Finding sobriety is a personal journey. No one’s path looks the same, and everyone faces different obstacles. For some, the situation becomes so dire that they see no light at the end of the tunnel and submit themselves to a life of addiction, even if it makes them miserable.

According to the addiction survivors we spoke to, entering rehabilitation not only saved their lives, it truly made them better people. They emerged happier, stronger, and confident in their ability to get their lives back on-track. Here are a few of their insights on finding sobriety and joy in life.

Clarity, Happiness, and Freedom

Jesse struggled with substance abuse for two decades. Finally, he said, things got out of control and he knew he needed to seek treatment.

“When I made the decision to come to rehabilitation, my life was chaotic. I had lost things that I love and I was ashamed of that, but at the same time, I knew that I needed to come fix myself so that I could be good for everyone else in my life,” he explained.

Realizing you need to change is one thing, but sometimes the next steps aren’t clear. When addiction has clouded your judgment, it’s easy to lose sight of the right path, or even lose yourself. Going to treatment and finding sobriety turned out to be the light Jesse needed.

“I had lost my spirit, and it helped me find that and helped me find myself and set me free from addiction,” he reflected. “It doesn’t have to define me anymore.”

And those differences among Jesse and others in recovery? He insists they’re beside the point:

“If you’re struggling and you feel alone, you’re never alone. We all have common ground and we all have the same enemy, and [seeking treatment] and being open to everything that they offer will help you defeat that enemy.”

“To be honest, I don’t really know if I ever really knew who I was fully, and now I do,” he went on. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had to be sober and to be able to have fun and to realize I don’t have to run anymore. I can deal with my problems.”

Fighting Back Despite Reservations

Keisha said her decision to enter addiction treatment didn’t come easily, and even after she arrived, she remained resistant to the idea. But the vigilance of her Choices Recovery counselors didn’t allow her to hide from her issues.

“I was still fighting it,” she admitted. “I was testing my boundaries just like I did on the outside. I wanted to see how far I could push, and instead, they would sit me up and say, ‘We see what you’re doing, and we know why you’re doing it, and it’s not going to work with us.’”

But once she finally opened up, she really opened up.

“As I started letting people in and started sharing parts of my story, I started to actually care about other people,” Keisha explained. “Whenever they were upset, I would want to be there for them, and normally it was just about me.

“I’m excited to see the change in myself and to see other people see it, but most of all, just to know it in my heart,” she added.

In the end, addiction comes down to the individual. You have to want sobriety for yourself, and you have to believe it’s truly possible for you. Though the future may seem uncertain at first, entering addiction treatment can be your route to a better life than you’ve ever known.

I’m excited to just be happy for once instead of always trying to do something to please everyone else,” Keisha concluded. “I’m ready to do it for myself and do what makes myself happy.”

As a fellowship trained, board certified orthopedic sports medicine physician who speaks nationally and internationally, I keep myself up to date on what is the newest and greatest treatments available for my patients. I am always reading journals and on-line publications as well as speaking to my colleagues on what is new and innovative. I am a board examiner who certifies other orthopedic surgeons to see if they qualify to be board certified. Part of being a good doctor is not just offering my patients what is available to make them better, but also protecting them from what is a waste of time and money or treatments that may even cause them harm.

In the 1800s before we had many real medicines, people would buy snake oil that they were told would cure everything from arthritis to constipation. Caveat Emptor (buyer beware in Latin) means that patients should know what they are getting before they agree to a surgery or medical treatment. However, it is also the responsibility of the doctor who recommends the treatment as a licensed professional to protect his/her patients from the wrong treatments.

For the past 10 years, many people have received treatment using PRP. This is Platelet Rich Plasma which is obtained from the patient’s blood, spun down in a centrifuge to separate the blood with part of the PRP being injected into damaged tendons or even joints to assist in healing. Many studies have shown success with this treatment, but many have also shown failures. In my practice, I use PRP sparingly and charge very little for this treatment as insurance does not cover it. I feel bad for patients having to pay out of pocket when I know how much we all have to pay for health insurance. However, I am truly disappointed by so many doctors in the city and even some in Westchester who charge up to 5x what I charge and consider that to be a reasonable price. Some of these doctors don’t even try proven treatments first such as physical therapy for tennis elbow before selling their patients on the idea of PRP injections. I am truly disappointed in these few but truly unethical doctors.

If you are considering treatment that is not covered by insurance such as PRP, stem cells or other treatments that have been suggested, do your own research first. If you have arthritis, have you tried weight loss, muscle strengthening and stretching? Have you tried cortisone and Hyaluronic Acid injections that have been show to work and are covered by insurance? Be smart with what treatments you are receiving. Protect your health and your money from useless or harmful treatments.

It is critical to have a doctor you trust. Some surgeons are too eager to cut and some too eager to suggest the most profitable treatment. Talk to friends and colleagues about the doctors they trust. Don’t go blindly into any treatment (ophthalmology treatments excluded!) and have a real conversation with your doctor about all the options first. Be the smart patient and have a smart doctor who puts your interest first.

By: Rick Weinstein, MD, MBA

Imagine yourself reaching an old age, seated by the fireplace, and taking a moment to look back at your life only to conclude, with little remorse, that you achieved what you set out to accomplish. What do you think it will feel having lived your life with little regrets? When successful people are asked, what prevents people from achieving their best, they point out to fear. Fear can become a paralyzing emotion, which is often dictated by negatively painting the outcome of our immediate future goals. Fear can be portraited in many different shapes and forms. We can be fearful of our own abilities to achieve a goal, not meeting other’s expectations, feeling rejected or being not good enough.

Fear prevents us from taking action. Rarely, we admit feeling fear. Often, we point to life circumstances as culprits for our failures. But, at the end of the day, it was mainly us who found “obstacles” that interfered from achieving success. For some of us, these “obstacles” are so credible that we become very good at convincing ourselves and others for not achieving our goals. However, if we looked very closely, it was mostly us who got in our own way from reaching our goals.

We do not just feel fear all of the sudden. Perceptions feed emotions. Our five senses gather information from our environment, which are absorbed in electrical signals that remain stored in brain. If electrical signals are linked to an event connected to fear, its simple recollection or perception will trigger fear responses. For example, a golf player needs to hit a shot over water. Looking at the water triggers electrical signals stored in the brain, which are connected to the emotion of fear. This emotion will then travel inside the body by tensing up our muscles and tendons. As the golfer swings the club, the body will be constricted from its normal fluidity and, most likely, cause the swing to be flawed enough to increase the chances of landing the ball in the water.

How often has it happened to you that you are planning an event and your body is already responded to it? If you are walking into your unreasonable bosses’ office, your body will tense way before you make it there. If you are a tennis player and compete versus a much talented opponent, you will most likely play with little pressure. However, if you find yourself going ahead in the score, suddenly the fear of not wanting to lose will appear.

Three tips to overcome fears:

1. Successful individuals are driven to achieve specific goals. Gold medalist gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, said, “I do not run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.” They thrive to achieve a goal that keeps them motivated more so than focusing on the prize or trophy. As Brian Moran said, “when you focus on changing your actions, you experience incremental performance. When, however, your thinking shifts, everything changes.”
2. Equally important, when our passion becomes the motivating drive toward success, a mental shift takes from that of paying too much attention to mental distractors to focusing on achieving our dreams. Having passion makes us more determined. We are more likely to overcome challenges rather than succumb to obstacles.
3. Controlling the controllable. It may sound like an old cliché, but how true it still is. We can only manage what is in from of us. To overcome fear, focus needs to be placed to those factors that we do have control over. Positive thinking processes, using visualization before and during performance, applying breathing techniques that trigger relaxation and surrounding ourselves with encouraging people are all under our control.

Managing fear creates a multiple domino effects. It enhances trust, lifts confidence, and builds self-belief.

Alex Diaz, PhD
Sports Mental Edge

Getting a massage used to be thought of as a luxury – something only to be done on special occasions as a rare treat in spas. However, massages are now being offered in a variety of settings such as offices, hospitals, airports, and clinics, due to their profound benefits.

Massage is defined as the manipulation of soft body tissues through pressing and rubbing. There are many different types of massage, which range in the amount of pressure given. Some common types are Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, and trigger point massage.

Swedish massage is the most popular type of massage. It is gentle with soft, long, deep movements and tapping, which focuses on the top layers of muscles. It is energizing & relaxing and can also help relieve muscle tension. Another type of massage is a deep tissue massage, which targets the deep layers of muscles, tendons, and connective tissue. The strokes are more forceful and slower than a Swedish massage and it helps with chronic tension and injuries as well as painful, stiff muscles. Sports massage is similar to Swedish massage however, it is aimed at preventing and treating those involved in sports. Trigger point massage focuses on a specific tight muscle, which is often the result of overuse or injury.

There are many benefits to massage including stress release, relaxation, muscle tension release, and pain release. Additionally, massage has been shown to treat anxiety, digestive disorders, headaches, fibromyalgia, joint pain, insomnia, and injuries. It can also boost immune function, reduce chemotherapy-related nausea, and improve cardiovascular health. Some people also appreciate the massage experience because it creates a mental relaxation and a feeling of comfort.

It is important to note that massage may not be appropriate for everyone. Those with fractures, deep vein thrombosis, bleeding disorders, severe osteoporosis, and burns or wounds should discuss massage with their doctor. Additionally, women who are pregnant and individuals with cancer should consult their physician before getting a massage.

A massage should never hurt or be uncomfortable. Make sure to communicate your goals for the massage, the areas to concentrate on, and the type of pressure you are comfortable with to the massage therapist. Massages can be performed lying down or in a chair. When having a full body massage, undress to the point where you feel comfortable. Also, remember to breathe during the massage so that you don’t tense up and make the muscles more difficult to tackle. Drink plenty of water after a massage in order remove waste and rehydrate the muscles. Heating the muscles, either through a sauna, steam, or hot shower will help relax the muscles and relax your mind as well as help the therapist get out those stubborn knots. If you are going to exercise on the day of a massage, it is better to exercise before the massage so that you don’t strain something that has just been relaxed.

Massage is a great tool to improve mental & physical health along with fitness. While some massages can be costly, there are a variety of less expensive options available for all budgets. Massage is an all-around great therapy and treatment for many ailments. Don’t think of it as a special treat but rather think of it as a necessary part of your health regime.

By Denise Groothuis