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Sep 05
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Longmont Recovery: Meeting People Where They Are At

Longmont Recovery: Meeting People Where They Are At

By Addiction

Seeking help for addiction or mental health issues can feel like one of the most overwhelming and challenging moves we may ever have to make. That is also what makes it such an accomplishment when we decide to take that first step. Some would even say that reaching out for help is the biggest hurdle in the entire recovery process. Because of that fact, the opportunity must be taken advantage of fully, and treated accordingly, by seeking out a recovery center that is going to meet us at the exact place where we are at. This includes physically, mentally, and emotionally. In Colorado, many people have found this level of attention and understanding in the Longmont recovery community. 

Taking Advantage of the ‘Recovery Acceptance Window’

Many people may be familiar with the term “namaste,” often used in yoga practices and meditation, but may not be entirely familiar with what it means. To distill it down to its essence, namaste means “the light in me sees the light in you.” This is also what is so important when first meeting with someone who is seeking mental health and/or addiction help – to fully see them as a person and not just as the issues that they are dealing with. The issues can be dealt with in time, but when we are first reaching out and feeling raw, we just need to be accepted and seen.

When someone finally decides to get help for their addiction or mental health issues, it is important to understand that time is of the essence. The “window of recovery” can be very short. It is not uncommon for an individual to be ready for treatment but change their mind when they either “overthink” it or perhaps begin to experience withdrawals. That is why this vulnerable period must be treated very sensitively because sometimes there is only one chance to get someone to accept the help they need.

Longmont Recovery and Meeting People Where They Are At

So, what exactly does “meeting people where they are at really even mean?” What it means is empathizing with someone on a human level rather than at a clinical or diagnostic level. 

It also means making sure this person knows that they are not alone. There is a term often used in the addiction and mental health community known as “terminal uniqueness.” What that means is that many people in active addiction or struggling with untreated mental illness become so isolated, and their world becomes so small, that they don’t understand that other people are also experiencing the same tumult in their lives.

Now, perhaps more important than letting people know that they are not alone in what they went through is that they won’t be alone in the recovery that they are about to embark on. Recovery is about shared experience, reliability, and meeting someone where they are at and letting them know that there will be a community supporting them is critical.

Turning Acceptance Into Action

Once an individual accepts help, it is important to determine what that help should look like. This is a big part of meeting someone where they are because it also helps determine the next steps they should take.

For example, for an individual who is in the later, more severe stages of addiction or mental health, it may be the best option to get them into residential care where they can get the most attention 24/7. However, for some individuals who do not need immediate inpatient care, a partial hospitalization program that offers full-day treatment may be the best option, of which there are many in the Longmont recovery community.

This is where meeting someone where they are is also so critical because if no connection is made and the wrong recovery program is chosen, it can not only push back someone’s recovery timeline but even has the potential to sideline their recovery altogether.

The Benefits of Longmont Recovery

Another part of meeting someone where they are is also determining if the right recovery setting is right for them. For example, Longmont recovery offers individuals the ability to engage with nature (the Rocky Mountains) or integrate themselves into a city with an excellent recovery community (Denver). Longmont recovery also has some of the most reputable treatment centers with some of the most highly regarded specialists in the country.

Shared Experience: The Repoint Center and a Staff That Relates

Here at The Redpoint Center, we understand what it is like to take that first step to get help. That is because many of us have gone through it ourselves. Many of us specifically experienced the Longmont recovery scene. We can meet people where they are because we’ve been there too.

Yes, seeking help is one of the most challenging things we may ever have to do. But, we here at The Redpoint Center, who have been through it ourselves, also know firsthand that is the best thing we have ever done.

“Meeting clients where they are at” is part of our ethos here at The Redpoint Center. We understand how challenging it can be to reach out for help. That is why we make sure to connect to clients on their level because it is about individual needs rather than pre-set recovery plans. We make sure that individualized recovery plans are established for each of our clients as soon as the treatment process begins. If you feel like you or a loved one may need professional help for issues of addiction and/or mental health, we can help. For more information on effective and comprehensive recovery plans, please reach out to The Redpoint Center today at (303) 710-8496.

Jul 22
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Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol Relapse

Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol Relapse

By Addiction, Alcohol rehab, Featured

Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol RelapseThere is a term in the addiction recovery community called “terminal uniqueness.” What this means is that people who struggle with issues of addiction often feel like they are alone in their experiences. However, when someone begins engaging and interacting with other members of recovery communities they soon find out that addiction is a “shared experience.” Perhaps the details of active addiction are different, but the feelings of despair are almost always the same. Yet even after all of this shared experience, individuals that experience alcohol relapse often go right back to that state of “terminal uniqueness.”

What Exactly Is Alcohol Relapse?

An alcohol relapse is something that occurs after a successful period of recovery. Also, it is important to note that a relapse rarely ever happens “at the moment.” Alcohol relapses often begin long before the first drink is taken. According to the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, “Relapse is a gradual process that begins weeks and sometimes months before an individual picks up a drink or drug.” So it is important to recognize the warning signs early if a relapse is to be thwarted.

It is also important to get away from the idea that relapses are uncommon occurrences. According to the journal, Current Psychiatry Reports, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.” Of course, we all wish that relapse wasn’t a part of recovery, but the truth is that it is. Will everyone in recovery experience a relapse? Of course not. But, that doesn’t mean that they are immune to one in the future if they don’t maintain a close connection to their recovery program.

It also doesn’t mean that an individual that experiences alcohol relapse desires long-term recovery any less. They just happened to run into a bump in the recovery road. We must remember that recovery journeys are not all linear, and that’s OK. The key is to take the next right step forward after taking one of those lateral relapse steps.

What Are the Warning Signs of Alcohol Relapse

The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine also explains that “there are three stages to relapse: emotional, mental, and physical,” and that “the common denominator of emotional relapse is poor self-care.” So, if that “common denominator” is poor self-care, then what are the other factors that forecast a potential alcohol relapse? The following are just a few:

  • An individual may begin to become less engaged with their recovery program or community (avoiding attending 12-step meetings for example)
  • They may begin to glamorize their past alcohol experiences
  • An individual may become more secretive and isolated
  • They may start to frequent toxic places and engage with influential people that were part of their active addiction
  • An individual may exhibit excessive mood swings, and become defensive about their behaviors
  • They may express their doubts that the recovery process is working or that it will continue to work

Relapse: Never Get Discouraged

When it comes to alcohol relapse it is important to remember to never get discouraged. A relapse never has to be the end of recovery. The key is to learn from the experience and make the proper adjustments to get back on the right path. After all, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up.

When discussing alcohol relapse with another fellow in recovery, one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson offered this, ”About this slip business – I would not be too discouraged. I think you are suffering a great deal from a needless guilt.” This guild is needless because looking back after a relapse will not magically make it go away, and that’s also OK. It is better to reframe a relapse as a new beginning rather than a roadblock.

Relapse: Never Give Up

So, what happens if all of the warning signs were missed and relapse happens to occur? The first step is to reconnect with the initial recovery plan and recovery community. Then the next step is to make adjustments and a relapse prevention plan so those warning signs aren’t missed again.

For example, for someone that just experienced relapse, it may be a good idea to create a daily check-in routine with either a “sober friend” in recovery or an addiction specialist. Another adjustment might be to journal before retiring to see if any of those warning signs were missed throughout the day. An excellent adjustment is also to connect to a safe space, where recovery is paramount. The Redpoint Center is one of those spaces.

Here at the Redpoint Center, our recovery mission has never wavered. Our goal is to not only create a safe space for recovery at the moment but also to provide the tools to avoid relapse and safely navigate recovery in the long term.

True sobriety and transformation are ongoing processes. There are also often new stresses and challenges that can inform an individual’s risk of relapse. It is critical to understand the signs and symptoms that may inform a person’s changing perspectives or risk of relapse, so they can then best address these situations to prevent engaging with alcohol again despite the challenges. The Redpoint Center is a safe space to address these challenges and create comprehensive relapse prevention strategies alongside professionals and peers for a sustainable sober future. If you feel like you or a loved one may be veering toward a relapse, we can help. For more information on addiction treatment and relapse prevention, call The Redpoint Center at (303) 710-8496.

Jul 13
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The Effects of Drug Addiction on the Family Home

The Effects of Drug Addiction on the Family Home

By Addiction

The Effects of Drug Addiction on the Family HomeDrug use has a myriad of effects on both the lives of those engaged with drugs and those around them. Family, friends, and loved ones are all impacted by even one person’s use of drugs. Understanding the widespread and varied effects of drug addiction on the family is paramount for making an effective plan to address and overcome these effects. There is no easy journey to overcoming an addiction, but The Redpoint Center is prepared to personalize each program to address not just each individual’s needs in outpatient treatment, but also create plans for holistic recovery that address the various ways in which drug addiction affects the entire household.

Drug Addiction Isn’t Isolated

More than one in 10 children is estimated to live with at least one family member who is challenged by addiction. However, this already staggering number does not account for the families of adults who also must address the devastating effects of drugs. Viewing addiction not as a personal challenge but as a familial affair is crucial for effective healing.

The use of drugs or alcohol introduces many difficult personal challenges. For those addressing their use of drugs and considering professional treatment at The Redpoint Center, it can be common to want to hide their use from loved ones. While this is not typically done out of malice, it is important to understand how drug use is rarely truly isolated, and even efforts to “spare” family members from the stresses of addiction can lead to further destructive effects. The effects of drug addiction are not relegated to a single individual, and a person’s emotional state, finances, behaviors, and more can all impact the atmosphere of the family home

Some of the effects of drug addiction on the family include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Harboring resentments
  • Guilt
  • Hopelessness
  • Anger
  • Financial stresses
  • Feelings of “walking on eggshells”
  • The stress of watching language or “thin walls” to not otherwise upset or stress an individual

Even if loved ones are not actively observing a person engage with drugs, they can still experience any of these common effects. Household atmospheres can even adopt a more secretive and stressful air. Committing to professional treatment is paramount to address the extended effects of drug use on the family and develop a plan to overcome these challenges alongside those that matter most.

The Effects of Drug Addiction on Trust

Trust is a core component of any kind of relationship. However, trust can also be one of the first things compromised through drug use. An increase in lying can be common among those engaged with drugs, either to hide their use or in an attempt to keep loved ones from worrying. However, this can further exacerbate as drug addiction develops unaddressed, with the lack of trust leading to various other consequences, including:

  • Stealing
  • Interpersonal conflict
  • Denial
  • Compromised communication strategies
  • Inability to follow through on promises or commitments

Each of these can have profound effects on not just those engaged with drugs, but loved ones trying to understand, communicate, and support sober change.

Compromised Responsibilities

While it is common for those challenged by drug addiction to adopt a more isolated lifestyle, this approach can still have many ramifications for families. Those using drugs may compromise their ability to tend to household responsibilities or obligations, leaving such tasks to family members to take over. This can be further compounded by a compromised financial situation.

For some, loss of employment resulting from drug use or consistent call-outs can necessitate financial support from family members, while others may compromise their otherwise effective budget as they use more of their budget to procure addictive substances instead of tending to necessities like rent, groceries, and more.

Recovery as a Familial Journey

However, just as drug addiction rarely ever truly affects an individual in isolation, effective recovery programs and strategies can also have a positive effect on the family home and atmosphere. Embracing the familial nature of the disease can empower those in recovery to create a new program to address their needs and the needs of the family in tandem for a truly transformative recovery journey.

The Redpoint Center champions this approach to recovery, helping entire families address the emotional impact of addiction and build new strategies for healthy communication, support, accountability, and honesty to overcome the emotional impacts of drug addiction on the family home.

Effective Outpatient Programs

Outpatient programs are crucial for challenging the effects of addiction on an individual and creating change within the family home. The Redpoint Center’s intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) across Colorado empower those overcoming the use of drugs to make active changes in their daily life and adopt a plethora of new skills. These skills can immediately be put to use in familial healing as each person continues to live with those that matter most, creating an approach to sobriety and familial healing that can be adjusted efficiently and effectively throughout ongoing outpatient treatment.

Building Communication Strategies

Communication is paramount for challenging the myriad of ways that drug addiction has affected the family. It is also common that those overcoming drug use may not be fully aware of the extensive effects that their use has had on family members. Building new communication strategies can repair trust and reach an honest level of understanding to begin familial healing.

Each family will have their own best ways to communicate. Professional treatment at The Redpoint Center can empower those overcoming drug addiction to embrace the language and skills necessary to better communicate with family. This communication can also be used to set boundaries and expectations at home, helping to create a new level of understanding and accountability throughout the sober journey.

Drugs have a profound effect on those using them and their families, and entire family homes can adopt a new atmosphere and challenges as a result of drug addiction. At The Redpoint Center, we understand the profound effects of drug addiction on the family home, and we are committed to truly effective and holistic healing for entire families. Our unique approach to outpatient treatment empowers each person to explore effective and proven therapeutic modalities while overcoming addiction and immediately incorporating them at home, with consistent professional support for familial healing and transformation at home. For more information on how we can support your sober journey, call to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (303) 710-8496.

Jul 11
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Celebrating a Sober 4th of July

Celebrating a Sober 4th of July

By Addiction, Alcohol rehab

Celebrating a Sober 4th of JulyThe 4th of July is a time for celebration, with families and communities coming together. However, for those navigating substance use disorder (SUD) and sober life through Redpoint’s outpatient care programs, the 4th of July can also be a time of stress. Creating new traditions and expectations around the holiday is paramount to prevent an individual from falling back into previously destructive routines, expectations, traditions, or otherwise re-engaging with addictive substances. However, that doesn’t mean that an individual has to eschew celebrating the holiday entirely. There are always ways to prioritize a healthy and sober 4th of July this summer.

The Challenges Presented This 4th of July

Both summertime in general and the 4th of July specifically can present many unique challenges for those pursuing a sober life. For many, the summer can hold many stresses and traditions that may be closely tied to the use of drugs or alcohol. Social gatherings and commercials can all reintroduce ideas of engaging with addictive substances during this time. Memories of past use engaging with these substances can also cause an individual to romanticize their use, especially with their use so closely tied to the holiday.

Likewise, the stresses of the holiday can also bring their own feelings. While an individual may be successfully distancing themselves from addictive substances, having to avoid social gatherings where such substances may be present can bring feelings of isolation, depression, and more. Coupled with the anxiety of navigating stress during this time, it can be a difficult task to maintain sobriety through the 4th of July and beyond.

Strategies for Celebrating a Sober 4th of July

Maintaining a healthy and sober lifestyle is difficult. Finding new ways to celebrate the holiday can help facilitate a sustainable sober transformation. By combining personal strategies for celebrating the 4th of July with continued engagement in Colorado rehab facilities, such as The Redpoint Center’s outpatient programs, each person can always find new ways to approach the 4th of July holiday while prioritizing sobriety.

Prepare With Mindfulness Strategies

The most important part of preparing to overcome the challenges of celebrating a sober 4th of July is understanding the risks involved. Being prepared for some kind of stress is paramount. It is important to situate oneself in the present moment to cope with the challenges and expectations of the holiday. Effective and regular use of mindfulness strategies, such as breathing strategies, meditation, naming things in a person’s environment, and more, can all help to situate a person in their sober present, rather than feel compelled by emotional distress or past experiences, cultures, or expectations.

Host Your Own Sober Party

While social events may not be necessarily curated with sobriety in mind, especially throughout the summer months and 4th of July celebrations, those continuing to tend to their sobriety through The Redpoint Center’s outpatient programs can always begin their own traditions and celebrations. Hosting a cookout or family gathering oneself has a number of advantages for those in recovery.

Being able to control the guest list is one of these major advantages, ensuring that an individual is only surrounded by those that understand and accept a person’s commitment to sobriety. Replacing previous social groups that may introduce unnecessary risk to a person’s sober efforts with new relationships made in outpatient treatment can further help an individual distance themselves from previous cultures to prioritize a celebration devoid of drugs, alcohol, or any connotations therein. Others may have new activities or planned events and games available to celebrate the holiday to further distance it from previous methods of celebration.

Limiting Social Media

Social media can be a blessing for those in recovery to connect with others. However, it can also be incredibly stressful if an individual is overexposed to stressful social media posts. This is especially true during this time of year when advertisements are plentiful and social gatherings that are celebrating substance use may be populating social media feeds.

Limiting the amount of time spent on social media, taking social media apps off of a person’s phone home screen, and ensuring that social media are only engaged with a dedicated purpose in mind can help to limit these exposures and prevent an individual from romanticizing past use or being exposed to unnecessary stresses this holiday.

Know Limits

Some may still decide to attend celebrations or gatherings of others. Setting expectations for these social gatherings ahead of time with the host can help a person prioritize their sobriety. However, it is also possible that an individual may need to exit a 4th of July gathering to prioritize their own sobriety. Going to these events alongside trusted supports that can help keep an individual accountable and enact exit strategies as needed is paramount.

Talking with family, loved ones, or even sober friends and supports can all help create a plan for an individual to know their limits and when celebrations may be introducing too many risk factors. Working with these supports, as well as the peers and professionals at The Redpoint Center in outpatient care, can help to refine these strategies to further prioritize their sobriety for future celebrations.

The 4th of July can be a time of wonderful celebration and community or a time of stress for those in recovery, and finding a new way to celebrate the holiday with sober peers and supports is crucial for fostering a truly transformed daily life. At The Redpoint Center, our commitment to effective outpatient treatment is intended to support you throughout the entire year, with new strategies and plans to address the 4th of July, the challenges of summer, and other hurdles unique to the changing time of year. We champion the opportunity to not only help you distance yourself from risky 4th of July celebrations but create new traditions in their place. For more information, call (303) 710-8496.

Jul 05
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Creating Affordable Options for Effective Addiction Treatment at Glenwood Springs

Creating Affordable Options for Effective Addiction Treatment in Glenwood Springs

By Addiction

Finding effective treatment for overcoming the use of drugs or alcohol can be exceptionally complicated. Each facility offers its own approach, environment, therapies, culture, and more. At The Redpoint Center, we believe it is vital to make the crucial decision of where to begin treatment based on a person’s needs so we can best support sober change. Deconstructing financial barriers to treatment and exploring affordable options is paramount to pursuing quality treatment. At Redpoint, we offer treatment and resources to those seeking help because we believe no one should have to compromise effective treatment for the sake of affordability.

While costs associated with addiction treatment can be intimidating, it can be more costly to ignore the continued effects and development of addiction. The Redpoint Center’s Glenwood Springs treatment center location is prepared to work with each person to find affordable options to begin the journey to a sober and healthy life.

Importance of Affordable Options for Treatment

There is no replacement for dedicated, professional care when addressing the difficulties commonplace when overcoming substance use disorder (SUD.) For some, the intimidating cost of treatment can cause an individual to attempt at-home recovery efforts, often without the education or professional and peer support that is instrumental to sustained success in sobriety.

Treatment is not only crucial to develop effective coping strategies throughout outpatient care but also to tend to social needs. Effective treatment helps address mental health disorders, create personalized strategies, explore spiritual healing, and more. Building a community of peers can help those navigating the challenges of ongoing sobriety in outpatient care best focus on their continued sober efforts even when surrounded by urges, cravings, interpersonal stresses, or professional stresses that may otherwise impact a person’s sobriety.

With how essential genuine, educated outpatient care is to a truly transformative sober journey, overcoming financial barriers is paramount. The Redpoint Center is always ready to help each person explore affordable options. We use various strategies to address financial barriers to facilitate an effective and efficient approach to change.

Working With Insurances

While reworking personal budgets and spending allocations is a common first step to planning for treatment, not all people, families, or communities will be able to prioritize their budget amidst already piling bills and expenses. Having an opportunity to work with insurance can be crucial for pursuing affordable options for outpatient addiction care. The Redpoint Center offers its effective care across Colorado while also being one of the only in-network providers for most insurances.

Insurance is one of the most common affordable options to cover not just the initial cost of attending outpatient treatment but, depending on a person’s insurance plan, can also be used to cover continued therapy options or medication to best tend to a person’s individual needs and goals in treatment. Talking with insurance providers can help individuals and families understand the range of situations where in-network insurance options can provide advantages.

However, navigating the insurance world can still be complicated and intimidating. The Redpoint Center is prepared to help each person understand and navigate insurance and provides easy tools to verify insurance, further deconstructing barriers to treatment and facilitating the beginning of an effective outpatient treatment program.

Utilizing Additional Resources

However, while insurance is one of the most common and best ways to help create affordable options for treatment, each individual may also utilize other strategies in conjunction with insurance. The professionals at The Redpoint Center are equipped to help navigate these other options and prioritize the beginning of a sober life.

Adding to Affordable Options With Employee Assistance Programs

The Redpoint Center is committed to the transformative potential of outpatient treatment, blending a person’s need for treatment with new experiences and sober efforts while empowering those in recovery to continue tending to their personal lives and professional schedules. Balancing this employment with sobriety can be difficult. However, it can also offer additional advantages to create affordable options for treatment in the form of Employee Assistance Programs, or “EAPs.”

EAPs are programs through a person’s workplace that can help connect an individual to treatment options or provide a degree of counseling to help balance their need for sober change with their ongoing employment. However, not all workplaces will necessarily have an EAP, and what they cover can also vary. Discussing with each person’s workplace can help flesh out this potential option. While some may be able to provide referrals to services, others may offer a degree of financial assistance to attend treatment while still managing their professional life and employment.

Personalizing Affordable Options

There are many complexities when it comes to navigating finances and building a budget while also tending to a person’s need for treatment. However, Redpoint’s spirit of accessibility permeates each of its programs. Each person will have their own story, journey, experiences, and more. The Redpoint Center’s family-owned history and atmosphere and personal attachment to the transformative potential of Glenwood Springs, with the head of The Redpoint Center’s own facilities having first achieved their sustained sober life at the location, all work together to break down any barriers to effective treatment including financial stresses that may otherwise prevent such change.

There may still be a deluge of financial questions and concerns. However, The Redpoint Center at Glenwood Springs is always prepared to sit with each person to explore their options, in-network insurance advantages, and other strategies to help each person begin their journey to a sober life.

Finances can be extraordinarily stressful for anyone, but they should never be a reason to avoid or deny yourself effective and transformational outpatient treatment. At The Redpoint Center’s Glenwood treatment center, we are committed to helping you navigate insurance and various other options to create affordable options for truly transformational care. Overcoming addiction and mental health disorders is complicated, but The Redpoint Center’s in-network options and community dedicated to change make it a great place to balance your need for change and financial stresses. For more information on how we can help you explore affordable options for treatment, call to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (303) 710-8496. 

Jun 10
Love0

How Therapy Has Helped Me on My Journey of Recovery

By Addiction

Recovery from substance abuse and mental health issues is a difficult and intensely personal path. Therapy has been a crucial part of my personal recovery process, leading me to self-discovery, growth, and transformation. In this blog, I’ll discuss my own experiences and thoughts on how therapy has helped me on my road to recovery while also shedding light on the effective resources and encouragement it can offer those dealing with similar difficulties.

The Courage to Seek Help

It took a lot of bravery and openness to start along the road to recovery. A critical first step was acknowledging that I needed assistance. I was able to talk openly about my challenges, anxieties, and past traumas in therapy without feeling judged or ashamed. I was able to feel heard, understood, and validated there, and that feeling alone gave me the courage to carry on with my path.

Understanding the Root Causes

I learned in therapy how closely my drug usage and difficulties with mental health are related. My therapist assisted me in identifying the underlying emotional wounds and unsolved issues that motivated my self-destructive habits through guided dialogues and contemplation. Together, we looked into my past, trauma, and destructive thought patterns to discover the underlying causes of my difficulties.

Developing Coping Strategies

One of the biggest advantages of treatment was discovering good coping mechanisms to get over the difficulties I encountered. I was given a toolkit of useful tools by my therapist, including journaling, mindfulness meditation, and deep breathing exercises, which helped me better control my stress, anxiety, and cravings. These coping strategies developed into priceless tools that enabled me to take back control of my life and make better decisions.

Rebuilding Self-Esteem and Identity

Broken self-esteem and a warped sense of self are common side effects of substance misuse and mental health issues. I had the chance to completely restore my sense of self-worth during treatment. I was able to question my negative self-perceptions, practice self-compassion, and accept my abilities and ideals with the help and encouragement of my therapist. I regained my genuine self during this process, and I also built a stronger, more resilient identity.

Establishing a Support System

Therapy helped me connect with a larger support network while also giving me a personalized plan for moving forward in my life. Meeting others who experienced comparable difficulties during group therapy sessions gave me a sense of solidarity and understanding. My therapist also advised me to cultivate connections and ask for help from loved ones. This support system was crucial to my healing process because it gave me motivation, structure, and a feeling of community.

Therapy has served as my compass in my journey to recovery from mental illness and substance abuse, pointing me in the direction of a happier, more satisfying life. It has aided me in identifying the underlying causes of my problems, coming up with practical coping mechanisms, regaining my self-esteem, and setting up a strong support network. I am grateful for the therapeutic process’ ability to change my life, and I urge anyone else dealing with similar difficulties to make the brave decision to get help. Keep in mind that you are not alone and that recovery is possible.

Asking for and seeking help for recovery from mental health and substance abuse is not easy. If you or anyone you know is struggling, the team at Redpoint Center offers a variety of therapeutic modalities that can help. The trained and caring staff are able to create a personalized treatment plan that fits the needs of each unique individual. For more information, call us today at (303) 710-8496.

May 26
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Identifying Opioid Addiction in a Loved One

Identifying Opioid Addiction in a Loved One

By Addiction

Addiction of any kind is difficult to overcome. Despite the continued negative ramifications of the use of addictive substances on a person’s body and mind, ceasing the use of addictive substances is exceptionally complicated. Opioids can present an intense and uniquely difficult recovery journey, and identifying the signs and symptoms of opioid addiction in a loved one is crucial to finding effective treatment.

Recognizing these signs as early as possible is just the first step, with professional treatment for overcoming the use of opioids being paramount for an informed and effective approach to a future of sobriety. Redpoint’s Glenwood Springs location can help individuals and families begin their journey of overcoming the effects of opioid use.

Exposure to Opioids

While there may be certain stigmas or images that come to mind when words like “opioid addiction” are mentioned, it is important to remember that addiction can affect anybody. There is no single person, sex, gender, age group, race, or other denomination that is somehow “immune” to developing the disease. However, opioids can be even more uniquely ubiquitous, with some three million Americans who either currently are overcoming opioid addiction or have overcome opioid addiction in the past.

For some, mental health disorders can inform their use, with an individual seeking them out illicitly to challenge intense emotions like anxiety, panic, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD,) or other mental health disorders. However, others may be exposed to opioid use as a result of personal injury or through prescription painkillers, leading to addiction through the healing process. Regardless of how an individual was exposed to opioids, being vigilant of potential signs and symptoms of addiction is necessary to help those using these drugs challenge and overcome addiction before further consequences manifest.

The Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Addiction

Opioids affect a person’s mind and body in tandem and can impact every facet of a person’s life, from professional performance and attendance to daily routines and emotional health. However, there are some behavioral signs that can indicate the dangerous use of opioids or addiction. Some of these potential signs include:

  • Sudden changes in daily routine
  • Adopting a more secretive or isolated lifestyle, such as no longer spending time with friends or family or locking doors
  • Disinterest in previous hobbies
  • Inability or reluctance to tend to daily responsibilities
  • Compromised hygiene
  • Changes in sleep routines, insomnia, or going to bed at inconsistent times
  • Decreased libido
  • Sudden changes in finances or financial difficulty
  • Increase in stealing or lying
  • Sudden or drastic weight loss
  • Changes in appetite or skipping meals
  • Inconsistent professional attendance, suddenly being late to work, or decreased professional performance

However, opioid addiction can also drastically impact a person’s mental health, which can further inform the need for professional care through the opportunities at Redpoint’s Glenwood Springs programs. Some of the emotional impacts of opioid use include:

  • Increase in feelings of anxiety or depression
  • Mood swings
  • Increase in irritation, frustration, or angry outbursts
  • Difficulty managing and regulating emotions

An individual may also express unique symptoms if they have not engaged with opioids after a certain amount of time, called “withdrawal symptoms.” These can include feelings of nausea, vomiting, further emotional distress, aches, pains, and insomnia, with an individual feeling compelled to engage with opioids in order to get the symptoms to stop.

An individual does not necessarily need to express all of these symptoms to be diagnosed with opioid addiction, and recognizing a few of these symptoms in tandem can facilitate the need to contact professional help for further information and to explore healing options. Redpoint’s Glenwood Springs programs can help each individual and loved one better identify and understand these symptoms, as well as the healing options available to begin effective, informed, professional treatment.

Overcoming Opioid Addiction at Glenwood Springs

Addiction can continue to affect individuals and their families until professionally addressed, with ramifications not just on those engaged with the drugs but also on entire atmospheres that can breed further emotional turmoil and resentment and have a destructive impact on entire families. Professional treatment is necessary to not only instill the necessary skills to challenge opioid addiction but also explore addiction’s effect on daily life while developing new skills to transform daily practices and create a fulfilling life of sobriety.

Combining proven therapeutic approaches throughout our dedicated outpatient program in Glenwood Springs, we explore the effects of opioid addiction on each person’s life and develop practices for a healthy future. From cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to various experiential opportunities and a community of peers, we challenge the effects of addiction and create a community of healing that can help each individual overcome isolation for a sustainable sober life.

Effective outpatient treatment empowers those in recovery to continue living their daily lives while challenging opioid addiction and its continued ramifications. There is no substitute for professional opioid addiction treatment, but the programs available at Glenwood Springs can help those ready to overcome the use of opioids explore all of their options and routes to sobriety while continuing to tend to daily life and responsibilities inside and outside of a treatment facility.

Opioid addiction can be devastating to entire families. If you or a loved one recognizes the signs and symptoms of opioid addiction and are ready to take the first step toward a healthier, sober life, we at Redpoint can help. Our Glenwood Springs location specializes in effective outpatient drug treatment programs to help you understand and overcome the use of opioids while continuing to manage daily life and responsibilities outside of our facility. By curating a community of healing and an atmosphere of change, we can create the best approach to sustained healing from opioid use while providing a network of peers and professionals to navigate the continued challenges of recovery. For more information, call us today at (303) 710-8496.

May 24
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Andy’s Journey of Recovery with Redpoint

By Addiction, Featured

Before I spoke with Donnie on the phone during my last week of inpatient treatment, I had no idea where I was going or where I was headed. Before admitting to that facility, I had relapsed only two weeks after leaving a different rehab center. I knew that I had to surrender and ask for the support I needed if I was ever going to achieve long-term sobriety, I just didn’t know what that looked like or how to get there. With the last week of my 90-day stay coming to an end, my case manager suggested The Redpoint Center in Longmont for intensive outpatient therapy and optional sober living.

I spoke with Donnie on the phone, and he could relate to me on my new journey of recovery. He knew exactly the steps to take not only to get admitted to Redpoint but what I needed to do after I had moved into sober living and started therapy. If I ever had any questions regarding what to do, I knew I could ask Redpoint staff since most of them have personal experience in recovery and have found success in long-term sobriety. They paired me with another sober living housemate who took me to AA meetings, and who even helped me get a job. I started working a new job serving tables at a restaurant 3 days after admitting, at 23 years old. It was suggested I go to recovery meetings as often as I could, and to start exercising. I filled most of my time working, attending AA meetings, going to therapy, and exercising.

Then faster than I could have ever imagined, my life started drastically improving. Not only was I making friends, connecting with a recovery community, becoming financially independent, and working through past trauma, but all that work slowly started accumulating into a life I could enjoy and feel fulfilled in. I was soaking in advice and suggestions like a sponge, and I was taking action. This was the change I needed because, in previous treatment environments, my inflated ego and sense of entitlement were like the great wall of China that blocked any useful advice or suggestions. Unlike other treatment centers that I went to, Redpoint felt like home. They held me accountable, treated me like family, and showed they truly cared about me, and eventually became like family.

After obtaining a sponsor in AA and working through the 12 steps, I started sponsoring other young men in recovery. I attended group and individual therapy at Redpoint for 9 months. After obtaining a year of sobriety, I became the house manager of Redpoint’s sober living house. I get the opportunity to support people who are just like myself, as they start their recovery journeys. While in my role as house manager, I obtained a job as a pharmacy technician in a mental health hospital. I worked in the pharmacy for about a year, until I was offered a full-time position at The Redpoint Center.

I have worked at Redpoint for over three years, and currently have over four years of sobriety. I have obtained my recovery coach certification, and I love being able to work with people in recovery and to be working at a facility that was instrumental in saving my life. Even though life throws curveballs, my life is manageable without using mind-altering substances, and that is such an amazing gift.

Boulder and Larimer County Mental Health and Drug Rehab Andy's Journey of Recovery with Redpoint Photo

Our dedicated outpatient programs can instill the skills and strategies needed to manage your life with your family while continuing to focus on your sober efforts. With multiple locations across Colorado, we can help you find the place to begin your journey to healing with your family today. For more information on how we can personalize your time with us, call to speak to us today at (303) 710-8496.

May 19
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The Impact of Environment on Addiction and Recovery

The Impact of Environment on Addiction and Recovery

By Addiction

There are many factors involved with addiction and substance use disorder (SUD). However, a person’s engagement with addictive substances like drugs or alcohol is not somehow the product of any kind of moral failing. Rather, one of the most profound factors that can influence the development of SUD is a person’s environment, both while growing up and in their current living state. While the environment can be a major influence in the development of SUD, it is also possible to form a new environment in sobriety to reflect a person’s sober transformation. Understanding the impact of environment on SUD can empower those in recovery to utilize the environment as a recovery resource for their continued success in overcoming SUD.

The Impact of Environment on the Development of SUD

Each person’s environment is a potent and influential part of daily life that encapsulates much more than a person’s psychical setting. While the physical elements of the environment certainly have an influence, with exposures to seeing alcohol or drugs used or in the house from a young age directly affecting an individual’s perception of their use or causing an individual to normalize unhealthy levels of use, a person’s environment also incorporates the people and cultures that affect a person in daily life.

The people of a particular environment can have profound effects on the acceptance, perception, and even use of drugs or alcohol, and can facilitate the development of addiction. Regular use of these substances in a particular environment can cause an individual to adopt a more lenient or less moderated approach to their own use, or cause an individual to perceive their negative effects as less serious.

However, others may indirectly impact a person’s use of drugs or alcohol by introducing toxic atmospheres. Either home or workplace environments can introduce stress or anxiety, or expose an individual to other difficult social interactions, each of which can facilitate the use of drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Some of these stresses that may impact the development of addiction may include:

  • Toxic relationships
  • Overly competitive mindsets or atmospheres
  • Abusive individuals, either psychically, verbally, or emotionally
  • Neglect, especially during younger developmental years

Lastly, a person’s environment is also comprised of a unique culture specific to a subset of people, and these cultures can also have wildly varying effects on a person’s sobriety. Some cultures may normalize or accept the use of drugs or alcohol as not just a normal way to celebrate accomplishments or cope with stress, or may even encourage such self-destructive behaviors or mentalities. Recognizing when a certain culture around drugs or alcohol permeates a particular environment or individual is paramount to distancing oneself from these ideas and creating a healthier, sober life.

Using the Impact of Environment as a Recovery Tool

However, the impact of environment does not always have to be negative, and Redpoint is committed to creating an environment that not only challenges the perceptions, ideas, and cultures instilled by less supportive environments but replaces them with people and cultures unified around healing and sobriety.

Supporting a Shift in Mindset

Redpoint’s focus on community healing empowers those engaged in effective outpatient programs to overcome some of the most difficult hurdles commonplace throughout the journey to sobriety – expressing vulnerability. By personalizing each treatment program and supporting change by facilitating an environment where emotional expression is not just accepted but encouraged, it is possible to challenge the use of drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism while challenging stresses, mental health needs, and past traumas in tandem.

This shift in mentality can empower those pursuing recovery to embrace not just potential vulnerabilities, but also a mindset that can better adapt to change and create the scaffolding for a sustainable sober future.

Challenging Stigmas

By normalizing sobriety and healing, The Redpoint Center is also committed to creating a culture shift that focuses on healing. There can be many misconceptions about words like “recovery” or “sobriety,” and curating an environment that destigmatizes these words to facilitate a healthy approach to healing can be a great impact of environment on a person’s motivation to pursue sobriety and ability to maintain sobriety outside of our walls.

Getting Connected

The people that surround an individual throughout their journey can greatly impact the use or abstinence from drugs or alcohol. At Redpoint, each individual has access to not just their own personalized program, but also a community of peers and professionals that all understand the challenges of addiction recovery. The perspectives, experiences, stories, and social connections that can be built on mutual respect and solidarity in sobriety can be a truly transformational experience, with such an accepting environment continuing to impact a person’s mental health and even the development of their own sober practices and routines.

Start Your Journey at Redpoint

The impact of environment on the use of addictive substances cannot be ignored. However, it is always possible to choose what kind of environment a person strives to be a part of, and committing to being engaged in a supportive environment can have truly transformational effects. The Redpoint Center’s commitment to curating a healthy and sober environment based on acceptance, change, and healing can facilitate the best, most personalized treatment and therapy options for overcoming SUD and its continued effects on a person’s physical and mental health.

Being a part of the right culture and having access to supportive peers, professionals, and influences are all paramount for an effective and sustainable sobriety. At The Redpoint Center, we are committed to not just developing a personalized treatment program to address your needs but to fostering a community of healing and an environment that champions each person’s sober journey and dedication. With locations across Colorado, we are prepared to create an environment and social circle that can best support your sober change. We utilize a combination of proven therapeutic modalities, including CBT, EMDR, and experiential therapies, and a cultural focus on healing and community to birth an entirely new lifestyle. For more information, call us today at (303) 710-8496.

May 13
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Celebrating Accomplishments in Sobriety

Celebrating Accomplishments in Sobriety

By Addiction

Each and every step in the journey to sobriety is difficult, and it is paramount to take time to recognize just how far each person has come in their journey. While stresses can be present throughout each person’s continued battles with stress and sobriety, finding things to celebrate is crucial. However, celebrating accomplishments in sobriety can be difficult. Some may not recognize things to celebrate, while others may minimize their own accomplishments or may not have embraced new ways to celebrate without the use of drugs or alcohol yet. However, The Redpoint Center is committed to developing the skills to celebrate accomplishments and highlighting their role in continued success for a healthy and sustainable sober future.

The Importance of Celebrating Accomplishments

For many continuing their sober journey in outpatient treatment, the idea of celebrating accomplishments can be a difficult new perspective to adopt. Feelings of shame, guilt, or continuing to address the ramifications of past use can all inform a person’s mentality and even lead to continued self-doubt. It can be hard to find reasons to celebrate or to feel worthy of celebrating such accomplishments. Finding ways to draw attention to each hard-earned milestone in sobriety is crucial for both maintaining motivation and seeing oneself as an actively transforming person in sobriety.

Celebrating by oneself or alongside friends, family, and supports is a necessary part of an effective recovery journey. Not only does drawing attention to even small accomplishments empower those in recovery to embrace newfound feelings of pride and accomplishment, but they can also be used to highlight these milestones for supports and loved ones. This can further help facilitate the reparation of key relationships and bring newfound self-confidence and drive to continue the difficult journey ahead. Celebrating accomplishments can not only keep those in recovery focused on their positive successes and strides but also increase their resilience to bounce back from stress and further their sober goals.

Being ready and willing to celebrate alongside loved ones and supports in outpatient care can have many therapeutic benefits, including:

  • Increasing motivation
  • Relieving stress
  • Challenging feelings of self-doubt or other self-destructive thoughts
  • Facilitating the development of new hobbies or traditions in sobriety
  • Overcoming feelings of depression
  • Providing perspective throughout recovery

Without celebrating milestones, complacency, doubt, and more can all impact an individual, increasing the chances of relapse.

Recognizing Accomplishments

With the constant feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression that can be commonplace throughout the addiction recovery process, recognizing when specific goals have been reached can be difficult. However, much of a person’s daily life may have already once seemed incredibly difficult in their recovery journey. Realizing when an individual has reached each goal is paramount to creating a better understanding of how far they have come on their healing journey.

For many, the idea of going 24 hours without a drink may have once seemed close to impossible. Despite any prevalent stress, anxiety, urges, or cravings, realizing that an individual has gone a full week without the use of alcohol can be a profound realization. Employing various strategies can help those in outpatient treatment recognize accomplishments worth celebrating.

Journaling

Using journals can help those in recovery look back on past stresses, challenges, triumphs, and more, adding needed perspective on their progress, even amid the manifestation of new stresses and challenges. This perspective can also be used to help those in recovery realize how many obstacles they have already overcome and reinforce their motivation for continued success.

Using Your Calendar

Utilizing a calendar to mark milestones or anniversaries on calendars can help an individual not only recognize when they have reached a particular goal in their sobriety but also keep an individual focused as they watch such accomplishments come closer each passing day. Marking sober anniversaries or personal goals can help an individual focus on sobriety while providing something to look forward to throughout treatment and recovery.

Using Supports

Friends, family, and others met in ongoing outpatient treatment can also help an individual recognize their accomplishments. Talking with others can add perspective, all while working in solidarity to find new ways to celebrate such goals in sobriety through developing new traditions, hobbies, and more.

Celebrating Accomplishments in Sobriety

There are many ways that those in recovery can continue celebrating accomplishments while maintaining their hard-earned sobriety. Ensuring that each celebration fits with the gravity of each milestone is crucial, and exploring a varied approach to celebrating can ensure that such accomplishments always feel fresh and earned throughout any stage of recovery. Some effective ways to celebrate milestones may include:

  • Treating oneself to a shopping trip or personal purchase based on their interests
  • Choosing the restaurant for a family dinner night out
  • Engaging in a personal activity with friends or family, such as bowling, mini-golf, or other activities a person is interested in to relax
  • Hosting a gathering to celebrate a milestone, such as a cookout or other sober party where an individual can control the guest list
  • Using self-care practices and hobbies as rewards for celebrating daily accomplishments

Communities of peers are instrumental in embracing a culture of celebration throughout each sober journey. The outpatient programs at The Redpoint Center curate a culture of this healing, embracing the opportunity to explore the profound milestones reached by each individual alongside peers who understand the trials and challenges that led to such profound accomplishment. These cultures not only can reinforce motivation and a focus on sobriety but also are instrumental in helping each person recognize the nature of each milestone reached and its transformative potential for a sustained sober future.

Celebrating accomplishments is a necessary part of maintaining motivation and a healthy attitude in the continued journey of addiction recovery, and we at Redpoint are prepared to help you embrace a culture of celebration to help you along each step of your sober journey. Overcoming stress, anxiety, depression, and placating urges and cravings are all difficult, especially while continuing to take dedicated efforts for a transformed lifestyle. Redpoint, with multiple locations across Colorado, including Fort Collins and Glenwood Springs, champions the opportunity to help you recognize the profound meaning of your accomplishments for a healthy approach to continued sober success by developing personalized plans to tend to your unique needs and goals in outpatient care. Call us at (303) 710-8496.

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1375 Kenn Pratt Blvd
Suite 300
Longmont, CO, 80501


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