The Path for Those Overcoming Opioid and Substance Addiction

a guest blog post by Jackie Cortez of ThePreventionCoalition.org

The use of opioids has increased substantially in the US, which has had negative and far reaching effects on everything from the economy to healthcare and, understandably, addiction recovery services. Nothing about addiction recovery is easy, but everything about it can keep you alive. If you have been struggling with opioid or other substance addiction, or are already involved in treatment or therapy, you know first-hand how difficult it is. Every day can be a challenge, staying sober while being tempted to fall back into your old habits. Sometimes, the road ahead just seems too long and you want to ease the misery. 

Although there is no easy path forward through sobriety, there are some steps you can take on a daily basis to live a healthier life. Here, Insight with Joni shares some strategies. 

Ask for Help

Admitting you are powerless over your addiction is the first step. That’s when you discover you need help. There are many support group options available, some that are faith-based and others that are not. Simply call a church or do an internet search to find out if they host such a group. Once you find a group that is the right fit, stick with it. You can even ask for a sponsor to help with consistency. 

Stay Active

Addiction is truly an unhealthy behavior, so the obvious choice for you is to replace it with  healthy ones, which include changes in diet and more exercise. Running is a great exercise  in recovery, mainly because like other vigorous exercises, it increases endorphins and dopamine levels in your brain. These chemicals can help to replace the high you used to get from drugs or alcohol.

Adjust Your Diet

In addition, your new daily diet should include healthy foods such as green leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, and fresh fish and poultry.  According to Ruben Castenada of the U.S. News & World Report, you should avoid sugar and be very careful with caffeinated beverages. That’s ironic considering that many recovery meetings have coffee and donuts. Nevertheless, changing your diet and exercising more not only make you healthier, but also put you in a healthier state of mind. 

It’s also important that you increase your water consumption. If you are coming out of detox, water will help to flush toxins out of your system and hydrate your body. Plus, drinking water is great for your overall health. 

Get Treatment, Either Here or Abroad

Inpatient or outpatient drug treatment programs can help with recovery. However, not all programs are effective, plus many are expensive, with costs as high as $700 a day for inpatient treatment. 

However, many in recovery are finding inexpensive treatment for their addictions in Europe and Asia. This form of medical tourism (or a “recovery vacation”) provides a great change of scenery, tranquility, and a sense of privacy, since you most likely won’t be around anyone who would know you. Even if you get treatment domestically, there are travel programs that are alcohol-free where you tour with folks who are also in recovery. 

Keep in mind, too, that an addiction is often combined with a mental health disorder such as depression. This is called comorbidity, where the addiction might have led to a mental illness, or the mental illness might have brought about the addiction. In either case, if you are diagnosed with both, your rehabilitation center, whether here or abroad, will need to treat both.

Keep Making Intentional Steps Towards Recovery

Addiction to any substance is a never ending battle, but you can take healthy steps that put you in control of your life. Start by finding support you can access whenever you need it and find healthy habits, like exercise, that will redirect your focus and make you feel good about yourself. But if things become overwhelming, look into addiction centers locally or abroad. Your sobriety is worth your effort.

Are you looking for more information on wellness? Then check out Insight with Joni!

by Jackie Cortez of ThePreventionCoalition.org