Binge Drinking During Pregnancy Ups Risk for Alcohol Abuse for Offspring

Here’s yet another reason to seek help if you’re pregnant, plan to become pregnant and have a drinking problem. Binge drinking can impair the mental health of your offspring, making the offspring more vulnerable to alcohol abuse during adolescence, says a recent published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

While it’s well-known that drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects and developmental disabilities in babies — as well as an increased risk of other pregnancy problems such as miscarriage, stillbirth and prematurity — it doesn’t mean that all women avoid alcohol during pregnancy. And this is especially true if you're struggling with the disease of addiction. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 10 pregnant women drink and about a third of those women binge drink (defined as drinking 4 or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion).

The researches found that binge drinking caused increased depression and anxiety in offspring and a greater risk of alcohol abuse. And these effects can happen even when alcohol is consumed twice or three times a week in high concentration. 

One possible explanation: "Chronic and binge alcohol use can disrupt the homeostasis of brain regions relevant for reward," lead study author Dr. Carla Cannizzaro, said in a press release. "Such use may lead to addiction, craving, loss of control over the use of the substance and severe withdrawal symptoms when the substance is interrupted."

While the study had limitations — namely, it was a rat study — the takeaway message was a good one: If you’re a young women of reproductive age, it’s probably best to avoid alcohol altogether, says Cannizzaro. 

Alcohol Abuse Help for Women
Making the decision to seek help for your own addiction may be the biggest and most important choice of your life. Let us lead the way. To learn more about our rehab services for women, call today: 866-746-1558. 

How to Make Meditation Work for You

If you’re looking to make meditation a regular part of your recovery, you may need a little help to start and maintain the practice. Meditation is really about practice – it doesn’t have to be done perfectly, but you do need to practice it daily. 

Here are a few pointers to help make meditation work for you: 

Define your why. You likely know the many benefits of meditation, but why do you want to meditate? Are you looking to help better manage stress or release emotional tension? Have more positive interactions with others? Find a way to let go of self-criticism or judgment? Improve your energy and motivation to stay sober? Focusing on your reason(s) for wanting to meditate will help you stick with the practice.

Make it routine. A good tip for building healthy habits is incorporating them into your daily routine at the same time every day (or most days). For instance, schedule your meditation for every morning after you brush your teeth until it becomes routine. You can also pair it with something you already do – like meditating while you wait for your coffee to brew or hot water to boil. 

Track your progress. Keeping a daily log of your meditation can also help make it a habit. Give yourself a goal to practice it for 30 days straight and be sure to reward yourself – with another 30 days of mediation – once you’ve reached your goal. 

Skip the negative self-talk. If you miss a session or your brain just isn’t cooperating, don’t beat yourself up. Meditation isn’t easy and life is bound to disrupt your routine now and again. Remind yourself that building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process, so just move on and get back to your practice the next day.

A Sanctuary to Find Inner Peace
At Rising Roads, we have crafted an environment that will make each woman feel great about her surroundings, which will help her feel great about herself. To learn more about our programs and facility, call today: 866-746-1558.

National Stress Awareness Month

April is National Stress Awareness Month and there’s no better time than now to make sure your life’s major stressors are in check. This is especially important for folks in recovery, as unmanaged stress can be a slippery slope into relapse. Plus, stress can cause a host of physical and mental issues – ranging from acne to anxiety to depression and digestive issues. 

A crucial step in managing stress is recognizing some of the warning signs (even the surprising ones) that your body sends out to tell you it's time to slow down and take control. 

Here are a few symptoms to watch for:

• Your menstrual cycle is off: Stress can cause late or missed periods and can even make cramps up to twice as painful, say experts. 
• Your hair is falling out: According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can cause white blood cells to attack hair follicles and stop growth. The result: You’ll notice more hair falling out during shampooing or styling. 
• Your stomach is upset: Stress can mess with your digestive health, triggering everything from an innocent bout of butterflies to a more serious condition like irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. 
• Your muscles ache: Stress can literally be a pain in the neck (or back), leading to muscle tension and even painful spasms.
• Your colds never go away: Your immune system certain isn’t immune to stress. In fact, stress can lower your body’s defenses and increase your risk for frequent colds. 
• Your sweet tooth is out of control: High stress levels have been linked with an increased appetite and sugar cravings.

Stress Management for Women 

At Rising Roads, we focus on the unique needs of women in recovery. We help our female clients discover new coping strategies to manage (not run from) their emotions, so they can continue to heal and reclaim healthy, sober lives. To learn more, call today: 866-746-1558. 

Being a Sober Mom in a Wine Mom World

“I want my kids to be good at math but not so good that they can count how many glasses of wine I’ve had.’

“I wish my tolerance for my children would increase as much as my tolerance for wine.”

“Boxed wine is just a juice box for moms.”

“The most expensive part of having kids is all the wine you have to drink.”

These are just a few of the virtually endless memes out there celebrating the “wine mom” culture we live in – and, yet, for those moms in recovery, these are far from funny.

Sending moms the message that self-medicating is okay is nothing new. In the 1950s and 60s, tranquilizers referred to as “mother’s little helpers” were widely prescribed to mothers.

“This sends women the message that their emotions need to be squelched and not addressed,” Dr. Leena Mittal, a perinatal psychiatrist and addiction specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told the New York Times.

For those moms struggling to stay sober, this message is especially dangerous. So what’s the solution?

The NY Times recently interviewed some real moms to find out some creative and sober ways they manage the stress of parenting children. Take a look and use their ideas and then make a list of your own.

• Attend a support group.
• Prioritize downtime.
• Go for walks.
• Soak in a hot bath.
• Take yoga.
• Play pick-up sports.
• Read a riveting book.
• Write in a journal.
• Get lost in a murder mystery.
• Meditate.
• Try acupuncture or acupressure.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Indulge in an ice cream sundae.
• Pour yourself a glass of seltzer in a fancy cup.

Alcohol Abuse Help for Women
Making the decision to seek help for your own addiction, or helping a loved one to decide to seek help for alcohol abuse, may be the biggest and most important choice of your life. Let us lead the way. To learn more about our rehab services for women, call today: 866-746-1558.