19 Awesome Ways My Life Changed In 19 Sober Months.

There is no way to describe what has happened in those months since. As far as I'm concerned, my life can be cut up into two boxes. The life before I learned what it meant to not drink, and the life after. The former a slow progression through a tolerable life with a severe longing for something more and a clear sense of never having or being enough. The latter not just the escape from that…the latter truly the having of things that I had always assumed were just not for me.

Whether you have been to many Denver rehab centers or none, the longing to quit still remains the same.  This great example of a successful recovery shows off some of the amazing things you can do once you are sober. She was able to mend relationships with not only friends and family, but with herself as well.

What unfolded was something beyond my wildest dreams. What unfolded was what happens when you decide for you and only you, and when you clear the space to make YOU happen.

Whatever benefits alcohol seems to provide I assure you they are trite in comparison to the possibilities of the life that stands beyond. Saying goodbye to the junk was saying goodbye to the life I had accepted as good enough and hello to a life that continues to unfold in magical, reality defying ways.

The truth is…we are all capable of greatness. We are all capable of doing anything we can dream, otherwise we wouldn't be capable of dreaming it. It just takes the willingness to abandon what is holding us back and to step through and out of the comfort zone. As Charles Dubois once said, “The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become.”

19 Awesome Ways My Life Changed In 19 Sober Months.

 

 

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The Benefits Of Quitting Drinking

Once you have made the decision to quit drinking, you have started on a road of changed habits which all create a more healthy live style. We are different than other alcohol rehab centers in Denver, as we focus directly on giving you tools and coaches so you can learn to live your life stress and alcohol-free. What do these changes mean? These changes mean you will become more fit, you will eat better, and you will be able to navigate your life in a way that truly lets you do the things you love once again.

Alcohol, like Cheetos and donuts, is a major source of empty calories. The body simply stores its sugars as excess fat. Not only does booze contribute no vitamins or minerals, it also inhibits the absorption of nutrients from other sources. When you stop drinking, your body can actually absorb vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc.

Binge drinking in particular has proven a problem for individuals with weight issues. If you have weight goals to maintain, you will find it is much easier to stay on track when sober. Exercise can help, but the effectiveness of working out diminishes as consumption rises. Alcohol deeply depresses your metabolism and muscle recovery, putting a major dent in your endurance and ability to convert carbs to usable energy.

Because it accelerates the shrinkage of your brain, long-term alcohol use is linked to the development of dementia later in life. Its typically rude disruption of the central nervous system makes it a risk factor for high blood pressure, and thus for kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke. It also increases vulnerability to infectious diseases and Type II diabetes, and can cause nerve damage in large quantities.

The Benefits Of Quitting Drinking

 

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Motivating Someone to Seek Help

Denial is an essential component of becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs– after all, none of us really like to admit we have a problem with anything; and in the addictive process this tendency becomes all the more pronounced.

Helping someone else quit, whether you are a recovered addict yourself or not,  can be a process full of difficult conversations. Knowing how to have these conversations is essential. Maybe you have sought help from drug treatment centers in Denver or maybe you have asked friends, either way, preparing yourself will be helpful. 

Denial is a major barrier in the way of overcoming alcoholism or drug addiction– an absolutely essential first step is for the person to actually accept that at least they might have a problem. If the person you are concerned about does not admit that they might have a problem (in professional terms this is called Pre-Contemplation), you are facing an, almost, impossible task . If they are able to reach this conclusion, then they may become amenable to speaking to a professional in confidence. If they remain convinced there is no problem, then it is highly unlikely that they will wish to speak to anyone– after all, what would be the point?

The bottom line here is that people nearly always need to make decisions for themselves. This is not just related to alcoholism or drug use, but is generally true in life. Someone is much more likely to want to do something if they feel that this has been their own decision, rather than an ‘order’ from someone-else, or that they have to do it just to keep someone else happy.

Motivating Someone to Seek Help

 

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The Definition of Addiction

Short Definition of Addiction: Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.

Addiction is something that affects everyone in some way. Knowing what it is exactly can help relieve tension and can influence change. Each different Denver rehab center defines it in their own way, depending on the individuals they are serving. It is a matter of biology and brain circuitry. These elements motivate behaviors that affect all aspects of the addict's life.

Dive into the detailed definition to learn more.  Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Addiction affects neurotransmission and interactions within reward structures of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, basal forebrain and amygdala, such that motivational hierarchies are altered and addictive behaviors, which may or may not include alcohol and other drug use, supplant healthy, self-care related behaviors. Addiction also affects neurotransmission and interactions between cortical and hippocampal circuits and brain reward structures, such that the memory of previous exposures to rewards (such as food, sex, alcohol and other drugs) leads to a biological and behavioral response to external cues, in turn triggering craving and/or engagement in addictive behaviors.

Originally Posted here: The Definition of Addiction

Alcohol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep

Large amounts of alcohol are known to shorten sleep latency, increase slow-wave sleep, and suppress rapid eye movement (REM) during the first half of sleep. During the second half of sleep, REM increases and sleep becomes shallower. A study of the acute effects of alcohol on the relationship between sleep and heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep has found that alcohol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep.

During the process of recovery, many things change within your body. One change is the ability to sleep more easily. While drinking, the alcohol interferes with the type of sleep you are getting, which ultimately affects your overall health down the road. Alcohol rehab facilities here in Denver or any other recovery options know this and strive to improve your sleep while you recover. As we have said before, it is all about the brain chemistry and knowing the root of some problems can lead to a healthy recovery.  Read more about how alcohol interferes with sleep below.

Alcohol affects overall sleep architecture," said Yohei Sagawa, a medical doctor in the department of neuropsychiatry at the Akita University School of Medicine. "Normally, during physiologic nocturnal sleep in humans, the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for 'rest-and-digest' activities, is dominant over the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for stimulating activities. We wanted to investigate how alcohol may change this complementary relationship."

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How Chronic Drinking Affects your Brain

You have probably heard the same old thing from everyone under the sun, drinking is bad for you. Your friends, spouse, parents, other drug treatment centers in Denver maybe. But do you know WHY it is bad for you?

Of course, drinking can take its toll on different aspects of your life, but it can also take a toll on your health and specifically, your brain. Knowing how your brain interacts with the alcohol can be a step in the right direction towards your recovery. There are countless studies discussing these effects and these chemical reactions. Read below to explore how chronic drinking can reduce cortical thickness in different regions of your brain.

Researchers already know that chronic misuse of alcohol can cause widespread damage to the brain. While previous studies examined cortical atrophy in individuals with alcoholism, none examined alcohol-associated atrophy using cortical thickness measurements to obtain a regional mapping of tissue loss across the full cortical surface. This study does so, finding that alcohol damage occurs in gradations: the more alcohol consumed, the greater the damage.

Read more on this study here.

 

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