Hormones play a huge part in menstruation and menopause, and they also play a large part in the development of and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. These issues alter the course of recovery and create certain issues that men will never have to deal with. Through Hormone Therapy, women learn exactly what is happening in their body, what they can expect with the hormonal shifts and changes that occur naturally, and how it will affect their drug addiction and recovery. Knowledge is power, and knowing how to handle stumbling blocks before they arise can keep them from becoming a problem that throws your recovery off track.

Menstruation and Menopause as a Cause of Drug Addiction

Whether you are experiencing monthly hormonal shifts due to menstruation or are entering into peri-menopause, menopause or post-menopause, the feelings and physical symptoms associated with these shifts can create emotional and physiological chaos. Not feeling well is always an issue that can cause drug addiction – many self-medicate to feel better mentally and physically. Hormones increase the emotional response, making small events that much more difficult to deal with and difficult events even more overwhelming. The problems that result are often another reason to get high or drink, either to escape the situation or numb the pain associated with it.

Hormonal Therapy: What it is and How it Can Help

Hormone Therapy does not stop the function of hormones in the system or in any way change the symptoms that you experience. It does, however, prepare women for what to expect in terms of hormonal changes as they grow older and what those changes will mean in terms of temptation to relapse during recovery. Specific tactics that do not include addictive drugs and alcohol that can help mitigate the symptoms associated with hormonal shifts are discussed and women develop preparedness plans to successfully handle menstruation and menopausal changes. Women are encouraged to share their personal experience and come up with individualized plans that address their unique symptoms.

Hormonal Therapy at The Orchid

At The Orchid, our entire focus is on women in recovery. From the initial phase of detox through extensive addiction treatment that addresses multiple aspects of experience with drugs, addiction and recovery, our staff professionals are trained to assist with the specific needs of each individual. Each woman experiences a unique treatment plan that addresses her own drug history, history of trauma, co-occurring disorders and other issues. Our Hormone Therapy Program is completely unique in that it was developed by professionals at The Orchid and is implemented at no other drug rehab in the country. Call now to learn more about how we can help you or a woman you love to break free from addiction.

During cocaine addiction, addicts make mistakes. They hurt people they care about, say things they later regret, do things that hurt themselves and others – often things that are criminal. Guilt over these mistakes is a common theme during cocaine addiction treatment, and dealing with that guilt in an effective way can mean the difference between real healing and progress in recovery and ultimate relapse. Recognizing the guilt for what it is and processing it during cocaine rehab is a great start, but making amends and learning how to deal with that guilt after treatment is crucial for a sustained recovery.

Recognizing Guilt During Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Anger and depression in cocaine addiction treatment are often directly related to guilty feelings around behavior during cocaine addiction. Many addicts have the feeling that someone who did the things they did during addiction doesn’t deserve to get treatment and have a good life. In these cases, the anger and depression are symptoms of guilt and when the guilt is recognized for what it is and dealt with accordingly, these symptoms will fade without medication or further treatment. Identifying root causes is one of the biggest things you’ll do during psychological addiction treatment, and simply identifying what is hurting you can help you make strides in recovery.

Processing Guilt During Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Once you’ve identified feelings of guilt and the incidences that caused that guilt, your next step is to start processing those feelings during psychotherapeutic treatment. Depending upon what happened, there may be a number of different foci during treatment. If your actions caused death or pain to someone else, you may talk through those feelings and consider reaching out to those you hurt. If your children were neglected or abandoned as a result of your actions during cocaine addiction, you may consider including them in family therapy and giving them the opportunity to heal as well. This isn’t an easy process and it’s far from pain-free but taking the time to talk it out, discuss your feelings about what happened and consider the feelings of others, you can begin to let go of the guilt you feel that threatens your recovery.

Guilt and Cocaine Addiction Treatment: Making Amends

After cocaine addiction treatment, feelings of guilt often remain, even if you did a great deal of work to process through it during treatment. Coming face to face with some of your mistakes after cocaine rehab can reopen the wounds. But it also gives you a great opportunity: in some cases, you can make direct amends for your previous behavior. For example, if you stole money from a family member or roommate, you can begin to pay it back. Getting a job and paying a portion of what you owe until the debt is gone can really help you let go of the guilt – and help your relationship with the person you stole from.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment at Orchid Recovery Center

If you have not yet chosen a cocaine rehab, consider Orchid Recovery Center for women. Located in Florida, we provide a comprehensive treatment program designed to meet your detox and addiction treatment needs. Contact us today for more information.

Losing a friend for any reason is not easy, but when you lose someone you care about to a drug overdose, it can be devastating. Trying to make sense of the loss is overwhelming, and if you are using drugs and alcohol as well, the death of a close friend often precipitates a drug and alcohol binge. You risk overdosing as well or sinking further into drug and alcohol addiction. Processing the loss of a friend with a therapist, family members and others who care about you is one of the best ways you can get through this difficult time without making the situation worse.

If you are in need of drug and alcohol addiction, we can help at Orchid Recovery Center. Our woman-centered drug rehab program can provide you with a safe and effective treatment unlike any other in the country. Call now for more information.

Losing a Friend to Drug Overdose

When your friend passes due to drug overdose, the sadness and depression can be overwhelming. It’s impossible not to experience a myriad of emotions: guilt that you couldn’t help or save your friend, sadness that his or her life was cut short, and depression at the prospect of having to live without them every day. If you have to notify their family or take part in planning the funeral, the toll can be even larger. Taking care of yourself may the farthest thing from your mind, but it’s important that you prioritize your mental health as you go through this difficult period. Seeking psychological care and potentially short-term pharmaceutical assistance in the form of anti-depressants can help you get through the hard parts until you feel ready to handle the changes in your life.

Help Others Avoid Drug Overdose

If you have other friends who are using dangerous amounts of cocaine, heroin, alcohol, prescription drugs and other substances, you can allow your friend’s passing to spur you on to help others. If you have other friends who are risking their lives in drug and alcohol addiction, don’t wait until it’s too late to get help. An intervention is a great way to confront someone you care about and help them to understand that they need help. Encouraging them to get help now can mean the difference between life and death for them – and it starts with you taking an interest.

Are You Using? Choose Drug Addiction Treatment Now

If you were using drugs and alcohol with your friend who overdosed, don’t let sadness push you to continue to get loaded. Instead, let something positive come from the loss of your friend: get the help you need to avoid drug overdose yourself. If you are looking for a gender-specific drug rehab program that offers cutting edge treatment and luxury amenities, you have found it Orchid Recovery Center. Let us help you save yourself from drug and alcohol addiction. Call now to find out more about our addiction treatment programs.

Coping skills are essential for a woman in addiction recovery. Life is full of change and adjustment, and a good set of coping skills can keep you on track through it all. Here’s another set of critical skills you need to stay sober during recovery.

Keep Your Body and Mind Healthy

When your body doesn’t feel good, it’s tough for your mood to stay up. Bad sleep, a poor diet, and lots of stress can make you feel really run down. When this happens, you tend to feel irritable and impatient. This process can snowball if you don’t make some changes. You can easily start seeking the quick-fix comfort of drugs and alcohol when you feel like this.

Don’t set yourself up for relapse with unhealthy habits. Create a realistic daily schedule that allows for plenty of sleep. Make healthy food choices and get the junk food out of your house. If you need help figuring out your diet, call your drug rehab center, your doctor, or a friend who can teach you to cook. Make time every day for physical exercise. Exercise will help you feel stronger, boost your mood, and help your sleep.

Update Your Recovery Plan As Your Life Changes

Recovery plans are only good if they still make sense in your daily life. You are not going to be the same person between day one of your recovery and day 365. You’ll change one way or another, and your recovery plan needs to change with you.

As time passes, you may need more, less, or simply different kinds of support. When you update your recovery plan on a regular basis, you make sure your sobriety is always in forward motion.

Stay Connected With Other Women in Recovery

When you are in addiction recovery, a build-up of emotional distress can feel overwhelming. Women in recovery tend to isolate themselves when they are feeling an overload. Fear and uncertainty don’t have to shut you down. Resist the urge to hide from the world. Call just one person you trust to pull you out of it.

Get with your network of sober women and get the natural mood lift you need. These ladies have all had struggles during their recovery, and they will help you through yours. Someday, you’ll be the one who helps another woman through her tough times. Women in recovery are each other’s best supporters.

Getting Through Addiction Recovery

You can make it through the ups and down of addiction recovery. Keep yourself healthy, update your recovery plan, and always stay connected with other women in recovery. These essential coping skills can make the difference between relapse and sobriety.

Most people don’t realize when an addiction starts to take over. They ignore the signs and pretend it isn’t changing their life. Don’t let this happen during your addiction recovery. Stay on top of it by developing and using good coping skills. As a woman, you have unique recovery needs. Use the following tips to help you throughout your recovery.

Avoid Situations With High Risk

It’s a lot easier to prevent a bad situation than to get yourself out of one. Recognize high risk when you see it, and you can keep your sobriety intact more easily. Hanging around the wrong friends, being around a lot of stress, or trying to squeeze too much into your schedule can overload your mind and emotions.

You can only take so much before you start looking for ways to escape. Avoiding high-risk situations is a lot easier when you spend time around people with a healthy lifestyle. You have fewer opportunities to get yourself into trouble and your mindset will be focused on positive living.

Find Healthy Ways To Manage Your Emotions

Everyone needs to cope with difficult emotions when they come up. Most women are a more emotionally expressive than men. Women also tend to be more sensitive to emotional fluctuations and lack of harmony in a group. Before your recovery days, you would have used drugs and alcohol to cope with intense feelings before your recovery.

You’ll have a big gap in your life when you stop using drugs and alcohol. Fill that empty spot with better positive habits. Go for a walk, talk to a good friend, do some practical physical activities to quiet your mind, or listen to music. If you can distract yourself in a healthy way, your emotions will calm down sooner and you’ll lower your relapse risk.

Give Yourself Regular Reality Checks

You did a lot to avoid reality when you were actively using drugs. To shake this habit, you need to keep in touch with the truth every day. Spend time around people who will be real with you. Take notice of your own improvements, write those down, and make sure you read those daily. Learn to accept genuine compliments from others who see your progress.

Own up to the negative realities as well. Instead of making an excuse, acknowledge where you went wrong and do your best to make it right. Learn how to accept difficult things you can’t change. You can learn a lot more about yourself when you stay honest every day.

More Coping Skills For Women In Recovery

We have more coping skills for you to learn about. Come back for the next post on this topic to read about more essential ways to prevent relapse.