Category: Massachusetts

Woman laying down smoking in Massachusetts

What Are the Best Ways to Quit Smoking?

Many people decide to quit smoking once they realize the negative impact of the habit on their overall health. Fortunately, once a smoker does quit, there are significant health benefits that take place almost immediately.

Why Is Smoking So Addictive?

Smoking is an addictive habit due to the active ingredient in tobacco called nicotine.

When you smoke cigarettes, your brain quickly adapts to the nicotine, causing you to crave more and more of the chemical to feel the way you did after your first cigarette.

Over time, your brain begins to predict when you are ready to smoke a cigarette, then you have one, and then the cycle repeats again.

How to Quit Smoking, Once and For All

It probably won’t come as a surprise that the most challenging days of quitting smoking are the first few days.

Although it probably will not be easy to get through the first couple of days after quitting, it is essential to stick with it.

One helpful way to quit smoking is to choose a day and commit to being done with smoking that day and beyond. Having an end date that you commit to will make the process feel final and give you a better chance at success.

Another way to quit smoking is to make a list of all of the reasons you want to stop smoking and write down all of the benefits you will gain once you achieve your goal. Having a plan written out in front of you with reminders of why you are quitting in the first place can help you focus on your goal and move forward.

You may also want to consider nicotine replacement patches, gum, or prescription medications that can help curb cravings. These options can be extremely helpful.

Tharros House

Tharros House in Massachusetts is a sober living home facility where individuals can live and work on maintaining their sobriety in a collaborative atmosphere. Give us a call today to learn more about how we may be able to help you.

Man and woman holding up home blocks for sober living house

How Do Sober Living Homes Work?

Sober living homes are group living residences for people who are in the process of recovery from addiction. Most sober living homes have a set of house rules that the residents must follow in order to live there. The most critical house rule is that the residents must remain sober and free from substance abuse.

Residents of sober living homes also often contribute to the house in different ways, such as completing chores based on a schedule. A structured living environment like a sober living home can be a great way for someone to adjust to life during and after treatment.

There are many people that use sober living homes to help them in the transition from rehab to independent living. Generally, those living in sober living homes can come and go as they please as long as they are following certain rules established by the home. For example, residents may be required to be home by a particular time or may have a curfew.

Who Can Live in Sober Living Homes?

There are some basic requirements for individuals who are considering living in a sober living environment. Most importantly, residents of sober living homes must be sober and be committed to remaining sober while they live in the home.

In the majority of cases, sober living home residents have already completed a substance abuse rehabilitation program before they move in. Residents who have already started living a sober lifestyle and have begun learning tools to help keep them sober tend to be more successful with adjusting to a sober living environment.

Tharros House and Sober Living

Tharros House is a sober living home in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Sober living homes offer many benefits to someone who is in recovery from addiction and wants to live with other sober individuals before living independently. Give us a call today for fill out the contact form on our site to learn more about how a sober living home can help you maintain your sobriety.

Woman in yoga clothes meditating to battle addiction in park.

Does Meditation Help with Addiction?

Meditation has been found to support addiction recovery since it can help you feel calm, cope with triggers, and ultimately, help you to avoid a relapse. Although meditation cannot wholly replace a full addiction treatment program with professional medical support, it can still be a helpful tool.

Many rehabilitation facilities include mindfulness and meditation as therapy techniques. Whether you are currently battling an addiction, in treatment, or have been sober for many years, practicing meditation can be incredibly beneficial for your recovery.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a mind and body activity that is intended to promote feelings of calmness and relaxation. It can also help people improve their well-being and cope with illnesses.

You can begin meditating by sitting comfortably in a quiet environment. Next simply and effortlessly notice your thoughts as they come and go, allowing internal and external distractions to pass by without assessing them. Meditation may also involve deep and purposeful breathing during times of stress.

There are two main types of meditation. These types include guided meditation and unguided meditation. To practice guided meditation, a trained meditation or mental health professional will guide you through the session and work with you. Unguided meditation simply refers to meditation that is practiced on your own.

How Does Meditation Help Someone with an Addiction?

For those dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, everyday stressors can be challenging to cope with and may even contribute to a relapse. Multiple studies have concluded that mindful meditation can reduce certain symptoms like anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and drug cravings. Meditation can also help people feel more aware of their thoughts and have better control over their emotions.

Compassion with Meditation

As you begin to simply allow thoughts and distractions to come and go, you may notice all kinds of wanted and unwanted thoughts / emotions. This is completely normal. It is important to keep an open mind no matter what comes up, and understand that there are people everywhere experiencing very much the same thing.

By sitting and allowing without getting involved, it is allowing your mind and body to activate its natural healing capabilities. Much of the excess thoughts and feelings are simply reverberations of past experiences, so this sitting meditation allows all of the noise to pass by. At first it may seem daunting, but as with anything, practice makes perfect.

Sober Living at Tharros House

Tharros House is a sober living community located near Boston, Massachusetts. Sober living communities are a great place for sober individuals to thrive and continue working on their sobriety among peers who share similar goals. Contact us today so that we can help you decide if our sober living community is right for you.

Man with cloud of cigarette smoke wondering if he is addicted to something.

How Do I Know If I Am Addicted to Something?

People can enjoy many pleasurable activities in a healthy way that does not cross the threshold of addiction. However, sometimes the line between healthy enjoyment of an activity and developing an addiction to it can be crossed without someone even realizing it.

What Is an Addiction?

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a chronic disease that impacts the brain’s motivation, reward, and memory functions. A person with an addiction will feel as though they crave that substance—and may even ignore other areas of their life in order to fulfill their desires and support their addiction.

What Are Some Typical Signs of Addiction?

While addiction may be hard to recognize at first, there are some indicators of addiction that everyone should be aware. This may help you notice it as soon as possible in order to turn it around. Some signs of addiction include:

  • An inability to stop engaging in a behavior or using a substance
  • Lack of control
  • Decreased socialization and neglecting relationships
  • Ignoring risk factors, such as sharing needles even though there could be severe health consequences to doing so
  • Physical effects, such as experiencing withdrawal symptoms

For someone with an addiction, it can be challenging to recognize that the addiction exists and take steps to overcome it. Many addicts will continue to find ways to continue and justify their behavior. It can be beneficial and even life-changing for supportive people in their lives to get them help if they begin noticing these signs of addiction.

Tharros House Sober Living Home

Tharros House is a sober living home that can be found in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Sober living homes are an excellent option for people who have gotten sober and wish to maintain their sobriety and live among other sober individuals. Contact us today at Tharros House in order to learn more about how we can help you continue and strengthen your sobriety.

Chart for Substance Abuse Statistics in Massachusetts

Substance Abuse Statistics in Massachusetts

If you have recently beat a substance abuse addiction, you may be wondering about what the latest statistics show about substance abuse and recovery. If you live in Massachusetts, the state website can be a good resource to learn about these statistics.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Massachusetts

The State of Massachusetts tracks the number of residents who seek help for substance abuse. These statistics include a breakdown of gender, race, age, and other factors. This information can be useful to watch for trends and find ways to intervene in groups that are the most at risk. The latest available data on the state website is for the year 2017.

Types of Abused Substances

In the year 2017, there were 98,944 total admissions for treatment for substance abuse. Heroin was the most common substance for which Massachusetts residents sought treatment, making up 52.8% of primary reasons for admittance. Alcohol was the next most common primary substance, with 32.8%. Other reasons for admittance included substance abuse of cocaine, marijuana, stimulants, and opioids.

Other Categories of Statistics

The same set of data also included a breakdown of substance abuse-related admissions for treatment according to gender, age, and race. In 2017, of those seeking treatment for substance abuse, 67.8% were male, and 32.2% were female.

The age group of 31-40 had the most people seeking treatment, making up 30.9% of the total. The next highest age group was from 26-30, which made up 21.7% of the total.

In 2017, 77.1% of those seeking treatment for substance abuse were white. African American individuals made up 7.3% of the total, while 6.3% were multi-racial. 9.3% of those seeking treatment identified as “other.”

The Tharros House is a sober living home in Massachusetts where you can learn the necessary tools to live a sober life and make friends with other like-minded people on a similar path. This living environment is proven to promote sobriety and healthy habits to help make living a sober life more fun and less stressful.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

Cigarettes of an addict

How Do I Know If I Am Addicted to Something?

It can be difficult to recognize when something has become an addiction.

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is defined as a chronic disease that affects the brain’s memory, motivation, and reward functions.

A person with an addiction will experience feelings of craving that substance. In many cases, those with addictions may ignore other parts of their life in order to support or fulfill these addictive needs.

What Are Common Signs of an Addiction?

There are some commonly recognized signs of addiction that everyone should be aware of. These signs include:

  • Lack of control
  • Inability to stop engaging in the behavior or to stay away from a substance
  • Physical effects such as withdrawal or requiring higher dosages
  • Ignoring risk factors like sharing needles
  • Decreased socialization such as ignoring relationships or abandoning commitments

Typically, a person with an addiction will exhibit one or more of the above signs. The degree of intensity for each of these signs tends to depend on how long they have been battling the addiction.

Recognizing Addiction

When a healthy person notices a negative behavior, in many cases, they are able to get rid of it. However, this is not the case with someone who has an addiction.

Someone with an addiction will often find ways to justify and continue their behavior rather than admit that they have a problem. With real addiction, if it is left untreated, it can increase a person’s risk of illness or develop into a debilitating habit.

If you become aware that you are dealing with an addiction, it is essential to seek help right away.

After you have begun the recovery process, you can also look into sober living homes such as the Tharros House to live in to retain your sobriety.

Friends for Accountability

How Does Accountability Help with Staying Sober?

Holding yourself accountable in life can help tremendously in maintaining your sobriety. It helps you add the necessary structure to your life to achieve your goals and build a better life for yourself.

Sobriety and Accountability

Having family, friends, and counselors in your life who hold you accountable for your actions can be very helpful. These people can help a person in recovery keep their focus on what matters and to stay on track with their sobriety.

During a person’s recovery process, it is important for them to work toward an addiction-free life with good health and positivity. Accountability plays a crucial role in this recovery success. Without having accountability, a recovering addict will not be able to recognize their faults and take responsibility for their actions.

Accepting accountability will help to provide the tools that you need to stay sober. Accountability can also help people maintain their motivation throughout the recovery process.

Why a Lack of Accountability Can Be a Problem

It is not uncommon for people who are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse to place the blame for their actions and behaviors on the substances that they have been using.  Some people use their addiction as an excuse to avoid dealing with certain emotions.

The recovery process forces people to face these behaviors and emotions head on to begin healing. Failure to take accountability for your own actions can only hurt you in the long run, ruining relationships and leading to bad decisions.

Sober living homes can help people in recovery remain accountable for their actions. These homes also often have strict rules and regulations to assist you in building a better life for yourself.

To learn more about sober living homes and what they can offer, contact the Tharros House today at (617) 249-1087.