Early recovery is a rough time because so many things going on at the same time. Your body is in withdrawal from years of chemical and alcohol abuse, your feelings start to rebound and you might have to deal with family and other issues that were put on hold all of the time that you were lost in the insanity of the disease of addiction and alcoholism.
Many things are going on at the same time and it seems impossible to juggle everything and plus take time to focus on health or nutrition. Who wants to spend even 5 minutes using cleansers or eating right when the best thing that you might be able to manage all day is just getting some fast food and a pack of cigarettes.
It can be like trying to hold giant beach balls down under the water. As soon as you get control of one, the other pops up, then as soon as you get control of both of them, here comes a third and now you try to keep all three down plus tread water at the same time. What an order!
Early recovery is a fluid dynamic period of changes that a person goes through before they begin to stabilize. There is no specific date or time frame such as the first six months or three months, as an example. It is more about the time it take for you to find solutions that work to help bring about significant change.
As an example, have you meet anybody who kept going from home group to home group until they finally found the right chemistry among home group members? Do you remember what is was like if you were one of those people who finally found work and had to change when and where you went to meetings? Now add to that less that one year clean and sober and you have an idea of what I mean when I say early recovery.
This is a hectic time and two area that sometimes get neglected are nutrition and health care. When you get clean and sober, that is the time to begin to take care of your body and overall health.
Here are some suggestions that can help to make the process a little earlier.
- Use good quality products on your skin. Not expensive, good quality.
- Remember that it will take time before you start to see a difference
- Wash your hands frequently. This is more than just a simple rinse job and out the door. Take time to use soap and lather up.
- Use clean towels and wash cloths when every possible. You have to do your part to help yourself.
- Wash your face more than once per day. There is a lot of dirt and other buildup like oils on your skin throughout the day.
- Eat more home cooked food than fast food and frozen food when possible
- Try to eat about the same time everyday
- Make your last meal before 7:00 PM
- Drink plenty of water
These tips are not for women only. Men who want to sustain healthy skin and minimize looking old and tired should also follow these suggestions. Men deserve to have the same quality of skin care and nutrition care equally as well.
I will talk more about nutrition, aging skin and also about skin care products like vitamin E and serum C. More will be revealed and you want to look your best and feel your best each time you gain a new perspective on early recovery.