Holistic Health Archives - Drug and Alcohol Rehab Los Angeles California

How to Manage Stress During the Holidays

Written by admin on December 16, 2022. Posted in Holistic Health, Mental Health, Stress.

Managing holiday stress in recovery is critical to reducing the risk of relapsing. During the holiday season, many people in recovery come face-to-face with several relapse triggers. Believe Detox Center in Los Angeles, California, is here for those struggling with addiction. Our detox and rehab services can help people find hope in recovery from substance abuse.

Why Are Holidays Stressful?

The holidays are meant to be a time of celebration, family gatherings, and fun. Yet, many people find that managing holiday stress in recovery to be very stressful. According to a 2015 Healthline survey, 44% of respondents said the holidays were “somewhat stressful.” An additional 18% rated holidays as “very stressful.” Only 10% of those surveyed reported that they have no stress during the holiday season.

Unique stressors related to the holiday season include some of the following:

Financial issues, due to increased travel expenses, providing family meals, and purchasing gifts
Lack of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and other healthy habits that people don’t have time for during the holidays
Getting the “right” gifts for loved ones or ensuring family members are happy
Scheduling trips, holiday parties, and other obligations

In addition, the risk of contracting illnesses like COVID-19 and the flu increases in the winter months, which could be on the minds of many Americans this holiday season.

For those in recovery from addiction, confronting these holiday stressors could feel overwhelming. Not only do those in recovery need to deal with these stressors but they also need to manage their relapse triggers as well. As many people celebrate the holidays with alcohol, social gatherings could be especially problematic. Thus, those in recovery can benefit from learning how to manage holiday stress in recovery.

7 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress in Recovery

People in recovery from addictive substances should think about the holiday season in advance. They need to be proactive to manage the additional stressors and triggers posed by holiday parties, family obligations, increased spending, and decreased time for self-care. The following seven tips can help people manage holiday stress to avoid relapsing during the holidays:

1. Find a Sober Accountability Partner

Trying to stay accountable to sobriety is easier with another person’s help. Many people in recovery have friends or family members who support their sobriety. A trusted loved one can remind the person of their recovery goals and act as a support person when they feel triggered. It is best if this person is also sober. Thus, a sponsor or fellow peer from a support group could also be a good point person to check in with throughout the holidays.

2. Attend a Support Group

Before any family obligations or holiday parties, a person in recovery should consider attending support groups. Many support groups, such as 12-Step recovery, are available for either in-person or online meetings. Even if a person isn’t currently in a group, the holiday season could be a great time to start. In addition, a person could plan to attend a support group after any holiday events to talk through any triggers or stressors.

3. Plan for Relapse Triggers

Throughout recovery, people will encounter triggers that invoke urges, cravings, or emotions associated with substance use. Thus, it is best to plan for these triggers with special consideration for the holiday season. For instance, certain family members could be triggering and normally a person can limit their time with them. However, during the holidays, they might not be able to avoid the person as easily.

4. Bring Non-Alcoholic Drinks

For those in recovery from alcohol addiction, bringing along non-alcoholic drinks could help them avoid the temptation for drinking. This could help if a party host doesn’t provide an alternative to those who don’t drink alcohol. In addition, having a non-alcoholic drink in hand can prevent a person from standing out among others drinking.

5. Make Time for Self-Care

Often, a person’s time is limited throughout the holiday season. Between family obligations, shopping, decorating, and work-related parties, they might struggle to find time for themselves. However, people in recovery need to schedule time for self-care, even if this time is limited. Since their time can get away from them, they might want to write reminders for themselves to do things like journaling, listening to music, taking a long shower, or exercising.

6. Have an “Out”

No matter what a person does to prepare for their relapse triggers, they should also have an exit strategy. Sometimes, things can get so overwhelming that the best option is to leave a situation altogether. It’s best to plan for an excuse to leave any situation that a person feels uncomfortable with. Leaving to attend another function, take care of a pet, get ahead of traffic, or other everyday excuses can help a person exit a social gathering.

7. Say “No” and Set Limits

As always, it is important to set limits and be realistic about what a person can handle. For those new to recovery, they might want to limit the number of holiday parties they attend—or avoid them altogether in favor of self-care or support groups. This could mean saying “no” to family obligations or other social gatherings. While this can be challenging, saying “no” to situations that could be triggering can help a person avoid relapsing this holiday season.

Get Help for Addiction During the Holiday Season

Along with the joy and camaraderie of celebration, the prospect of managing holiday stress in recovery is something to think about. For those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, these stressors can trigger a relapse of substance abuse. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction or relapse this holiday, Believe Detox Center in Los Angeles, California, is here to help. Contact us today to get the help that you need.

What is Holistic Health and How Does It Apply to Rehab?

Written by admin on January 22, 2022. Posted in Holistic Health.

By definition, holistic health is an approach that encompasses multiple aspects of a person’s well-being. Apart from the physical, it also includes mental, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual health.

Prolonged use of either alcohol or hard drugs will take a toll on a person’s entire existence. That’s true whether it’s due to physical deterioration, broken family ties, burdens on the mind, emotions, and so much more. Holistic treatments can benefit in a variety of ways.

Examples of Holistic Therapy

Holistic therapy doesn’t just treat the symptoms by any means. Nor does this kind of therapy treat just the person’s body, for that matter. It includes so much more than that; making it possible to treat the entire person.

One good example is art therapy, which uses art and visualization as mediums to address both emotional and psychological needs. This is also a way to help increase a person’s self-awareness.

Another great example is dance and movement therapy. The goal here is to cultivate positive change by synchronizing the body and mind with music. In effect, it can manage stress and even boost self-esteem. At the same time, all the movements involved make for good exercise for better physical health, too.

Other forms of holistic therapy include yoga, meditation, and acupuncture.

The right holistic treatment center will determine which kinds of treatment are right for you. For many, holistic treatments like art therapy can help in a way that other forms of treatment cannot.

How Effective Is Holistic Therapy?

If you’re a firm believer in traditional medicine, it may be difficult to get on board with this concept. But for many years now, many rehab facilities have conducted clinical research and learned just how beneficial holistic therapies can be.

Just through our own work focusing on holistic health, we’ve seen so many that were able to not just get sober but to be healthier and happier, too.

Dance therapy, for one, was found to be effective in terms of destressing.

Ultimately, holistic therapy is about creating new hobbies and letting go of destructive ones like alcohol or drug abuse. One of the goals here is to prevent relapse, to be as prepared as possible for what life is like outside of the rehab facility.

A Credible Rehab Facility That Prioritizes Holistic Health

For those living in the Granada Hills area in Los Angeles and looking for a rehab facility that offers holistic treatment, there’s Believe Detox Center. Our facility offers many different kinds of therapy, treatments, and more. When you arrive, our professionals will give you a thorough evaluation, so as to determine the best treatment for your needs. If you’re ready to take the next step, you can call us at (818) 308-3118

holistic approach to depression holistic approach to depression

A Basic Guide on the Holistic Approach to Depression

Written by admin on December 1, 2021. Posted in Holistic Health.

The importance of the holistic approach to depression can never be stressed enough. Up until about a decade ago, society knew very little to nothing about this condition. Nowadays, we have a much broader and healthier outlook on depression. While medications and talk therapy are still part of the program, experts are now recommending other forms of treatment like changes in diet and a more active lifestyle. If you happen to be at a loss as to how this type of treatment works, this article should inform you. And fortunately, there are holistic rehabilitation centers that cater to this type of practice.

Diet

Diet plays an integral role in one’s well-being. Apart from the physical, it also affects a person psychologically. Consume nothing but sweets for an entire day, and you’ll likely go through a sugar crash after feeling that initial burst of energy.

On the flip side, a diet of healthy fats, veggies, and whole grains will have a better effect on your body and well-being in the long run.

This is why experts consider diet as the holistic approach to treating depression. Many would recommend a whole food diet, and for good reason. Supplementation of Vitamins, minerals, and healthy fatty acids are also encouraged.

Exercise

We all know the benefits of exercise for our physical health. But many mental health professionals also attribute having a positive disposition to living an active lifestyle.

Studies have found a connection between working out and the reduction of depression symptoms. Likewise, other research indicates that regular exercise causes positive biochemical changes in the brain. The effect is said to be similar to the rise in serotonin levels brought on by prescription drugs.

This is another reason why doctors recommend exercise to their patients who are unable to take medication. It’s the more organic approach without certain side effects.

Yoga and Meditation

Anxiety is one of the known triggers and aggravators of depression. We’re either fixated too much about the past or too worried about the future. Sometimes, it’s the failure to be present that causes these downward spirals of emotions.

This is where yoga and meditation come in as potential treatment options for depression. Both are mindfulness practices that help keep a person present and in the moment.

Meditative practices don’t always have to be as extensive as sitting in a corner and keeping still. For a depressed person, this can be a laborious undertaking. But something as simple as taking slow, deep breaths can be very helpful.

A Holistic Rehabilitation Center For You

If you’re residing in the Granada Hills area of Los Angeles, there is a holistic rehabilitation center that offers these diverse forms of therapy. Here at Believe Detox Center, we have different programs to cater to your needs. Whether you or a loved one are dealing with alcohol abuse, or dependence on substances like cocaine, heroin, or opioids, we are here to help you conquer them.

For inquiries, call us at (818) 308-3118.