Alcoholics anonymous South Africa

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Heroin Rehabilitation | Heroin Treatment Centre | SA | Bethesda

Heroin Rehabilitation poses some serious challenges. Physical withdrawal can be dangerous if not managed by medical professionals. Request help today!

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Alcohol Rehabilitation | Alcohol Treatment Centre | SA | Bethesda

Bethesda prides itself on being a leading Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in South Africa, with many years experience in the addiction field. Enquire today!

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Drug Addiction Counselling | Bethesda Recovery Treatment Centre

Addiction is a maze-like complex of multidimensional problems that is affecting all aspects of society. Read more on Bethesda's drug addiction counselling!

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Cocaine Rehabilitation | Cocaine Addiction Treatment | Bethesda

Cocaine Addiction is rampant in South Africa, Bethesda Rehab has many years of experience dealing with Cocaine Rehabilitation making us the choice for you!

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OUTGROWING EARLY RECOVERY

I’m taken back into those first few months of early recovery, some fond memories, some hard battles. Some lost and some won, one thing was certain from the start, recovery needed to be more than just not using. I wanted a new life, I’ve so often heard people say, ‘I want my life to go back to normal’ the way it was before I started using. The truth of that matter is the life you used to have, you needed drugs to cope, so I knew straight away I wasn’t interested in what life used to be like. It was time to outgrow that old life but also, I had to keep growing. You see one thing I didn’t realise before was the change had to be continual. I wanted more than what the steps had to offer, I wanted more than what the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous had to offer. I was so comfortable in those rooms, surrounded by dysfunction. Yet when I was around “normal” people I felt uncomfortable and out of place. That dynamic had to change for me, I wanted nothing more than to be a productive person. It’s not that I wanted to be normal, I just wanted to feel like a human being. I was so sick of feeling like I was evil, I was sick of lying and hurting everyone I cared about.

So, the process started, I wanted to know why I was an addict or what made me behave in this strange way. I started writing and reading a lot about different theories because the disease theory on its own didn’t make sense to me, I remember a lecture at the treatment centre where I cleaned up, where they said if addiction is a disease then I don’t have it. That statement made a lot more sense to me than some victim angle, blaming disease as the culprit for my disastrous behaviour. So, what then was left to answer the question, why am I an addict?

This question bothered me for months, I read books, researched and watched YouTube till I was blue in the face. I really liked the direction Dr Marc Lewis was going. The neurological side of addiction was very fascinating to me, I wanted to understand what happened in the brain that caused me to go back and back for more “pleasure” at the expense of everything around me. I found the harder I looked, the less I understood. The less I understood the more questions I asked. Eventually leading to a place where all those questions became irrelevant. I wasn’t going to solve the mystery of addiction, I was an addict, full stop. It started there and it ended there. Something new surfaced, how did I stay clean this time and what was different to all the other times I had tried to clean up in rehab? There are a few important points to make here.

Knowledge within itself is useless. For many years I knew all there was to know about the program, the steps and what I believed was recovery. I still couldn’t get through a day without using. If knowledge equalled recovery most of us would have got clean a long time ago. Knowledge becomes useful when it is backed by action, dreams, ideas and goals are nothing without applying yourself and making the necessary changes. This is a program of action after all.

Understanding the fundamental basis for recovery became everything. Here is what it means to me. Within myself I did not have nor would I ever possess the power to control my addiction. Once I start the ball rolling, I use over and over again until it kills me, it was that simple. Powerlessness.

I needed to know and have a continual relationship with God.

I needed to able to stay clean and sober and most importantly sane without NA and AA before I could walk into those rooms and carry any sort of message of hope. I was sick of always having to depend on something. I had always heard throughout every rehab that it was NA or die, I didn’t want to live that life. What if I find myself in a situation where the rooms are not accessible? I would eventually relapse because my recovery depended on being able to get to meetings. There must be a way to apply the same principals in a different environment.

I was not the man of my ideas and intentions. If I was I would never have been an addict or broken all those promises to the people I loved. I would have stayed clean the first attempt and lived a successful life. It was and still is too some extent easy to live in that fantasy, it’s easier to see myself as what I project I want to be rather than the recovering addict in early recovery. Staying present and accountable helped me see myself for what I was, the ideas were important but I was not that person, yet.

I gained an understanding of myself more than anything else, I learnt where I fall short, where my weaknesses are, I also learnt where my strength lies and how to ask for help. Understanding those few points is what keeps me in recovery. I don’t over-estimate my importance any more than I under-estimate it. I believe I have a realistic view of myself and my abilities. I’m not scared to try new things or admit that I’m struggling. I reach out to God more often than not and that is what truly holds my life together.

On concluding I feel that it’s important to say that we are not and never will be perfect, we as humans are fallible, we as addicts are hyper-sensitive and critical. Finding the balance between easy and firm on yourself is the key.

Live life, reach out and trust in Him and all will be okay.

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Spirituality’s Role in Addiction Recovery

Addiction treatment programs focus very much on the biological and scientific explanations behind addiction and proven protocols for how to fix them.

PET scans show how dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward – has large and fast increases in response to drugs and alcohol that mimic those increases seen when people experience pleasure. Dopamine induced by substances, however, has a much stronger and lasting effect.  It is this intense euphoric feeling that leads an addict into seeking out that substance again and again.

Medical Aspects of Drug Treatment

Medical detoxification from drugs or alcohol is, then, one of the first steps taken when a person enters a residential drug rehabilitation center.

Once the drug or alcohol is removed from the person’s system, medicines are given to ease any uncomfortable side-effects associated with withdrawal.  These are given over a number of days or weeks, depending on how long the person was addicted.  In the beginning, 24 hour nursing care is given to ensure that they are doing well and no serious adverse events are occurring.  Seizures and heart failure are two possible consequences of an unsupervised withdrawal.

Spirituality Matters

While counselling is provided to motivate patients in their continued sobriety, the role of spirituality in recovery may often be overlooked or thought of as contrary to scientific principle, but more and more doctors are recognising the importance of a holistic approach to drug detoxification and the influence this can have on a person’s success.

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is different things to different people.  For the religious it can be defined as a belief in God or a higher power. There are others who are ‘spiritual’ but not in a religious context and have a heightened sense of awareness or perception that they place meaning upon to help guide them through life.  Then there are atheists who have no ‘other world’ belief but who have their own set of morals and philosophy.

A person’s spiritual beliefs and experiences can be harnessed during times of great stress to help them find the motivation and strength to continue and succeed.

What Does Science Say about Spirituality?

Scientific research into spirituality and substance misuse shows that people who are highly spiritual or religious are less at risk of developing an addiction and generally drink less than their atheist counterparts but when they do become addicted, their belief can act as an antidote to the addiction and are more likely to remain abstinent after completing an addiction detox program.  Both atheists and those with a belief system have similar successes in their initial treatment plans, but those who report the experience of addiction and recovery as ‘spiritual’, an awakening or a gift and see the process as transformative are more likely to still be abstinent three years later.

The depth of a person’s spirituality is also tied in with the duration of the recovery.  People with deeply held beliefs recover faster, have lower levels of stress and are more optimistic and place greater meaning on their lives.

Findings like this have led to renewed interest in using spirituality to help people with addictions, through counselling that supports a person’s own personal interpretation of that and assists them in finding a more profound purpose. Hospital chaplains could also have a role in this and provide an ear to listen or a non-judgemental opportunity for prayer.

Some rehab programs are bible based for those who want to gain support and comfort through scripture.  This type of emotional help is advantageous because it can continue when the person goes home.  Mentors are available to coach people leaving a residential program but this period of time is still high risk for getting stuck and having a relapse.  A bible can be taken home and used in a home setting, or if the person is not religious, a journal of thoughts, book of inspirational poetry or other passages that motivate them to keep up all of their good work and effort.

Utilizing alternative therapies such as meditation and guided visualization could also benefit and is increasingly being adopted by doctors in the mental health field.

It is clear that an integrated approach encompassing mind and body is a better way towards each individuals long term success at beating addiction.

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Synthetic Drug Rehabilitation | Bethesda Synthetic Drug Rehab

Synthetic Drug Rehabilitation or designer drug rehabilitation is challenging as we are never sure what to expect medically during detox.

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Drug Addiction Counselling | Drug Counselling | Bethesda Drug Rehab

Addiction is a maze-like complex of multidimensional problems that is affecting all aspects of society. Read more on Bethesda's drug addiction counselling!

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FORGIVENESS-LETTING GO OF GRUDGES AND BITTERNESS

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another. Perhaps your mother criticized your parenting skills, your colleague sabotaged a project or your partner had an affair. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness or even vengeance — but if you don’t practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

What is forgiveness?

Generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you might always remain a part of your life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. It can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you deny the other person’s responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn’t minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

Healthier relationships

Greater spiritual and psychological well-being

Less anxiety, stress and hostility

Lower blood pressure

Fewer symptoms of depression

Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

Why is it so easy to hold a grudge?

When you’re hurt by someone you love and trust, you might become angry, sad or confused. If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility can take root. If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.

What are the effects of holding a grudge?

If you’re unforgiving, you might pay the price repeatedly by bringing anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Your life might become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can’t enjoy the present. You might become depressed or anxious. You might feel that your life lacks meaning or purpose, or that you’re at odds with your spiritual beliefs. You might lose valuable and enriching connectedness with others.

How do I reach a state of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. To begin, you might:

Consider the value of forgiveness and its importance in your life at a given time

Reflect on the facts of the situation, how you’ve reacted, and how this combination has affected your life, health and well-being

When you’re ready, actively choose to forgive the person who’s offended you

Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life

As you let go of grudges, you’ll no longer define your life by how you’ve been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.

FORGIVENESS: LETTING GO OF GRUDGES AND BITTERNESS

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN’T FORGIVE SOMEONE?

Forgiveness can be challenging, especially if the person who’s hurt you doesn’t admit wrong or doesn’t speak of his or her sorrow. If you find yourself stuck, consider the situation from the other person’s point of view. Ask yourself why he or she would behave in such a way. Perhaps you would have reacted similarly if you faced the same situation. In addition, consider broadening your view of the world. Expect occasional imperfections from the people in your life. You might want to reflect on times you’ve hurt others and on those who’ve forgiven you. It can also be helpful to write in a journal, pray or use guided meditation — or talk with a person you’ve found to be wise and compassionate, such as a spiritual leader, a mental health provider, or an impartial loved one or friend.

DOES FORGIVENESS GUARANTEE RECONCILIATION?

If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. This isn’t always the case, however. Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you. In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible — even if reconciliation isn’t.

WHAT IF I HAVE TO INTERACT WITH THE PERSON WHO HURT ME BUT I DON’T WANT TO?

If you haven’t reached a state of forgiveness, being near the person who hurt you might be tense and stressful. To handle these situations, remember that you can choose to attend or avoid specific functions and gatherings. Respect yourself and do what seems best. If you choose to attend, don’t be surprised by a certain amount of awkwardness and perhaps even more intense feelings. Do your best to keep an open heart and mind. You might find that the experience helps you to move forward with forgiveness.

WHAT IF THE PERSON I’M FORGIVING DOESN’T CHANGE?

Getting another person to change his or her actions, behavior or words isn’t the point of forgiveness. Think of forgiveness more about how it can change your life — by bringing you peace, happiness, and emotional and spiritual healing. Forgiveness can take away the power the other person continues to wield in your life.

WHAT IF I’M THE ONE WHO NEEDS FORGIVENESS?

The first step is to honestly assess and acknowledge the wrongs you’ve done and how those wrongs have affected others. At the same time, avoid judging yourself too harshly. You’re human, and you’ll make mistakes. If you’re truly sorry for something you’ve said or done, consider admitting it to those you’ve harmed. Speak of your sincere sorrow or regret, and specifically ask for forgiveness — without making excuses. Remember, however, you can’t force someone to forgive you. Others need to move to forgiveness in their own time. Whatever the outcome, commit to treating others with compassion, empathy and respect.

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Resolutions and Behaviour Change | Bethesda Rehab Centre

Resolutions and Behaviour Change is an important topic for those wanting to achieve long term recovery.

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