7 Healthy Ways To Deal With Stress In Recovery

Recovering from addiction is a very transformative time in your life. As you become accustomed to a new and healthy lifestyle, you will face thoughts and emotions that you may have spent years numbing with drugs and alcohol.

Although the changes you are making to your lifestyle while in recovery are ultimately incredibly positive, you will no doubt face stress and unease during this time as well. Here are seven ways to help deal with stress during recovery.

1. Meditate
Meditation is an incredible tool for those in recovery because it allows you to become intensely aware of your thoughts and it trains your brain to recognize unhealthy thoughts as they arise and subsequently dismiss them. Meditation has also been shown to alleviate depression and anxiety.

2. Join a twelve step group
Twelve step groups are an integral part of many people’s recovery for a number of reasons, one of which is that interacting with other recovering addicts offers a chance to share experiences and put problems in perspective.

3. Journal
Writing down your thoughts and feelings can greatly diminish feelings of stress and anxiety. Many problems may seem much more manageable once they have been written down. Journaling also helps keep you aware of the reasons you may be feeling stress.

4. Exercise
Exercise is a highly effective activity for anyone experiencing feelings of stress. Exercise encourages production of endorphins, which naturally elevate mood and bring about a feeling of calm. Exercise is also a great way to feel more in touch with your body as you return to health.

5. Get a pet.
If you do not have a pet already, you may want to consider getting one. Animal companionship has been shown to reduce stress and help provide a general sense of happiness and elevated mood. Even if you cannot currently take on a pet because of your current living situation, you may be able to visit a local dog park or volunteer at a shelter.

6. Spend time with happy people.
In recovery, you separate yourself from the people and situations that are triggering you to use. As you rid yourself of unhealthy influences, you can begin to cultivate the relationships you have with happy people, which will put you in a more balanced mindset.

7. Be mindful of the things you have accomplished.
Recovery is a lifelong experience, and strides toward health are not always made at the pace that we would like them to move at. Rather than becoming discouraged by setbacks or what you view as endless obstacles ahead of you, try to stay focused on the things you have accomplished already.

Once a week, make a list of the things you did that week that were good for you and promoted your mental and physical health. You may even want to post this list somewhere you can see it often, like on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
By taking the time to manage your stress, you will have a much less bumpy and much more enjoyable road to health.
Cindy Nichols is an an addiction specialist and treatment advisor and specializes in alcohol intervention programs at Recovery Now.

Xanax Side Effects - Full Review

When it comes to taking medication for serious health conditions, there is a lot of care and precaution that is important, one could say mandatory also. One class of drugs known as psychoactive drugs can have serious repercussions if they are taken without a doctor’s prescription. Among this class of drugs, can be found categories such as analgesics and even anesthetics. While psychoactive substances have been in use even in historical times, today psychoactive drugs are serious business indeed. Some of the areas in which they find an application are:

• Pain management
• As anesthetics
• Anxiety disorders of various kinds and
• As sedatives also.

One of the well-known names as far as psychoactive drugs are concerned is Xanax. This is the trade name of alprazolam.

Where is it prescribed?

Some specific conditions where Xanax is prescribed are in treating anxiety disorders and panic disorders and if the patient is suffering from depression which causes him to have highly anxiety levels. A doctor will prescribe this drug based on the patient’s medical history and will also take into account health conditions such as liver disease, history of depression and addiction to substances such as alcohol and so on.

Contraindications for Xanax

There are some conditions in which a doctor will not prescribe Xanax. Unfortunately, being a psychoactive drug, Xanax is also misused by people. But there are a few conditions in which Xanax should not be used. One of them is if an individual is pregnant. The other is if an individual is allergic to alprazolam.

Side-effects of Xanax

Every medication is capable of having side-effects if it has been taken without proper medical supervision. Also, while side-effects are kind of commonplace with every medicine, watching out for them will give you a chance to counter them and to cater for them as well. Some of the side-effects of Xanax include:

• A feeling of lightheadedness
• Feeling sleepy
• Fall in libido
• Speech slurring
• Higher sense of fatigue
• Severe allergic reactions

The last category of side-effects can manifest themselves in various ways such as rashes, a feeling of suffocation and itching on the face or other parts of the body. It is highly recommended that an individual contact his or her doctor if such side-effects are noticed. Immediate action will prevent side-effects of Xanax from escalating into more serious health conditions. As a patient, it is always advisable to ask your doctor to list out the possible side effects of the medication so that you are well prepared to cater for the same.

Herbal Incense For Stress Relief

How Herbal Incense Can Help You In Reducing Stress?

As a matter of fact, herbal incense is one of those things that are very helpful in reducing the stress of mind and body. You may not believe this theory but once you will read about the health benefits of herbal incense and how these potpourri products can bring a positive change in your life, you will not be able to resist yourself using them as well.

In a country like United States, it is quite epidemic for a person to feel stressed. We spend our lives under a lot of pressure from work, from society and from family too. Many people use different medications to reduce their stress level and some even sign up for a therapy session so they can control their mental stress. What if you could reduce your stress very easily without paying a lot of money on medicines or therapy sessions?

Our nervous system is the main system of body that reacts to all kind of situations and when it comes to stress management, the nervous system can become easily confused. The main reason is that, you are not able to get the stress thoughts away from your mind. In this situation, the only thing that can help you is the change of atmosphere. Obviously, you cannot leave your job and family to go for a holiday on a healthy place but there is one thing that you can definitely do. Why don’t you bring the atmosphere of a healthy tropical beach to your room? I’m talking about using herbal incense. Herbal incense products are available in different flavors and these different flavors have different effects on the nervous system of your body. If you want to reduce your stress after a hectic day at work then nothing can be better than using herbal incense in your house.

If you understand how your nervous system works then you also know that you are the one who is supposed to provide an external stimulus to your brain for feeling good. Your brain is one of the sharpest and complicated parts of your body but it cannot find the peace itself. You are the one who is supposed to provide your brain with an opportunity to feel good and rest will be taken care of by your nervous system. If you will provide a stress stimulus to your brain, it will start feeling stressed but if you will provide a good and healthy stimulus to the brain, it will find its way to work around stress and make your feel better.

Some of the best herbal incense products that you can use to reduce your stress level are; Lavender, Marjoram, Bergamot, Lemon, Sandalwood, and Chamomile. All these herbs and natural ingredients have been used by mankind for centuries to help fight stress and anxiety. It is time for you to provide your body a break and let your brain feel stress-less by using herbal incense in your house.