Thanksgiving and Recovery: How to Make it Easier

Thanksgiving kicks off the holidays season and while it can bring a lot of joy, it can also bring on stress, anxiety and sadness. Take heart: If you’re experiencing any of these emotions, there are coping tips to help.

• Keep up with recovery tasks. Whether it’s going to a 12-step meeting, doing art or music therapy or participating in post-relapse care, it’s essential to make time for recovery activities this holiday season. Again, this time of year can be riddled with difficult emotions and these tasks can help safeguard your mental health and your recovery. 
• Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can be a valuable recovery tool and you can even do it while you’re enjoying your Thanksgiving meal. With each bite, try to hone in on the flavors and textures of the food. And tap into your hunger cues, or how your body is communicating that it’s had enough! Think about why you're grateful for the food in front of you. 
• Soak up the sun. Start your day with an outdoor jog or walk and get some mood-boosting vitamin D. Even a quick 15-minute stroll in nature can help relieve stress and improve your mental energy so you can better handle the holiday.   
• Set realistic expectations. For many, it’s common to experience negative feelings over not being “where you should be” in life or sadness over missed activities and events you may have once enjoyed. Get yourself out of this negative mindset by focusing on how far you’ve come in your recovery and take time to jot down all of the things you have to look forward to now that you’re sober. 
• Do your best to enjoy this time. This truly is the season to surround yourself with friends and loved ones who try to understand what you're going through and who support you and your recovery. While the holidays can be tough, they can also be a joyful and powerful time in your new sober life. 

Let Us Help You This Holiday
Managing your recovery is always challenging, but it can be particularly difficult during the holiday season. While the struggle can feel isolating, remember that you'addiction treatment programs, call today: 866-746-1558.
re far from alone. At Rising Roads, we focus on the unique needs of women in recovery. To learn more about our

Unexpected Perks of Post-Rehab for Moms

Being a mom is hard and being a mom while trying to stay sober is even harder. Yet even your most challenging day parenting while sober is likely a hundred times better than parenting while abusing alcohol or drugs. For one, being sober means being present in your child’s life – so you can pat yourself on the back for that. What’ s more, what you’ve learned in rehab – lessons like self-care, anger management, time management, stress management, communication – will help you to be a better you and a better mom. 

Read on for some more unexpected perks of post-rehab for moms:

• More quality time. Whether in the form of a family dinner or potluck get-together, spending time with loved ones will take on a whole new importance once you’re sober. 
• New hobbies and interests. Now that you’re in recovery and no longer spend hours using or thinking about using, you’ll have extra time to reignite your passions and participate in activities you loved prior to your addiction. Or, you may choose to use your newly found time to test your hand at new interests and/or hobbies. 
• Increased energy. Especially if diet and exercise is a part of your overall recovery plan, you’ll likely notice that you have a lot more energy now – energy well spent playing and spending time with your kids.
• Greater appreciation. Many moms find greater meaning in everyday simple activities post-rehab – whether reading a bedtime story to your child or doing homework together. After all, another valuable rehab lesson is learning to live in the moment and find joy in your day to day.
• Setting a good example. By working to get sober you’ve already taken a giant step toward being a positive role model. And you can take this further by staying sober and using your own experience to teach your child about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.  

Rehab for Women
Making the decision to seek help for your own addiction is the best gift you can give to your family. Let us lead the way. To learn more about our rehab services for women, call today: 866-746-1558. 

Using Yoga to Help Heal the Suffering of Addiction

When starting out on the road to recovery from addiction, finding ways to manage the stressors in your life while staying healthy and active can be an overwhelming challenge. But for many women going through treatment, taking up yoga in a 12 step program can offer complimentary help to them in getting back on the path to living a fulfilling lifestyle.

Yoga has been aiding people with handling the physical and mental complexities of life for centuries. Although it originated in Northern India more than 5,000 years ago, it started to gain attention in the West during the late 1800s when Indian yoga masters introduced it to other cultures while traveling abroad. Today it is estimated that over 20 million Americans now practice this ancient discipline. 

Beyond Deep Breathing 

While to non-practitioners it may at first appear to be a lot of stretching and breathing and intricate poses, yoga enthusiasts enjoy it for the sense of emotional and physical equilibrium that it brings them. And as more and more people embrace this custom, we have learned that humans benefit from the many advantages derived from this ancient practice:

• It helps reduce stress and anxiety – By learning to relax and breathe through the practice of yoga, you can start to develop healthy coping mechanisms during difficult times. The mechanisms provide a lasting alternative to unhealthy coping skills established during active addiction.
• It’s exercise – Research has shown that much like aerobics, yoga can increase your energy level, flexibility, strength and even help with weight loss.
• It’s good for your physical health – Yoga can help repair your body from the wrath of addiction by helping you maintain a balanced metabolism, improve your circulation, increase muscle tone and potentially decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.
• It’s a natural mood lifter – Yoga can aid you in releasing aggression, anger and tension in a constructive manner, which is key for those who previously turned to substances to relieve uncomfortable emotions.
• It can help with pain relief – While it can provide a reprieve from back pain, yoga can also potentially protect you from some forms of injury. Yoga has been used as an effective pain management alternative to addictive opioid medications.

 Rehabilitating Your Mind and Body 

By calming the mind and toning the body, yoga can help you get back in touch with yourself while you heal. In addition to how beneficial yoga is to the mind and body, it can help you obtain a level of self-discipline, if you practice it regularly, and it integrates well into a 12-step recovery program. 

Rising Roads Recovery helps women address their addictions and build skills to move forward in life. From transitional residential care and post relapse care to specialized care, Rising Roads Recovery offers nutritional guidance, art therapy, cooking and yoga classes, 12 step groups and educational and employment assistance services that allow women to move toward a brighter future. Learn more by calling 1-866-746-1558.