The Phoenix Strategy

The same story has been told countless times, yet it somehow always seems uniquely tragic.

I’m not sure what your story is but I bet we can summarize it by saying no one ever taught you to survive pain without numbing it. Maybe you were handed prescriptions, survival mode, trauma, exhaustion, grief, or silence long before you were handed support. Maybe you were told you were taking something temporary and harmless and now you’re stuck in the same loop you were trying to avoid.

Whatever lead you here, you’re looking for change and standing at the edge of it, you’re absolutely terrified of what comes next - not because you are weak but because quitting this means feeling everything you’ve been trying to numb…and more. Insomnia, anxiety, shakes and chills, nausea and appetite changes, migraines, and muscle cramps can all be distressing and disrupt life for a period of time. While I cannot take those things out of this process, I can offer some education that may help you make more informed decisions in this healing journey that you are embarking on. In this, it can possibly alleviate the temptation to turn back to your DOC (drug of choice) when life gets stressful. Providing you these tools does not take the place of medical advice, I am not a doctor and quitting addictive substances can be dangerous, it is advised to do so under the supervision of a trained medical professional, in which I am not one.

With that said, I would like to tell you who I am so you know who you’re taking advice from. I am the accidental product of my parents dabbling with a bit too much substances themselves. Unfortunately, substance abuse has taken over both sides of my family in many ways. It seems whether you look at grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, or siblings, someone is on alcohol, meth, pills, or a cocktail of the unknown. I tried to experiment when I was younger but have always struggled with autoimmune issues so my body rejected any of these as fun and just used it as fuel for the fatigue, pain, and mental distress. I did, however, manage to get dependent on prescription medications like nerve medication, mental health prescriptions, and muscle relaxers. When I had to cold turkey quit all of these medications at once, my withdrawal symptoms were life threatening and lasted more than 8 months!

I used herbal supplements to manage my withdrawal symptoms and have spent the last 4 years recovering from this experience. I have learned a lot of tips and tricks through the years that keep me headed in the right direction, even on my hardest days. However, I will say that I am aware how different each situation is and I am not saying these things will for sure work for each individual case. You will need to experiement and alter your program as you learn your body’s needs. I’m still tailoring my program to my needs on a continual basis.

REALITY CHECK

Ok, first of all, you have to get real with yourself. You have to ask yourself what got you here and keep asking until you get to the root of the situation.

This is a simple flow chart to get you asking yourself questions of self discovery. You must get in touch with yourself to know what actually has you in it’s grasp. It’s not just the chemical. What is it?

Unless you were just getting pain relief from an acute injury and got dependent on an opioid and now you’re stuck, chances are your addiction is stemming from a deeper mental or emotional wound that needs to be addressed and not ignored any further. Most people will suggest therapy, but talk therapy isn’t always helpful or affordable. I suggest reaching out to an EMDR or Brain Gym specialist in your area. These modalities incorporate a reprograming of the brain and reconnecting of neurons to create new habits and thought patterns. I see Laurie Ann Frank in Tyler, Texas and have had fantastic results targeting cPTSD, depression, anxiety, OCD, and suicidal ideation. You do not need a referral from a doctor to see her. Her website is: Lafrank-counseling.com

I also suggest reading books about mindset shifting and learning the benefits of affirmations. It seems cheesy, annoying, and pointless at first, but it really helps with addictive personalities and changing habits. I did shadow work from this book and it was incredibly eye opening to why I kept repeating patterns that were harmful. I also read this short book about overthinking and it helped me with OCD and reuminating thought patterns. I’m not much of a reader so it took me a while to get through both of these, but it’s worth it even if you don’t enjoy reading. I was not taught these simple concepts growing up so I never really knew how to cope with my over active mind and self loathing. I’ll link the books below. It’s important to realize that healing is not linear…that means its not a one-time quick fix situation. I’m often taking one step forward and two steps back and instead of beating myself up over those backward steps I acknoledge the slip back and keep my eyes forward, where I know I’m headed….at my pace, no one else’s.

https://amzn.to/4fLVliH <- my Amazon affiliate link to this book

https://amzn.to/42WVp7R <- Amazon link to this book

SUPPORT

I know it’s hard to find support when your family and friends aren’t supportive and you don’t know where or how to meet supportive people.

That’s why it is important to shift your mindset first. I had to become my own support before I could attract the right people in my life. It’s vibe thing. Once you start loving yourself you will start to attract people who love you and you’ll stop accepting the false love of those toxic people.

In the meantime, find a support group online. Join a recovery group. Even if you are not religious, joining a recovery group at a church could be beneficial as you’ll meet other people wanting to get clean. I’m not religious but I do find that there are benefits to joining church events in a world where it is difficult to find community. Join a NA meeting and ask what other programs or support systems are in your area. Finding some form of support and accountability will be helpful in your journey.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

If you are addicted to a substance for chronic pain relief, I understand how difficult this will be for you because getting through the withdrawals is only a small bump in your very long journey. I have found great pain relief from changing my diet and lifestyle but I am still in daily pain to some degree and I don’t think it will ever truly go away. That is a hard reality to grasp. I highly suggest reaching out to Laurie Ann Frank as mentioned above, I realize a lot of my pain was coming from unprocessed trauma. She also helped me cope with the lifestyle changes I had to make. It was very hard to change some of my thought patterns to allow myself to believe I could feel better, EMDR and Brain Gym was extremely helpful in that area.

My journey with Laurie began with self-worth work. I had to believe I was worth feeling better before my body would allow me to. I had lost all will to live and didn’t believe I was worth a better life. Our brains learn from our environment and if all you have ever known is that life is dangerous, threatening, and painful your nervous system can get stuck in a loop of tension and pain. I also had a session with her on acceptance of my baseline pain level, I am now able to sit with the uncomfortable sensations without being in distress. I can observe the pain in a way that is not all consuming but also does not require me to disossicate from life and not feel my body.

Another practicioner I see regularly is Dr. Langas in Tyler, Texas. He is a chiropractor that utilizes a technique called Applied Kinesiology or Muscle Testing. He was able to identify that I had Lyme Disease that was contributing to my fatigue, inflammation, and pain. We treated it with herbs and soon I was able to make major changes in my life.

Dr. Karen Austin in Lindale, Texas has also been very helpful in retraining my body how to exist in a better position. My adjustments with her last about 15 minutes and are only $45, I see her regularly to put my cervicle spine back into place. After 14 years of them being out of place my body needs to be retrained how to be in the proper position. I don’t need to see her as often now as I used to. It’s a process but again, worth it.

Inflammation starts with what you consume and it is the reason for most chronic pain. I won’t muddy up this post with too much information so please do look for other blog and social media posts about how I eat now to avoid chronic inflammation.

SUPPLEMENTS

Ok, this is what you’re here for. This is a list of supplements that can be helpful for managing your withdrawal symptoms.

Again, I will tell you I am not a physician and this is not to take the place of medical advice, please consult a physician especially if you have preexisting medical conditions or take prescribed medications.

1st things 1st…. We have to get the junk out of your body. It’s time to DETOX

Activated Charcoal is like a magnet for toxins in your body, especially in the digestive tract. It will help clean out your system from the harmful stuff you’ve been consuming.

https://amzn.to/4tWVRhr <- Amazon affiliate link for Activated Charcoal

I’m not a big fan of the NOW brand of supplements but with Activated Charcoal it doesn’t really matter what brand you get.

I recommend taking 2-3 in the morning and 2-3 in the evening

At the same time you can take this next product, which is also a binder to help remove toxins. You don’t want to take any other supplements or medications at the same time as these because they can also bind to the beneficial ingredients in those products and make them less effective. Wait 30 minutes before or after taking these binders before consuming other supplements.

Zeolite is finely ground lava rocks….and it tastes like you’re drinking a volcano mud pie. I’m serious. It’s gross. I just mix it in a couple ounces of water and shoot it back quick. Then I chug some water and take those few charcoal caps. It’s not enjoyable but neither are withdrawal symptoms. I actually still go through this daily because it helps with my migraine and digestive issues. Gross but worth it.

*if you are in active nausea/vomiting and cannot stomach this, you may want to invest in empty capsules, fill them, and take them slowly over a 30 minutes period. It may be more palatable that way.

https://amzn.to/3Q6Xzib <- Amazon affiliate link to Zeolite

I have tried so many brands and this is the 2nd best. ZeoCharge is actually much less miserable to consume, it’s more expensive but worth it.

You can find it at www.zeolitelabs.com I don’t have an affiliate link yet.

https://amzn.to/4fco0gO <- Amazon Affiliate Link for Bowel Detox

https://www.naturessunshine.com/product/bowel-detox <- Nature’s Sunshine Affiliate Link

It’s the same price on both sites, some people like to by from Amazon, some don’t.

Bowel Detox has a blend of binders, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. It will help remove toxins while soothing the intestinal tract. It can help with constipation, gas, bloating, and other digestive issues that come during withdrawal.

Ok, we have things moving out, now let’s calm your nervous system:

https://www.naturessunshine.com/product/nervous-system-pack <- Nature’s Sunshine affiliate link, they don’t sell this pack on Amazon but they do sell each individual herb combo that is in it if you’re a diehard Amazon Stan (Stress J, Adaptamax, Nerve Eight, and Nutri-Calm)

This pack is going to help with the anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, cramps, etc.

https://amzn.to/4fcA8hM <- Amazon affiliate link to Mag. Complex

This combo is for muscles, rest, and digestive health. Great combo for this situation! You’ll probably want to stay on this after you’re finished with this program. I take this daily.

https://amzn.to/43wJTQD <- Amazon Affiliate Link

This is another one you’ll want to stay on after this program is done. This helps with overall health but definitely helps my mood and energy.

https://amzn.to/4adeB4W <- Amazon Affiliate Link to Probiotics

Probiotics are another thing you’d benefit from staying on after this program. This is a pre/pro/post combo, just a basic probiotic would be fine after you repair your system. Probiotics help maintain a good gut microbiome which can help balance mental health, nervous system health, hormones, and more.

Ok, that is what I am calling the Phoenix Strategy because this is what will hopefully help pull you out of the depths of hell and back into beast mode. I know you can do this!! So do you.

Check out my other posts to see more helpful information. I post candid wellness info on my TikTok channel @reallifeimpressions as well if you’re interested in comedic relief with a side of realness.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, that means you are serious about making this change. It’s going to cost money and effort to do this program but it will save you a lot in the long run. Good luck, my friend.

Be well,

Brandi Lucas