Sober Living Archives - Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Dealing with Depression During the Winter Months

Posted on December 14, 2022 by cmarnew

If you struggle with depression during winter, you can use some self-care strategies to deal with the situation. If you’re unsure about where to start or what steps you can take to cope with the changing season’s effect on your mood, we are here to help. To help you get on the right track and manage the symptoms, you may want to consider seeking treatment from a rehab center.

Dual diagnosis treatment can help you get to the root of your depression and provide tools for coping with the winter blues. If you’re looking for “dual diagnosis near me,” Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery provides effective, comprehensive care to help you find balance in your life.

Why Is Depression Common During the Winter?

Depression during winter is linked to a decrease in sunlight, which affects your body’s production of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that helps regulate your mood, and its production is related to exposure to sunlight. With fewer hours of daylight in winter, people tend to experience a drop in mood.

The long, dark hours of winter can also lead to isolation and loneliness—two factors that are closely linked to depression. You may find yourself struggling with a lack of motivation and loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, as well as difficulty sleeping.

Seeking Treatment for Depression During Winter

If you suffer severe symptoms that affect day-to-day activities, it is advisable to seek a therapist’s assistance. Rehab centers can provide practical tools and strategies to help you build resilience and cope with this disorder during its peak. An expert will evaluate your condition and provide personalized treatment services, including:

Addiction treatment if substance use is a concern
Medication-assisted treatment to reduce symptoms
Case management and peer support
Pain management services

Treatment can also address underlying issues such as trauma, which can worsen depression.

Ways to Cope with Winter Depression

Consider Working Out Regularly

Exercising during winter can boost your energy and make you feel better. Physical activities improve the brain’s serotonin levels which control mood. It is a great way to distract your thoughts from the stress-causing situation and concentrate on positive energy.

Studies reveal that if you perform a thirty-minute exercise routine three times per week, you can alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms. If going to the gym seems challenging, opt for working out at home or find engaging physical activities.

Lightbox Therapy

One of the causes of seasonal depression is the lack of exposure to natural sunlight. Fortunately, you can take advantage of other ways to receive the necessary light. Experts concur that lightbox therapy can help.

The sunlight boxes are fitted with fluorescent tubes and produce light with similar benefits to sunlight. A 30-minute exposure to the lightbox every day can help you fight depression symptoms. Many therapists in the US use this technique as an antidepressant for their clients.

Develop Proper Eating Habits

Many people with depression crave carbohydrates and sugar. While it is okay to take your favorite snacks, overeating can affect your health. For example, it can lead to weight gain and unexplained fatigue. Developing a healthy eating plan boosts your body’s metabolism and increases energy levels.

Adopting a healthy diet can serve as a useful depression treatment. Sugary foods can be part of your diet but cut them as much as you can. To develop a healthy diet plan, you can use several strategies, such as:

Minimizing sugary drinks
Watching nutrition labels on pre-cooked foods
Taking low-sugar cereals
Considering high fiber and whole-grain starches
Consuming more vegetables and fruits
Minimizing fats

Learn Coping Mechanisms

You can use simple tricks, like breathing in and out, as a depression treatment. Deep breathing calms your brain and the body. You can do this exercise anywhere, and it can be useful if you do it consistently. Breathing exercises reduce tension in various body parts and help to alleviate anxiety and depression.

Yoga and meditation can also help you feel better. Health experts encourage people to embrace these practices because they understand their health benefits. Try to learn mindfulness, which aims to maintain focus on the current moment and cultivate fulfillment and happiness.

Consult a therapist at a depression treatment center to learn mindfulness, meditation, and other life skills for coping with depression during winter.

Overcome Depression at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

You can use these tips to deal with depression during winter, but if the symptoms persist and become uncontrollable, seek immediate medical intervention. At our rehab center, you will meet skilled and experienced therapists who understand the severe consequences of long-term depression. Contact Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery at 833.448.0127 to examine your condition and access innovative treatment techniques for seasonal depression.

How to Stay Sober After Rehab

Posted on August 25, 2022 by cmarnew

Moving into rehab marks a pivotal point in your life. It can be challenging to admit that you have a problem with drugs and alcohol. However, you should feel proud of yourself for the decision to change your life for the better. While participating in an addiction treatment program, you will be in a safe, supportive, and structured environment designed to restore a semblance of normalcy in your life.

However, transitioning to everyday life after rehab can be scary and overwhelming as you don’t know what comes next. Therefore, it is critical to have some action plans on how to maintain sobriety after rehab to prevent relapse. For assistance with this process, contact Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery at 833.448.0127 today.

Identify Your Triggers for Relapse

A big part of maintaining sobriety after rehab or an outpatient treatment program requires you to be honest about the environment and the people around you. Identify the kind of environment, places, things, and situations) that may aggravate your thoughts and cravings associated with substance use. After noting the external triggers, you may want to identify your internal triggers or feelings, thoughts, and emotions related to substance use.

After identifying the cues and triggers, you can then create a plan to prepare and avoid them. The most common triggers among those in recovery include:

Stress
Emotional distress
Environment cues
Relationship issues
Job and financial problems
People who still use the substances

Identifying these triggers is a difficult but important first step to remaining sober after rehab.

Build a Support Network

When recovering from addiction, it is best to acknowledge that some of your past relationships were downright toxic. Even though you may have cut off your dealings with your drinking buddies or drug dealers, the people closest to you may contribute to a relapse. Toxic relationships, such as codependent relationships with friends, family, or employers, may contribute significantly to your chances of relapsing. It’s critical to develop healthy relationships with supportive friends and family members on whom you can lean for support. Even though your relationships might be damaged, seeking a family therapy program in CO can help you repair the broken relationships.

In family therapy, you will learn how to communicate effectively, work through conflict, and develop healthy boundaries. You can also develop a sober support network by attending 12-step meetings or therapy sessions. These groups will help you feel connected to others who are going through similar challenges.

A Structured Routine and Healthy Living Habits

Having a well-structured and organized lifestyle will help you focus on the goals you have in life. On the other hand, having a disorganized lifestyle can hinder your recovery. Staying sober is the priority. However, focusing on your goals can distract you from substance abuse triggers and help you maintain sobriety after rehab. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a structured daily and weekly routine while participating in addiction treatment therapies and stick to it.

Prolonged drug abuse can have a toll on your health; therefore, at the time that you are going through recovery, it is important to prioritize self-care and ensure you have the strength to remain sober. Some of these healthy habits include:

Exercising regularly
Making time for your hobbies
Eating regular, well-balanced food
Get ample and quality sleep
Practice mindfulness and yoga

Find the practices that help you feel less stress and anxiety and incorporate them into your routine on a regular basis.

Finding Financial Sobriety After Rehab

People recovering from drug addiction often have financial problems. These problems can include having trouble meeting responsibilities in the workplace, maintaining employment, or managing money responsibly. Drugs can be expensive, and it’s not uncommon for those in active addiction to drain their savings.

Rehab is an investment in your future. Additionally, addiction treatment programs are typically covered by insurance, which can make it easier for you to begin treatment without worrying about your finances.

Having financial issues can be a significant trigger for relapse, and even though the changes might not happen overnight, it is possible to get your finances in order by taking baby steps. Reach out to your vocational rehabilitation counselor to help you hone your job-seeking skills. Once you have a job, it’s critical to create a budget and start managing your finances responsibly.

Find the Right Support at CMAR

Having support on the road to recovery is essential to prevent relapse. If you or your loved one needs additional support, don’t hesitate to seek help at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery. We’ve designed our addiction treatment to integrate comprehensive treatment and aftercare programs to prepare you for life after rehab. Some of our services include:

Physician services such as medication-assisted treatment
Support services surrounding addiction recovery
Dual diagnosis treatment
Behavioral health counseling
Family involvement and education

Let us support you as you maintain sobriety after rehab. Contact Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery to learn more about our aftercare programs. You can reach out to our team at 833.448.0127 or connect with us online today.

Opposite of Addiction

Posted on May 9, 2022 by cmarnew

THE OPPOSITE OF ADDICTION:

What is the opposite of addiction? If you posed this question to a random group of people, I would venture a guess that the vast majority would say that the opposite of addiction is sobriety. In other words, as long as you are abstaining from drug use, you are the opposite of addicted. I would argue that this stance is short-sighted and only partially true.

In addiction recovery, there is a common phenomenon referred to as “white knuckling.” “White knuckling” is when someone is not drinking or using their drug of choice by sheer willpower. They make a conscious decision to no longer drink or use drugs, which often leads to preventative measures like throwing out all the booze or drugs they have stashed around their home or deleting their drug dealer’s number from their phone. Although these are important behavioral strategies to employ in recovery, it is an incomplete take on recovery. As “white knuckling” suggests, the addict is clamping down, barely holding on to their own sobriety. To truly engage in the recovery process, the individual must delve deeper. They must examine underlying emotional components that lead them to use. One common driver of use across the board is loneliness.

So, let’s return to the question at hand, what is the opposite of addiction? Well, writer Johann Hari argues that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection. That’s not to say that sobriety is not important to recovery, it absolutely is. But importantly, so is connection.

In his TedTalk, Hari references a study conducted with lab rats that offers compelling evidence for this conclusion. In one trial, a researcher placed a single rat in a sterile cage with two bottles. One bottle had water in it, and the other had water infused with drugs. Unsurprisingly, the rat chose the bottle with the drugs and became addicted.

In a second trial, the researcher placed rats in a cage called “Rat Park.” This cage had both the water bottle and drug-infused bottle, as well as plenty of food, wheels for exercise, toys, and other rats to socialize and have sex with. This time, however, none of the rats chose the drug-infused bottle. None became addicted. Drawing on these results, the researchers concluded that positive social connection was the single most important predictor in whether someone will struggle with and recover from addiction.

Examining recovery programs, such as AA, NA, or CA twelve-step programs, it is no surprise that there is so much emphasis on group programming. Interpersonal connection is an essential human need, and these types of programs offer connection with other individuals in recovery. So, in your own recovery process, it is important to focus on sobriety, but also imperative that you focus on building a positive network of social support. How can we work to build our own version of “Rat Park?”

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

Accommodation and Addiction

Posted on May 6, 2022 by cmarnew

ACCOMMODATION AND ADDICTION:

Typically, accommodation is considered a good thing. It is usually associated with being polite, caring, and respectful of someone else’s wants, wishes, or needs. We are often praised for being selfless or kind when we accommodate someone else’s preferences. This praise feels good, thus, reinforces and encourages us to continue with our accommodative ways. However, I will make the argument that, while this way of being has positive qualities, if taken to an extreme, it is not ultimately beneficial to ourselves. Let’s look at an example of how this could play out.

I want you to imagine that you are hosting a dinner party and one of your guests is lactose-intolerant. As such, there can’t be any dishes with dairy. Although you love cheese, you recognize that it is only one night, and you can live without it for a meal. Not so bad, right? Your guest will be appreciative, and you’ll feel good about yourself for accommodating your their dietary restriction. Everybody goes home happy.

Well, let’s imagine that this guest starts coming over for dinner several times a week. Although you like them quite a bit, you notice that it is starting to feel like there’s no room for your preferences. You want something with cheese but also don’t want your guest to be hungry or ill. As such, you continue making dishes without dairy. Your guest may still be appreciative, but you begin to resent them. What started as a considerate gesture has grown and changed, such that you are no longer able to eat the dinner you want to.

Although this is a somewhat silly example, it highlights the dynamic of what’s called “pathological accommodation.” Pathological accommodation is when an individual regularly prioritizes others’ preferences above their own to gain admiration, affection, and praise. It is not about accommodating others once or twice; it is a compulsion. Typically, people who pathologically accommodate are well-liked, which reinforces the accommodative tendencies. However, like with all things, it is not that simple.

People who pathologically accommodate also feel helpless. They have their own urges, needs, and feelings that they don’t know how to relate to. They have spent so much time prioritizing others’ needs that they don’t know what to do with their own. As such, they may turn towards behaviors that enable them to connect with these feelings in a “safe” way, free of the burden of accommodation. Two relatively common behaviors for pathological accommodators are isolating and using alcohol and/or drugs.

With isolation, the individual can sit in their own experience without feeling any pressure to respond to someone else’s needs. With substance use, the individual attempts to escape those painful feelings of loneliness. Further, the act of drinking or using drugs creates a sense of autonomy or control to make decisions over one’s own life.

While I am in no way arguing that accommodating others’ is necessarily a bad thing, I encourage you to reflect on the frequency and nature of your accommodations. Eating dairy-free for a meal here and there is fine. But every day? I don’t think so. We all need cheese every now and then.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

The Twelve-Step Program: Step Eight

Posted on April 19, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP EIGHT

“Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Have you ever seen the television sitcom My Name is Earl? In this show, the main character, Earl, decides that he is going to turn his life around. After years of bad behavior, selfishness, and greed, he decides that he is going to be a better person and start putting some good into the world instead. He creates a long list of people that he believes he has harmed over the years with his poor behavior, writes down a corresponding description of how he wronged each person on the list, and seeks each one out to try and make things right with them. Although Earl is not formally working a twelve-step program, the premise of the show does a nice job of capturing the principles of steps eight and nine.

Step nine, perhaps the most well-known step, has to do with the act of making amends. This is the step that much of My Name is Earl depicts on screen. Step eight, however, is essential in setting us up for step nine. If we rush into step nine before thoroughly completing step eight, we put the cart in front of the horse. To complete step eight, we must engage in thoughtful and intentional self-reflection, writing down how our behaviors have harmed others. Without step eight, there is no step nine. Without Earl’s list, there is no show. We must make the list.

People in twelve-step programs often find that step eight can be one of the most challenging steps of the program. In steps one through seven, we are largely focused on ourselves. We reflected on how our lives are currently unmanageable, formed a personal definition of “higher power,” and took a personal moral inventory. We developed an understanding of how our addiction harmed ourselves. However, in step eight, we must begin to look at how our behavior with drugs and alcohol has harmed others.

In making this list, I’m sure there will be certain people that come to mind immediately. Perhaps you can remember exactly what you did and know that your actions hurt them. However, there will also be others where you are unsure of if you hurt them or not. Or, perhaps your actions unintentionally harmed them. For step eight, that does not matter. For anyone that you suspect you may have harmed, intentionally or not, include them on your list. People commonly included on these lists are husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, exes, parents, children, friends, and colleagues, among others.

A crucial part of step eight also has to do with resentments. There will be people on your list that you have harmed, but that you feel have also harmed you. You may not want to make amends or feel they don’t deserve amends. However, holding this resentment is like drinking poison hoping the other person will suffer. Work with a therapist, sponsor, or trusted individual to better understand these resentments and realize what amends must be made. Making amends with those particular people may be one of the most important aspects of your recovery process.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

The Twelve-Step Program: Step Seven

Posted on April 13, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP SEVEN

“Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”

The last few steps of the twelve-step program have largely been focused on self-reflection. We took a personal moral inventory of who we truly are at our core. We then shared our truest selves with another human being. Then, we developed an acceptance and cultivated a willingness to let our character defects go. In step seven, we build upon these steps with a step that is more action oriented.

We take action in that we ask our higher power to remove our character defects that we had previously identified. To reiterate, higher power does not equate to any particular religious figure or notion. Instead, it has an individual, personalized meaning. While a higher power could mean God, it could also mean the natural world, science, or the twelve-step program itself, among others. Whatever the case, we rely on our chosen higher power to instill a sense of trust in life’s events. Life will do what life does. We reject the notion that we control what happens to us, and instead focus on what we can do for the world around us. In essence, we welcome in a sense of humility.

Let me ask you, what do you first think of when you hear the word ‘humility’?

For many people, humility immediately conjures associations to the word ‘humiliation,’ which is typically viewed in a negative lens since it is essentially defined as the degradation of oneself in either their own eyes or the eyes of someone else. It is a loss of pride. ‘Humility,’ on the other hand, is not about public or private ridicule. Instead, it is about freedom from pride and arrogance. It is a sense of humbleness; a modest view of one’s own importance. Humility is something that we must continually foster and nurture. It is essential to long-term sobriety. It is what allows us to live life on life’s terms. Many twelve-steppers refer to this notion as getting “right-sized.”

Well, what does “right-sized” mean anyways?

Have you ever heard the fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears?” In the story, Goldilocks goes through trials and tribulations with bowls of porridge that are too hot and too cold, chairs that are too big and too small, and beds that are too hard and too soft. With each of these items, she eventually finds one that is just right. A bowl of porridge that’s the right temperature, a chair that’s the right size, and a bed that’s the right firmness. In step seven, we do the same thing.

We rely on our higher power to remove the aspects of ourselves that are “too big,” like grandiosity and self-entitlement, as well as the parts of ourselves that are “too small,” such as shame, regret, and unworthiness. In doing this, we become “right-sized,” which allows us to move forward. It does not mean that we won’t experience negative emotions or events. Rather, it frees us up to better cope with negative experiences when they do arise.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

The Twelve-Step Program: Step Six

Posted on April 12, 2022 by cmarnew

STEP SIX

“We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Now that we have taken a personal moral inventory in step four and admitted our flaws to a trusted individual in step five, we are now ready for step six. In step six of the twelve-step program, we look at our defects of character, cultivate an acceptance of these defects, and then develop a willingness to let them go. These defects of character may be some of the ways be behave or cope that have contributed to our problems.

If you are reading this and think to yourself, ‘How on earth do I develop a willingness to let these defects go?’ You are not alone. It is certainly easier said than done.

One thing that gets in the way of developing a true willingness to let defects of character go is that human beings are creatures of habit. We find a behavior or coping strategy that seems to work and may continue to rely on that behavior or coping strategy for a long time, even when that behavior or coping strategy does not align with our personal values.

For example, we may value interpersonal connection and close relationships, yet we get angry when we start to feel rejected. Our anger thus pushes others away from us, which is directly at odds with our value of interpersonal connection and close relationships. However, we may continue to get angry because that is how we have historically coped with rejection. Something about this anger probably feels comfortable. It is an automatic response as this pattern has likely been a part of us for a long time. With individuals struggling with addiction, this pattern could be fertile ground for relapse.

In step six, we focus intently on the behaviors or coping strategies, in this case anger, that contribute to an individual’s struggles. Below, I have included a step-by-step guide on how to work through personal challenges. Write down the answer to each question and repeat the steps as necessary for each challenge that comes to mind.

What is a struggle you face?
How does that struggle influence your behavior?
How does this struggle impact others?
How does this struggle impact you?
What feelings come up in thinking about this struggle?
What do you do to deal with these feelings?
What do you imagine your life would look like if you didn’t deal with the feelings this way?
What productive alternatives could you employ instead?

By reflecting upon and recognizing the ways in which our struggles, feelings, and actions interact, we are better able to do something different. We build a deeper relationship with ourselves, develop a motivation to change, and a willingness to try something new. It may be scary to break a longstanding pattern, but it opens up the possibility of meaningful, positive change.

By Jonathan Fricke, MA

Making Realistic Addiction Recovery Goals in 2022

Posted on January 13, 2022 by cmarnew

Many people will ring in the New Year by celebrating with friends and family, drinking and partying the night away. For those struggling with addiction, a New Year’s resolution to quit substance abuse is a great way to start the new year healthy and sober. To help you achieve your addiction recovery goals, an outpatient addiction recovery program is available to help those who are ready to commit to their addiction recovery.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we specialize in all types of drug and alcohol addiction with detoxing and outpatient treatment programs. We include medication-assisted treatment to help with your withdrawal symptoms. Plus, behavioral therapy programs will help you better understand your addiction and what is driving it. To get help with your New Year’s resolution for a sober 2022, call 833.448.0127 today to begin your outpatient addiction recovery program.

Setting Realistic Goals for Your Recovery

Many people will make New Year’s resolutions with high hopes of changing their lives for the better. The most popular resolutions for 2022 include eating healthier, getting enough sleep each night, and joining a gym. With addiction cases on the rise over the last year due to the pandemic and continuing financial hardships, getting sober is a New Year’s resolution many people will be making.

Patients who have never gone through addiction recovery may not understand how difficult addiction recovery can be. They assume that their withdrawal symptoms will end after a few days or weeks, and they are cured. In reality, most treatment programs last 30 – 90 days and require a lifetime commitment to maintaining their sobriety. Many patients will complete a program and continue to attend therapy sessions for years as they continue to feel their cravings once in a while.

Patients who succeed with their addiction recovery understand that recovery will take time and will do everything they can to reach their goals. Patients who are successful with their addiction recovery have realistic goals and commit to:

Setting aside quiet time each day for reflection and contemplation
Maintain their health through exercise and healthy eating
Attend therapy sessions on a regular basis
Work on mending fractured relationships
Create a sober home environment

Outpatient Addiction Recovery

To help with your addiction recovery goals, Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery offers outpatient addiction recovery programs for patients who are physically and mentally fit. An outpatient addiction recovery program can help patients whose withdrawal symptoms are not as severe and who have a stable home environment. Without a sober home, the road to recovery can be more difficult.

During outpatient treatment, you will work with therapists and your peers to create healthy coping skills that will help you throughout your life. You will learn to recognize your triggers and practice your coping skills with others in the program. Meanwhile, medical professionals will administer FDA-approved medication to reduce your withdrawal symptoms and allow you to focus on your recovery as well as your home and work commitments.

Other benefits of an outpatient addiction recovery program include:

A rehab program that fits your schedule
A more private rehab experience
A tailored treatment program to meet your individual needs
More affordability than inpatient programs

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Can Help You with Your Addiction Recovery Goals for 2022

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is a 100% outpatient addiction treatment facility that uses medication-assisted treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy to help patients reach their goals for a sober 2022. To help you maintain your sobriety, we include various addiction treatment therapies to help you get a better understanding of your addiction:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Individual and group therapy
Family counseling
Neurofeedback therapy
Case management and peer support

If you or a loved one want to start 2022 off sober, call 833.448.0127 today to discuss your addiction recovery goals and more information about our outpatient addiction recovery program.

3 Mocktail Ideas for a Sober Holiday Gathering

Posted on December 20, 2021 by cmarnew

Whether you are just coming out of recovery or have years of sobriety under your belt, the holidays can be a difficult time to stay sober. The holidays mean office and family holiday parties and get-togethers with friends with plenty of alcohol wherever you go. To help you maintain your sobriety, there are plenty of mocktail ideas that make for a tasty drink without alcohol. These ideas will help with your alcohol rehab for a sober holiday.

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we want you to have a fun holiday season while maintaining your sobriety. Our alcohol addiction rehab can help you build healthy coping skills for getting through the holidays without relapsing. Call 833.448.0127 today to speak with our friendly staff about our alcohol addiction rehab and mocktail ideas for delicious non-alcoholic holiday drinks if you need tips for having a sober holiday.

Getting Ready for a Sober Holiday

A lot of patients’ first sober holiday can be the most difficult. The first time heading to a holiday party fresh out of recovery can cause a lot of stress for some as they want to enjoy themselves yet remain sober. As you prepare for the holidays, you can take some simple steps to give yourself the confidence you need to enjoy the party and maintain your sobriety.

Refresh your coping skills with therapy sessions through an outpatient program
Talk to your sponsor before heading to a party
Bring a sober friend
Have a plan to leave if your cravings become too much to handle.
Host your own sober gathering

If you are at a holiday party and feel your cravings are beginning to take over, it is OK to leave before your ruin all of the hard work you’ve put toward your sobriety. At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we offer online rehab and outpatient addiction treatment programs to help you have a sober holiday.

3 Mocktails Ideas for Sober Holiday Parties

Peer pressure to drink is one of the main driving factors in alcohol addiction, and the simple act of having a glass in your hand can be enough to curb some of your desires to drink. You want to fit in with everyone and not be the only one not drinking.

Here are three mocktail ideas that you can mix and enjoy for your sober holiday party.

1. Alcohol-Free Hot Toddy

This traditional holiday drink is warm and soothing.

7 oz hot black tea
1 tablespoon sugar-free honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lemon wedge

Pour honey, lemon juice, and spices into your favorite mug. Top it off with the hot tea, stir, and garnish with the lemon wedge. This recipe is for 1 mocktail.

2. Sparkling Pomegranate Punch

Pomegranate is a flavorful fruit with many health benefits and makes for a tasty mocktail idea.

2 ½ cups seltzer water
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 lemon twist

Combine pomegranate juice and seltzer in a large punch bowl and mix well. Pour over ice and garnish with a lemon twist. This recipe serves 4.

3. Grapefruit Mock-Mosa

Mimosa’s are a favorite festive drink that everyone will enjoy.

¾ cup orange juice
½ cup grapefruit juice
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar-free honey
1 12-ounce bottle chilled sparkling water
Orange, lime, or grapefruit twist for garnish

Combine orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and honey. Stir until the honey dissolves. Cover and chill for a minimum of two hours so all of the flavors can blend. Pour the juice into four glasses, then stir in sparkling water. This recipe serves four.

Garnish with your choice of citrus peel.

Choose Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery for the Best Alcohol Addiction Rehab for You

Our alcohol addiction rehab program at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery can help you have a sober holiday with helpful tips and mocktail ideas for your sober gatherings. Our online and outpatient treatment programs can help you when you need it, with evening and weekend therapy available. If you need continuing support to help you stay sober during the holidays, call 833.448.0127 today to learn more about our alcohol addiction rehab.

Relapse During Treatment

Posted on November 8, 2021 by cmarnew

Relapse is a really difficult topic for people in drug addiction recovery. Since the 1930’s, recovery has been considered a black and white thing. It has long been believed that people are either in or out of recovery, they’re either using or they’re not. These days, however, decades of research tell us that that’s not true. That recovery is a spectrum that ideally does include long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol, but that that may include the use of partial opioid agonists like buprenorphine, opioid blockers to keep us clean from alcohol, and opiates like Naltrexone, and it might include full-on relapse.

The first 6 months of recovery are the hardest and are statistically when most people relapse. Unfortunately, that means that that’s when most people fail out of treatment because most treatment programs fail to recognize the spectrum of recovery, they only recognize black and white sobriety. So when someone relapses, it means they failed and they have to leave rehab. But why? How is it good for someone to kick them out of drug addiction treatment when they most need drug addiction treatment? Does one or two uses of their long-time drug of choice mean they aren’t motivated or don’t’ care? Does it mean they can’t change? Or does it mean that they simply tripped a few times getting off the block, and that if we stick with that person they can win the race?

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we reject the notion that every patient of ours has to have the same exact journey of success. Many of our patients have come in and never used again, and we’re proud of those patients. And yet we’re also extremely proud of those patients we’ve had who have had some really dark times during their treatment, and let us help them back into recovery where they have since found lasting success. Some patients came to us wanting to stay off of medications, and then after a few relapses found that an addiction medication like Suboxone, Subutex, Naltrexone or Vivitrol was exactly what they were missing! Relapse is a part of recovery for many of us. Don’t let relapse hold you back. If you had a relapse on drugs and alcohol and need help getting or staying on track, call Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery today 833.448.0127 for help.