Category: Blog

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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New Years Resolutions

new-years-resolution

Making Resolutions this New Year’s? If you are like most people, you are likely planning on making a few New Year’s resolutions this New Year. If so, congratulations! And, like most people, you may feel very committed to your resolutions, and, a few days or weeks in, you may do very well at adhering to them. If that’s the case, wonderful. Keep it up! But, what happens for most people is the incentive and best intentions begin to wane, and the regular adherence to those wonderful intentions begin to slip away. Perhaps its the regular gym attendance, or the diet, jogging, reading, or one of many other self improvement initiatives. In most such cases, keeping your resolution feels good; and slipping from regular adherence feels mildly frustrating and disappointing, but doesn’t really matter a whole lot. There’s always next year, right?…

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Sober For Christmas?

sober-for-christmas

The Gift of Sobriety this Christmas! 5 Reasons for Why the Holiday Season is a Good Time to Choose Rehab If an addiction has taken over your life, you are probably going to be approaching the holiday season with a sense of dread or excitement – maybe a bit of both. This is a time of year when there are plenty of excuses to party, but there is also the risk of ruining another Christmas for the people we love. A Safe Haven over the Holiday Season Each January there is a surge in the number of people trying to quit alcohol or other drugs. This isn’t just due to the popularity of New Year’s resolutions – it is also because so many of these individuals hit rock bottom over the holiday season. Maybe you will hit your rock bottom…

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Home for the Holidays or Rehab?

Trigger Family

Family Holiday – Trigger! Family holidays can be wonderful occasions, just like a Normal Rockwell illustration where everyone looks happy. On the other hand, they can be nothing like that at all. They can be a big trigger! Perhaps you grew up in an alcoholic or similarly dysfunctional home and when you get together with your family of origin, you reprise the same role you played growing up: a clown, a scapegoat, or the perfect child. You’ve been battling your demons for years. If you’ve been to rehab or some other form of treatment or therapy in the past, perhaps you thought you had left all those behaviors behind. However, when you see your parents or your siblings, and they offer you a drink or a drug. You gladly accept it even though you thought you were “cured” and promised…

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I’m Worried About My Drinking

Alcohol a problem. Serenity Vista Alcohol Treatment graphic

Concerned about your alcohol consumption? Confused as to whether you are drinking too much? You’ve come to the right place. Alcohol abuse is the most common type of substance abuse worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are 3 million deaths per year resulting from alcohol misuse. Despite this, there is still a stigma around alcohol use disorder. In this article, we’ll explore what a unit of alcohol is, how much alcohol is too much , how alcohol impacts your life, what is considered potentially harmful drinking, how to access your drinking pattern, and how to get help when it is a concern and when it makes sense to go to rehab. Plus steps that you can take to help yourself or a loved one escape alcohol addiction. Many people who come to Serenity Vista say that they…

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Thanksgiving Sobriety & Your Family

Thanksgiving Sobriety

Your Thanksgiving Sobriety & Your Family First, from John & Jane at Serenity Vista, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Another opportunity to be reminded to be grateful for all we have. Sobriety, first, followed by the promises coming true manifest in various forms of community, family, relationships, activity, and life itself. For many, especially our American friends where Thanksgiving marks the begining of the holiday season, Thanksgiving is the start of perhaps the most stressful time of year for recovering addicts and those in active addiction alike. Why? It’s about our families. Many in active addiction have core issues that stem from the family past. Don’t take your Thanksgiving sobriety lightly! Awareness is key to taking care of yourself. There are steps you can take to look after your sobriety through the holidays. The Stresses Of The Holidays…

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How Alcohol Can Cause Weight Gain

Serenity Vista Alcohol Treatment - How Alcohol Causes Weight Gain

One of the first signs of an alcohol problem can be a few extra pounds around the waist, affectionately known as a “beer belly”. People often decide to stop drinking because of weight gain. But why does drinking alcohol result in weight gain in most people, in the first place? In this article, we’ll discuss 7 reasons that alcohol can make people gain weight. 1.  Alcohol is an Appetite Stimulant In France, it is customary to have a glass of wine before your meal as an appetite stimulant. An “aperitif” may sound posh, but reframed, it’s simply moldy grapes that will add a lot of extra weight to your life. The BBC reported that: “Alcohol switches the brain into starvation mode, increasing hunger and appetite.” The study was produced by Francis Crick Institute and University College London and showed that…

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Do I Have To Be An Alcoholic To Go To Rehab?

Do I have to be alcoholic to go to rehab?

Do you need to consider yourself to be an “alcoholic” before you go to rehab? The life-changing experience of getting treatment can change everything. But do you need to wait until things deteriorate to ask for help? In this article, we’ll explore, how long you should wait before asking for help, if at all, the first steps towards recovery, the dangers of waiting to ask for help, and the 7 Symptoms of Alcohol Misuse. How Long Should You Wait Before Seeking Help? If your drinking habits are affecting your life, then it’s time to evaluate whether rehab might be the best option. You don’t need to wait, asking for help sooner can put a stop to the inevitable, severe negative consequences that inevitably happen and progress as substance abuse continues and addiction develops. You don’t need to wait until your…

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Secondhand Drinking

How Alcohol Abuse Hurts People Around Us Secondhand drinking is a real issue. While most who struggle with alcohol abuse or dependence are convinced that they’re only affecting themselves, unfortunately, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  A recent study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that around 53 million people in the US – that’s one out of every five adults – experience harm by someone else’s alcohol use. The report showed that, not unlike secondhand nicotine use related smoke, drinking “causes significant harm to those other than the drinker.”  That harm can come in the form of harassment, violence, property damage, car accidents or family and interpersonal problems. Researchers are calling for more attention to what they see as a “significant public health issue.” Alcohol’s Profound Effects On Those We Love When in…

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