Looking ahead at recovery can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, you’re excited to get started on your new life post-treatment. On the other hand, you’re filled with doubt and uncertainty over just how all this is going to work. What should you do? Just plunge ahead and hope for the best? Don’t […]
Many people mistakenly associate the word routine with an activity that is boring and repetitive. When you’re in recovery, however, the word takes on entirely different connotations. The truth is that establishing and adhering to a routine can help someone in recovery in many different ways. What are those ways? How does routine help in
Different Recovery Programs vs. TreatmentDifferent recovery programs offer alternatives means of recovery in addition to treatment if you’re suffering from alcohol addiction or substance use disorder. Recovery programs are more in the mode of self-help program. However, addiction treatment programs refer to professional assistance with substance abuse or alcohol abuse.The Ranch is open to the
Addiction impacts the entire family system. The addict typically experiences feelings of despair, hopelessness, guilt, shame, loneliness, and worthlessness. The family also experiences similar feelings. Families may have increased anxiety, loss of their own identity, diminished work functioning, isolation, and an overall decrease in life satisfaction. Working with families while patients are in treatment is
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Jacob likes to say that his father was the only person in his family allowed to express emotion, although the only emotion he expressed was anger. If the paperboy missed the driveway, his father raged. If the pasta was overcooked, rage. If Jacob stuttered while trying to answer his father’s demanding questions, more rage. Rage
No, a dog can’t cure your addiction. But a dog can be a constant and loyal companion, a powerful tool for controlling stress and anxiety, and an animal that needs your care and love. These attributes make dogs important instruments for mental and emotional wellness. As an addict, a dog won’t cure you or be
Prayer and meditation have long been the underpinning of many fine addiction and mental health treatment programs. Due to the research that shows the efficacy of mindfulness in relieving a wide range of suffering, The Ranch has taken this a step further. We have developed a program dedicated to training all clients in basic mindfulness
Encouraging patients to interact with animals isn’t a new concept in medicine. You likely have heard news stories of therapy dogs visiting pediatric hospitals or a cat that lives among nursing home residents. Now, addiction treatment specialists are using horses to help alcoholics find sobriety. If you or a loved one needs treatment for alcohol
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The New Year of 2014 is here and with it the opportunity to make great strides in recovery. It’s also the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac, related to the Chinese calendar. At The Ranch, there’s no better time or place to find your way in sobriety, especially if you like horses. First,
Equine Therapy at The Ranch: Ride in Style in the Year of the Horse Read More »
Humbly asked Him [God] to remove our shortcomings. Step seven is the logical continuation of step six, wherein addicts delineate their character defects and become willing to live without them. In step seven, as one might expect, addicts begin the process of actually getting rid of those shortcomings. In most respects, working step seven is
