Category Archives: Treatment

Local Support

October 31, 2016 Amanda Vaughan

It can be overwhelming seeking support outside of your friends and family when you have an addiction. This is usually a significant step that needs to be made when you have multiple relapses; however, I see many people try to reassure themselves that this time it’s going to be different and not take this step.

They have their plan. It usually is a decent plan. We have worked on either a Wellness Action Plan, Crisis Plan, or Relapse Prevention Plan. In therapy we have also came up with wonderful “tools” to use in their daily maintenance and their “emergency kit”. We have practiced, role played, and brought in family and friends. But yet they’ll be another relapse. Another lie told. Another promise broken to self or others. They show back up sometimes beaten down, ashamed, and lower in spirit and energy. Or they’ll show up determined that this time will “be different” only to end up like the previous scenario eventually.

The piece that is missing is support outside of treatment, friends, and/or family. It is tapping into something positive that is larger than oneself. This could be in the form of a religion/faith. It could be in the form of AA/NA. I have seen people invest themselves into a close knit wellness communities, like with Rock Climbing or Yoga. I have seen folks begin to invest in service communities, like with Habit for Humanity, Urban Ministries, etc.. It doesn’t seem to really matter what it is as long as it has a higher principle and has other people to connect with. This step of participating with something outside of our individual community touches on the “spiritual” side that so many addictions counselors will talk about. It touches on this piece of us that is sometimes very difficult to conceptualize. People think they have to go to church or start praying. Although this could be a path for some, it doesn’t mean it has to be the path of all searching for that “higher power”. But one key element in this is the “investment”, the “participation” that makes it work. Just visiting a community or group is not enough. One must get involved so that an investment is made. This investment will bring returns though.

In order to help with this connection, I want to provide some resources below for AA, NA, Al-Aanon. These are by no means the only I recommend but they are the main ones folks can access easily in our community and have shown to be reliable supports and places people can become involved and invested through working steps, finding a sponsor, sharing story, etc…

Greensboro Al-Aanon

Al-Anon General Site

Greensboro AA meetings

Greensboro NA meetings

Change, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Wellness topic

Making “Not-So-Good” Habits Work for You

April 12, 2016 Amanda Vaughan

“A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” – This is SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery. this could be recovery from Mental Health or Physical Health concerns.

Recently I have seen a good many clients that have come in reporting very similar symptoms. They feel somewhat down or even distressed. They are functioning relatively okay with work and home but feel like they have lost their way. They report feeling empty, tired, anxious. Most of these individuals have been very involved in family and/or community. They have been the family coordinators, the church volunteers, the community activists.

When looking at the above working definition of recovery, these folks are definitely self directive, but somehow the other two areas of health and wellness and full potential have been overshadowed by others needs (others in their own family and others in the community). When using the needs assessment tool I incorporate into my practice (the DLA20), it is clear that many facets of their life have been neglected and continue to be drained. There’s just not enough nourishment and recovery built into their lives to keep pace with all the other routines in their life.

We live in a society of go, go, go. Ample supplies of caffeine and energy supplements. Ample supplies of foods and other items to grab quickly from moving to one activity to another. We more and more are getting out of habits of nourishment and allowing for our bodies to recover. Recovery is not just a mental feat but very much a physical feat as well. We have to develop healthy routines to nourish our bodies and brain. These routines have to be consistent in order to make an impact. Just like we consistently go to the coffee pot, check Facebook, or volunteer to help another, we need to consistently eat nourishing foods, take time for some quiet, and get some stress relieving physical activity. But how? It sounds simple but if it were that simple we wouldn’t have this problem of course.

The trick is to begin by connecting one activity to another. The activity can be good or bad. If you drink coffee every morning or check Facebook before bed on a consistent basis, then these are great activities to link with more nourishing habits like 10 slow breaths or eating an apple. Once you have successfully linked these habits consistently you can build in more healthy habits like a walk or some yoga. It’s better to start small though. Later you may decide to even phase out the original activity, especially if it was doing more harm than good. Getting overwhelmed and not doing anything at all is not an option if you want to stop the cycle of constant drain, low energy, and feeling like you’re in a fog.

Sometimes we need reminders, so setting timers, getting others involved are great ways to ensure more consistency. Also subscribing to a blog whether it is mine or another wellness author could also be a good way to get a tickler to continue to work on developing healthier practices. As with much in life persistence against failure eventually develops consistency regardless, so keep trying.

research, Treatment, Wellness topic

How to Get a Good Night’s Rest

February 24, 2016 Amanda Vaughan

The above chart comes from the National Sleep Foundation. It suggests that an adult my age needs 7-9 hours of sleep. Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health.

The sleep foundation explains:

“One of the vital roles of sleep is to help us solidify and consolidate memories. As we go about our day, our brains take in an incredible amount of information. Rather than being directly logged and recorded, however, these facts and experiences first need to be processed and stored; and many of these steps happen while we sleep. Overnight, bits and pieces of information are transferred from more tentative, short-term memory to stronger, long-term memory—a process called “consolidation.” Researchers have also shown that after people sleep, they tend to retain information and perform better on memory tasks. Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.”

Many of us have difficulty sleeping. Here are some general guidelines to follow in order to have a good night’s rest.

Stick to a sleep schedule , even on weekends.
Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual .
Exercise daily.
Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Beware of hidden sleep stealers , like alcohol and caffeine.
Turn off electronics before bed.

For those with an overactive mind:

Keep a notepad/journal and a pen near your bed to write down thoughts or things you want to remember.

You can also use this method to write down worries or concerns and if you’re having a hard time letting them go after writing them down, remind yourself you can just deal with it in the morning after you wake up.

At my practice:

Sleep problems are a common co-occurring issue that I see with my clients. I usually help each person develop their own individual bedtime routine. Many times we look at the therapeutic effects of yoga postures and breath techniques. We practice these techniques in the office to figure out the right practice that will help calm the mind and body enough to allow sleep to take over at night. Many times coming up with an answer to the individual’s problems will occur after tracking one’s schedule and diet over a week. It is amazing what “hidden” sleep stealers we encounter throughout our day. Sometimes changing something like when you have your last caffeinated beverage will be the miraculous fix. Other times, what might solve the issue is long-term work on developing and keeping more healthy habits like exercise, balanced diet, and meditation.

If you would like to talk about finding your solution, please contact Amanda.