An Open Letter About My Addiction

From,

Anonymous

I had been struggling with drug abuse and addiction for years. My drug of choice was alcohol. I didn’t realize just how bad the problem was. When I look back on it, it seems like it began with a glass of wine before bed. Gradually, this glass of wine got bigger. It grew to the size of souvenir sports cups that they sell at stadiums. I used to tell myself, and my wife, that it wasn’t that bad. It was mostly ice. I knew this was a lie.

The problem got progressively worse. My kids grew up and left the house. I felt as though I just wasn’t needed anymore. Sure, the kids called home from time to time; however, it was always to ask for money. I felt like my life had run its course. I started to drink more. I was bored. That was the honest truth. I was simply bored and alcohol made it easier to pass the time.

It then got out of control. One night, I was looking over the receipt from vacation and realized that, somehow, I had charged 90 alcoholic drinks to the room in the span of 14 days. I tried to blame it on my oldest child. He was 21 at the time. I don’t know why I thought that would work. He stayed in a different room and didn’t drink despite being in college.

I hit rock bottom when one night my wife came home and found me passed out next to the bed. She had to call the doctor who lived next door for help. I woke up in the intensive care unit with a breathing tube down my throat. That was my rock bottom. It was time to ask forhelp. Little did I realize just how much my life would change after I got sober.

My Relationships with My Friends and Family Got Better

Look, I’m not here to tell you that the journey to sobriety is going to be easy. Addiction recovery is hard. There were times when I fought with my family. I didn’t want to go to an inpatient facility. My life was at home; however, it was important. When I finally took my sobriety seriously, my relationship with my friends and family got better. They got better because I no longer felt like I had anything to hide. I no longer felt like they were always looking to see if I was drinking again. I was able to let my guard down and just be myself without anything to worry about. This made my life so much easier. The guilt was gone.

I Discovered Who I Am

If you are struggling with sobriety and want to take the path to addiction recovery, you need to know that who you are when you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol is not you. You are a totally different person from that individual. When you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, you are going to do things that are totally out of character. You are going to say things you don’t mean. You are going to engage in activities that you wouldn’t otherwise try. Instead, you are a totally different person when you find sobriety. During your road to addiction recovery from alcoholism and drug abuse, you’re going to find out just who that person is.

I Found Out What I Wanted

For years, all I cared about was how long it was going to be until I had my next drink. I would count down the hours. I would count down the minutes. I would even count down the seconds as I filled my glass. I couldn’t wait to satiate the addiction growing inside of me. Once I conquered my addiction, I found out what I truly wanted. I no longer wanted to have that next drink. Instead, I wanted to travel the world. I wanted to see my kids graduate school. I wanted to spend more time with my family members and friends. I wanted to see the world clearly for the first time. I realized that all of this was possible because I had found my sobriety. You can as well.

How My Journey to Sobriety Began

My journey to sobriety started with a single step. It starts by asking for help. You should ask for help as well. Lean on your family members and friends but also appreciate the role that trained professionals are going to play. Soba Texas is a drug & alcohol treatment program located in San Antonio, TX. Soba Texas offers a unique luxury program that combines traditional treatment and modern therapies to assist clients in conquering their addiction. Contact us today!

How to Quit Using Opioids

4 Benefits of Quitting Opioids: An Addiction Needing Caring Treatment

These powerful painkillers are extremely rampant in today’s society and need to be addressed more than the simple facts thrown around for addicts to digest. There has to be an intervention between primary care physician and addiction treatment centers that offer guidance and care for each person suffering from the throes of opioid addiction.

SOBA Recovery Center in San Antonio, Texas has a wealth of hope to offer each person who enters their doors in search of addiction treatment for opioids. An initial message of positivity alongside the beautiful facility and surroundings give the addiction specialists a chance to share their healing secrets and tools of recovery.

What happens when the body undergoes detox?

Because succumbing to addiction is a real fact in our world and with the aid of the pharmaceutical industries and vulnerabilities of personas, it’s no wonder that the body has to go through stages of detoxification after the willingness to quit altogether is acknowledged.

When a person ceases taking the drugs the body requires time to recover. However, there are withdrawal symptoms that can occur at any time when long-term opioid usage is stopped altogether or cut back. The following symptoms of detox include:

  • Anxiety
  • Agitation during daily activities
  • Muscle tension, aches, and pains
  • An increase in crying and emotional outbursts
  • Insomnia and difficulty falling asleep
  • Yawning and basic fatigue
  • Sweating
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Runny nose, similar to cold and flu symptoms

While the above noticeable signs of detox are prevalent, there are also symptoms during late-phase withdrawal worth noting, which include persistent goosebumps, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dilated pupils, nausea, and in extreme cases, violent vomiting. These are not life-threatening signs, yet can cause severe discomfort if not addressed properly by an addiction expert or a physician.

Receiving a comprehensive medical history and background information of each person is vital at SOBA Recovery Center. It is of their utmost concern to listen, offer support, heal with proper tools and alternative therapies that bring about resounding results and successes for patients undergoing the decision to quit opioids.

The 4 benefits of total abandonment of opioid addiction

There are phases to treatment and subsequent recovery during addiction treatment. Group counseling sessions, cognitive and mental treatments, and support, specific detoxification modalities that create a peaceful transition are all highlighted at SOBA in San Antonio, Texas.

The biggest challenge of opioid treatment lies in the overall paradox of how to help those who are suffering from the addiction. Researchers are still flummoxed by what actually goes on in treatment centers and what connections there are with respect to the highest quality of treatment an addict needs to receive. SOBA is aware of the gold standard and abides by every protocol necessary to remedy and heal, no matter the length of stay at their idyllic center.

If the person willing to quit opioids understands the complications from addiction treatment and possible withdrawal symptoms, the wellness benefits are astounding once they pass over the hump of significant brain changes that occur during opioid usage.

Following are the 4 most beneficial rewards of abandoning opioid addiction:

  1. Health – A significant improvement over time begins to appear, as the addict manages their symptoms by making informed choices that support their overall physical and emotional well-being.
  2. Home – Securing stability in their lives by having a roof over their heads is progress and alleviates stress.
  3. Purpose – Participating in society by involving oneself in community activities and daily communications and connections through financial independence and proper income elevate a reason to live.
  4. Community – Maintaining active awareness, friendships, love, and social networks brings about the hope within the person undergoing recovery.

Recovery is a lifelong process of change through which the opioid user improves their health and well-being, living self-directed lives, and striving to reach their full potential. It doesn’t happen overnight, yet the possibilities are endless, something SOBA Recovery Center wholeheartedly believes in. They empower their patients and it shows.

Each dimension and phase of supported recovery is evident during addiction treatment, and the uniqueness of each individualized plan is that it shows just what normalcy looks like for the opioid user.

The key to success lies in feeling hopeful and having support

Having drug-free days is within reach for every person involved in the support and recovery efforts. Whether it be family members or best friends, a network of healing therapies is key to success and wellness. Active listening, jotting down moments of weakness in a diary, remaining busy during vulnerable moments, and steering clear of people who encourage drug usage are meaningful measures to remaining clean and drug-free.

Ask for support! Having consistent strategies outlined by a qualified counselor and physician are primary in receiving the proper support to a full recovery.