2009 October | Addiction Recovery Plans

Donna’s Addiction Recovery Story

On October 15, 2009, In Addiction Recovery Story, By Dr. Lundgren

Today is 1 year since I have taken a drink or a drug. This year has been one of the worst years of my life but it has also been one of the best years of my life, and I truly mean that. When I began my recovery this time last year I was at the breaking point that it talks of in the Big Book, I couldn’t imagine life with or without alcohol or drugs, I didn’t want to live like this anymore, so I tried to end my life. My HP had other plans for me on that day, and today I am so grateful that he did.

I realize today that my life and my sobriety are precious gifts, ones that I treasure and I need to never take for granted again. Has it been easy, yes and no, life has thrown many curve balls in front of me this year, but I have not had the need to pick up and that is because AA has given me the tools and the people I needed to get through every single problem that surfaced.

When I walked into the rooms of AA, I knew I had to listen to every single thing that was suggested, I, who had 15 years sober in the past, didn’t know one thing about staying sober. I showed up and shut up, they had something that I knew I really wanted and I would do whatever it took to get it. It was suggested I find a sponsor, that was a hard one because I was not comfortable asking someone, but I did it anyway. My sponsor told me to call her every day, I don’t like making phone calls, but I did that too. I was told to call at least 3 other women and just say my sponsor told me to practice using the phone, and as hard as that was, I did it. It was suggested I make a meeting a day and the 90/90 would take care of itself, I was unemployed and I made 2-3 meetings a day, you see my life depended on it. It was suggested I take a coffee commitment, so I did. To overcome my fear of people, another suggestion was become a greeter at my HG, oh yes that was another thing, get a Home Group so I could be accountable to other people, I do have a HG and have taken a commitment of being a greeter and coffee maker. My sponsor had me start working the Steps right away, and it was in doing the Steps that I believe was the turning point in my recovery.

Has my life changed, you bet it has…I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is pray and Thank God for keeping me sober another day. I make a gratitude list every morning, just to remind me of my blessings. I still call my sponsor every morning and many other times during the day and I also reach out to many other women throughout my day. Today I have a job after being unemployed for 17 months so it is difficult to make 2-3 meetings a day but I do make at least 1 every single day, my life still depends on them. I try to always be there for anyone who wants help getting and staying sober, I give back what was so freely given to me. Today I not only work the Steps but I live the Steps. Do I have a perfect program, no, but I do the best I can each day. I try to remain teachable never forgetting where I have been. And every night before I put my head on my pillow, I count my blessings, and I Thank God for my life and for my sobriety.

I was recently asked about the 15 years I had been sober, if I regretted relapsing after all that time, and my answer is No. What I have in way of sobriety today is 100 times more than I had in all those 15 years. I have a program today, I didn’t have one back then. I wouldn’t trade this 1year sober for all those 15 years. I am truly grateful today to have been given this 2nd chance at living a sober life.

And I am very grateful for all the people I have met through this site and another who have helped me and continue to help me stay sober one day at a time. Yes I am truly blessed. Thank you.

Donna

Tagged with: Addiction Recovery Story

Pornography Recovery–Controlling Your Thoughts

On October 13, 2009, In Addiction Recovery, Pornography Addiction, By Dr. Lundgren

Pornography addiction all starts in your mind. There are many people that think about it and some people don’t. For many people, pornography doesn’t interest them, just like landscaping or chess might not interest you. But for the pornography addict, pornography is extremely intriguing.

You might not be someone who spends a lot of time thinking lustful thoughts. Lustful thoughts can certainly increase your desire to find pornography. But that might not be your particular spark.

Maybe you associate feelings of insecurity or loneliness with sex. There are some people, when they’re feeling lonely, turn to masturbation or pornography. Such simulated sex makes them feel un-lonely, at least for a little while. If that’s your situation, you need to realize that feeling alone at times is part of life. Even the most happily married man or woman in the world feels lonely once in a while.

Create a plan of action for the times you are alone. Learn to enjoy being alone. Do housework, or study, or exercise. Get out of the house and get your heart pumping. Don’t worry about whether you’ll be tempted again when you get back. You’re not exercising to keep from seeking out pornography — you’re exercising because you enjoy it, you are alone and now is the perfect opportunity.

Find things you love to do, that you can do when you’re alone.

Controlling your thoughts is like driving down the freeway. Have you ever driven at a high speed and suddenly heard your tires thumping over the reflectors on the lane’s dividing line? You hadn’t noticed yourself swerving out of your lane, but now you hear the warning of the bumps under your tires. So what do you do? Probably, without even thinking, you correct your steering and pull away from the line.

That’s what you are trying to do with your thoughts. Whenever you get in a situation that might tempt you to indulge in pornography, you need to make adjustments in your thinking and actions to get you away from danger. At first that will take a great deal of effort, but as your instincts improve, you’ll find yourself steering clear of hazards with hardly any thought at all.

Let’s say you are staying in a hotel that offers adult programming on television. Well, most hotels also allow you to disconnect adult programming. You probably need to call the front desk the moment you arrive in your room and ask them to disconnect the service. Even though you aren’t tempted when you arrive, late at night you might be, and you want to make sure it is unavailable. You may have to do the same thing 20 years from now, even though it’s been two decades since you’ve sought out pornography — remember, you’re an addict; you will always be addicted. You will always have to take precautions.

You are an addict. You have a disease. You have to take efforts every day to avoid pornography. Maybe you have to cancel your Internet account.

There are things that you aren’t strong enough to resist. You’ll get stronger and wiser, but right now you may have to deny yourself some things. Listen to your thoughts. Are you rationalizing? Pay attention to the things you rationalize — they’re probably the very areas where you are weakest.

Fill your mind with something uplifting when you catch an unpleasant thought creeping onto the stage of your mind. Maybe you can sing a favorite song to yourself, or recite an inspiring poem, scripture or quote.

Tagged with: Addiction Recovery • Pornography Addiction

Drug Addictions 101

On October 13, 2009, In Drug Addiction, By Dr. Lundgren

Drug abuse and addiction can be hard for people to understand if they have never gone through the problem. Many people feel as though their loved ones are choosing drugs over them, however, that is not the case. Those who are addicted to drugs do not enjoy the addiction. They are trapped and are looking for a way out. They need help and support more than anything. The last thing they need is criticism.

If you are struggling with a drug addiction, please know that the following information can help you overcome this addiction. There can be peace and happiness in your life once again. Through following the steps on this website, you can become whole again and will be able to be the person you want to be.

Peer support (AA, NA). A great place to reach out for support is a peer support group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These peer support groups provide a place to share struggles with addiction and what others have done to stay sober. More information about these groups is below.
Therapy. If you are seeing a therapist, share your intentions with him or her. A therapist can be a good resource and support for addiction treatment.
Medical professional. Some drugs create withdrawal symptoms that require medical intervention. There are also medications that may help make withdrawal symptoms more comfortable. Your primary care doctor can be a good starting reference, and you may want to consider working with an addiction medicine specialist.

Alcohol Addiction

On October 6, 2009, In Addiction Recovery, Alcohol Addiction, By Dr. Lundgren

Addiction Recovery

What is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is an alcohol addiction, or in other words, a need for an intoxicating liquid that is made through a firmented grain or fruit. These drinks can incluid beer, wine, and other hard liquors.

An alcohol addiction is present when a person cannot limit the amount of alcohol that they consume, and they have a craving at all times in the day. People who are addicted to alcohol can suffer withdrawals that can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting. constant headaches, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety. These symptoms can cubside in two ways. By either giving the body the alcohol it desires, or naturally detoxifying your body and changing the body to no longer be dependant on alcohol.

Many people think that it is just a matter of controlling the mind and then you can stop drinking. That notion couldn’t be more false. Alcohol addictions are very difficult to overcome and the recovery is very much a process. The majority of alcoholics need assistance to stop drinking, that is, they need a mentor or someone they can report to on their success and progress.

Alcohol Addictions-Causes and Effects of Alcohol Addiction

Scientists have proven that people who have an alcoholic in their family/household, are 50% more likely to become an alcoholic. Based on a person’s environment and lifestyle, especially traumatic experiences as a youth, will greatly effect whether or not a person tries a drink of alcohol. The factors of one’s environment that might have an effect on their alcoholism are as follows; family, friends, culture, peer pressure, financial security, etc.

Alcohol addictions can lead to serious problems and circumstances. Not only can there be physical problems that arise, but also emotional and mental destructive behavior can arise. Currently alcohol is involved in half of all crimes, murders, rapes, burglary, and accidental death. There is also a long list of health issues that can arise when alcohol is consumed: brain damage, liver disease, heart disease, cancer, etc. Alcoholics who are not able to quit drinking reduce their life expectancy 10-15 years.

Other causes and effects from alcohol addictions:

Too many rinks can kill many, many brain cells that can cause brain damage
Alcohol can hinder the reaction time of the nervous system
Alcohol can cause inflammation in the mouth and esophagus which can lead to cancer
Drinking can produce irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, heart attacks and other heart problems
Can destroy sexual function, pleasure, and desire.
Can lead to skin and pancreatic disorders, weaken the bone and muscle structure, eventually lowering your immunity

A large amount of alcohol that is taken in is broken down by the liver. The liver has a fixed rate of breaking down the alcohol, so as the liver is overused, disorders and malfunctions can result, making the liver the primary location of alcohol’s damage. Liver damage can occur in three stages. The first stage is liver enlargement whereby liver cells are penetrated with abnormal fatty tissue. The second stage is the alcoholic hepatitis whereby liver cells swell, inflame, and eventually die. The third stage is cirrhosis in which fibrous scar tissues are formed, hindering the flow of blood through the liver.

Alcohol Addiction-What to do?

The first thing is having a determination to quit drinking alcohol and having control of your body once again. Then you need to have the initiative to realize what triggers your alcohol drinking problem. Do everything in your power to eliminate those triggers in your life. Even if it includes losing many friendships. Forgiveness is an important part of this process and also seek counseling to aid in the healing process.

Making the decision to get help is the most important one out there. Whether it is through counseling, either through this site or an in office visit, that is very necessary. Please contact me or another professional in the field who can help. Many online prices are better and studies have shown that they are just as effective. You can contact me at addictionrecoveryplans@gmail.com. I will be there to help with any question or concern you might have. That is the purpose of me helping with Addiction Recovery.

Tagged with: Addiction Recovery • Alcohol Addiction

Pornography Recovery, Not Immediate, But A Process

On October 3, 2009, In Addiction Recovery, Pornography Addiction, By Dr. Lundgren

Addiction Recovery Overcoming pornography and other sexual addictions is normally not an immediate event, but more of a process in gaining control over one’s body and mind.

First, the offensive behavior needs to stop. That is, the viewing of pornography needs to be halted at whatever cost. It can’t continue of the process will be halted.

Second, one must figure out the root of their problem. The question needs to be asked, “Why am I doing this?” The reason for this is not only to determine the reason why the viewing of pornography ever started but more importantly, how to escape the “need ” of viewing pornography and replace the action with something positive and uplifting.

Third, their needs to be some sort of support in helping to break this self-destroying addiction. There are three levels of support that we suggest: Accountability Partners, Peer Groups, and Professional counseling.

I have never worked with a client that has overcome this specific addiction on their own. There have been many that have tried, but they have all failed. This is an addiction that requires help from another person. When a temptation arises, their needs to be someone to know about it. Someone who can live you strength in that moment of need.

Lastly, one needs to recognize the seriousness of this addiction and needs to try to restore all relationships that the addiction has destroyed. If married, the spouse needs an extremely large apology, and thank you. Why? Because they have been more hurt than the offender could even imagine.

As I always say, this addiction is possible to overcome, but it is one of the worst. It is worse than any physical drug addiction that I have ever dealt with. Hang in their and the addiction can be beat. The following success stories might help in the recovery process.

Tagged with: Addiction Recovery • Pornography Addiction