Guest Post by Batista Gremaud
The initial decision to take drugs or alcohol is ordinarily voluntary. But with persistent use and abuse, a person’s capacity to exercise self-control can become quite impaired.
Scientific evidence supports the idea that drug and alcohol addiction is a brain disease that develops over time and changes brain chemistry. Brain imaging analyses of individuals with addiction demonstrate physical changes in areas of the brain that are vital to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control. These side effects prevail long after the person has quit abusing the substances.
In an extremely high percentage of individuals, depression and addictions occur concurrently. This is because nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain’s reward system by flooding its circuit with dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurochemical that plays a role in many essential body functions, including movement, memory, and motivation. High or low dopamine levels are associated with several mental health and neurological diseases.
A Healthier Brain for a Healthier You
Although people consider exercise beneficial for the body, it also benefits the brain, as it creates new neurons, known as neurogenesis.
Exercise naturally stimulates the brain’s reward pathway and heightens mood-boosting neurochemicals. This is important in recovery as it enables the individual to produce dopamine, the natural feel-good hormone that stabilizes mood behavior.
Research also indicates that exercise increases oxygen in the brain by opening new pathways internally, stimulates the formation of blood vessels in the brain, creates connections between cells, enhances the restoration of neural tissue, and generates new neurons in memory formation areas. Nevertheless, one of the most exciting aspects of current research is that it can increase brain size.
Relapse prevention: How exercise can help keep you on track
Exercise also increases the levels of serotonin. Significant improvement has been made in defining the role of serotonin in different impulsivity behaviors, which is a risk factor for compulsive drug use and contributes to relapse following withdrawal.
This suggests that increasing serotonin levels through exercise may potentially assist in regulating impulsive-compulsive behavior, improving the odds of long-lasting recovery.
Good news! These findings open the door to scientific proof that incorporating exercise in a recovery action plan would assist a man or a woman toward happiness, fulfilling sobriety while potentially repairing brain cell damage.
This means fewer relapses resulting in an increased success rate, which is now at the alarmingly low rate between 3% to 5%.
How a robust nervous system can help you manage stress and stay sober
Obtaining long-term, emotional sobriety requires a strong and grounded nervous system to remain calm and centered under stress.
The relationship between stress and addictions has long been established, making stress one of the most infamous triggers for relapse in recovering addicts and alcoholics.
Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to release adrenaline and cortisol (aka stress hormones), which elevate heart rate, constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure.
The compulsive addictive person’s response is to first feel, immediately overreact and think about consequences later.
A healthy mind grounded in a more robust nervous system uses clear thinking:
- Feels the emotion
- Thinks first of how to respond and evaluate possible outcomes
- Takes appropriate action
Such an approach can lead to a complete lifestyle change through habit modification.
For example: substituting good food rather than unhealthy food that could affect mood behavior because of allergic reactions to the foods eaten; Avoiding getting too hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, as referred to by the acronym H.A.L.T.
Get stronger, feel better, and stay in control with regular strength training
Strength training strengthens the nervous system, which is exciting news and provides hope for addiction recovery and mental health. A strong and grounded nervous system is crucial to emotional sobriety and balanced life.
One characteristic of the addict mind is the pursuit of instant gratification. Every trait of character can be used for a positive or negative outcome.
Unlike aerobic exercises and yoga, strength training uses specific muscle fibers and muscle contractions that allow for rapid functional strength increase. It is a safe sport that enables you to go at your own pace and level of athleticism while providing fast and measurable results.
The blood pumped throughout the body’s circulatory system produces a surge of neurochemicals into the brain. This process creates immediate stress relief and a sense of calm, which elevates mood behaviors while physically getting stronger and healthier. In addition, it gives you an instant feeling of well-being by quieting the mind.
Exercise becomes a desired fun activity rather than one more thing on the to-do list.
A more fulfilled life after addiction with Strength Training
Strength training assists in rebuilding the alcoholic brain by strengthening the nervous system and boosting neurogenesis. It enables a recovering addict to become more physically and emotionally balanced, stimulating the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters that help relieve stress and fight against depression. It also supports addiction recovery and helps control impulsive/compulsive behaviors by increasing the production of serotonin.
It is a form of meditation that takes the mind off stress factors. Strength training is a revolutionary weapon that, when incorporated into one’s toolbox for positive transformation, will manifest such favorable changes, as mentioned in this article.
Dare to say no and strengthen your recovery against relapse.
Batista Gremaud is the CEO and president of Dr Fitness International, https://www.drfitnessusa.com an International Body Designer and Strength Training Expert, No1 Best Selling author. She has written for The Los Angeles Tribune magazine and has a weekly column in the Heart of Hollywood Magazine
Strengthen Your Recovery Against Relapse
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Last Updated: October 8, 2022 by drmoea
Guest Post by Batista Gremaud
The initial decision to take drugs or alcohol is ordinarily voluntary. But with persistent use and abuse, a person’s capacity to exercise self-control can become quite impaired.
Scientific evidence supports the idea that drug and alcohol addiction is a brain disease that develops over time and changes brain chemistry. Brain imaging analyses of individuals with addiction demonstrate physical changes in areas of the brain that are vital to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control. These side effects prevail long after the person has quit abusing the substances.
In an extremely high percentage of individuals, depression and addictions occur concurrently. This is because nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain’s reward system by flooding its circuit with dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurochemical that plays a role in many essential body functions, including movement, memory, and motivation. High or low dopamine levels are associated with several mental health and neurological diseases.
A Healthier Brain for a Healthier You
Although people consider exercise beneficial for the body, it also benefits the brain, as it creates new neurons, known as neurogenesis.
Exercise naturally stimulates the brain’s reward pathway and heightens mood-boosting neurochemicals. This is important in recovery as it enables the individual to produce dopamine, the natural feel-good hormone that stabilizes mood behavior.
Research also indicates that exercise increases oxygen in the brain by opening new pathways internally, stimulates the formation of blood vessels in the brain, creates connections between cells, enhances the restoration of neural tissue, and generates new neurons in memory formation areas. Nevertheless, one of the most exciting aspects of current research is that it can increase brain size.
Relapse prevention: How exercise can help keep you on track
Exercise also increases the levels of serotonin. Significant improvement has been made in defining the role of serotonin in different impulsivity behaviors, which is a risk factor for compulsive drug use and contributes to relapse following withdrawal.
This suggests that increasing serotonin levels through exercise may potentially assist in regulating impulsive-compulsive behavior, improving the odds of long-lasting recovery.
Good news! These findings open the door to scientific proof that incorporating exercise in a recovery action plan would assist a man or a woman toward happiness, fulfilling sobriety while potentially repairing brain cell damage.
This means fewer relapses resulting in an increased success rate, which is now at the alarmingly low rate between 3% to 5%.
How a robust nervous system can help you manage stress and stay sober
Obtaining long-term, emotional sobriety requires a strong and grounded nervous system to remain calm and centered under stress.
The relationship between stress and addictions has long been established, making stress one of the most infamous triggers for relapse in recovering addicts and alcoholics.
Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to release adrenaline and cortisol (aka stress hormones), which elevate heart rate, constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure.
The compulsive addictive person’s response is to first feel, immediately overreact and think about consequences later.
A healthy mind grounded in a more robust nervous system uses clear thinking:
Such an approach can lead to a complete lifestyle change through habit modification.
For example: substituting good food rather than unhealthy food that could affect mood behavior because of allergic reactions to the foods eaten; Avoiding getting too hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, as referred to by the acronym H.A.L.T.
Get stronger, feel better, and stay in control with regular strength training
Strength training strengthens the nervous system, which is exciting news and provides hope for addiction recovery and mental health. A strong and grounded nervous system is crucial to emotional sobriety and balanced life.
One characteristic of the addict mind is the pursuit of instant gratification. Every trait of character can be used for a positive or negative outcome.
Unlike aerobic exercises and yoga, strength training uses specific muscle fibers and muscle contractions that allow for rapid functional strength increase. It is a safe sport that enables you to go at your own pace and level of athleticism while providing fast and measurable results.
The blood pumped throughout the body’s circulatory system produces a surge of neurochemicals into the brain. This process creates immediate stress relief and a sense of calm, which elevates mood behaviors while physically getting stronger and healthier. In addition, it gives you an instant feeling of well-being by quieting the mind.
Exercise becomes a desired fun activity rather than one more thing on the to-do list.
A more fulfilled life after addiction with Strength Training
Strength training assists in rebuilding the alcoholic brain by strengthening the nervous system and boosting neurogenesis. It enables a recovering addict to become more physically and emotionally balanced, stimulating the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters that help relieve stress and fight against depression. It also supports addiction recovery and helps control impulsive/compulsive behaviors by increasing the production of serotonin.
It is a form of meditation that takes the mind off stress factors. Strength training is a revolutionary weapon that, when incorporated into one’s toolbox for positive transformation, will manifest such favorable changes, as mentioned in this article.
Dare to say no and strengthen your recovery against relapse.
Batista Gremaud is the CEO and president of Dr Fitness International, https://www.drfitnessusa.com an International Body Designer and Strength Training Expert, No1 Best Selling author. She has written for The Los Angeles Tribune magazine and has a weekly column in the Heart of Hollywood Magazine
Category: Blog Tags: addiction, bautista gremaud, drop the drugs, recovery, relapse, serotonin, strength training, weight training, wellness