The Benefits of Yoga and Meditation

There are a myriad of scientifically proven benefits to practicing meditation and yoga on a regular basis. This includes:

• Helping to reduce and combat feelings of stress and anxiety – in a relaxed state you can develop an improved ability to control your own emotions meaning that you may no longer feel that you need to rely on alcohol or drugs to help you feel calm because you are already calm.

• Helping to improve concentration – increased ability to focus happens because of increased energy, which meditation and yoga provides.

• Increasing happiness and positivity – meditation increases activity in the left side of the brain, which is responsible for positive emotions, while activity decreases in the right side (negative emotions). Feelings of unhappiness are one of the main causes of substance abuse curbing these feelings can in turn help you curb the addiction.

• Increasing self-awareness and acceptance – Meditation teaches you to recognise your emotions and become detached from any negative feelings. It can help you clear you mind and calm you down.

• Benefiting cardiovascular and immune health – Meditation and yoga both aid relaxation, which increases a compound in the body that causes blood vessels to open up and subsequently, blood pressure to drop.

Brainwave Entertainment

Adding brainwave entertainment – which alters or enhances various electrical frequencies (brain waves) within the brain – in the form of sound during your practice can also aid this process and results in an altered state of consciousness that may help substance addiction sufferers with stress, anxiety, depression.

How Often Should I Practice?

To reap the benefits, it’s important to practice yoga and meditation consistently. Don’t give up after just a few times – you can do it!

Meditation: We recommend that you try to meditate 5-10 minutes per day. Don’t worry, it becomes easier and easier the more you practice. Look out for free mobile phone apps too that can help guide you through the process and send you daily reminders – 1 Giant Mind or Headspace are good ones.

Yoga: Try practicing at least one hour per week. If you increase this to 2-3 times then even better. The more you do it, the greater benefits you will see.

If you’re interested in our holistic treatment recovery program at Zen Detox, contact our passionate Auckland team today.

The post Yoga And Meditation For Addiction Recovery appeared first on Zen Detox Limited.

Treatment for substance addiction does not need to begin voluntary for it to be effective. At Zen treatment centre in Auckland, we understand it can be difficult to know when enough is enough, but if you know someone who is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, the best time to act is now. The earlier you intervene the better it is for the person and for the people around them.

Addiction is a disease and much like other diseases, early intervention offers the greatest opportunity for a successful course of treatment. Don’t let it be too late.

If you are unsure if the person is suffering, see here for the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse.

What is an Intervention? 

Individuals who struggle with substance addiction are often in denial about their situation and unwilling or embarrassed to seek treatment. They also may not recognise the negative effects their behaviour has on themselves and others.

An intervention is a gathering of friends of family to confront the person who is suffering about the consequences and ask them to accept help and treatment. Interventions present your loved one with a structured opportunity to make changes before things get even worse. 

The Best Way to Intervene

Before: Decide when you are going to hold the intervention and what you’re going to say. A successful intervention is well planned to ensure it works as intended. You may also like to consult an addiction specialist, psychologist or interventionist to help you organise an effective intervention. This can be especially important if you think your loved one may act negatively. 

During: Members take turns to express their concerns and feelings. The loved one is then presented with a treatment option and asked to accept that option on the spot. The members then present the person with their ultimatums if they don’t follow through. It’s important during this stage not to be threatening and also to remain supportive. More often than not the person will be fearful and will need your support and reassurance. 

After: Involving family members is crucial to helping someone stay in addiction treatment and stop them from relapsing. In the rare case that the person rejects the intervention, the family must follow through with their ‘bottom lines’. This may also prompt the person to seek help.

If you’d like to know more information about intervention and the following treatment options please don’t hesitate to contact the Zen Detox team today.

The post The Importance of an Addiction Intervention appeared first on Zen Detox Limited.

The truth is, if someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it’s probably because they’re using it as a coping mechanism, not because they think it’s enjoyable.

Using drugs or alcohol to cope with everyday life, to forget problems or to deal with feelings of anxiety or depression are the most common reasons, but it can not only massively harm the individual physically, emotionally and socially, but also have a detrimental effect on the people around them too.

Masking, Avoiding or Expressing 

Are you or someone you love using substances in the following ways?

• To express – If the individual is shy of self-conscious they may use alcohol to give them the ability to express their feelings. With inhibitions gone, someone can be the witty or playful person that their shyness normally prevents without feeling embarrassed. However this comes at a price. With their inhibitions gone the person is less in control and is more likely to make poor or stupid decisions they may later regret.

• To mask – Feelings of anxiety, stress, boredom or sadness. Using substances to avoid showing others that the individual is suffering. The individual thinks they can forget about their cares or worries for a while. When the high wears off though, the problems are still there.

• To avoid – Substances are also used to avoid unhappy or fearful situations – when an induvial is under the influence of substances they can temporarily avoid addressing negative issues. Again, the feelings of unhappiness or fear will still be there when the substance wears off. 

If the answer is yes, then it’s important to seek professional help today. Contact Zen Detox recovery and treatment centre in Auckland on 09 888 0165. Our passionate team are committed to helping alcohol and drug addiction sufferers live happier and more fulfilling lives. You are not alone.

The Adverse Effect

The dangerous and harmful thing about using alcohol or drugs in the above ways is that the individual comes to use the substance more and more to persuade themselves and those around them that all is well when it is not.

Instead of feeling better, in the long term after the initial affects have worn off the person may feel even worse and even more isolated, anxious or fearful than before. The problems are still there and they have not been solved.

There are also lots of harmful physical effects of substance addiction. Please see here for a more comprehensive list of the negative effects of substance abuse.

The important thing to remember though is that this vicious cycle can be stopped. You can feel happy again, you can build meaningful relationships and you can live a more fulfilling life. Through our holistic program at Zen treatment and recovery centre, we can help you get your life back on track.

The post Are You Using Drugs or Alcohol to Control Your Emotions? appeared first on Zen Detox Limited.

In this article we will address the reasons, debunk some of the myths associated with addiction and help you understand whether you or someone you love is suffering with addiction.

Debunking the Myths 

Addicts are not ‘bad’ people – thankfully addiction is becoming less stigmatized because it can impact everyone. More often than not (as you will see from the list below) it’s being used as a coping mechanism, not because it’s enjoyable.

At Zen, we believe that a core part of substance addiction, be it alcohol, prescription drugs, stimulants, depressants or hallucinogenic, is the person not being able to bear being present in their life. The most common reasons for this and other common reasons for substance abuse include:

• To boost confidence
• To forget normal life
• To deal with financial worries or stress
• Self-medication to deal with mental illness
• To deal with relationship problems
• To deal with the loss of a loved one

The Importance of Relationships and Happiness

The strength of relationships and overall happiness play an integral role in affecting the development and acceleration of abuse. This is why we focus on a holistic recovery approach – treating the individual physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially.

We also offer family care and inclusion. This supports our treatment philosophy, centring on the belief that evidence based treatment for clients must be matched with caring services and connections for their families.

Symptoms of Substance Abuse

Do you think you or your loved one is addicted to alcohol or drugs, but you’re not sure? Sometimes it can be tricky to spot the symptoms and warning signs of substance abuse.

The most common physical and emotional symptoms and signs of substance abuse can include the following:

Physical Signs 

• Inability to sleep, awake at unusual times, unusual laziness
• Loss of or increased in appetite, changes in eating habits
• Red, watery eyes; pupils larger or smaller than usual
• Slowed or staggering walk; poor physical coordination
• Nausea, vomiting or excessive sweating
• Tremors or shakes of hands, feet or head
• Deterioration of hygiene or physical health

Behavioural Signs 

• Change in overall attitude/personality with no other identifiable cause
• Drop in grades at school or performance at work
• Change in activities or hobbies
• Sudden oversensitivity, temper tantrums, or resentful behaviour
• Difficulty in paying attention; forgetfulness
• General lack of motivation, energy, self-esteem, “I don’t care” attitude

If you, or someone you know is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, it’s important to get in touch with us today to discuss your options. Call Zen on 09 888 0165 or simply fill out our online contact form and we’ll get back to you.

The post The Real Causes of Substance Addiction appeared first on Zen Detox Limited.

Our Director Carlie tells her story to Stuff talking about her experience as an alcohol and drugs addicted, the idea behind Zen Detox  and her will to help others that suffer of the same problem by offering  a treatment approach that focus on achieving the holistic wellness.

You can read the whole article here.

The post Zen Detox Featured on Stuff appeared first on Zen Detox Limited.