Specifically, we recognize that environmental, genetic, social, mental and/or physical factors can complicate a person’s journey toward recovery. Therefore, we strive to help everyone identify and celebrate their unique personal strengths, while providing a safe and therapeutic environment to learn, grow, achieve, and maintain healthy lifestyles upon completion of the program.
Mental Wellness
Mental wellness consists of several dimensions including the way we think, the way we relate to self and others, how we manage our emotions, and our overall ability to function in day-to-day life. Although mental wellness may look different for each person, the overarching concept is that it is a process that must be engaged in proactively for us to build resilience, grow and continually improve upon oneself.
Psychological Wellbeing and Resilience
Psychological wellbeing and Resilience education will be provided to effectively adapt and manage difficult substance related internal and external stimuli and using healthy coping strategies to overcome.
- Self-esteem involves accepting oneself, recognizing one’s strengths and learning what one can achieve. Thus, the programming at Wellness & Recovery Rehab actively engages individuals in their recovery through the power of groups to provide a platform for improving self-esteem through shared experiences and collective growth.
- Sense of purpose is highly personal and involves having a sense of meaning to guide one’s decisions, behaviors, and actions, in alignment with one’s personal values to achieve goals set forth in treatment and beyond.
- Adapt to change and coping with life.
- The capacity to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress.
- Learn from difficult experiences.
Emotional Wellbeing
Abilify to understand, express and manage emotions in healthy and constructive manner.
Social Wellbeing
- Isolation and risk of relapse
- Healthy relationships with family
- Health Relationship with friends and community
- Having support system in place
- Skills to maintain healthy social wellbeing – How to say no.
Cognitive Wellbeing
- Addictive disorders and cognition
- Improve problems solving skills.
- Decision making and addiction.
- Rational brain versus instinctual and emotional brain
- Thinking clarity and logically
- Attention problems as underlying cause of relapse and hindering recovery.
Physical Wellness: A Cornerstone of Addiction Recovery
Taking care of your physical health is crucial for overcoming addiction and staying recovered. Here’s why:
- Boosts Brainpower: Good nutrition fuels the brain, improving mental clarity and overall well-being.
- Enhances Self-Esteem: Taking care of your body shows self-respect and can lead to a more positive self-image.
- Provides a Healthy High: Exercise releases endorphins, natural mood elevators that can replace the artificial “high” of drugs.
- Promotes Social Connection: Physical activities like team sports or group fitness classes create opportunities for healthy social interaction.
- Reduces Relapse Risk: Building a healthy lifestyle reduces the urge to return to drugs as a coping mechanism.
- Improved Cognitive Function: Studies suggest addiction can impair brain function, but a healthy lifestyle may help restore cognitive abilities like planning and decision-making. This could reduce the risk of relapse.
- Reduced Risk of Comorbidities: Maintaining physical health through exercise and diet can lower the chances of developing high-risk health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, which are common among people with addiction.
Empowerment Through Recovery
Furthermore, recognizing the inherent value of each person underscores their right to happiness and well-being. When someone recovers and embraces a healthy lifestyle, it demonstrates their strength and commitment to a positive future.
How Diet Affects Addiction Recovery
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Malnutrition makes it harder for the body to heal and detoxify, increasing relapse risk.
- Brain Chemical Imbalance: Lack of amino acids disrupts brain chemicals that regulate mood, making relapse more likely.
- Repair and Recovery: A healthy diet provides the building blocks needed to repair damage from addiction.
Addiction and Sleep: A Vicious Cycle
- Good sleep helps restore the body and mind, improving cognitive function, mood, and decision-making.
- Poor sleep disrupts these functions, increasing the risk of relapse and high-risk behaviors.
Addiction disrupts sleep patterns because of the drugs themselves and withdrawal symptoms. This lack of sleep further hinders recovery.
Good sleep hygiene practices are crucial for recovering addicts. Here are some key takeaways:
- Set a consistent sleep schedule and stick to it, even on weekends.
- Limit daytime naps and caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon.
- Seek sunlight exposure during the day to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
- Relaxing bedtime routines can promote better sleep quality.
By prioritizing good sleep habits, recovering addicts can improve their overall well-being and reduce the risk of relapse.
Exercise
- Physical and Mental Well-being: Exercise reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, common struggles for recovering addicts. It also improves sleep and boosts mood by releasing endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in the brain.
- Body Image and Self-Esteem: Regular physical activity can improve body image and self-esteem, both essential for long-term recovery.
- Healthy alternative to Addiction: Exercise can provide a healthy outlet for the brain’s reward system, potentially reducing cravings and relapse risk.
- Social Support: Group exercise classes or activities can provide social interaction, fostering a sense of belonging and support.
High Risk Medical Disorder with Addiction and Mental Health
Infectious Diseases
Sharing needles and weakened immune systems make addicts more likely to get infectious diseases like hepatitis.
Poverty and unhealthy lifestyles also increase the risk of infections.
Liver Diseases
Heavy drinking and sharing needles are dangerous habits. Both can lead to serious liver damage, including:
- Fatty liver: A buildup of fat in the liver that can be reversed if you stop drinking.
- Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, often caused by viruses.
- Cirrhosis: Permanent scarring of the liver that can be fatal.
The Link Between Addiction and Obesity
- Comfort Food and Relapse: People in recovery may turn to unhealthy foods for comfort, increasing the risk of relapse.
- Drug-Induced Cravings: Certain drugs can increase appetite and cravings, leading to weight gain during withdrawal.
- Exercise as a Healthier Choice: Physical activity helps manage weight and provides a healthier alternative to cravings.
Eating Disorders and Addiction
- Shared Risk Factors: Stressful life events, trauma, and personality traits can contribute to both addiction and eating disorders.
- Coping Mechanisms: Both substance abuse and disordered eating can be ways of coping with emotional distress.
- Treatment Challenges: Eating disorders can complicate addiction recovery, requiring a comprehensive treatment approach.
Spiritual Wellness
- Spiritual Wellness in Recovery: Spiritual well-being is crucial for overall well-being in addiction recovery. It involves a sense of meaning, purpose, and connection, and may or may not involve religion.
- Addiction’s Impact on Spirituality: Addiction damages a person’s spiritual well-being by leading to a loss of self-worth, purpose, and connection.
- The Role of Spiritual Practices: Practices like meditation, mindfulness, and connecting with supportive communities can all aid recovery.
- Benefits of Spiritual Wellness: Nurturing spiritual well-being can increase resilience, improve mental clarity and emotional well-being, and enhance a sense of connection and purpose.
Spiritual development is a unique experience for each individual.
Overall, incorporating a broader understanding of spirituality into addiction treatment can be highly beneficial for long-term recovery.
