The Road to Recovery – Gaz’s Story
It’s funny, I got unexpectedly nervous about writing this despite having done it countless times. Most people who know me now have met me at a time of my life where the following story can be hard to marry up. That’s a good thing, it’s shows that people CAN change; they CAN succeed and they CAN beat something that feels unbeatable to them.
Abuse Vs Addiction
Post-natal depression & Addiction
Now, you might have guessed by now that I’m not a woman! So before I delve into this blogpost let me highlight that; I am not an expert on childbirth; I haven’t given birth; had a C-Section; nor a vacuum or forcep delivery.
I am however a dad, and my desire to write about this stemmed from my own adjustment to fatherhood.
International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31st.
Naloxone & Opiate Overdose
There has been a sharp increase in the amount of deaths attributed to drug misuse since 2012. In 2016 there were 2593 deaths in England and Wales alone. Deaths due to opiate abuse account for a third (32{6a401f752cb3568a2d5800cabbf60b88de184f5d248c967e29e47dfca872a621}) of all deaths related to drug poisoning (NHS 2018).
This is not a problem associated only with big cities, or the great “American opiate epidemic”, opiate use is indiscriminate and has filtered down to all aspects of our society. It’s closer to home than you think.
Active Recovery
Let’s get Physical
Physical activity and exercise, I believe, are a fundamental component of a solid recovery plan. If you’re not doing it then- you should be, and if you are procrastinating about it – ask yourself why?
However, this is NOT a biased opinion piece from someone who loves exercise.
Sure, it’s your own fault!
Stigma, Substance Misuse and dependance.
The term ‘Stigma’ can be best understood as a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that people have about a particular circumstance, quality or person.
These negative beliefs are mainly fueled by misinformation, there is a great deal of stigma surrounding addiction causing; avoidance, rejection, and discrimination, ultimately stopping people from seeking the help they so desperately need.
One thing ARC Fitness aims to do is to change the conversation around alcohol/drug dependence. It does this by being transparent and honest about the realities of dependence and reinforcing this through evidenced based education provision.
ARC Essentials –
The Recovery Checklist
Here is some simple and straight forward advice from me when approaching your first year in recovery. I wish I had this, however learning from my mistakes should help you on your path.
Use this reminder as a guide to help you stay on track and navigate any pitfalls in the days and months ahead.
What is an Addiction Recovery Coach?
An Addiction Recovery Coach is a term that covers many different roles. As a coach I believe that I provide invaluable support to people trying to overcome their addictive, compulsive, obsessive and destructive behaviors.
Think of it as a kind of “Life Coach” that focuses on helping people make smart choices and healthy decisions, with the #1 priority being not using alcohol or drugs or acting out in their addiction.
ARC Fitness adds the additional approach of introducing physical activity as a medium for recovery.