If you get 8-hours of rest per night, then you will spend a third of your life asleep. The importance of healthy sleep patterns cannot be overemphasized; those who manage to get over 6-hours of sleep every night are typically more productive and happier when they are awake. Those of you who are actively working a program of recovery are probably aware of how valuable getting a good night's rest is, knowing how vital balance is to your recovery.
Addiction is a chaotic existence, typified by extremes in nearly aspect of one’s life. Conversely, recovery is about equilibrium, failure to keep a balance could lead to rash decisions and potentially a relapse. There is an acronym that is often recited at 12-Step meetings - H.A.L.T. - which stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired. All four of which are considered to be risky for people in recovery, people whose instincts are geared towards turning to drugs and/or alcohol to cope with feelings.
While the H.A.L.T. acronym may seem trite or being that which falls under the umbrella of common sense, the reality is that it is quite common to find yourself in one of those four vulnerable states. We cannot stress enough how important it is to your program to be vigilant about eating regularly, pausing when agitated, being a part of the community and getting enough sleep.
Sleep and Substance Use
Even if you are not in recovery it is important to maintain balance in your life, as developing unhealthy patterns can have consequences. And for some people, such behaviors can actually lead to substance use and potential abuse down the road. In fact, new research suggests that teenage males who get less sleep were more likely to engage in substance use, CBS Pittsburgh reports. The findings were published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine conducted a longitudinal study involving 186 low-income boys, according to the article. The researchers instructed parents to measure their children's sleep duration and quality at age 11. The young males were interviewed about drug and alcohol use at ages 20 and 22.If we just look at age 16, the group of kids getting the most sleep… only about half of them had tried alcohol,” Dr. Hasler tells KDKA’s James Garrity. “If we look at the group of kids getting the least sleep, nearly three quarters of them had tried.”The study showed:
- Childhood sleep problems may be prospectively linked to adolescent substance use.
- Less sleep predicted earlier onset of alcohol and cannabis involvement.
- Worse sleep quality predicted earlier onset of alcohol and cannabis involvement.
- These associations generally held after accounting for various covariates.
- Childhood sleep is a promising target for reducing adolescent substance use risk.
Intervening Early
It is well understood that teens who use drugs and alcohol, are more likely to continue use into adulthood. Early onset substance use is commonly associated with a greater likelihood of abuse later in life. Parents who realize their teen is not getting much sleep should do what they can to ensure healthy sleep patterns. Lack of sleep can lead to a host of problems that people will use drugs and alcohol to cope with.Poor sleep can lead to problems like anxiety and depression, and those can in turn lead to possibly problems with substance abuse,” said Dr. Hasler. “We also know sleep has effects on the brain. So, not getting enough sleep affects the prefrontal cortex and makes it more difficult for people to regulate themselves.”
PACE will be honoring our Four Year Anniversary by having a special alumni and staff celebration today, which will include food, fun and fellowship.
As a young adult male, sober since 19, and a therapist who referred my clients to extended care programs, I started PACE out of my vision to create a safe haven for sober men to connect with one another, a brotherhood.
Over the last four years we have grown into a 24 bed residential extended care program with a stand alone IOP and a day treatment program. Our Clients can participate in our dynamic services ranging from our educational program, 
Is it possible to quantify the true impact of the American opioid epidemic? The unprecedented health crisis has left people in the public and private sector scrambling to find desperately needed solutions.
With each day that passes—more Americans become dependent on opioids—more people lose their lives to overdose. And while efforts to curb the scourge of opioid addiction in the U.S. have had some effect, without a paradigm shift in thinking regarding prescription opioids—the problem will only continue to disrupt the country.
While it is easy for us to look at the staggering death toll to stress the seriousness of the issue, it is important that we all take stock of the societal 
Last week we discussed National Recovery Month, which takes place every September. It is a topic that we at 
Together, we can, and do recover from addiction. Those who suffer from substance use disorder are not lost, but rather they are living with a debilitating mental health disorder which, left untreated, can be deadly. There was a time when recovering from addiction consisted of what is known as “white knuckling” it, that is when one gives up drugs and alcohol but has nothing to replace it with. Those who fell into that category were often considered to be a glum lot, angry about being unable to use mind altering substances the way “normal” people can. Suffice it to say, they are not considered fun to be around.
The advent of 12-Step recovery programs was a paradigm shift with regard to breaking the cycle of addiction. To put it simply, those living with addiction had a metaphorical hole that alcohol and drugs filled; by working the 12-Steps people could fill that hole by connecting with a higher power and helping others find recovery. Naturally, there are 12-Steps for a reason, and recovery under that model requires working them all—and reworking them in order to maintain constant contact with the higher power of each person’s choosing. Sadly, some addicts and alcoholics are unable to be completely honest with themselves and others, and work a program; maybe they will be able to surrender down the road, but it does not always happen the first time around.
For those who have been able to do the work, stick to the principles of recovery and help others—the sky’s the limit. There is no cap on the amount of gifts that a program of recovery can provide—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Everyone who continues to recover from drug and alcohol abuse, day in and day out, should take a moment to be proud of how far they have come—especially since National Recovery Month happens every September.