Drug Rehab Blog

This weekend we celebrate a new year and a time for new beginnings. However, to those recovering from alcoholism, New Year’s Eve and celebration can be a difficult time. Celebrations are oftentimes used as a means to consume alcohol and those trying to abstain can find this a challenge; especially those new to recovery experiencing this for the first time. The alcohol rehab and drug rehab at the Cirque Lodge wishes you a safe and sober holiday with 5 tips to assist with a sober New Year.

1. Treat it as a normal day – Those who have gone through rehab have different practices or activities they do each day to help them stay focused on their recovery. Just because it is a holiday, doesn’t mean you should take the day off of these activities of getting yourself focused on another sober 24.

2. Do Something – One of the dangers can be just to sit at home alone and shut yourself out from the celebration. It is smart to avoid places where the temptation may be just too much to drink. However, the thought of missing out can be just as much stress and strain. There are also plenty of activities that don’t involve drinking, like going to the movies or out with friends. Those in AA will probably have options for parties and celebrations where recovery is a central focus.

3. Involve Family – Your family members can also provide or be a resource on the holiday. Family members are aware of your efforts of recovery and chances are they want to help you. Do something with your family that keeps you sober during the celebration. You don’t even have to go out if you don’t want. A house full of sober family provides your own party and games.

4. Meetings and Sponsor – We talked earlier about going to an AA New Year’s Party, but through the holidays it can also be beneficial to lead up to New Year’s with plenty of meetings and sponsor work. Maintaining a focus on your recovery can be imperative and such a focus is found by immersing yourself in the program and involving your sponsor in the process. Perhaps you and your sponsor can be involved together in the above mentioned activities if possible. Some in AA do what is called an ‘alkathon’; which is a attending a marathon of meetings.

5. Serve – Finding ways to serve others is always a helping tool to staying sober. Look for ways to help others with service as a means to keeping yourself sober. Whether it is others in recovery, family, or the community, look for ways to serve.

Part of the alcohol and drug treatment program at Cirque Lodge is to teach the alcoholic or addict how to apply self-care in their lives. Within the recovery process, there are a number of daily routines or practices that are a means to self-care and relapse prevention. These practices can be a means to staying focused on sobriety. One such aspect of self-care taught at Cirque Lodge is to take time each morning and plan out the day. This can involve inspirational reading, meditation and preparation for what the oncoming day is to bring. Below are aspects or things that can help with self-care for body, mind and spirit.

Body – Exercise has a number of advantages as well as a proper diet. It keeps the individual healthy and the body producing natural rewards. Exercise can also be an effective form of self-care for recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. Research and studies are currently being done on the positives of an exercise program for those overcoming addiction. Taking time in recovery consistently to exercise can have a positive effect on the individual and can keep them focused on principles of recovery. At Cirque Lodge, exercise is a daily part of alcohol and drug treatment. It can develop into a daily practice and a means to self-care after treatment in the recovery process.

Mind – Self-care for the mind can consist on a number of things and for those overcoming addiction, such care can be an important part of the process. Meditation can play an important role in this. At the Cirque Lodge, part of alcohol and drug rehab is to teach the practice of meditation. Taking time to relax each day and to just focus on breathing can be a means to reducing stress and the troubles that are faced in recovery. Self-care for the mind can also involve being creative and utilizing one’s talents. In recovery, it can be beneficial to use talents as form of expression and a means to letting go the problems of the world.

Spirit – Spiritual self-care can come in many forms. It can be a religious experience and a matter of worship. It can also be a very personal and internal experience. But, a positive practice of spiritual self-care can be imperative in the recovery process. At the Cirque Lodge, nature is oftentimes tapped for its healing and spiritual qualities. Alcohol and drug treatment clients have opportunities throughout the year to get out onto the mountain and to experience its serenity. In recovery, residents can practice the same principles by going for a hike or a walk in a serene location. Such can be a means to keeping that focus and that connection to a power greater than one’s own.

A supportive environment can play a central part in getting and staying sober. When an alcoholic/addict comes to Cirque Lodge, they are surrounded by such an environment. Much of this effort is attributed to our caring staff. Both the Cirque Lodge and Studio facility supply a caring and supportive around the clock staff for those seeking to overcome alcoholism and drug addiction. These efforts help in making individuals feel comfortable when they first come to alcohol and drug rehab. It is also in place to help with the many struggles and progresses that come with recovery and overcoming addiction.

The Cirque Lodge staff consists of many individuals that supply help, support and addiction treatment. A number of this staff is in recovery from their own struggles of drugs and alcohol. They have dedicated their lives to working the final step of recovery by helping others achieve the same. In a drug rehab setting these staff members are available to provide experience and support and also help with working the steps of recovery.

Resident needs can also vary. Part of the environment and the efforts of the caring staff are to meet these needs for clients. Whether they need something from the store, have a personal struggle, or have a special dietary need, Cirque Lodge is committed to meeting these needs and providing the very best in an alcohol or drug rehab experience. Staff meets together several times each and every day to discuss client needs and progress in an effort to provide the most effective treatment, proper care and support for the struggles that can arise during addiction treatment.

Recent estimates say that around 20% of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. The numbers used to not be so high, but have grown significantly in the past 10-15 years. A number of prescription medications can be quite habit forming and can leading to an addiction. Commonly abused types of medications are narcotics/or painkillers, anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids/tranquilizers. Prescription drug abuse and addiction is a difficult struggle and can require help to overcome. At Cirque Lodge, we can help with a caring a private drug rehab treatment.

With prescription drug abuse and addiction, you are dealing with all types of people. It isn’t the typical stereotype of a drug addict. Many individuals can become addicted to medications they thought were intended to help them. To help with this, Cirque Lodge provides individualized treatment for its clients. A professional assessment process is used to determine needs. The results of the assessment are tailored into a treatment plan for the client. Therapies are also private and individualized for clients to address their concerns and deal with any underlying problems that may have a hand in drug abuse and addiction.

Medications can be prescribed for mental health issues or mood disorders. Some of these medications can be addictive. Individuals that struggle with mood disorders are much more likely to develop a chemical dependence to addictive substances. Cirque Lodge is a dual diagnosis alcohol and drug rehab facility. Drug addiction treatment is combined with caring efforts and programming for co-occurring disorders such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. Prescription drug addiction can be a struggle. With the Cirque Lodge drug rehab program, you have caring environment, comfortable facility and the treatment needed to properly arrest the disease of addiction.

Struggles with drugs and alcohol can create many complications in the life of the alcoholic/addict and those that they love. Time in an alcohol or drug rehab facility can provide a safe haven away from the struggles of the world and the influences of drinking or using drugs. The problems in the world and the home can be triggers to substance abuse. It can be advantageous to get away from the situation and get help and support for these issues.

Residential alcohol and drug rehab facilities have changed over the years. The hospital feel of a treatment center has been replaced by comfortable and therapeutic environment in many facilities. Some treatment centers emphasize high levels of living in the facility to accommodate what an individual needs for recovery. A private and comfortable place can provide a proper surrounding for coming to grips with the issues of substance abuse and developing the skills needed to walk away from them.

Cirque Lodge strives to provide such a safe haven for those in need of alcohol or drug rehab treatment. For the struggling individual, the Cirque provides a caring and comfortable environment and staff willing to go the extra mile. For the family of the alcoholic/addict, Cirque provides a program to educate them and provide care on their level of need. For the alumni, the safe haven is available through guesting, aftercare meetings and continual alumni programs to promote continues efforts of recovery. Healing and recovery are found here in the serenity of the mountains; a safe haven away from the problems of the world and addiction.

There are many types of addiction treatment programs and therapies available. Most of them strive to provide a different way for dealing with life’s problems without having to turn to drugs or alcohol. At Cirque Lodge, many different activities and experiences are combined with the traditional forms of alcohol rehab or drug treatment. One of these elements is yoga. Yoga has a number of healing qualities that work well with the aspects of addiction treatment and therapies. Cirque Lodge residents can take part in yoga classes with an instructor as a part of their drug rehab stay.

Yoga strengthens the body, mind and spirit. The efforts of the Cirque Lodge program also provide a similar balanced recovery effort for those struggling with addiction. Yoga assists with healthier lifestyle choices and teaches deeper meanings to meditation and mindfulness. If there is a person who could benefit from meditation and mindfulness it is one that struggles with alcoholism or substance abuse. Yoga also provides a relapse prevention tool for the recovery process. After completing an addiction treatment program, the individual in recovery can continue to use yoga a one of the ways they stay focused on their recovery efforts.

The experiential program at Cirque provides many unique opportunities to learn lessons of recovery. One such activity is found through the equine program. The Cirque Lodge drug treatment facility has a number of horses that are specifically for working with clients through a number of therapeutic exercises. The Cirque Lodge Studio location has indoor and outdoor space for working with the horses. This time of year the indoor facility helps to keep the horses and the residents out of the cold elements. Residents work with horses and also members of our experiential staff through these equine exercises.

For the individual in alcohol or drug rehab who has been around horses, the equine program can be quite therapeutic and provide them with something they can connect with while in treatment. For those who have not been around horses, the activity can be very trying, but also can teach invaluable lessons on communication, establishing trust and asking for help. Horses by nature are creatures of flight and part of the process of working with horses can be just to gain the trust of the animal. It can be a very powerful experience when such trust is established and the horse is willing to submit to the residents’ commands.

Usually when you think of a alcohol treatment or drug treatment facility, horses are not what comes to mind. At Cirque Lodge, they are just part of the unique and healing experience that has helped so many individuals with the struggles of drugs or alcohol. It always seems that residents gain exactly what they need from the equine experience, for themselves and for their recovery. The horses and experiential activities are integrated into the effective pieces of clinical therapy and the 12-step program.

There are a number of alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs available. With Cirque Lodge, you are provided with the finest in an alcohol and drug rehab facility. This is coupled with an effective confidential and personal addiction treatment program. As a licensed and health care accredited facility, Cirque Lodge is committed to providing the very best in clinical care and therapies. All of this is provided in a confidential setting with a professionally licensed and caring counselor.

Alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as co-occurring dual diagnosis issues require many different approaches to treat. What is needed for a particular individual can come down to an assessment and personal needs. The alcohol and drug rehab program at Cirque Lodge is tailored with personalized care to meet these needs. Individualized, one-on-one therapies are scheduled and provided to each client with their addiction counselor. Dual diagnosis professionals are also available on site to work with clients on co-occurring mental health concerns.

Privacy and confidentiality are things we take quite seriously at Cirque Lodge. The facilities are privately located and offer a place away from the problems of the outside world. Treatment is also carried out within a private and confidential manner. Cirque Lodge is based upon the modality developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and client anonymity is maintained for those seeking alcohol or drug addiction treatment. A private and personalized treatment experience can serve as a starting point and foundation for continuing on with long term, successful sobriety.

Many individuals that struggle with alcoholism or drug addiction also struggle with a form of emotional or mental health issue. These people are referred to as having a dual diagnosis. This can develop in different ways. An individual diagnosed as having a disorder can at times turn to drugs or to alcohol as a way to temporarily relieve the struggles. Similarly, long term drug or alcohol abuse can result in changes to the central nervous system; the result can be a diagnosed disorder. Alcohol and drug rehab treatments have changed in recent years to integrate treatments for addiction and mental health or mood disorders.

Recent reports have shown that dual diagnosis individuals are more common than previously thought. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that an estimate of 37% of alcoholics and 53% of drug abusers also struggle with at least one mental health disorder. Nearly 30% of those diagnosed as have a disorder abuse either drugs or alcohol. It used to be that treatments required separate attentions, but alcohol and drug rehab programs have been developed in recent years that address both problems with proper care in one environment.

Cirque Lodge offers dual diagnostic care for those faced with alcoholism and with drug addiction. This health care accredited drug rehab facility focuses on the individual with proper treatments to arrest the disease of addiction. Proper clinical care is also in place to address the problems of mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders. The addiction program consists of proper treatments and recovery measures. For the mental health issue there is clinical diagnosis, individual and group therapies and appropriate medication when required. The effort is to supply a means to recovery from both aspect of the dual diagnosis issue.

An important aspect in drug rehab programs is the introduction and use of coping skills. Overcoming addiction is a painstaking, involved process. It is a constant battle the first few months of sobriety. Coping skills can be a powerful ally in the arsenal of those battling their addictions. At Cirque Lode, a number of coping strategies are developed to help in the critical times after rehabilitation. This is done through treatment and also through the unique activities of the Cirque Lodge experiential program.

After treatment is completed, the alcoholic/addict must continue to work at their recovery. The strategies developed in alcohol or drug rehab can provide a resource against relapse. Cirque Lodge also provides graduating residents with an aftercare plan to assist with continuing help through the recovery process. As a 12-step facility, part of this plan is to transition into the recovery community, continuing the steps and working with a sponsor. Alumni can also return to the Cirque and Guest free of charge to help them refocus on recovery.