Mental Balance and Self-Care - Take your Power Back

In my last blog, physical balance of self-care in relation to Substance Abuse Recovery was discussed.  Today let's talk about mental self-care as a part of the six areas of balance.  How often to you check in with your mind and your thoughts?  Are you a positive or a negative thinker?  Do you believe that you have a choice to change your thoughts?  Are your thoughts working for you are against you?  As you thought about each of these questions, hopefully, you are aware that you have the power and the choice to change the way you think.  You are responsible for your thoughts.  Certainly there are people from the past who have influenced the way you think and there are people today who may still influence your thoughts.  You, however, have the power to choose whether or not you are influenced.  One of the first things to consider, is experimenting with challenging your thoughts and taking back some of your personal power.  How willing are you?  I find it helpful to think of the brain as a computer that has been programmed.  You have done the programming and you can choose to reprogram your thinking.  Certainly people have been influenced the programming, however, you alone choose to keep the negative programs running.  So, choose today to make a different choice and put boundaries around those thoughts.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said:  "People only see what they are prepared to see."  Or Robertson Davis said:  The eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend."  Are you stuck in a self-limiting belief system because of this?  In our Substance Abuse Recovery and Life Skills Group, we address this and it is a start.  Have you worked with Affirmations?  This is a way to start reprogramming the brain.  However, if you really want to challenge your belief system attend a Personal Development Seminar offered by TurningLeaf.   The Level I Seminar is a part of the Intensive Outpatient program and will help anyone start to identify self-limiting beliefs and thoughts and begin to think and be more positive and loving.  You can improve your life in so many ways and it is my joy to see people make positive changes in their thoughts and actions.  Do not doubt, you can do it.  As stated by William Shakespeare:  "Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt".  We are here to show you ways to take back your personal power and live a more fulfilled and joyful life.

Sue Judd, MSS, LSAC

Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor

TurningLeaf Wellness Center

The 6 Areas of Balance - Physical

Last week I discussed the six areas of balance and this week I am focusing on physical balance.  Physical balance looks at how I stay physically healthy with exercise and diet.  Let's take about exercise first.  There have been studies that show regular walking helps mental and physical health.  The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of cardio exercise daily and walking works!  TurningLeaf Wellness Center has a Zumba class taught by Cliff Tapusoa on Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m.  Zumba's motto is "Ditch the workout and join the party."  Cliff really does make it fun!  This is a beginning class and he will go slow so no one needs to be fearful as he wants you to "get it".  When you find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone and trying even though you are afraid, that is when you gain confidence and personal power.  Classes are $5 or you can buy a punch card for $20 and the 5th class is free.  Great deal!  We have had a Kundalini yoga class in the past and I loved it and I would like to start another one. There are so many fun ways to exercise and feel great.  Do you have a favorite?  I would love to hear about yours.  Now let's talk briefly about diet.  I am quoting ideas from a book I would highly recommended buying and reading:  "All Health's Breaking Loose:  The Handbook by Loa Blasucci.  What are you willing to experiment with as far as diet?  Most of us do not eat very healthy; the American diet is sorely lacking.  Consider this: "Toxic foods prevent us from feeling our best, and therefore our reactions to situation may be be at their best - the vicious cycle begins.  Begin to notice how your body feels as you become toxin-free.  Eliminate:  sugar, white flour, caffeine, processed and packaged foods, milk, diet soda, pork, cold cuts, and any cannor boxed food with additives.  These substances accelerate aging.  They are basically 'dead' foods that offer no energy to your body and contribute to degeneration and decay.  They prevent you from feeling the vibrance that you deserve to feel."  This may seen extreme, however, hopefully, it will help you to pay more attention and be more aware of what you are eating.  "How you eat is how you fuel your body.  This 'fuel' will determine how good you feel, and feeling good is how you win the game of life."  If you are intrigued read Loa's book, it is filled with great health ideas.  From Walt Whitman:  "If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred".  How well are you honoring yourself in this area?

Sue Judd, MSS, LSAC

TurningLeaf Wellness Center

The 6 Areas of Balance

For the month of June, I would like to focus on balance as an essential part of the recovery process.  How committed are you to working a balanced recovery program?  Commitment can be strengthened by doing a daily inventory to see how well balanced you were for the day.  Also, it is important to live in the present and work at this one day at a time.  It is important to live in today and not in the past or the future; yesterday is gone and tomorrow is yet to be.  Today is all we have.  These are six areas of balance to consider:  physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial.  Next week, we will address physical balance.  Start thinking about each of these areas and how you honor each area each day. To quote George Bernard Shaw:  "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.  I don't believe in circumstances.  The people who get on in this world are the people who get UP and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them. What are you making of your life today?   Do you eat healthy and exercise regularly.  Are you aware of your thoughts; are they positive or negative?  Are you thoughts self-affirming or self-defeating?  Are you comfortable with all of your feelings and know how to use them constructively?  Who and where do you find social support; do you know how to play, laugh, and have fun?  What is your spiritual basis?  The Twelve Steps are a spiritual program and the best recovery is found in combining treatment and Twelve Step meetings.  Finances are the last piece in the balance equation and we will look at what that entails.  I am excited to focus on each area and look forward to your ideas as well.  One final note from Lao Tzu:  "If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled.  If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself.  Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."


Sue Judd, M.S.S., LSAC
TurningLeaf Wellness Center

The Overwhelming Cost of Addiction Treatment

As an addictions counselor, I am, and have been for some time, frustrated that clients  need or want treatment and cannot pay.  Even with insurance, it can be overwhelming.  However, many clients have no insurance.  Often they give up after the initial evaluation especially if Intensive Outpatient treatment is recommended.  They give up and do not even give it a try or they find "something cheaper", or they may start and then drop out because they feel overwhelmed.  There is the often erroneous belief that they somehow  found the money for alcohol or drugs, so just take that money and pay for treatment.  However, the monies they used for drugs were often acquired illegally, ie., through dealing, stealing, etc.  Or they have let things go unpaid to use bill monies for alcohol or drugs and once sober, they are trying to play catch-up as well as pay for treatment. We will be able to offer sliding scale rates based on income for substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and/or seminars.  In April, we had an open house at TurningLeaf Wellness Center to announce the TurningLeaf Foundation.  Our Executive Director, Shelley Lantz, has been a major force in paperwork filed and sharing her expertise in fund raising.  I owe her a big thank-you.  Our initial fundraiser is collecting change and filling the jar we have in our front waiting area as many times as we can within the next 100 days with spare change.  Or we can send you a bag to fill and you can be a "change bandit" asking others to help.  Our goal is $100 in 100 days from as many people willing to collect change and give to help save a life and families.  If you or someone you know needs help with treatment, counseling or seminars, please go to the TurningLeaf Wellness Center web site or the TurningLeaf Foundation web site.  Give us some basic information and we will call you.


Sue Judd, M.S.S., L.S.A.C.