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Living the Life You were meant to Live

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 07:03:08 GMT

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At Hillhouse Clinics we believe that going into recovery is a courageous choice. To face that what prevents you from living your true life. To finally face what needs to be faced. A life of dignity with respect to your inner child and your greater self.

We believe you need to come home first to become your true self. That's why here at Hillhouse we seek to make you feel most welcome and safe. A united community takes care of you in every way, providing the warmth of a family that embraces you.

We believe that everyone is unique and that our treatment approach is a very individualized treatment approach catering to the needs of every individual client. Our team is very engaged and invested in your process and has the necessary experience, knowledge and skills.

A large part of our team has walked the path of recovery themselves so... we do understand what it takes. We take your choice to recover very seriously and we do our utmost to help you find recovery. We believe that recovery is not just about stopping use. It is about healing the emotional response to trauma and growing self-awareness.

It won't always be easy, sometimes you will lose hope and other times you will feel angry. Those are signs that you are evolving and that you are becoming a master of your emotions.

Our program is intense and only suitable for those who have a true and honest intention to recover. Here you will harness things such as humility, gratitude and compassion and let go of the things that no longer serve you.

It's about practicing self-love and becoming brutally honest with yourself. If you allow us to we can help you uncover your deepest self. We can help you to get to the bottom of what prevents you from living the life you were meant to live.

Embrace the Freedom of Acceptance

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:12:13 GMT

Acceptance is a freeing habit. Often anxiety, stress and depression can be made worse by the unwillingness to make peace with the terms of life.

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Acceptance versus addiction

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:05:58 GMT

The Big Book tells us Acceptance is the answer:

Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today!

When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation, some fact of my life, unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake.

Until I accept myself, my situation and my life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.

I need to concentrate not so much on what happens in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

Acceptance doesn’t mean passive resignation.

Quite the opposite – it takes a huge amount of strength and motivation to accept things the way there are, accept what is. Especially when you don’t like it or what’s taking /taken place – you have the choice to work wisely and effectively as best you can with the circumstances you find yourself in

Acceptance is necessary for your healing process. To practice acceptance, you must acknowledge all of the uncomfortable parts of yourself: your emotions, your thoughts and your past.

Your recovery Toolkit

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:28:28 GMT

Your standard recovery toolkit

In recovery we learn we need, as a bare minimum, our recovery toolkit to stay in recovery. It helps us to stay grounded and connected. There are simple things in your recovery toolkit. You just have to commit, day after day, to do each one of them:

- Stay connected! Go to regular meetings

- Speak to your sponsor

- Share time and space with other recovering addicts

- Have a daily plan

- Set reasonable, achievable goals

- Do a daily gratitude list

- Help others

With this, you have covered the basics for building a foundation to create a sustainable recovery. There is much more you could do, but let's start with this and take it from there shall we?

Love

Hillhouse

The AA Promises

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:53:05 GMT

In AA we learn the rewards of our recovery...

We are told that Recovery isn’t going to be easy , but we know that it’s going to be worth it .One of our many challenges is going to most definitely be dealing with our feelings, for many of us for the first time…

The AA Promises

1. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed

Before we are half way through.

2. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

3. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

4. We will comprehend the word serenity and we

Will know peace.

5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience

can benefit others.

6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

8. Self-seeking will slip away.

9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 12:22:12 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

The benefits of giving up alcohol for a month

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 12:22:12 GMT

If you're giving up alcohol for a month and are wondering what the benefits will be, Priory has outlined the positive changes you can expect to see over the weeks.

Better sleep

After one week away from alcohol, you may notice that you are sleeping better. When you drink, you typically fall straight into a deep sleep, missing the important rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While you are supposed to have between six and seven cycles of REM sleep a night, you typically only have one or two when you’ve been drinking.

Better sleep comes with many benefits. You will be more productive, where you can learn and problem solve better. Your ability to control your emotions and behaviour will also improve.

You’ll also have more opportunity to manage your food and drink intake. Sleep helps to balance the hormones that make you feel hungry or full. After drinking, your ghrelin levels (the hormone that makes you feel hungry) go up and leptin (the hormones that make you feel full) go down.

More hydrated

When you drink alcohol, you lose around four times as much liquid as what you actually drank.

Dehydration can cause headaches, as your organs take water from the brain due to their own water loss. Salt and potassium levels also reduce, which can impact nerve and proper muscle function while also causing headaches, fatigue and nausea.

Therefore, giving up alcohol can help you keep well hydrated, which is in turn beneficial for your brain. Your mood and concentration will be more stable, and the frequency of headaches is likely to decrease. You also won’t suffer from the effects of dehydration such as lack of motivation and increased fatigue, so will have more energy throughout the day.

Calories saved:

If you were to give up drinking six 175 ml glasses of wine a week, you would save around 960 calories, which is the equivalent to three burgers or five and a half bags of crisps.

And if you were to stop consuming six pints of average strength lager a week, you would save 1080 calories, which is similar to six bags of crisps or five chocolate bars.

Bereavement help and support for people struggling with a loss

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 12:22:11 GMT

Losing someone you love and care for can be one of the most difficult experiences you face in your lifetime.

Everyone copes with bereavement differently. There is no right or wrong way to feel and there is no set timeframe for when you ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ come to terms with your loss.

If you are struggling with bereavement, Priory’s grief counselling can provide you with the support that you need, taking into account your personal circumstances and the nature of your loss to equip you with effective techniques that can help you cope with your feelings.

How do I know if I’m struggling to cope with bereavement?

The intense emotions you feel may come all at once or when you least expect it. When dealing with grief, you may experience the following:

Shock, numbness and feeling dazed

Intense sadness and crying

Exhaustion

Relief

Anger

Guilt

Forgetfulness

It is perfectly normal to feel this way. It is important to give yourself the time to process and cope with your loss as this will support in ensuring these feelings becoming less intense.

The grief cycle

It is generally accepted that there are four stages of bereavement. You may not go through the stages in order or experience each for the same duration. While your grief may feel out-of-control at the minute, it is important to take care of yourself and allow yourself the time to experience the emotion until it passes.

The stages typically include:

Acknowledging the loss as real - immediately after losing someone, it can be difficult to come to terms with the reality of what has happened. Accepting that your loss is real can take time as your brain adjusts to the enormity of what has happened

Experiencing grief - depending on the circumstances surrounding your loss, your emotions may fluctuate between anger, sadness and even guilt, while you may also experience symptoms relating to stress or depression

Adjusting to life - while it may seem almost impossible at first, your feelings will eventually become less intense, during which you will begin to feel as though you can resume certain aspects of your life

Acceptance – as you come to terms with your loss, you will be able to focus more on other areas of life. This doesn’t mean that you forget, but you are able to move on

Coping with grief and loss

There is no quick fix or catchall solution when it comes to dealing with grief, but there are things that you can do to look after yourself during the bereavement:

Talk - sharing your feelings with someone can be helpful. Don’t try to deal with it alone, and instead turn to supportive family, friends or a counsellor if you’d prefer

Know its ok to feel sad - having intense emotions is a normal part of the grieving process, so don’t think that you need to suppress these feelings

Keep a routine - try to maintain a structure, even if you don’t feel up to it. However, if you feel like you need to take things slowly, it’s fine to have some time out

Look after your physical health - treat yourself kindly, where you get enough sleep, eat well, get outside of the house and spend time with others

What if I become ‘stuck’ in a stage of the grief cycle?

As the time it takes to move on from bereavement differs from person to person, it can be difficult to know if and when you need help. Some signs that could suggest that you need to think about getting support include:

You are finding it more and more difficult to get out of bed

You feel like you can’t go on without the person lost

Your emotions are so overwhelming they are affecting your relationships, school or work

You have lost the motivation to eat properly, leave the house or self-care

You feel like you can’t cope with your emotions or daily life

It is important to know that these feelings are normal to have, but if they are becoming overwhelming or feel they are consuming your life, it may be a sign that you would benefit from some support. If you or your family are concerned, visit your GP, who will be able to refer you for treatment at Priory, or you can call us directly to find out how we can help.

Will I ever feel the same again?

The loss of someone who was close to you can change your life, where the rhythm of your day-to-day routine is disrupted. With time and support, you will be able to understand how your life has changed, adjust to a different pattern and feel more balanced with your emotions.

This does take time and you may feel overwhelmed with emotions at first, but you will learn to find new meaning again. Achieving a new balance won’t mean that you have to forget the person you have lost – your connection and relationship with them will continue, but instead you will learn to live a new life that still provides as much happiness and joy, just in a different way and that’s ok.

Support available for bereavement at Priory

At Priory, our experienced and sensitive bereavement counsellors will give you the time and space to talk about your feelings. They will work with you as part of a personalised treatment plan to help you learn effective techniques to cope with these emotions.

You will have access to a range of outpatient services which can be accessed at our centrally located wellbeing centres. A more structured residential stay can also be accessed for treating associated symptoms and illnesses such as depression.