After the body has been given time to breathe and restore some of the loss it’s incurred from addiction, you may find that you go through a whirlwind of emotions. The process in and of itself is incredibly scary and unnerving, but the potential for increased happiness and health may begin to feel like the light at the end of a tunnel. As you try to navigate these varying emotions, you’ll have to pay close attention to the eating and sleeping routines you develop; while it will take some time, recovery is a crucial period of restoration and what you put into your body can have a huge effect on your recovery experience. In 2015, Hip Sobriety published the story of a young woman who struggled with craving sugar as she’d begin working diligently towards healing. She stated, “My path to sobriety has been one that was built on…therapy, trauma work, energy work, coaching, body work, relationship work, and on and on. Nutrition has been an after thought – addressed acutely when I developed sugar addiction that came on after quitting alcohol.” As the U.S. National Library of Medicine emphasizes, those in addiction recovery may find that their bodies crave foods that bring back that influx of dopamine (the “feel good” chemical in the brain) – and that’s when unhealthy foods, such as sugar and processed foods, can enter a person’s field of vision. Even when addictive substances – such as alcohol and other drugs – are out of a person’s system, the brain and body may still crave those “highs”, and there are yet other things, such as through food, that can become an addiction if a person isn’t careful. As The Fix, a website that publishes relevant stories on addiction and recovery, explained, healthy foods – such as vegetables, protein, essential vitamins and nutrients – are necessary in helping the brain balance out chemicals that were otherwise altered through addiction.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare offers an integrative and holistic approach to treat substance abuse and a wide variety of addictions, as well as underlying mental health and psychological issues. All of the addiction recovery programs offered by The Arbor are designed to heal the mind, body, and spirit leading to a lifetime of sobriety, health and wellness. If you’re ready to find healing and restoration in a peaceful, loving environment, please call us today at 844-560-7269.