Harm Reduction 101 - Part 2; What is a Safe Injection Site?
By Ashley Charzuk, CPSW October 2019
Currently New Mexico DOES NOT have a state mandated Safe Injection Site.
Safe Injection Sites are medically supervised facilities designed to provide a hygienic and stress-free environment in which individuals are able to consume illicit recreational drugs intravenously and reduce nuisance from public drug use. The legality of such facility is dependent by location and political jurisdiction.
Safe Injection Sites are part of a harm reduction approach towards drug problems. The facilities provide:
sterile injection equipment
information about drugs
basic health care
treatment referrals
access to medical staff to drug addicts
Some (but not all) offer:
counselinghygienic other services of use
Many programs prohibit the sale or purchase of recreational drugs. Many require identification cards. Some restrict access to local residents and apply other admission criteria, such as only allowing injection drug users, but generally in Europe they do not exclude addicts who consume by other means.
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Coping When Triggered; How Does Skill-Building Work to Benefit Those in Recovery with PTSD?
December 18, 2019
By Ashley Charzuk, CPSW
What does it mean to be Triggered?
Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can often make us feel like we are not permitted or able to take up space, especially in a world where trauma is a norm. Our current landscape in the United States is one of over-stimulation and noise, even in the activities we use to seek calm us or entertain us. For those who have been impacted by past trauma life can look and feel a bit different; things that would normally not bother a nuero-typical person can stop us in our tracks.
A trigger is a psychological stimulus that prompts recall of a previous traumatic experience. The stimulus itself need not be frightening or traumatic and may be only indirectly or superficially reminiscent of an earlier traumatic incident, such as a scent or a piece of clothing.
Addiction recovery is not easy, especially when you consider that a majority of those who have made it to a place of Recovery are also dealing with a diagnosis of PTSD. Despite the diagnosis and fear surrounding it, there are things you can do to make life a more positive and relaxing experience. Here are 10 coping skills to help you through your recovery and healing process:
10 Coping Skills
1. Be honest with yourself and others
An addiction requires lying by default. You have to lie about getting it and using it and you have to hide the effect it has on you. Then you have to do it all over again as you plan your next hit or drink. The more you lie to others, the better you get at it, and the easier it becomes to lie to yourself. This creates a horrible cycle because the more you lie, the more you hate yourself, and the more you feel the need to use drugs and/or alcohol to escape your self hatred. Being rigorously honest is one of the most powerful skills to have to immerse yourself fully into successful addiction recovery.
2. Learn to relax in any situation
One of the main reasons people start using drugs and alcohol is to relax and reward themselves. Learning new skills to relieve tension is an essential part of long-term sobriety. If you are able to calm down on your own, then you won’t need to escape. You may think you’re too busy to relax, but that is a lie! Your addiction recovery has to become the most important thing in your life, so taking plenty of time for yourself has to become the most important too.
3. Keep a daily journal and gratitude list
Seeing your thoughts and emotions on paper can help you to deal with them quicker and more efficiently. It can take away some of their sting and power if they are negative. This is also a way to take your daily inventory and see where you can continue to improve, and a gratitude list can help you to relax and stay positive.
4. Develop a strong support network with other recovering addicts
These are the people you can call and meet up with when the going gets tough! Peer support is an essential aspect of addiction treatment. You can’t do this alone, and you don’t have to. Having a strong network of sober friends will be the net to catch you when you fall and also help you stay on track with your addiction recovery.
5. Avoid high-risk situations where you are likely to relapse
This includes avoiding all bars and clubs! It would also be best to stop hanging out with the people you used to drink or use with as well, since they could trigger or pressure you into relapsing. Sobriety is all about building a new life and making new habits. Creativity and imagination are both skills, and recovery is a great way to start developing them!
6. Help other addicts
It is scientifically proven that helping others helps you. It will make you feel good about yourself, which is the first line of defense against a relapse. It will also help you develop a bigger and stronger network of people you can call if you need help in your recovery. Not to mention helping others lowers blood pressure and chronic pain and can even lengthen your life.
7. Exercise regularly
Exercise naturally releases feel-good hormones and it helps you to stay healthy and happy. Studies have shown that health is actually one of the strongest predictors of happiness! We also strongly believe that good health is an essential aspect of addiction treatment, which is why our program includes fitness and health along with more traditional addiction treatment methods!
8. Work with a sponsor and attend support group meetings
Working through the 12 Steps with a sponsor is a common and often highly effective way of coping with addiction. A sponsor is someone who you can confide in and turn to for guidance, honesty and compassion, same as with support group meetings.
9. Avoid the H.A.L.T. symptoms
Being hungry, angry, lonely and tired can be a swift gateway to relapse. Tension and stress builds when you don’t take care of yourself, and that is a dangerous place for someone in addiction treatment to be! If you are hungry, eat! If you are tired, then sleep, and so on. Taking good care of yourself is an essential aspect of addiction recovery.
10. Practice meditation
Meditation is scientifically proven to relax the mind and has a positive effect on the physical body as well. Meditation, when practiced properly, can bring you into the present moment and away from painful memories that often fuel relapse. It is also a very simple skill that you can do anywhere.
There are many different treatment options for every individual. We know that each person is unique, which is why Courageous Transformations has a multidisciplinary team of certified addiction treatment professionals to help you in every aspect of your recovery.
