The Ultimate Addiction and Recovery Plan

Welcome to the ultimate addiction and recovery course. I built this course for people who struggle with substance or behavior addictions and want to learn how to obtain recovery without having to leave their home.

This course is jammed packed with hours of short lectures that will walk you through the entire process starting from before detox all the way through to obtaining full sobriety. The goal of this course is to help as many people as possible kick their addictions so they can go on to live happy, healthy and prosperous lives. This course will give you the foundation and tools you need to beat your addiction for good.

The sobriety success method comprises of four components; the physical body, the mind, the social environment and addiction related subjects. In this course, together, we will cover all components in great detail so that you can have the best start possible for your journey to recovery.

My name is Denise Roberts and I have many years experience in the addiction and recovery field. I have a bachelor's degree in counseling with an emphasis on addiction, substance abuse and chemical dependency and I have a masters degree in psychology.

I have seen the struggles that people face with addiction first hand so I truly understand how frustrating it can be to want to kick an addiction but not being able to leave your family, friends, or work. This is why I started Live Rehab and created the sobriety success model.

Hundreds of people have taken my courses and have been able to obtain a full recovery and that’s what I want for you too!

Making the choice to find a recovery plan online isn’t an easy one. This course is motivating and fast paced with smaller lectures so you can learn the concepts without having to sit through hours of useless or boring meetings.

You will get my full support through the Q&A as well as frequent announcements throughout the month.

Thank you for being here today and with that being said, I’ll now give you a rundown of what each section in this course entails.

Welcome to the ultimate addiction and recovery course. I built this course for people who struggle with substance or behavior addictions and want to learn how to obtain recovery without having to leave their home.

This course is jammed packed with hours of short lectures that will walk you through the entire process starting from before detox all the way through to obtaining full sobriety. The goal of this course is to help as many people as possible kick their addictions so they can go on to live happy, healthy and prosperous lives. This course will give you the foundation and tools you need to beat your addiction for good.

Welcome welcome. Thanks for taking this course. I hope you’ve had a chance to check out the course description and what to expect throughout. I want to start now by giving you a brief rundown of how this course is structured.

This is the ultimate addiction and recovery course because it is jammed packed with everything you need to know about recovery. This course has 15 sections and there multiple lecture within each section.

To start, this is section one and we’ll conclude this section after this lecture by talking about the stage of change.

In section two, I am going to walk you through on how to take inventory. Taking inventory is taking inventory on your money, time and well being. Before starting this course fully, you’ll want to get a good idea of where you stand.

In section three, we will talk about setting a quit date. If you have already quit it’s still a good idea to watch this section in its entirety as we talk a lot about preparation. You might find some parts of the section useful and may be able to implmement some of the techniques even after your quit date. So don’t skip it!

In section four, we talk about detox. Again if you have already detoxed I would highly recommend still watching it as you might find certain aspects of the section helpful. However from section five onward, nobody should be breezing through any of the sections and every section is important. The sobriety success method is built based on you working through all of the components, not just picking and choosing. To get maximum success you will need to implement all of these techniques in one way or another.

Section five, six and seven cover the physical aspects of recovery. We’ll start with diving in about nutrition, fitness and sleep and how all of these three physical components work with each other.

Section eight, nine and ten, cover the social aspects of recovery. We talk about how to navigate family, friends and professional relationships while in recovery.

And section eleven, twelve, and thirteen cover the psychological aspects of recovery. We will start by addressing your mental and then we’ll talk about spirituality and how to live intentionally.

Last, in section fourteen we’ll cover triggers and how to manage them.

In our final section fifteen, during our conclusion you will get resources and information on what to do after you are done with this course.

I hope you are as excited as I am to get started on this journey. Without further ado, let’s dive right in and talk about the stages of change.

Welcome welcome. Thanks for taking this course. I hope you’ve had a chance to check out the course description and what to expect throughout. I want to start now by giving you a brief rundown of how this course is structured.

This is the ultimate addiction and recovery course because it is jammed packed with everything you need to know about recovery. This course has 15 sections and there multiple lecture within each section.

To start this course I thought it would be helpful for you to see something called the Stage of Change. This model was created to show how individuals progressed through sobriety. Since you are here today you are somewhere between preparation and maintenance. But why I want to show you this is because it’s important for you to see where you started and where you can end when you follow a plan and stick to it.

The stages of change model isn’t always linear which means some people teeter between two stages or go back and forth between stages before getting to termination. Some people never progress through the stages while others might find it easy and fly right through. This is an individual journey and my hope for you is that after following the sobriety success method outlined here you will eventually be able to terminate your recovery. So let’s talk about these stages.

People who use drugs, alcohol, or struggle with any sort of addiction go through different stages. This is called stages of change. It’s important to understand the stages of change so that you understand the recovery process. Everybody is different and everybody will be at each stage for a different amount of time. For example, some people are in pre-contemplation for years while others might only be in this stage for a few months. It takes some people longer to prepare. In this ultimate addiction course, we realize that some of you may only be contemplating while others are ready to prepare. The ultimate end goal is termination and I’m confident that if you follow this method fully you will reach termination. So where do you fall on this?

1. Pre-contemplation – the stage where users do not even recognize that there is a problem.

2. Contemplation – this is where the user starts to recognize that there may be a problem and is having thoughts about possibly making a change.

3. Preparation –the stage where the user begins to prepare to change. Maybe they are thinking about setting a date to quit. http://www.liverehab.com/?p=1272

4. Action –the user is actively participating in a program or has started to obtain sobriety. The user is on day one of sobriety or after.

5. Maintenance –when sobriety has been achieved for some time and the user is working hard on maintaining their sobriety.

6. Termination – when someone has obtained full sobriety and is confident that they can be in any situation at any time without the possibility of relapse.

To start this course I thought it would be helpful for you to see something called the Stage of Change. This model was created to show how individuals progressed through sobriety. Since you are here today you are somewhere between preparation and maintenance. But why I want to show you this is because it’s important for you to see where you started and where you can end when you follow a plan and stick to it.

Welcome to Inventorying your Life For the first half of this we’re going to talk about how to calculate how much your addiction is costing you and with that we’ll cover time, money and your overall well-being. The second part is going to cover the things you can and should do instead and again we’ll talk about your money, time and overall well-being as well. The best way to do this is to either use your journal or get three peices of paper. On one side, you will calculate what your addiction is costing you while on the other side you will document your progress and ideas on what you can and should be doing instead. So let’s start by talking going over what exactly taking inventory is.

Welcome to Inventorying your Life For the first half of this we’re going to talk about how to calculate how much your addiction is costing you and with that we’ll cover time, money and your overall well-being. The second part is going to cover the things you can and should do instead and again we’ll talk about your money, time and overall well-being as well. The best way to do this is to either use your journal or get three pieces of paper. On one side, you will calculate what your addiction is costing you while on the other side you will document your progress and ideas on what you can and should be doing instead. So let’s start by talking going over what exactly taking inventory is.

Taking inventory is something that is important because it allows you to see where you currently are so that you can properly calculate your progress throughout your recovery. So for example, if you struggle with alcohol but have no idea how much money you spend on drinking then how will you know how much money you’re saving once you stop? This is about being true to yourself - remember, you’re here for you and this is a different approach, a different way. There’s no pressure to share your story or fudge the numbers out of embarrassment. This is for your eyes only if you prefer it that way. Of course we do encourage everyone to share their story if comfortable but in the early stages of recovery sometimes it’s uncomfortable and that’s okay too. But you know what? Once you start to make progress you’ll be excited to share how far you’ve come but you won’t be able to do that unless you know where you started from. So let’s dive in now and talk about how to calculate how much money your addiction is costing you.

Taking inventory is something that is important because it allows you to see where you currently are so that you can properly calculate your progress throughout your recovery. So for example, if you struggle with alcohol but have no idea how much money you spend on drinking then how will you know how much money you’re saving once you stop? This is about being true to yourself - remember, you’re here for you and this is a different approach, a different way. There’s no pressure to share your story or fudge the numbers out of embarrassment.

One of things people who are new to recovery get really excited for is saving money. So in order to find out how much money you are going to save it’s important to calculate how much your addiction was costing you or is currently costing you now. For this exercise - there’s no need to sugar coat anything as these numbers will be for your eyes only - not your friends, not your family members, just you.

Once you have taken a moment to promise yourself that you will be completely honest about these numbers then you can start to dive right in. The simplest way to do this is to start by figuring out how much you spend each day on your addiction. Now some of you may not be spending money daily so it may be weekly or every few days so in this case you need to calculate how much you are spending over a few week period and then find the average.

For example, let’s say your addiction is alcohol and you buy 2 bottles of wine each Sunday, a 12 pack of beer each Friday and a bottle of vodka on Wednesday. So add all those up and then divide that number by 7 to get your daily number.

Let’s say your addiction is opiates and you buy daily from your dealer - there’s yoru start right there.

What about behavior addictions like video games? This one might be more complex but what you would need to do is calculate how much you’re spending on video games, addons, consoles, and so on - calculate maybe over a month and then divide it by the number of days in that month to get your daily spend.

Once you’ve figured out your daily amount you can then do all sorts of things to find out how much you’re spending. You can times your number by 7 to get your weekly spend. Times your daily number by 30 to get your monthly spend and then you can even go on to figure out how much your spending over a year and even 10 year period. A little later in the course we’ll talk about how to decide what to do with the money that you’ll be saving but for now, have fun with this activity. Try not to get upset or down about how much you’re spending or how much you’ve spent in the past, just use this information so you that you have a starting point - a way to show progress as you move forward. Next we’ll talk about how to calculate how much time your addictions is costing you.

Once you have taken a moment to promise yourself that you will be completely honest about these numbers then you can start to dive right in. The simplest way to do this is to start by figuring out how much you spend each day on your addiction. Now some of you may not be spending money daily so it may be weekly or every few days so in this case you need to calculate how much you are spending over a few week period and then find the average.

Now let’s talk about how to calculate how much time your addiction is costing you. This is similar to money in that you will calculate how much time you spend and then try to figure out your daily time however, there’s a lot more that goes into calculating time and it’s not always cut and dry. For example, if your addiction is alcohol - the amount of time you spend using alcohol isn’t just the amount of time you’re drinking but the amount of time you spend going to the store to buy alcohol, the amount of time you spend drinking and also the amount of time you spend hungover. Shockingly, for some this may be all waking hours and for others it may be all weekend - but it’s important to be honest about the severity. If your drug of choice is heroin then you would calculate the time you spend calling your dealer, the time you spend in withdrawals. Or maybe your addiction is porn and this would be the time you spend watching porn or searching for porn. The best way to do this is calculate how much time you spend in an entire week and then divide that number by 7 to get your daily time. Similar to money. Don't’ down play this activity - every minute you spend thinking acting on your addiction should be included in this number. Next we’ll talk about how to calculate how much your addiction is costing you emotionally.

Now let’s talk about how to calculate how much time your addiction is costing you. This is similar to money in that you will calculate how much time you spend and then try to figure out your daily time however, there’s a lot more that goes into calculating time and it’s not always cut and dry.

The last activity for taking inventory is take inventory on what your addiction has cost you emotionally. When you think of emotions you can think of your own mental health and the people in your life. So for this activity, it’s best to just do a free write and start listing everything you can think of that’s been affected by your addiction. For example, you might write things like family member names, friends, your kids, spouses, and then you can include things about yourself like perhaps your addiction caused you to go into a depression or maybe yous tarted to think about suicide, or you now get anxiety. Maybe you lost a relationship. Also include physical things about your body like maybe your addiction has caused you to gain or lose too much weight, maybe you're deficient somewhere or you’ve been diagnosed with something that is directly related to your addiction. Once you start to free write you’ll be surprised how much you’ll be able to attribute to your addiction. Remember, right now we’re just taking inventory and once you’ve taken inventory you can proceed as we will then talk about what you can do instead. Good luck and in our next lecture I’m going to talk about the sunk cost fallacy.

The last activity for taking inventory is take inventory on what your addiction has cost you emotionally. When you think of emotions you can think of your own mental health and the people in your life. So for this activity, it’s best to just do a free write and start listing everything you can think of that’s been affected by your addiction.

When it comes to your addiction, you likely incur sunk costs all around you and maybe you’re aware of them and or maybe they’re hidden but it’s important that you recognize them so that you don’t fall into the trap.

Myth: I’ll have so much disposable income after this. Reality:  you’ve been neglecting your finances.

Alright so now we’re back to talking about money. By now you should know exactly how much money your addiction is costing you. Now that you know this, let’s talk about what you can do instead.

Okay now that you know how you’re going to be spending your money, let’s talk about how to spend the time you’re saving. Similar to money, oftentimes people think that they are just going to magically have this unusual amount of free time and that’s not always the case. I want you to think of this from a different perspective. Don’t think of this as free time but think of this as sober time. Of course, with sober time there will be some free time that comes out of it and what you do with that time is important.

If you spend your free time sitting on the couch, watching tv, playing video games and eating junk food, you will not feel productive or better. Your time should be calculated and with intention. So for example maybe your addiction was costing you 6 hours per day. With a new schedule and sober time you might add an hour or two for sleep if you weren’t sleeping well, maybe you spend a little more time at work, and then maybe you spend time on yourself - more fitness, cooking at home rather than eating out, and so on.

The way to measure your success here is to make a schedule for yourself and then do a daily reflection. Maybe you’re used to being hungover on Sundays and now you’re up and out grocery shopping by 10am. Or perhaps you used to spend your fridays drunk or high and now you’re spending quality time with your family instead. Those are major wins but unless you take the time to reflect and compare your new life to your old life, you won’t see them, you won’t feel them and you might feel like the whole process is boring and slow. That’s normal.

So start reflecting, grab a journal and document your wins each day. You’ll be surprised how far you come.

Okay now that you know how you’re going to be spending your money, let’s talk about how to spend the time you’re saving. Similar to money, oftentimes people think that they are just going to magically have this unusual amount of free time and that’s not always the case. I want you to think of this from a different perspective. Don’t think of this as free time but think of this as sober time. Of course, with sober time there will be some free time that comes out of it and what you do with that time is important.

Earlier I had the task of writing down all the things your addiction has been costing you - starting with people and then moving towards your own mental health. Now I want you to go back to that list and start to prioritize those things and think of ways you can start to make it better. For example, maybe you put on your list your spouse. Perhaps under your spouse's name would be like more communications, couples counseling, and so on. Maybe on your list you put depression. Think about what steps you need to take to get yourself the care you need. Do you need to make an appointment with a mental health professional? Therapy, medication, and so on.

At first, this may seem like a huge undertaking so try not to get overwhelmed. Instead, break it down into small chunks and always prioritize. You don’t want to try and repair an old friendship with a drug dealer for example, instead you can cross them off your list by doing something simple like deleting their number and blocking them from your social media. That’s a quick and easy win.

It’s going to take time but again, just like what I was talking about with the time and money, make sure you take time each day to reflect on your small wins and gains. And always keep a journal, I cannot express to you how important this is for motivation. Daily it’s going to seem and feel like things are taking forever to get better but if you document and journal you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come and that will be helpful to look at if you ever feel triggered or like giving up and going back to your old ways. ’

Earlier I had the task of writing down all the things your addiction has been costing you - starting with people and then moving towards your own mental health. Now I want you to go back to that list and start to prioritize those things and think of ways you can start to make it better. For example, maybe you put on your list your spouse. Perhaps under your spouse's name would be like more communications, couples counseling, and so on. Maybe on your list you put depression. Think about what steps you need to take to get yourself the care you need. Do you need to make an appointment with a mental health professional? Therapy, medication, and so on.

Taking inventory isn’t easy and can be very eye opening. Like we discussed the only way you can measure success is to be honest about where you started. We talked about not just money but time and emotional costs as well. If you have any questions at all feel free to post them in the facebook group or the Q&A.

What a topic we have for you! It may not seem like there’s that much to think about when setting a quit date but boy there certainly. We’ll talk about why setting a quit date is important, what things to think about when setting a quit date, what to do before your quit date, what to do on your quit date and then why you should celebrate your quit date. I”m excited to talk more about this so let’s just dive right in.

What a topic we have for you! It may not seem like there’s that much to think about when setting a quit date but boy there certainly. We’ll talk about why setting a quit date is important, what things to think about when setting a quit date, what to do before your quit date, what to do on your quit date and then why you should celebrate your quit date. I”m excited to talk more about this so let’s just dive right in.

Setting a quit date is important because it shows that you are thinking critically and strategically about how you want to proceed in the recovery process. When you don’t have plan or you just wing things then your chances for success greatly diminish. By setting a date, you can take the time leading up to that date to properly prepare and yes, there are many things to prepare for and to think about which we will talk about in the next lecture.

The date that you set will be a date that you will remember forever, this will be your anniversary date - sort of like getting married. You commit to something different, commit to a new beginning and you will celebrate this every year for the rest of your life.

Now don’t just look at the calendar and pick a random date. There are many things to think about before choosing that date so let’s talk about that.

Setting a quit date is important because it shows that you are thinking critically and strategically about how you want to proceed in the recovery process. When you don’t have plan or you just wing things then your chances for success greatly diminish. By setting a date, you can take the time leading up to that date to properly prepare and yes, there are many things to prepare for and to think about which we will talk about in the next lecture.

Welcome - now we’re going to talk about all the things you need to consider when setting a quit date.

First of all, your quit date will depend entirely on your physical dependence. If your detox and withdrawal won’t be as bad you might be able to push through certain things. Whereas, if you’re going to have a detox or withdrawal that puts you out for days it’s important to take that time and not try to push yourself through any situation really.

If you are detoxing from alcohol or barbiturates you’ll need to have a medically monitored detox and sometimes you don’t get a choice on that date - it might be chosen for you. If you are detoxing from alcohol or barbiturates it might also be an option to taper down so your official quit date won’t be until you are safe to completely be off those substances. If you are detoxing from alcohol or barbiturates and you have a physical dependence please talk to your doctor.

If you are a binge drinker on the other hand and your body is used to going days without drinking alcohol, you can set your quit date but please be cautious and if you start to feel any sort of physical withdrawals, contact your doctor ASAP.

So with all that being said, let’s talk about what to think about:

First off, when you’re looking at your calendar, think about important events that might be coming up. Are you wanting to quit and have a good amount of sober time before that event or if the event is in the near future you may want to think about waiting until it’s over; maybe it’s a family birthday or reunion, maybe you have a big project at work or school, a wedding, whatever it is just don’t schedule your quit date on those dates or just right before because you don’t want to be withdrawing or going through detox during that time. If those events are pretty far out, try and set your quit date sooner than later - because you’re here and you really don't want to drag this out any longer than you have to.

Other things to think about - depending on the severity of your withdrawal and detox is whether or not you’ll be able to take time off work or school or other obligations you may have. Maybe you’re a parent - can you find a babysitter for a few days while you go through this? If you work, can you use vacation or sick time? Again this depends on the severity of what you're going through. If it’s a mild detox or withdrawal you might be able to get away with just taking it easy but if you’re withdrawing from something like opioids then you may not be even semi functional and will need to have a few days with no commitments.

Okay so take some time to think about this and set a date. Next, we’ll talk about what to do before your quit date.

Welcome - now we’re going to talk about all the things you need to consider when setting a quit date.

First of all, your quit date will depend entirely on your physical dependence. If your detox and withdrawal won’t be as bad you might be able to push through certain things. Whereas, if you’re going to have a detox or withdrawal that puts you out for days it’s important to take that time and not try to push yourself through any situation really.

Okay so now you’ve set a date or you know you will be setting a date to quit soon. But what do you do between now and then?

For starters, think about who you can tell. Think carefully about this because you want to tell people who are supportive of you but also people who you know you don’t want to let down. The more you hype it up the better your chances. Don’t be cautious but rather confident and proud. Like ya, hey I’m quitting next Tuesday and that’s that.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Depending on who knows about your addiction, reach out - ask for a babysitter, ask for time off work, ask for someone to come check on you during this time. If you think you can’t do it alone, ask for company.

Next, you’ll want to start getting rid of things that will trigger you. Are there things around your house? Maybe alcohol, paraphernalia, and so on. Have a plan on how you’re going to get rid of drugs or alcohol by your quit date - will you pour the alcohol down the drain? Flush the drugs, etc?

Stock up on healthy foods and snacks. The last thing you’ll want to do is go to the store and have to buy something while you’re withdrawing.

Stock up on entertainment - keep yourself busy with movies, books, and so on.

Ask someone to hold onto your money for a few days starting on your quit date. As the first few days are pretty rough it’s important to eliminate anything that might cause you to want to relapse. By not having money, you won't be able to get the drugs or alcohol you’ll want to get.

And last, clean your home and catch up on household chores. Having a clean space which includes things like clean sheets, towels, and so on can really make a difference. You’ll feel less stressed and more refreshed when your environment is not cluttered.

With all this being said, let’s talk now about what to do on your actual quit date.

Okay so now you’ve set a date or you know you will be setting a date to quit soon. But what do you do between now and then?

Okay so everyone’s quit date is going to be a different experience. For some, your quit date might be having to start detox. For others, it might be just another normal day. But on your quit date, wherever you are, it’s important to really give yourself some props. Do a lot of self reflection and be really proud of yourself. Getting here wasn’t easy and it won’t be easy going forward but for day one, you should take some time to do something nice for yourself. If you have the budget, then do something like treat yourself to a nice massage or go out for a nice meal. Give your body permission to relax; maybe go to the movies or binge watch a new TV show. Make this special and one you’ll never forget. It’s the first day of the rest of your life.

Like I said, it’s not going to be easy going forward, physically, mentally and emotionally but at least for this day, you can rest and relax, catch up on some sleep and get prepared to start the next chapter of your life. Next, let’s talk about celebrating!

Okay so everyone’s quit date is going to be a different experience. For some, your quit date might be having to start detox. For others, it might be just another normal day. But on your quit date, wherever you are, it’s important to really give yourself some props. Do a lot of self reflection and be really proud of yourself.

So all the hype about setting a quit date is important because it’s such a significant day. It’s not like a birthday or a holiday where you just celebrate for no other reason than being alive, this is a day to celebrate because you’ve gathered up the courage, strength and ultimate preparation to give it your all. Therefore, from here on out, it’s important to celebrate milestones no matter how big or small. For starters - celebrate your 24 hour milestone! I mean, let’s face it. How many people say they’re gonna quit and can’t even make it day. Then celebrate your weekly and monthly milestone and forever and ever you will be celebrating your yearly milestone. I mean how cool is it going to be when you make it to ten years! Just by being here right now, you are setting yourself up for such great success. Happy celebrating!

So all the hype about setting a quit date is important because it’s such a significant day.

That’s it for Setting a Quit date. We talked about why setting a quit date is so important as well as why you most definitely should be celebrating it! If you have any questions or comments feel free to post them in the Q&A or private facebook group. As always, to your greatest success!

Okay so you’ve set a quit date and you’re here. Hopefully you tapered a bit before your quit date but if you haven’t don’t let that deter you from sticking to your quit date and following through.

We’re going to talk about the difference between detoxing at home and medically monitored detox, how to prepare to detox at home, what to after day 1 of detox and life after detox. Let’s get started.

I hope you had some fun researching a plan that works for you. I know it can be overwhelming but hopefully you’re excited about the plan you chose!

Alright so now that you have a plan let’s talk about gathering necessary items. First, the plan you chose - do you need a book or a membership subscription? If you can, I highly recommend purchasing the extras that are offered. When you feel like you’ve put some time and money into your plan, you are more likely to succeed. But at the same time, know when enough is enough - you don't have to break the bank to pull this off.

So make a list of items you think you’ll need. Maybe you’ll need some new kitchen utensils such as a blender, food processor, new knives for cutting vegetables, etc. Food scales, measuring cups. Make sure you have everything you need to be successful. IF there are meal charts available, print them off now. This is a very important part to making sure you’re fully prepared. If you’re not fully prepared you may get frustrated or give up. For example, I remember when I was following a nutrition plan a few years ago, I thought I had everything I needed and one dinner recipe called for a blender. I didn’t have a blender so I tried to mash it up manually. It didn’t work, I was frustrated. I gave up and ate something else. Don’t let that happen to you. Read ahead, see what you need, gather the items and once you have all the items. I’ll meet you in the next lecture

Making the choice to detox at home over being medically monitored shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is something you need to think through and make sure you at not putting your life at risk by doing so. There are two drugs that no matter how much you think you can tough it out, you should never try to detox at home and that’s alcohol and benzos.

If you are detoxing from either of these drugs you need to do a long lasting taper that is approved by your doctor or be medically monitored in a detox facility.

If you are pregnant, no matter what drug you are detoxing from, you should seek medical care and the conversation as to whether or not it is safe to detox at home should be had between you and your doctor.

If you have other health conditions or a weakened immune system, also, please talk to your doctor before making any decisions about detox.

A medically monitored detox is not the same as rehab. A medically monitored detox is a place you go to for 2-7 days where you receive round the clock care. There are certain medications that nurses might give you to relieve the pain but most importantly they are keeping on eye on your vital signs and make sure that you are safe. Not all medically monitored detox experiences are the same. Some facilities are overwhelmed and lack good quality patient care while others can be top of the line. It mostly boils down to how much you can afford. Some insurance companies will pay for detox while others will not so you need to find out all of this information beforehand.

Many detox centers have waiting lists and some that are state funded ask you to call on the morning of to secure a place so your start of detox relies solely on their timeline which makes it nearly impossible to plan for anything especially if you have family or work obligations.

But if you need it, it’s important to do what you can to prepare and be on-call each day. For example, have a backup plan for work, family etc. before so that when you are able to get a bed for detox there won’t be any excuse or reason for you to say no. If detox is out of the question but your drug of choice is alcohol, benzos or if you are pregnant, then talk to your doctor and see if they can help you with a tapering plan.

If you are detoxing from anything other than alcohol or benzos and if you’re not pregnant or have any major health concerns then detoxing at home might be a better option for you. So let’s talk about how to prepare.

Making the choice to detox at home over being medically monitored shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is something you need to think through and make sure you at not putting your life at risk by doing so. There are two drugs that no matter how much you think you can tough it out, you should never try to detox at home and that’s alcohol and benzos.

I’ve talked about how to prepare for your quit date which is similar to preparing to detox at home. But let’s get into a little more detail here.

Your detox severity is going to depend on what you are detoxing from and how heavy your use was. An opiate detox will be a lot more physically hard whereas an amphetamine detox may be more mentally hard. But either way, no doubt, detox is going to be hard but it’s all about preparation.

So of course, as we’ve talked about before, leading up to your quit date you should take some measures to taper. During the lead up, you should plan for a lot of different things;

Your health. You want to make sure that you have healthy foods available. You may not be eating much but the food that you do eat counts a lot. What you shouldn’t be doing is eating candy, sweets or McDonalds. That will not help you feel better. So stock up on things that are easy on the stomach. I always recommend the BRAT diet which consists of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.

Make sure you have access to a lot of water and also water with added electrolytes. Stay away from things like gatorade or sporty drinks that are filled with sugar.

Psychologically: to be psychologically prepared you need to start pumping yourself up. Get excited about detox. Yes it’s gonna suck no lie but how you think about it can mean the difference between toughing it out and relapse. Think of it as getting rid of the poison that’s been in your body. Every vomit, every case of diarrhea is a sign that you’re pushing through and fighting this to the very end.

If have a diagnosed mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression talk to a mental health provider before your detox and make sure you’re prepared. If you take prescribed medication for your mental health, don’t stop taking it. What will be your backup plan if start to experience dark thoughts or have a panic attack? Know who to call and what to do.

Socially: To socially prepare you will need to know what your story is going to be for your work. Not everybody can tell their work they are detoxing so have a plan on what you’re going to say. Will you have the flu or food poisoning? Practice and rehearse what you’re going to say.

When it comes to friends and family the same thing applies although hopefully there is someone you can confide in, someone that may be able to help you, keep an eye on you if things get bad or someone you can just talk to if you get lonely or scared.

If you’re detoxing and want to give up and have nobody to call find the number to . your local crisis line or text line. There are volunteers out there that can help. But you don’t want to be in a situation where you feel so bad and not sure who to call. Researching these things before hand can be a huge help.

And last stock up on things that can help take your mind off it all. Video games, movies, Netflix, magazines, books, crossword puzzles, whatever it is that you enjoy make sure you have it on hand.

Now let’s talk about how to actually detox at home.

Your detox severity is going to depend on what you are detoxing from and how heavy your use was. An opiate detox will be a lot more physically hard whereas an amphetamine detox may be more mentally hard. But either way, no doubt, detox is going to be hard but it’s all about preparation.

So of course, as we’ve talked about before, leading up to your quit date you should take some measures to taper. During the lead up, you should plan for a lot of different things;

Your health. You want to make sure that you have healthy foods available. You may not be eating much but the food that you do eat counts a lot. What you shouldn’t be doing is eating candy, sweets or McDonalds. That will not help you feel better. So stock up on things that are easy on the stomach. I always recommend the BRAT diet which consists of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.

So you’re fully prepared physically, mentally and socially and you’re ready to get this over with. Now what? Well Day one should be relatively easy as your withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t kick in until later in the day. So use this day to tie up loose ends. If you need to make a run to the store, then do it, make sure you have gotten rid of all or your paraphernalia, try and eat a healthy meal and drinks lots of water. If you can get some physical exercise in then that would be ideal as well and then hunker down as you get closer to the 24 hour mark. Make sure you’re at home in a safe place, your room or home is clean and tidy and you’re near a toilet. The next few days is all about riding it out and making it as tolerable as possible.

Once your withdrawal symptoms start to kick in just do your best to relax and breathe. Get into a good Netflix series and give yourself permission to do nothing. Don’t worry about anything else on the outside. Your only goal during detox is to make it through without relapsing.

Hard physical symptoms are common but it’s also important to keep an eye out for anything that might be life threatening. . The most common complication with detoxing is dehydration. If you are vomiting a lot or have a lot of diarrhea it’s important to keep drinking water and do the pinch test often. The pinch test is where you pinch your pretty tight, let go and see what happens. If your skin returns to normal you’re okay. If your skin stays in a pinch shaped position then you are showing signs of dehydration. Drinks water immediately, wait about 15 minute and repeat the test. However, if you continue to vomit and have diarrhea and your skin isn’t returning to normal it’s important that you get yourself to an emergency room as you will need an IV. Yes, people can die from dehydration so please don’t let that happen to you.

After the hardest part is over, usually around day 3-5, it’s important that you gradually work up your strength and get your body back into a natural biorhythm. Do your best to stay awake during the day so that you can sleep better at night. That’s not to say don’t nap but don’t let yourself sleep for hours on end. Set a 20 minute timer and keep your naps as minimal as possible.

Start taking walks but stay close to home in case you need a toilet. Walk around the house, maybe do some yoga and each day aim for a little more. After about a week you should start to feel a little more normal and be able to physically do things like work and exercise.

Depression is common after detox so it’s important to try and get yourself up and out each day and back to your normal routines as soon as possible.

Let’s now talk about life after detox.

So you’re fully prepared physically, mentally and socially and you’re ready to get this over with. Now what? Well Day one should be relatively easy as your withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t kick in until later in the day. So use this day to tie up loose ends. If you need to make a run to the store, then do it, make sure you have gotten rid of all or your paraphernalia, try and eat a healthy meal and drinks lots of water. If you can get some physical exercise in then that would be ideal as well and then hunker down as you get closer to the 24 hour mark. Make sure you’re at home in a safe place, your room or home is clean and tidy and you’re near a toilet. The next few days is all about riding it out and making it as tolerable as possible.

Everyone feels different after detox. For some, there is a slight honeymoon period where you feel so good you wonder why ever started to begin with. And that’s great but this it’s important that you follow the Sobriety success Method to prepare for what to do after the honeymoon phase.

Other people feel depressed and like they don’t want to do anything and find it hard to get motivated while others may feel completely overwhelmed and anxious. Either way, the sobriety success method will cover all areas from your physical body, to your mental health and how to deal socially. Recovery isn’t just about being sober. After detox you are sober but the recovery journey is just beginning.

Everyone feels different after detox. For some, there is a slight honeymoon period where you feel so good you wonder why ever started to begin with. And that’s great but this it’s important that you follow the Sobriety success Method to prepare for what to do after the honeymoon phase.

Detoxing is hard and it might be one of the hardest things you have to do but there are going to be difficult moments in recovery as well and like I've been talking about so often, it’s all about preparation. If you are prepared for the hard stuff you won’t be caught off guard. Being caught off guard leads to triggers and relapse so don’t let that happen to you. Congrats on making it through the detox course and I’m excited to continue on with you during your recovery.

Eating well for recovery. My name is Denise and I’ll be the facilitator. In this course you will learn about why nutrition is a critical component to breaking any addiction. I’ll talk about how to find a plan that works for you and what it will take to get started. I’m also going to talk about getting rid of junk food, how to organize your meals and week and how to grocery shop. By making small improvements each and every week, you will be surprised how impactful your diet will be in this journey. Let’s get started.

Eating well for recovery. My name is Denise and I’ll be the facilitator. In this course you will learn about why nutrition is a critical component to breaking any addiction. I’ll talk about how to find a plan that works for you and what it will take to get started. I’m also going to talk about getting rid of junk food, how to organize your meals and week and how to grocery shop. By making small improvements each and every week, you will be surprised how impactful your diet will be in this journey. Let’s get started.

Let’s start by talking about why nutrition is important when tackling an addiction. What we eat and put into our bodies plays a significant role in how we feel, regardless of anything else.

Most people who struggle with an addiction, don’t necessarily put a lot of thought and effort into what they are eating, because the addiction is what has taken precedence. Everything you do, revolves around what you are addicted to. Therefore,your nutrition has probably not been the best and has been lacking in some way. If you’re addicted to substances or food then that’s a doubly whammy as you’ve been putting your body through so much.

Here’s the thing, you may be able to overcome your addiction but if you’re not eating right, you’re not going to be able to perform at your best. And I want you to be able to perform at your best because that’s how you can manage withdrawals, overcome triggers and stay sober for your entire life.

The good news is that now that you’re working on overcoming your addiction, you have the capability of thinking more clearly and now you can start to focus on important things like maintaining good health.

I don’t want you to think of recovery as always being so serious so we’re going to talk about ways to eat better, stay healthy and have some fun with food. Let’s get started.

Let’s start by talking about why nutrition is important when tackling an addiction. What we eat and put into our bodies plays a significant role in how we feel, regardless of anything else.

So you might be thinking, geeze, where do I even start? That’s a great question! The easiest way to obtain better health through nutrition, especially if this is your first experience with really putting forth the effort to have a better diet, is to find a program. Now, I know and you know that not everyone fits into the same box and this is where I am holding you accountable to doing your own research. It would not be right for me to suggest a nutrition program for you based on my personal experience or the experience of anyone else. We all have different wants, needs, and desires.

So let’s start there. I want you to start researching ways to eat better and find a nutrition plan that works for you. It’s important to be open-minded yet cautious of what you read. You want to make sure what you’re reading is credible and backed up by research.

Let me give you an example, some people find great success with the Paleo plan which mainly focuses on eating organic and locally sourced high quality meat whereas others have found great success eating vegan. Some of you may be suffering from other physical ailments such as diabetes or auto-immune disorders. There are specific diet plans for just about everything.

There are so many plans to choose from and if you truly get stuck, I recommend looking at some of the government plans which tend to be very basic and general.

The benefit of following a plan is that it helps keep you on track and keeps you from guessing or making choices that you’re unsure of.

Alright so go ahead now and take some time to do some research, find a plan that sounds interesting to you and then I’ll meet you in the next lecture.

So you might be thinking, geeze, where do I even start? That’s a great question! The easiest way to obtain better health through nutrition, especially if this is your first experience with really putting forth the effort to have a better diet, is to find a program. Now, I know and you know that not everyone fits into the same box and this is where I am holding you accountable to doing your own research. It would not be right for me to suggest a nutrition program for you based on my personal experience or the experience of anyone else. We all have different wants, needs, and desires.

I hope you had some fun researching a plan that works for you. I know it can be overwhelming but hopefully you’re excited about the plan you chose!

Alright so now that you have a plan let’s talk about gathering necessary items. First, the plan you chose - do you need a book or a membership subscription? If you can, I highly recommend purchasing the extras that are offered. When you feel like you’ve put some time and money into your plan, you are more likely to succeed. But at the same time, know when enough is enough - you don't have to break the bank to pull this off.

Welcome back. You’re almost ready to start your meal plan. So now, let’s start with something very important. I want you to walk through your home and grab a bag or a box and gather all things in your home that you would consider to be junk food: soda, cookies, etc. Put them in a bag or box and get rid of them. If they are sealed you can donate them, or give them to a neighbor or friend. You can compost or throw out anything that can’t be given away.

One thing I don’t want you to do is to gorge on junk food right now. So many people make this mistake and trust me on this. If you gorge on junk food because you know you’re about to start a healthy nutrition plan, you’ll regret it as it will just be that much harder to get into the groove. You can start making healthier choices today even if you haven't started your nutrition plan yet.

Alright so go ahead and get rid of your junk food and once that’s done, I’ll meet you in the next lecture where we are going to talk about how to make a meal plan.

Welcome back. You’re almost ready to start your meal plan. So now, let’s start with something very important. I want you to walk through your home and grab a bag or a box and gather all things in your home that you would consider to be junk food: soda, cookies, etc. Put them in a bag or box and get rid of them. If they are sealed you can donate them, or give them to a neighbor or friend. You can compost or throw out anything that can’t be given away.

I hope you were able to get rid of all the junk food you had. Okay so now let’s talk about how to make a meal plan. Some nutrition plans come with pre-populated meal plans and that’s great but just like I was talking about earlier, not every fits into the same box.

If your nutrition plan came with a pre-populated meal plan, I want you to look at it and make sure it’s attainable for where you are in your life right now. If not make adjustments as needed.

If you don't have a pre-populated meal plan, let’s do that now.