3 Strategies for Building Stronger Relationships with Compassion

If you’ve made the courageous decision to pursue a sober lifestyle, you know that developing new life skills is an important component of a sustainable recovery. And, learning how to become more empathetic and compassionate towards others is certainly one of the most valuable life skills that can help you thrive socially and professionally.

It can help you build stronger and more resilient personal relationships with others and develop a solid social support system. Demonstrating that you care about those around you is a powerful skill that can help you become closer with your friends and loved ones.

3 Ways to Become a More Compassionate Friend

(1) First, seek to understand. 

If someone close to you is having a bad day, your first instinct might be to jump into the discussion with your suggestions. But, sometimes the act of listening is really all that they need at that time. Sit down with them to hear them out in a distraction-free environment. Give them time to talk things out. And, don’t be afraid to ask questions to help clarify how they are feeling and why. They’ll likely appreciate that you took the time to better understand their perspective.

(2) Consider the bigger picture and try not to take things personally. 

While your first instinct may be to react to the situation at hand, that may just escalate their emotions. The next time you encounter a less than positive interaction with a coworker or a friend, take a deep breath and press pause. They may be dealing with a stressful situation in their personal life that is spilling over into their interactions with others. If someone you know starts to act in a way that is out of the ordinary, consider the possibility that they are working through a challenging season in their life.

(3) Show compassion to yourself. 

One good rule of thumb is to be as kind to yourself as you would treat a good friend. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes from time to time. Remind yourself that you are a work in progress and have already come a long way. Don’t focus on your mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Instead, concentrate on your goals and continue to use that positive momentum to fuel your recovery!

Learn Healthy Life Skills During Transitional Residential Care

At Rising Roads Recovery, we are committed to helping women find lasting sobriety and start to heal from the burdens of addiction. Using a comprehensive approach, clients participate in 12-step programming in addition to holistic therapies including mindfulness training, experiential therapy and workshops designed to help build healthy relationships. If you’d like to learn more about our gender-specific treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, please call us today at (866) 746-1558.

[Depression Research] Can “Good Bacteria” in Yogurt Help?

Depression is one of the most common behavioral health issues. It affects nearly seven percent of the adult population and women have a much greater risk of being diagnosed with the condition. Regardless of socioeconomic status or race, women are twice as likely to experience a serious episode of depression at least once in their lifetime.

While it is relatively common, it is highly treatable using a combination of evidence-based and holistic therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, prescription medications and lifestyle modifications.

And, researchers may have discovered yet another treatment for depression. Yogurt.

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine explored the link between the microbiome of the gut and depression to better understand how your diet can impact your mental health.

To conduct this study, the scientists observed mice who were exhibiting symptoms of stress and depression.

"When you're stressed, you increase your chance of being depressed, and that's been known for a long, long time," said lead researcher, Alban Gaultier, PhD. "So the question that we wanted to ask is, does the microbiome participate in depression?"

They found that their exposure to a stressful environment actually changed the landscape of “good bacteria” in their intestinal tracts – resulting in lower levels of Lactobacillus.

To correct this imbalance, the researchers fed the mice a diet rich in the probiotic which is commonly found in live cultures of yogurt. The results were astounding.

After the levels of Lactobacillus returned to normal, the researchers were able to reverse their symptoms of depression.

"The big hope for this kind of research is that we won't need to bother with complex drugs and side effects when we can just play with the microbiome," explained Gaultier." It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health - and your mood."

As a next step, Gaultier and his team plan to study the effects of probiotic therapies as part of a clinical trial with patients experiencing the symptoms of depression.

While many more studies are needed to confirm these results, the initial findings from this study are certainly very promising.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders in Women

Given that individuals struggling with addiction are twice as likely to suffer from mood disorders (commonly referred to as a dual-diagnosis), we firmly believe in the value of treating the whole woman. That's why many women who participate in our transitional residential care program benefit from receiving a psychiatric consultation as part of the recovery process.

If you are dealing with a substance abuse issue and a behavioral health issue, like depression, please give us a call at (866) 746-1558. At Rising Roads Recovery, we’re here to help you.

3 Strategies to Reduce the Stress in Your Life

If you’re in recovery, you know that getting sober is more than giving up drugs and alcohol. A big part of sobriety is actually all about creating a new life and a new routine. As part of your plan of care, your recovery team has also probably worked with you to help you learn healthy coping mechanisms to handle stress since that is one of the most common triggers for relapse.

But, why not take that one step further and try to prevent stressful situations from even happening? While you can’t guarantee a stress-free life, you can take steps to prevent issues before they even arise.

As part of your new sober lifestyle, consider adopting some of the following strategies that can help mitigate stressful situations.

(1) Plan your meals a week in advance.
Do you ever look up from your desk at work and realize that lunchtime has suddenly arrived and all you have are some Tic Tacs and bottled water? Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an incredibly important part of your recovery plan. It can help you stay energized and replenish your system. To avoid making last minute choices at lunch, consider spending some time in the kitchen on Sunday afternoons to prep your lunches for the week. And, you can portion them out into individual servings in advance. You’ll feel more confident about meeting your nutritional goals and avoid scrambling to find something to eat at the last minute.

(2) Streamline your schedule. 

One way to reduce the amount of stress in your life is to cut back on your professional and personal obligations. If you’re constantly running from one event to the next, it can create stress and anxiety if you’re worried about maintaining your social obligations. While it is a good idea to adhere to a regular sober routine, consider focusing on the quality of activities rather than the quantity. Don’t put yourself in the position of having to constantly rush around.

(3) Switch to cash for daily expenditures. 

Do you ever stress about your finances? If sticking to your budget sometimes gives you anxiety, try only using cash for daily purchases like food and gas. Studies have shown that individuals are more mindful and cautious about making purchases with cash in comparison to plastic. Based on your personal budget, think about withdrawing the amount of money you need each week for out-of-pocket expenditures and use that instead of a credit or debit card.

Customized Addiction Recovery Treatment

At Rising Roads Recovery, we understand the unique needs of each client. Working together, our team of experienced addiction recovery specialists can work with you to create a personalized plan of care to help address substance abuse issues and co-occurring disorders. As part of that approach, our team can also help you learn healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress and other addiction triggers. To learn more about our offerings, contact us today at (866) 746-1558.

Why Are Young Mothers Getting Opioid Prescriptions They Really Don’t Need?

America’s addiction to opioids hovers at an unprecedented level. According to the Society of Addiction Medicine, drug overdose-related fatalities now comprise the leading cause of accidental deaths in the U.S with prescription opioids driving this surge.

And, in response, clinicians have upped the ante. Investing millions of research dollars to explore the development of more effective and efficient treatments for addiction.

Concurrently, prevention should also be a priority. While the distribution of prescription painkillers has specific applications, overprescribing can lead to serious and chronic addictive behaviors. That’s why it’s crucial to prevent problematic behaviors from snowballing into more serious conditions.

Related to this, one recent study examined the trend of opioid over-prescribing among new moms. They asked, why is this happening and what are the ramifications? This study, published in the March issue of the Journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, investigated the practice of opioid-prescribing after birth, which had not yet been studied widely.

"There are many guidelines for managing acute or chronic pain, but not for maternity care," said lead author Marian Jarlenski, a Pitt health-policy researcher. "We have a public health crisis with opioid addiction. We were surprised to see more than 1 in 10 women were going home with an opioid prescription."

Researchers found that twelve percent of lower-income women filled an opioid prescription soon after giving birth, even though most of them didn’t have a clinical reason for receiving a prescription for the addictive painkiller.

To investigate the likelihood of over-prescribing, scientists reviewed the medical charts of 164,720 women looking for new mothers who experienced conditions that could likely warrant an opioid prescription. This includes surgical causes that include procedures such as an episiotomy, a genital tear during childbirth and/or a tubal ligation.

They found that more than 18,000 mothers were prescribed an opioid post-childbirth while less than a third of those had a pain-causing condition documented in their medical chart.

"Are there some providers who always give women a prescription?" Jarlenski says. "Are there some who never do? What should the balance be?"

While these findings suggest that prescription painkillers are being overprescribed, it is a trend that can be reversed. With additional studies to develop more accurate clinical guidelines, we can help keep more Americans healthy and avoid addiction before it even starts.

Addiction Treatment for Women

Rising Roads Recovery is gender specific to create the optimal environment for women to facilitate changes in their lives and continue their growth.

Our groups and activities are specifically designed for the female perspective and women-only counseling sessions and 12-step groups allow for more open sharing which leads to better processing of past events and ultimately better outcomes. Let the road rise up to meet you and continue on a healing path. Contact us today at (866) 746-1558.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is Affecting More Newborns

Our country is facing a serious public health issue that only be described as an epidemic on an unprecedented scale. Opioid drug abuse is on the rise, and according to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 240 million prescriptions are written annually for substances that have an addictive, morphine-like effect such as OxyContin, Percocet and Percodan.

Opioid abuse was initially confined to the low-income residents of inner cities but has since expanded to include a more diverse population - people from many walks of life. And, unfortunately, it is now impacting a larger number of pregnant women.

According to a recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has quintupled in the past 12 years. NAS is a condition that describes a cluster of symptoms exhibited in newborns as a result of opiate exposure in the womb. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and in the most dangerous cases, infants with NAS can experience tremors, seizures and respiratory issues.

One of the article’s lead authors, Karen McQueen, RN, PhD of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada explains the rise of NAS in the context of the larger trend. “The increase in cases of the neonatal abstinence syndrome corresponds with the reported rise in opioid use during pregnancy, which is attributed to the more liberal use of prescribed opioids for pain control in pregnant women, illicit use of opioids such as oxycodone and heroin, and a dramatic increase in opioid-substitution programs for the treatment of opioid addiction.”

As part of their research findings, investigators recommend an emphasis on greater preventative measures targeting women of childbearing age. Specifically, the researchers recommend that clinicians place a greater emphasis on helping to educate women about the benefits and risks of using prescription painkillers during pregnancy.

In general, the authors of the study strongly recommend that clinicians take a more empathetic approach. “Creating a compassionate, safe environment for the mother is important, since many mothers feel stigmatized and guilty regarding substance use and the neonatal abstinence syndrome, which can lead to impaired communication with health care providers.”

While opioid abuse is spreading, we can turn the tide through substance abuse education, evidence-based therapies and holistic addiction treatment. And, as this research suggests, we can make substantial improvements by emphasizing more preventative measures to stop addiction – before it begins.

Creating an Inspirational Program of Recovery

Our treatment center was created to inspire women to thrive in recovery. In addition to offering the best of the traditional evidence-based therapeutic processes that have proven effective in drug treatment programs, we also integrate therapeutic activities and educational topics that are designed to really inspire the soul of the woman who is new to recovery. Let the road rise up to meet you and continue on a healing path. Contact us today at (866) 746-1558.

3 Simple Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Friends

When you think about Valentine’s Day, what comes to mind? Chocolates, roses and candlelit dinners probably round out your list. While traditionally this holiday is a celebration of the romantic relationships in your life, at the core, it’s really all about celebrating loving relationships, which can take many different forms.

Given that, why not take this holiday to honor the good friends and family members in your life who show up for you during the good (and not so good) times? And, this is an especially great idea if you recently graduated from rehab. (Most addiction specialists recommend that you wait at least once year before pursuing new romantic relationships.)

If you’ve just started a new life of sobriety, you don’t have to feel left out on Valentine’s Day. You can still celebrate this holiday by taking the time to show your loved ones just how much you care. 

Here are a few ways you can celebrate this Valentine’s Day! Share the love and show your love!

(1) Spend the night learning something new!
It’s always fun to try something new and it’s even more enjoyable when you can do just that with your friends by your side. Sign up as a group to attend a yoga class you haven’t tried yet or get involved with a local cooking class.

(2) Give back to your community.
Have you thought about volunteering lately? Chances are, your friends have too. Take the initiative and invite your friend group to join you. Instead of spending the day showing just one person how much you love them, spread the joy around to your entire community. Consult some local volunteer groups in your area to learn which groups need some extra help.

(3) Host a Valentine’s Day potluck dinner!
Instead of spending the evening at a crowded restaurant, why not invite friends to join you for a casual dinner at your place instead? To keep things simple, just make it a pot-luck dinner and ask everyone to bring a home-cooked dish. And, to make it an extra special event – you can ask everyone to share their favorite story about another friend attending the get-together!

Rising Roads Recovery Center for Women

Rising Roads Recovery is a small women's residential treatment center in Orange County, California with the purpose of supporting you through your healing so that your addiction and co-occurring disorders stop causing havoc in your life. With comprehensive clinical care, 12 step participation, and an entire curriculum designed just for women by women, you are on your way to a healthy and happy life. Call (866) 746-1558 to learn more.

The Link Between Poor Sleep and Mood Disorders

Based on findings from one recent study, you might reconsider staying up past your bedtime.

Scientists tracked the sleeping habits of 171 women for two weeks to evaluate the potential link between sleep quality and mood disorders. 

At the beginning of the survey, researchers interviewed participants to establish a baseline score of their risk for depression and anxiety. After that, researchers administered follow-up surveys on a daily basis to track variations in mood.

After evaluating the data collected, the researchers found that the women who consistently got less sleep had a higher risk of experiencing anhedonic depression – an inability to derive pleasure from activities they once enjoyed.

(Note: How much sleep you need may vary slightly based on your daily routine, but in general, the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours each night for adults between the ages of 17 to 64.)

Based on these findings, good sleep hygiene can help reduce your risk of experiencing anxiety and depression. And, it delivers a variety of other powerful physical and mental health benefits too. Need a few more reasons to cultivate healthier sleeping patterns?

4 More Reasons Why You Should Prioritize Sleep

(1) Good sleep supports your sobriety.
Making sure that you get enough sleep is important for everyone, and even more so for those who are creating a sober lifestyle. By getting quality sleep, you can reduce your risk of anxiety and depression which are common relapse triggers.

(2) You are in greater control of your emotions.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkley found that the amygdala—an emotional center of the brain—was about 60% more active in people who were sleep deprived than those who were well rested.

(3) It supports other healthy behaviors.
When you are well rested, you’re more likely to engage in other healthy behaviors such as eating right, working out and pursuing hobbies.

(4) Your body will thank you.
Consistently getting enough rest has been shown to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immune disorders – and it can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Treatment After a Drug Relapse

If you have experienced sobriety but have had a relapse, our Boost Up Program is for you. Our post relapse care is designed for those who have had the taste of recovery and begun to feel the promises comes true in their life. Just like everyone’s recovery plan looks different, so does everyone’s relapse avoidance plan. You have a unique history that needs to be accounted for in your plan. At Rising Roads Recovery, we’re here to help. To learn more, call today: (866) 746-1558.