Addiction Recovery: 3 Strategies for Improving Communication Skills

photo of two men talking in the cafeteria Improving Communication Skills

Drug and alcohol rehab programs are designed to heal the addict – mentally, physically and spiritually – freeing them from a life controlled by the vice grip of addiction. Though, effective addiction recovery doesn’t end there. To help treat the whole person, it also needs to extend beyond the addict to help them mend the broken relationships within their entire social network of family and friends. By repairing old relationships and learning how to create new, healthier ones, addicts can fuel their sobriety with a strong support system and a more fulfilling life.

And, developing better communication skills can help addicts do just that. By learning how to communicate more effectively (and positively), individuals with alcohol and substance abuse issues can build and maintain stronger relationships with others – one of the cornerstones to lasting sobriety.

Here are a few strategies you can use to boost your communication skills:

  • Start with yourself. If you’ve battled substance abuse issues in the past, you may get into a negative cycle of beating yourself up for the mistakes you’ve made. Though, you can’t build healthy relationships with others if you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself. Try to be more mindful of your own “self-talk” and challenge those thoughts that don’t serve you.
  • Ask questions. One of the easiest ways to start a conversation and keep it going is to have a genuine interest in what the other person has to say. More often than not, your friends and family will thoroughly appreciate your interest in their life.
  • Put away your phone. These days, it fairly common to see people checking in on social media, texting and reading emails on their phone – virtually 24/7. Though, if you find yourself getting distracted by your phone during conversations, make a point to put it away or turn it upside down so you can’t see the screen. You can’t fully engage in the conversation if you’re preoccupied by something else.

Achieving and maintaining a life of sobriety can be challenging. Though, it also represents an opportunity to strengthen your personal relationships with others once you are free from the cloud of addiction. By ending negative communication patterns that were holding your relationships back and replacing them with healthier alternatives, you can enjoy more meaningful and honest relationships with others.

Comprehensive Life Skills Training

10 Acre Ranch drug rehab is a social treatment model that emphasizes therapeutic group activities like anger management, cognitive therapy, and 12-step programming. Living in a supportive community prevents clients from becoming alienated during recovery, and teaches them interpersonal skills that are helpful during and after rehabilitation. While group therapy is a powerful tool in the recovering addict’s arsenal, individual therapy may also be recommended for addiction treatment.

To tour our facility or discuss alcohol rehab for yourself or a loved one, dial (877) 228-4679 or submit a confidential online inquiry today.

Taking Control of Your Financial Health During Addiction Recovery

photo of a man writing on a paper creating financial plan

Addiction takes a toll on virtually every part of the addict’s life – often contributing to behavioral health issues like depression and anxiety, physical problems including insomnia and fatigue – and it can wreak havoc on personal relationships too.

A life of addiction can also cause financial difficulties. If you have been completely absorbed in using and abusing drugs and alcohol, you may have let important financial issues like paying bills on time go by the wayside. Embracing a life of sobriety is an opportunity to heal every aspect of your life – including your financial health too.

Though, you don’t have be a professional financial planner to make substantial changes today that can help you build a solid financial future.

3 Tips for Repairing Your Financial Health

  1. Start small. It may seem overwhelming at first if you are dealing with financial hardships, but the key is to start tackling the simple tasks first. Make a list of your recurring bills and their due dates so you can start paying your bills on time to protect your credit score. If you’ve had trouble remembering what bills are due and when, consider adding a reminder on your phone that alerts you two or three days in advance of the due date.
  2. Rein in credit card spending. It’s common for those dealing with addiction to make impulsive purchasing decisions to fund their lifestyle. If you do have credit cards, make an inventory of your current balances and make a plan for paying off your debts. You may even be able to lower your interest rates by simply contacting your creditors to see if you can quality for more attractive terms.
  3. Make a budget and track your spending. The simple act of creating a budget and monitoring your progress towards your financial goals can be incredibly empowering. And, there are wide range of planning tools available to you online. With sites like mint.com (which provide basic services for free), you can easily create a monthly budget to allocate how you want to spend your money and many also even offer free credit reporting monitoring so you can track your progress.

Addiction recovery isn’t easy. But, it can offer an opportunity for you to spend more time and energy focusing on rebuilding your life – physically and mentally – while creating a brighter economic future.

Looking for Help Overcoming a Life of Addiction?

10 Acre Ranch is licensed by California’s Department of Health Care Services and offers residential, and partial residential programs for drug and alcohol addiction. To tour our facility or discuss alcohol rehab for yourself or a loved one, dial (877) 228-4679 or submit a confidential online inquiry today.

Gambling Addictions: Is Your College Student at Risk?

photo of a young man's hand holding some playing cards at the casino

Sometimes the warning signs of addiction are obvious. If a heroin user overdoses or an alcoholic gets arrested for drunk driving, you know that they need help – and quick. Though, there are other forms of addiction, like gambling, that are just as dangerous but harder to spot.

Did you know that over six million adults currently meet the criteria for problem gambling? And, what is even more alarming is that college students represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the population who gamble online on a regular basis.

In a recent study published by the University of Connecticut, researchers found that 23 percent of college students reporting gambling online and 6.3 percent did so each week.

While placing the occasional “friendly wager” may seem innocuous at first, it can escalate into compulsive behaviors that can cause many profoundly negative psychological, physical and social repercussions.

It’s important to note that there are warning signs of a gambling addiction. If your college student is exhibiting some of all of the symptoms below of a gambling addiction, it’s important to consult an experienced addiction recovery specialist for help.

5 Telltale Signs of a Gambling Addiction:

1. Escalating financial losses and excessive credit card or personal debt. Gambling addicts often feel that the need to place bets even when they run out of money and often start to borrow money from others or fund their habit with credit cards or short-term loans. Some even resort to selling their personal property to support their gambling when their financial reserves are depleted.

2. Exhibit extreme feelings of sadness and remorse after losing. While gambling is often referred to as a “hidden illness” because there are no physical symptoms, they may talk about feeling depressed after losing money and express regret, shame and guilt over their behavior.

3. Repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling. Without the help of addiction recovery professionals, gambling addicts may try, unsuccessfully, to stop on their own – creating a negative cycle of addiction and relapse.

4. Being secretive about how often and how much the person is betting. Many compulsive gamblers often lie about how much or how often they bet. Addicts may start to spend more time alone, avoiding friends and family members.

5. Stealing money from friends and family. When the gambling addiction becomes more severe, some resort to actually stealing money from their roommates, parents and co-workers in a desperate attempt to continue funding their addiction.

Left untreated, a gambling addiction can disrupt the addict’s ability to form healthy personal relationships and interfere with work and social activities. If your son is dealing with a problem gambling addiction, help him find the support he needs and consult an experienced addiction rehabilitation facility.

Getting the Help Your Child Needs
If you believe your child is struggling with addiction, getting treatment is essential. Although most college campuses have a mental health center for students, these facilities are often overburdened and understaffed. 10 Acre Ranch specializes in treating men ages 18 and older who are struggling with addiction issues and drug and alcohol abuse, offering residential rehab. Call (877) 228-4679 to get help for your college student or learn more about our men’s-only CA rehab program.

Curbing Social Anxiety to Avoid Addiction or Relapse

photo of people gathered together in the hill during an event

Have you ever walked into a room with a large group of people and felt anxious? Do you decline invitations to parties and work conferences or avoid talking to people you don’t know just because it makes you uncomfortable?

While it is normal to feel uneasy in certain situations, it’s important to recognize when you start to experience symptoms of social anxiety more frequently and especially if they disrupt your personal and professional relationships.

Why? By taking inventory of your emotions and learning healthy coping strategies, you can reduce your risk of abusing drugs, prescription medications or alcohol as a crutch. This is especially important if you are just starting to live a sober lifestyle since individuals with anxiety disorders have a higher risk of substance abuse.

But, the good news is that there are proven, healthy coping strategies you can use to take control of your life and avoid the dangerous path towards addiction or relapse.

If you do experience social anxiety, you can empower yourself in healthy ways by:

1. Using conscious breathing techniques. It’s common to experience a faster heart rate and start to breathe faster when you start to feel symptoms of anxiety and discomfort. Though, your breath is actually a powerful tool you can use to fight and calm your anxiety – and you can use anywhere!

If you are starting to feel anxious, focus on the rhythm of your inhale and exhale and start to take deeper breaths in and out. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold your breath for a second or two, then exhale slowly. After a few minutes, you’ll notice that your symptoms will start to recede.

2. Applying realistic thinking. If your mind starts to race with fears and doubts about how others will perceive you, take a moment to check yourself. Are these thoughts really based on facts?

3. Knowing that these feelings will pass. If you are experiencing social anxiety, it’s important to recognize that the moment will pass and that you will soon start to feel better. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the moment!

Southern CA Addiction Treatment for Men
If you or someone you love is dealing with a substance abuse issue that is compounded by a behavioral health issue like social anxiety, 10 Acre Ranch can help. Treating men 18 and over for alcoholism, drug addiction, and co-occurring disorders, we provide millennials with the education and support they need to transform their lifestyles and find strength in sobriety.

Dial (877) 228-4679 to enroll in our residential rehab or verify insurance coverage today!