Alumni App: Connecting AdCare's Recovery Community
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Free, confidential and easy to download, the AdCare/AAC Alumni App gives members 24/7 access to recovery support, resources, and 12-step meetings such as the Aftercare Group at AdCare below. Download the app and connect with AdCare's Alumni Community today! | | | |
Downloading the alumni app can be done in these ways:
- Scan the QR Code
- Search "American Addiction Centers" on Apple App or Google Play stores
- Text "AAC" to 30678 for link to download
Questions: Email AdCare Alumni
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Redefining Fun in Recovery: What Brings You Joy? | |
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By Susan Linney
For many in early sobriety, the first few days or weeks can feel anything but fun. It’s hard learning how to change old, familiar behaviors and navigate life without alcohol or drugs. While fun may not come naturally at first, you will begin to have fun in recovery as long as you keep at it. Sometimes, all it takes is a little change in perspective to find happiness and joy in unexpected places!
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Reconsidering Your Definition of "Fun"
Because addiction affects brain chemistry, many people come into recovery with a skewed idea of what "fun" means to them. Substance Use Disorders effectively train your brain to associate feelings of contentment and happiness with your substance of choice. This is why people with substance use disorders continue to drink or use drugs despite knowing there may be negative consequences. It’s also why, once sober, you may have a tendency to romanticize your past use and associate it with feelings of fun and relaxation. This can also happen when compared to the hard, emotionally-taxing work of recovery.
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One of the ways to combat this type of negative, all-or-nothing thinking is to remind yourself of the things you enjoyed doing before addiction took over your life. What were the activities that used to bring you joy? Revisiting some of these hobbies may reignite your enthusiasm for them -- and help retrain your brain's neural reward circuits to create new, healthier ways of having and thinking about fun.
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Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone
It’s important to keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. You may be surprised to learn that activities that didn’t interest you while you were active in your addiction are actually quite enjoyable to you now.
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Before I got sober, for example, I hated yoga. No matter how many times my friends would drag me to classes, I found it extremely hard to focus. I’d often find myself counting the minutes until the class was over. But once I came into recovery (and had to participate in yoga classes while in rehab), I started to enjoy the practice.
In recovery, I found it much easier to concentrate and follow the movements and now yoga is one of my all-time favorite activities!
So whenever possible, try saying "yes" to new activities and opportunities. Even if the activities don't sound like something you think you'll like, you may be surprised.
Keep yourself busy and surround yourself with other sober people—studies show that fun is enhanced when it’s experienced with others. Remind yourself that your brain needs time to recalibrate and rediscover what brings you joy.
| Join Us for an AdCare Alumni Night Out at the WooSox! | |
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Worcester Red Sox
vs.
Rochester Red Wings
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May 12th
Buffet @ 5:30 PM
Hospitality Suite in the
Shaw's 3B Bullpen
Game @ 6:45 PM
Where: Polar Park
100 Madison Street
Worcester, MA
RSVP: AdCare Alumni
for your complimentary ticket to the buffet & game
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For people in early addiction recovery, finding new and interesting activities to engage in that do not involve alcohol and drugs can be a challenge. But incorporating one or more sober hobbies into your new lifestyle can help strengthen your recovery and improve your overall quality of life. | |
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Honing your cooking skills is an excellent way to incorporate a fun and safe hobby into your routine while also developing an important life skill. Here are some of the biggest benefits of sober cooking.
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It's Good for Your Physical and Mental Health
When active in addiction, people tend to neglect their health. This often manifests as poor earing habits, whether it's eating too much, not eating enough, or choosing processed foods over nutritious, well-rounded meals. One of the best ways to boost your physical health in early recovery is to be mindful of what you put into your body. Studies have shown that people who cooked meals for themselves tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have lower body fat percentages than those who always eat out. In addition to knowing every ingredient that’s going into your food (and therefore, into your body), sober cooking is also a great way to save a little money.
Poor eating habits can also affect your mental health, which is just as important to maintain as physical health when it comes to preventing relapse. Researchers have found that a high intake of sugar, junk food, processed meats, and other unhealthy foods can increase a person’s risk of depression and/or anxiety. When you prepare meals for yourself, it’s much easier to avoid these highly processed pitfalls and incorporate nutritious items like fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and lean meats into your diet.
Read more.
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Easy Vegetarian Chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
4 cups sliced celery
1/4 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 16-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
In a large saucepan heat oil hot; add green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in celery, chili powder, cumin and salt. Add crushed tomatoes, kidney beans and tomato sauce; simmer covered about 15 minutes. Makes 6 cups.
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Recovery Groups for Individuals & Families are also Accessible on the Alumni App! | |
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View the latest "Addiction Talk" Panel Discussion:
"Addiction is a Family Disease"
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Hear from Deborah Taranto, Nadia Davis and Anita Lee in a panel discussion on how addiction affects families. A mother, writer, teacher and professor, Deborah Taranto is in the process of publishing her latest book, "The Beginning, The Middle, No End" that tells the story of her family’s addiction through her daughter's diary (her daughter passed away from an overdose in 2016), and from the viewpoints of her two sons, both of whom have suffered with addiction since adolescence. View here.
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FAMILY EDUCATION WEBINAR
Learn about the Impact of Substance Use on Families
4th WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
6:00-7:30 PM
March 23 | April 27 | May 25
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Presented by an AdCare clinician, the Family Education Webinar is open to anyone seeking to learn more about the impact of substance use on families. To access the webinar link, please click here. | |
Review Your Treatment Experience at AdCare!
Help others make an informed decision about treatment. Please click here or scan the QR code below to leave your 1-5 star review.
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