to put their own needs first.

Society looks at mental illness as being something that the afflicted can control. If people changed their perspective, they would feel better. As if people choose to be depressed, anxious, and manic; why would anyone want that type of existence? The truth is, they wouldn’t.

Mental health disorders are real, treatable, and recovery is possible. More people would recover with encouragement from society via empathy. Everyone benefits when people who need help are empowered to seek it, but far too often such people are not. Individuals with mental health conditions feel as though they must hide their symptoms. They fear what might happen if their peers found out, or worse, their boss. In many cases, people forgo treatment because of that fear.

Mental health in the Workplace

On this blog, our primary focus is use disorders, a mental illness that affects millions of Americans. Without treatment, people with substance use disorder typically have three outcomes: jails, institutions, and death. The same can be said for other forms of mental health conditions, as well. It’s also worth reminding readers that mental illness often comes in pairs, a dual-diagnosis. When a person meets the criteria for substance use disorder and another condition like depression, they have a co-occurring disorder.

People around the world who have been touched by mental illness (first or second-hand) observed World Mental Health Day on Tuesday. The World Health Organization (WHO) chose the theme of mental health in the workplace in an attempt to encourage employers to show more significant compassion. WHO provided data to show how prevalent mental illness is around the world, allowing people to understand the gravity of the situation.

More than 300 million people battle depression each year, and more than 260 million have anxiety disorders. Employers might be wondering why these figures matter. The answer: Depression and anxiety disorders together cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion/per year in lost productivity. If people with these conditions were empowered to get the help they need, then everyone wins. WHO writes:

“Employers and managers who put in place workplace initiatives to promote mental health and to support employees who have mental disorders see gains not only in the health of their employees but also in their productivity at work. A negative working environment, on the other hand, may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity.”

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

At 10 Acre Ranch, we hope that employers around the world will pay heed to the stark statistics provided by WHO. Doing so could lead to millions of people finding recovery. If you are struggling with a co-occurring disorder, please contact us to discuss your treatment options. We can help you get on the road to long-term addiction and mental health recovery.