September is Recovery Month

By Christopher W. Woodward, LCAC, Substance Abuse Specialist

Dog Days of Summer

Stop for a moment and remember the start of summer. Remember the feeling when that new warm sun hits your skin, the days filled with fun and joy. Remember the change from the bitterness of the fall and winter to the warm and consoling temperatures of the spring and the summer.

For some of us it is a break, a time to recharge. A time to gather at the lake or pool and relax. As time passes that warmth has been replaced with oppressive heat. We have hit the dog days, the last days of summer where we start to find the building heat unbearable and irritating.

This year, the heat has been enough that the temps have felt like 100 degrees for several weeks. And we have had enough. We get to the point where we want to stay in, not socialize, not see our buddies at the pool or splash in the lake. The sunglasses have been lost and scratched, and the cool water of the lake has moved to a warm taped bath that seems to not refresh as easily. Our skin is burnt and sore, and the kids are cranky and needing a routine.

Often this is the same as our use of substances.

Many of us started off with the warm benefits of relaxation and a carefree lifestyle—to the hot and humid oppression that our summer has become. Many start the substance of choice for a reason. Perhaps to relax on a hot day after mowing the yard, to kick our feet up and read a good book or to start a conversation with a new person at the local establishment.

Just like summer, the more exposure we give the alcohol or the substance, the more wear and tear it has on our brain and on our body. Sometimes we need more of the substance to get the same effect, moving from that one relaxing drink to several drinks over several days. Then we find that those drinks do not satisfy like they used to, and we cannot get through the day without them.

As we move into Recovery Month, it is important to know that these dog days are only part of our story. They come around sometimes yearly and cause us to feel emotions, and irritations and to seek comfort and care. We can look around and find a spot to refresh, relax and gain access to the care that we need. Recovery can bring in a new season of life where we learn skills. A way to feel safe to remain in places where we can fill up the voids of relationship, pain, suffering and problems. Places where we can go out in the sun and not get burned as it were.

A balanced life of recovery provides us and our family with the best of all seasons, even the hot ones.

Health Partnership Clinic offers a comprehensive medical home that addresses all of your medical, dental and behavioral and substance-related needs. For more information call 913-730-3664.