Category: Blog

Advantages of Going Abroad for Alcohol & Drug Rehab Outside of the US

Treatment Abroad for Drug Rehab

Are there any advantages of going abroad for alcohol and drug rehab? There are many great reasons to seek help for alcoholism and other addictions outside of the United States and Canada. The answers are really multifaceted. 13 points are discussed below, based on our experience in the field. 1. The state of addiction treatment in the United States is in chaotic flux a. The combinations of Obama-care mandatory coverage of addiction treatment, opioid epidemic, lax and unregulated laws and procedures for billing the insurance companies. The active addicts themselves turning to easy unscrupulous operations of rehabs, referral services, sober living houses, patient-brokering and exorbitant urine-testing scams. The backlash against this travesty is as to be expected – the pendulum has harshly swung to tightly controlled bureaucracies, regulations upon regulations, accreditations of accreditations. Players involved now include the giants of…

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Transform Your Life!

letting go

Metamorphosis Requires a Tight Cocoon   What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. ~ Richard Bach Acknowledging the Darkness & Pain or The End of the World (as you know it) In the course of every addiction, there comes that painful realization that things are not going to get any better and they will get worse. Call it hitting bottom or moment of clarity or running into the brick wall or whatever you want to call it. It’s complete hopeless desperation. The realization that you are stuck in the vice of addiction, the alcohol, or nicotine, or heroin or codependent behaviors, gambling or sexual compulsions have you in a death grip. This is a holistic death. Body, mind, emotions and spirit are bankrupted, colorless, dry and hardening. For many alcoholics or addicts this realization is…

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Recovery Outside The Box : The Benefits of Traveling for Addiction Recovery

When is the best time to go to rehab? Rehab now. Serenity Vista rehab in tropical paradise

Benefits of Traveling for Addiction Recovery When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. – Henry Ford Traveling for addiction recovery offers fresh perspectives allowing for transformative change. When considering all the options out there for addiction recovery, you will find there are all types of programs. There are in-patient, out-patient, in-state, out-of-state, national, and international addiction treatment facilities. Some drug rehabs are 12 step based or holistic in nature. Many are large institutions, some are small, private alcohol & drug rehabs. Many are local, close to home, others are international in scope in travel destinations abroad, out of country. It is important to consider your needs and resources in choosing the best program for you. There are many options to choose from. There are a lot of good…

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Alcoholism Family Support Post Rehab

alcoholism family support and sabotage behavior

After Rehab – Alcoholism Family Support or Sabotage? “When I come home from rehab, what if my family is still drinking?” This is a very good, and very important question.  Many alcoholics get treatment for the disease of alcoholism and then return to the same environment right after rehab. If there is no change in the family home, relapse back into alcoholism can happen easily.  It is no surprise that many people relapse back into their addiction when they go back to the same home environment, with the same people, and do the same things. This is often where they got sick in the first place.  When one person in the family goes to rehab and gets help, they are experiencing a lot of positive change and growth. This growth and change is very fragile.  If the family back home does…

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“Mom, I’m Going To Rehab”

Calm waters drug rehab

Should I Tell My Mother I’m Going to Rehab? Considering rehab can be really frightening. No one is thinking about going to rehab because they are filled with clarity, wisdom and decisiveness. Most people getting ready to take this leap of faith are sick, desperate, confused, hurt and angry. Often they direct that anger at the family. It is a good question to ask: should I tell my mother I am going to rehab? Should I tell my biggest critic/supporter that I’m a failure? Tell My Mother I’m Going to Rehab? Yes or No First of all, the fact that you are open to residential treatment for your addiction is great news. It may be hard to see this now, but you are NOT a failure. Your techniques for living did fail, but that is not who you are. Should you…

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Why High Functioning Alcoholics and Drug Users Can Benefit From Rehab Too

high-functioning-alcoholic

Why High Functioning Alcoholics and Drug Users Can Benefit From Rehab Too What is a High Functioning Alcoholic or Substance Abuser? The common stereotype of an alcoholic or drug addict is a person who is out of control and dealing with obvious negative consequences as a result of their behavior. This is the face of alcoholism or other addiction that is so often portrayed in movies, soap operas, and reality shows, but this depiction is a bit misleading. The truth is most of those who develop a problem with alcohol or drugs will also become skilled at coping and hiding it – the people who fall into this category are often referred to as ‘high functioning’ or ‘high bottom’ alcoholics, or high functioning drug users. …high-functioning alcoholics are able to maintain respectable, even high-profile lives, usually with a home, family,…

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Attitude of Gratitude in Addiction Recovery

Feeling Grateful with an attitude of gratitude at Serenity Vista

How can something as simple as being grateful with an attitude of gratitude help with addiction recovery? From a young age, perhaps influenced by media, societal messages, or limiting self beliefs, many develop an attitude based upon lack – looking for what we don’t have. Things that are missing in our lives. Always striving for more. The simple act of being happy or content with our lot is often overlooked. Maybe even frowned upon. What if we’ve been ignoring the one thing that can boost health and happiness and overall quality of life in sobriety? Science has now proven that gratitude promotes health and wellbeing in many areas of our lives and socially such as by promoting empathy. “It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” In this article, we’ll explore why gratitude is vital…

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8 Tips for Handling Social Anxiety Without Alcohol

Everyone deals with a certain degree of social anxiety from time to time. But while the majority of people are able to get through some awkwardness in order to maintain a healthy social life, others find the thought literally impossible. Around 7 percent of adults have social anxiety disorder (SAD). Many people use drinking as a way to deal with their anxiety, and even cite this as their reason for starting to drink. But ultimately this practice makes anxiety worse and puts users at risk for alcohol addiction and a host of other stress-inducing complications. This is partially why 28 percent of those who are diagnosed with SAD also suffer from long-term alcohol use disorder. Additionally, about 20 percent of social anxiety sufferers also have an alcohol addiction. Because SAD is such a common condition, affecting two to 13 percent…

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2020 Vision: Setting Mindful Intentions for a Sober Year

Living sober in recovery

New Year’s resolutions are typically thought of in terms of self-discipline. We promise ourselves we’ll work out more, be more productive, lose weight or hit our income goals. But the reality is that goals are much easier to accomplish – and more importantly, sustain – when you come at them from a place of self-love. And living sober in recovery with joy is a process that requires an extra gentle attitude toward yourself. Here are our ideas for intention-setting for addiction recovery as we look forward to a joyously sober year:    Setting Up a Simple Morning Self-Care Ritual Taking a few moments to start your sober morning off on the right foot does wonders for the rest of your day. This organizes your energies and sends a cue to yourself that you intend to go about your day in a…

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