Why Exercises During Addiction Recovery?

July 26, 2015

Roles of Exercises and Addiction Recovery at a Glance

Addictive drug substances influence production of endorphins. Similarly exercises promote release of endorphins. This is one of the body’s feel good chemicals that makes both drug users and those who exercise “feel high”, with the former group developing increased tolerance for drugs. Whereas long-term exposure to alcohol damages parts of the brain’s white matter, several reports indicate exercises causes neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to recover from an injury. A commonly cited research study conducted in Colorado found that regular aerobic exercises like cycling or running helped protect the brain against this damage. Other than these two exercises and addiction recovery have the following commonalities.

Exercises Acts Alternative Source of Happiness

As mentioned earlier exercises promote release of endorphins. These chemical substances bring a sense of joy and happiness in the body. By doing the same they act an alternative source of the same. Patients who exercise are therefore more likely to reduce substance abuse, by extension they may as well abstain. Also it is much easier for them to opt for exercises in places of drugs.

Exercises

Exercises of Reduce Mental Damage

Mental illnesses are often caused by anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder. These mental conditions often drive many people to using drugs in the first place. However influence of the same on abating these mental disorders reduces with time, hence driving them into a situation of increased dosage, overdose and perennial drug abuse. Similarly, regular exercise has the ability to reduce these conditions and is more effective even on long-term basis.

Exercise Help Reduce Stress

Drug addicts get caught up with addiction while trying to escape stress. Based on various media reports it is a major cause of addiction. Conversely regular exercising is a proven alternative to dealing with stress. It changes how cortisol, one of the body’s stress hormones is processed in the body thereby increasing tolerance of stress.

Exercises Alters Brain Response to Drugs

The brain is automated to respond to its environment in a process neuroplasticity. Extended exposure to drugs causes the brain to develop neuron pathways around the drug substance, thereby increasing its recognition and tolerance. In a similar process the brain may reject other substances with different chemical compositions. For instance some raw egg-yolk may be given to a person with excess alcohol in their blood stream to induce vomiting. Just like in the case of alcohol addiction, regular exercising increases the brain’s plasticity hence less difficult to quit drugs.

Exercises

Exercising Offers Alternative Leisure

Many addicts take drugs as a pastime activity. On the other hand one of the greatest fears of an addict is the possibility of a boring life after addiction. Regular exercising however fills these gaps perfectly for many hence it becomes easier to quit.

Regular Exercise Good for Sleep

Even though this is more of a secondary cause of addiction, sleep deprivation is an underlying reason for many such predisposing factors. Successive lack of sleep for instance causes stress and anxiety. It is common knowledge sleep has a positive effect on these. And the result on addiction recovery is no less important.

Exercise Enhances Self-Esteem

When a person concludes an exercise regime, s/he gets an immediate reward, accomplishment. Creating novel routes for rewards very well offer alternatives to drug abuse. Similarly, exercises normally lead to improved self-esteem, including a boost to one’s image from and a better shape. Great shape gained through repetitive exercises with time is quickly noticed by friends who will often offer commendation that all together reinforces the need to do exercise and if you may stop addiction.

Regular Exercising Instills Discipline

Adhering to an exercise schedule is in itself a sense of discipline. Regular exercising also instills a sense of order. It shows one cares about attaining a healthy life. Regular exercising does shape one’s behavior, leading to development of more desirable characteristics. It may also rejuvenate in an addict the desire to live a more healthy life, hence may reconsider addiction recovery.

In a commonly cited study on exercises and addiction recovery some 60 to 90 percent drug addicts who try to quit on their own often relapse within a year, mostly this is due to snags keeping up necessary lifestyle changes. In a guided research program, participants steadily increased levels exercising for a period over 12 weeks. Together they met as a group to receive extra coaching on how to increase their physical fitness, offering peer support. Finally, the participants received $5 each for group and exercise session they attended, giving them the motivation to continue. Result of the 12-week schedule, involved the participants’ average number of drinks per day drop from 13 to two, with effects going for at least three months.

For more information on the above, click http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com. The link will be your guide to sign up for the conference as well give you more incisive information about exercises and addiction recovery as well as a backgrounder about speakers lined up for the mega integrative addiction conference. You may as well call Dr. Dalal Akoury, founder of the Integrative Addiction Institute and founding member of International Organization of Integrative Addiction physicians. She is also expected to speak about her specialties at the upcoming August integrative Conference.

Roles of Exercises and Addiction Recovery at a Glance

Potent Pot: Is Marijuana Getting Stronger?

July 20, 2014

Is Marijuana Getting Stronger?

The debate on the potency level of marijuana is all over the world. Researches have also been conducted to try and answer the question of potency of marijuana of these days with reference to how it used to be 40years below the line. The U.S. federal government has been among those interested in getting the truth about the matter, and they said that the levels of potency have risen anywhere from 10 to 25 times since the 1960s. Whether this is a myth of reality remains debatable. Researches from elsewhere have seemed to concur with this argument and put it across that the potency levels of marijuana are on a rise.

marijuana

These researches have bee criticized especially by those people who are advocates of marijuana legalization. They argue that the data that formed the sample group was skewed and biased since the geographical area that it covered was not reliable. They argue that marijuana from different places is different from others from elsewhere in terms of their potency. Nevertheless, one thing is outstanding from the findings of different independent researches in that they all indicate potency of marijuana is on a rise.

Is legalizing Marijuana the answer?

This is also another motion which has attracted debate. There are proponents for legalization of marijuana and at the same time those against the idea. One thing that is outstanding is that the acceptance to the legalization of the “weed” is gaining grounds. In some areas in the world the usage of marijuana has already been legalized. Could this be the solution? Let’s look at some facts about legalization of marijuana:-

Marijuana is by far safer than most of already legal drugs

Researches done on the effects of marijuana when compared to some of the already legalized drugs are amazing. A person will look at drugs such as Cigarettes and alcohol and assess their known effects when consumed, then comparing with marijuana will leave one wondering which of them should be legal. From the study published by the U.K pointed out that the harm that is posed by drug such as alcohol and cigarettes is by far worse than what marijuana can. About the negative stigma, it pointed out that this is in most cases a matter of perception since the drug has been illegal and only those ready to break the law have been using it, hence people have had a culture of negative view to the drug.

Very low risk of abuse – unlike many other drug substances, marijuana has a very low risk of abuse. This is contrary to the belief; marijuana is not as addicting as one may think. Researches done by some doctors like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “Why I changed my mind About Weed” show that chances of addiction to the marijuana users lies at 9-10%, while amazingly other already legal drugs like cigarette poses addiction dangers at 30-35% of its users becoming addicted.
Medicinal value – marihuana has been proven to have medicinal values. For instance, it has been extremely successful in relieving nausea which comes as good news to the patients of cancer and HIV/AIDS. It also has ability to relax muscles of tension and spasm and chronic pains.
Useful as sleep aid – as a matter of fact, sleep is essential to every human being. It is recommended that every person should get enough sleep which is prescribed to be, at least 6 hours in 24 hours. This has not been the case for many people due to a number of reasons. In this case, there is really a great need for the sleep of such persons to be facilitated so as to get them out of dangers of not getting enough sleep. Marijuana is known to be a substance which can help in the facilitation of sleep and relaxation. This would actually a good substance to a person missing sleeps. But how does the person get help from and illegal substance? Actually the weed should be legalized to ensure that people can purchase it from stores any enjoy its benefits.

marijuana

Even successful people smoke marijuana – even though marijuana has been illegal, its user have been many. The important thing to note is that there are many known successful users of marijuana all over the world. This includes prominent people in governments, artists, footballers etc. this is enough evidence that marijuana cannot prevent development in people as it used to be argued.
Marijuana is not a gateway drug – contrary to the belief that smoking marijuana will lead one to using other drugs; researches have indicated that the person who uses marijuana first, using the other drugs is a correlation but not causation. It goes ahead to explain that if a person smokes hard drug first, the chances of smoking other light drugs like cigarette which are harmful than marijuana are low. This means marijuana is really a good thing.

How are experiences of people from countries where marijuana is legalized?

Some research have been done covering the areas where the marijuana usage has been legalized. The amazing finding was that most of the people were positive about the laws of legalization of the weed. For instance, the research done in Colorado through voting, the result showed that 54% believed the legalization of marijuana was really a good idea.