Category: Blog

Into Action With Horses

“The horse is a mirror to your soul. Sometimes you might not like what you see. Sometimes you will.” Buck Brannaman 20 million people are living with active addiction in the United States. Each one of them has a story and I have come to see that recovery is possible. While each story of recovery is completely individual, I believe my recovery story, including deep relationships with horses, is unique yet highly re-applicable. It is my greatest hope that you may find something in here that may add value to your recovery experience. Let’s get into action with horses. So far, I have discussed equine-assisted therapy at a high level, the role of horses in my addiction recovery. My passion for these animals over the past thirty years has only increased my deep connection with them. My work as an…

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Horses Can Change Life Outcomes

Horses in my recovery can change outcomes

Horses in Recovery The bottom line is that horses can change life outcomes. In my life, I have been to the depths of darkness. And I have been restored to a life of light. I have been granted choice filled hope more times than I can keep count. This seems to be my special power in life. I’m a comeback kid and horses have been part of my restoration and recovery every time. In fact, horses seem to have a lasting and life or death impact in my experience. As a result, I am on a mission to help others find hope, embrace change and believe in themselves.  Incorporating horses in my recovery has enriched my life. Acceptance in Community Upon departing Serenity Vista’s holistic retreat, I moved to Skyland Ranch in Gold Bar, WA. I knew I wanted horses…

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Emerge With Horses

Hoses

Howdy.  My name is Jake LeClair and I feel grateful to be of service as the Emerge with Horses program’s human coach. I have a gift and passion for helping humans reach their potential, especially through horses. I grew up in a small rural setting where there was a lot of dysfunction and scarcity.  There was also a lot of people who did the most they could with what they had to look after me as best as they could.  I had a drive to do more than survive this experience. That drive turned into a hunger to thrive in my life.  At times this hunger has served me well. At times I have taken the hunger to excess.  Beginning The Journey I began a journey two years ago to a way of living that allows me to live on…

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Spring into Full Addiction Recovery

Full addiction recovery rehab for your fresh start at life transformation and renewal.

The Renewal of Spring: Starting Afresh with Addiction Recovery! Spring has arrived! After another long and dark winter, the ice is finally melting and rivers are flowing again. The days are becoming longer and lighter, and parades of migrating birds signal brighter times ahead. When alcohol or other drugs have been a problem, this is your time to spring into full recovery! Spring is an invigorating season for most everyone. For those struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism, it is an especially exciting time of renewal and a perfect metaphor for the possibility of healing, renewal, and a new life in recovery. Awaken to possibility Spring is a season of change and new beginnings, and a time for awakening. Look around. As your senses awaken, you’ll see the world around you also stirring to life. There is a rush of real…

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Letting Go in Addiction Recovery…to be Happy, Joyous and Free!

let go and let god

15 Things to Let Go Of   Here’s a list of 15 things to learn to ‘let go’ of, if you want to be truly happy. Letting go can be simple and straightforward, but difficult to consistently apply to our lives. We need to practice them, over and over, so that the newly learned pattern becomes the default, standard behavior. Remind yourself, over and over, to let go of…. 1. Your need to always be right. “Would I rather be right, or happy?” 2. Control 3. Blame 4. Self-defeating self-talk 5. Limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. “A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” 6. Complaining. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking. 7. Criticism. Give up your need to…

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More Women Aren’t Getting the Help They Need for Alcohol Addiction

More Women Need Help for Alcohol Addiction A concerning new trend shows that women are struggling more than ever with alcohol abuse, but still receiving less treatment for alcohol addiction. According to a study by the Research Society on Alcoholism earlier this year, researchers found that among those with alcohol-related cirrhosis (a serious liver disease that’s one of the most severe complications of alcoholism), women were less likely than men to receive substance abuse treatment. Even more alarming was the fact that the rates of women diagnosed with drinking-related cirrhosis spiked 50 percent between 2009 to 2016. In many ways, we’re living in a modern world where men and women now share many familial and financial obligations. But women still tend to bear the brunt of child care responsibilities and therefore have less earning opportunities, which makes it harder for…

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Rising Female Overdoses Stress the Need for Women’s Addiction Treatment

Dying For Treatment – Women’s Increased Rates of Alcoholism & Other Substance Addictions With women more susceptible to opioid abuse than ever, recent developments are underscoring a dire need for more female-focused addiction treatment options. Drug overdose deaths in women over the age of 30 are on the rise, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overdose deaths among women ages 45 to 64 increased dramatically between 1999 and 2017. Alarming Increases in Opioid Overdoses Among Women The CDC’s findings are significant because they show an alarming increase in overdoses among women across the board, with middle-aged women the most impacted. The overall drug overdose death rate in women from ages 30-64, increased 260 percent between 1999 and 2017, while opioid-involved overdose deaths increased 492 percent. During that period, opioid overdose deaths among women…

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Why Women Need Empathetic, Female-Focused Addiction Treatment

Women Need Empathetic, Compassionate Addiction Treatment Addiction affects men and women differently, and their addiction recovery processes are different, too. Women face a unique set of challenges when it comes to the way they experience addiction and how well they respond to rehabilitation. We’ll take a look at what those are, and how women can choose a treatment program that meets their gender-specific needs. Women Have Different Reasons for Becoming Addicted Although they’re slightly less likely to abuse drugs than men, women appear to be more susceptible to addiction. And they cite different reasons for starting their drug use in the first place, such as weight control and self-medicating mental health disorders. They’re more likely to be triggered by certain life events like divorce or child custody battles. And, because women can often incur trauma as a result of domestic abuse and discrimination, they’re more…

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Winter Blues? Sad? Struggling with Addiction?

Hibiscus flower at drug rehab

Struggling with Addiction this Winter? It’s dark in the morning and dark in the afternoon. The holidays are over and spring is way off in the far too-distant future. It’s cold. This is the season when depression sets in deep. As if compulsive drug use, drug addiction, drinking alcohol and alcoholism aren’t difficult enough, this time of year makes struggling with addiction extra unbearable. Winter blues (or seasonal affective disorder, SAD), pill taking, depression, alcoholic drinking and addiction often go hand in hand. This is also an especially trying time for anyone in recovery to be prone to relapse. Dark and cold days give way to long and icy nights. For anyone recovering or suffering from alcoholism or other addiction, this time of year is fraught with the temptation to try to escape with drugs and alcohol. If this sounds familiar…

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