Category: Health

Articles about your health and the overcoming the health effects of addiction

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Advice Health Lifestyle

How to Spot Drug Seeking Behaviors: Warning Signs of Substance Abuse

Drug addiction often involves many different substances and is certainly not limited to only illegal drugs. Drug seeking behaviors can be developed from a legally-obtained prescription from a doctor, this happens quite often.

One of the leading causes of drug addiction in the United States is the over-prescription of pain-blocking narcotics. These painkillers are quite effective at treating pain but are also extremely addictive.

Up to 30 percent of prescription painkillers are used by someone other than the patient they were prescribed to. When you take a step back and realize that these are legally prescribed drugs being abused, it can seem daunting to think about the amount of illegal drugs that are being abused as well.

What Are Drug Warning Signs and Drug Seeking Behaviors?

Drug warning signs are often some of the first clues you will notice in a friend or loved one who is addicted to or seeking out drugs.

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Once a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, their behavior will be geared towards maintaining their high.

Some drug-seeking behaviors are more difficult than others to spot, but it’s imperative to take action as soon as possible if you spot any substance abuse warning signs.

Often, when someone has first started abusing drugs, they may seem more secretive and try to hide the habit. This is in stark contrast to someone who has been addicted to drugs for a while, as they generally don’t care about hiding their habit, and are focused more on fueling their addiction, exhibiting clear drug-seeking behaviors.

Some early warning signs are:

  • Self-medication for “pain” or other ailments without the approval of a doctor
  • Self-medicating by increasing the dosage of legal prescriptions without the approval of a doctor
  • Lack of motivation or care for goals, work, or relationships
  • A constant need for more money without disclosing where it’s going
  • Mental or physical health problems that are closely related to drug usage
  • Sudden changes in behavior
  • Crime or legal trouble

As you may have noticed, some of these drug-seeking behaviors are more obvious than others. One of the first signs you might notice is a change in their behavior. There’s no black and white description of how behavior might change, as drugs affect each individual differently.

The best chance you have of catching drug usage early is to foster a strong relationship with friends, loved ones, or anyone you suspect of having a high risk for potential substance abuse.

Most of the time, people who have just started taking drugs will lie in order to keep their addiction private. They fear judgment, legal problems, or even just being cut off from a substance that is temporarily giving them the euphoria they crave.

Legal To Illegal – How The Transition Happens

As previously mentioned, drug addiction and substance abuse are not limited to only illegal drugs. In fact, a large number of initial drug addicts become addicted to legal pain prescriptions.

These pain prescriptions may seem harmless at first, and when taken as prescribed, do indeed help many people. The problem is that they are very easy to abuse and are often more expensive than illegal drugs.

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Opioid dependence can happen in as little as 7 days. Once the prescription runs out, many Americans turn to drugs like heroin to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms.

Many people who become addicted to illegal drugs start by abusing their prescription pain pills. As they develop a tolerance to these prescription narcotics, they start needing more and more in order to reach the same level of euphoria that they seek.

This can get out of hand very quickly and end up costing thousands of dollars a month since prescription pain killers are often very expensive.

When someone who is addicted to prescription pain killers can’t seem to get enough of them or runs out of money, they often turn to other drugs.

Drugs such as heroin are almost always much cheaper on the street than prescription pain killers are and have a much more potent effect. To someone addicted to prescription painkillers, it can seem very enticing to pay ¼ of what they normally would for prescription pills and get the same or even stronger effects.

If you notice any warning signs in a friend or loved one, it’s important to have an honest discussion with them before things spiral out of control, as illegal drugs pose serious health risks, and can be very difficult to get off of.

Tips for Addressing Drug Usage

If you suspect a friend or loved one of drug-seeking behavior, it can be challenging to know what to do.

Many parents who suspect their child of drug abuse immediately rush off to the nearest pharmacy and force their child to take an in-home urine test. While this may work in the short term, it doesn’t address any underlying issues and may cause an even bigger rift in your relationship.

The first step to having a conversation about drug usage is making sure the individual knows that you care about them.

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Approaching a loved one about substance abuse is never easy. Let them know your intention is to help them.

Before you even dive into a drug-related conversation, you need to make sure that you have a good relationship. This isn’t always possible, but as long as you’re doing everything you can think of on your side, it’s often enough to create some level of trust in the relationship.

No one wants to admit that they are struggling with a substance abuse problem, however, if they feel that you truly care about them as an individual, they will be much more likely to feel that you have genuine intentions and are ready to listen.

Once you do have a conversation about drug usage, it’s important not to immediately chastise or talk about how poor of a decision drug usage is. Chances are, whoever you’re speaking with about drug usage already knows this. Instead, be kind, supportive, and ask how you can help.

One tip that has been proven to help is to create a help-line relationship. This means that when someone who is addicted to drugs feels a strong urge to use, they get in touch with you immediately.

You can then help to talk them through the pain of addiction they may be feeling, and offer help, support, advice, and even spend time with them to ensure they don’t relapse.

Summary

Overall, identifying drug-seeking behavior can be tricky, but it is certainly not impossible. The most important thing you can do is develop a solid relationship and keep your eyes out for signs of behavioral changes.

Remember that overcoming addiction is always possible, so never give up hope!

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Advice Drug Policy Health

Does the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Cover My Rehabilitation Process?

Inevitably, one of the first questions asked when discussing drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs is, “will my insurance company pay for it?”

If you have employer-provided or otherwise “private” insurance, you must contact your insurer to discover the exact terms under which your insurance covers your recovery journey.  However, if you are one of the 12,000,000 (that’s 12 million!) Americans who receive their insurance coverage via the Affordable Care Act exchange (AKA ‘Obamacare’), you are in luck.

Mental and behavioral health services are essential health benefits

All plans must cover:

  • Behavioral health treatment, such as psychotherapy and counseling
  • Mental and behavioral health inpatient services
  • Substance use disorder (commonly known as substance abuse) treatment

Your specific behavioral health benefits will depend on your state and the health plan you choose. You’ll see a full list of what each plan covers, including behavioral health benefits, when you compare plans in the Marketplace.

The above text, taken from Healthcare.Gov, shows us that It is a requirement of the Affordable Care Act that providers pay for at least some of your treatment and recovery process.  However, that’s not the end of the story.

The majority of plans on the Affordable Care Act exchange are high deductible, meaning you must hit a dollar amount spent per calendar year before you gain the benefit of your insurance coverage.

insurance-coverage-addiction-treatment-mental-health-Obamacare
You can relax, knowing that your mental health needs are covered by your insurance.

Additionally, you will be responsible for a “copay” or “co-insurance” even after you reach this deductible limit.  The cap for “max out of pocket” is often quite high for more economically priced plans, so that “copay” will likely be an ongoing part of your recovery process.

However, not all the news is dour.  Let’s refer to Healthcare.gov again:

Pre-existing mental and behavioral health conditions are covered, and spending limits aren’t allowed

  • Marketplace plans can’t deny you coverage or charge you more just because you have any pre-existing condition, including mental health and substance use disorder conditions.
  • Coverage for treatment of all pre-existing conditions begins the day your coverage starts.
  • Marketplace plans can’t put yearly or lifetime dollar limits on coverage of any essential health benefit, including mental health and substance use disorder services.

The pre-existing condition language tells us that the insurer cannot attempt to avoid the responsibility of assisting your recovery journey by stating that your disease arose before you were covered under their policy.  The second point states that the insurer cannot make you wait to seek treatment for your sickness – your coverage begins as soon as the policy is in effect.  Lastly, they cannot cap their expenditures on your rehabilitation, as opposed to say, limiting your number of counseling sessions.

However, there are more concerns at hand than just financial.  To get the treatment you need, we must consider the following:

Depending on the care you need, you may need a referral from a doctor for the care to be covered by insurance.  HMO plans often have this requirement, and your PCP (Primary Care Provider) would have to evaluate your situation and provide referrals accordingly for you to have your care covered by your insurance.

PPO plans, on the contrary, will often allow you to simply seek the care you require without having to have your PCP approve it.  If you have any questions whatsoever, contact your insurer on the phone number on your card.

Another consideration is the nature of your addiction.  Under the ACA, coverage for alcohol, opioids (prescription and otherwise), and recreational drugs is mandatory.  However, coverage for other addictions, such as behavioral (for example, a social media addiction, or online gaming addiction) may not be – consult with your doctor and insurance company for clarification.

 

What about Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT?)

Medically Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is the use of ‘maintenance’ drugs such as Suboxone and Buprenorphine (or Subutex), combined with various types of therapies to prevent relapses.  Some treatment plans are covered by ACA insurance, and some are not.  Again, the best way to avoid unexpected financial hardships during your treatment is to consult with your doctor and your insurance company.

Will my insurance company approve my treatment?

When your doctor refers you to a course of treatment, your chart is submitted, along with his or her recommendation, to the insurance company, where their internal adjustors make a decision to cover the claim or deny it.  If you are denied the claim, immediately demand a review of the decision.  If their denial is especially egregious, they may cave immediately.

If they do not, then your claim is submitted to a doctor employed by the insurance company to decide if the plan is medically necessary.  This is what is known as an “Internal Review”.  If the insurance-employed doctor upholds the rejection of the claim, do not fret.  You should then immediately demand an outside doctor review the claim, in what is known as an “External Review”.

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Insurance coverage can help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you know you want.

Some insurers have so-called “Fail First” policies, to where you must have relapsed on a cheaper outpatient program before they will honor a claim for an inpatient program.  Outpatient programs are often quite successful, so unless your living situation is untenable in regards to your recovery journey, you may find that these are a better option than going to an inpatient rehabilitation center.

These processes can often be avoided if your referring doctor is familiar with the correct wording and verbiage to use in your chart to impress upon the company the debilitating and time-sensitive nature of your addiction.  Your doctor can be a powerful ally if they are experienced in dealing with often stingy insurance companies.

SUMMARY

Your ACA plan does cover rehabilitation services.  The amount of coverage varies based on your insurance plan.  You will likely face up-front costs (your deductible) before your insurance provider steps in.  Some types of addiction may not be covered, but major chemical dependencies are (opiates, alcohol, so-called ‘recreational drugs’).

Some providers will require a referral, and some will not.  Verify with your doctor and insurance company about what is covered and what is not.  If your treatment plan is denied – immediately challenge the denial.  If the internal review is denied, challenge again for an external review.

It may seem complicated, but by being proactive and fighting for yourself you have a good chance of getting rehabilitation programs to be covered by your ACA plan.

Sources:

https://www.healthcare.gov/

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Advice Health Lifestyle

What Illicit Drugs Cause Red Eyes? Signs of Substance Abuse

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), the number of Americans using illicit drugs is on the rise. According to a study conducted in 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans (9.4% of the population) over the age of 11 had used an illegal drug in the past month. A similar study was conducted in 2002, which showed only 8.3% of the population using illicit drugs. [1] As drug use continues to rise, ‘it’s imperative to know the signs, as they could ultimately be life-saving.

Which Illicit Drugs Cause Red Eyes?

Though many drugs impact the coloration or behavior of the eyes, it can be difficult to come to concrete conclusions regarding which drugs an individual may be taking, by simply looking at their eyes.

While certain drugs have telltale signs, looking at a drug user’s behavior and identifying it based purely on symptoms can be difficult. In addition to observing symptoms, observing eye discoloration or dilation will yield the most accurate results.

Typically, the drugs listed below are known for their influence on the eyes.

Marijuana: Red, bloodshot eyes

Cocaine/Hallucinogenics (LSD)/Ecstasy: Pupillary dilation, mydriasis (enlarged pupils even in bright environments)

Methamphetamine: Rapid Eye Movement

Heroin/Opioid Abuse: Pinpoint Pupils

Alcohol: Larger pupils as well as slower pupil reaction, eye twitching (myokymia)

Marijuana

One of the signature signs of marijuana is the bloodshot eyes that accompany its use. Many people believe that edibles are a way to avoid them, yet this is not the case. The reason for eye redness is not due to the smoke, but rather to the THC contained within marijuana. THC lowers blood pressure, which can cause blood vessels to dilate. [2] Other signs of marijuana use include increased appetite, dry mouth, lack of motivation, and anxiety. [3]

Cocaine/Hallucinogens

Cocaine is known for enlarging the pupils; the relationship is so strong people sometimes refer to large pupils as “cocaine eyes.” Sometimes individuals experience eye reddening along with the dilation, but this is not common for everyone. Other signs of cocaine use are rapid heart rate, cocaine-induced anxiety, nervousness, aggression, insomnia, and sensitivity to light. [4] Mydriasis is a condition where the pupils stay dilated even when not using cocaine; individuals who use cocaine, hallucinogenics, ecstasy, and meth can develop this condition. [5]

Methamphetamine:

Methamphetamine is known for giving off a very quick and powerful high that fades quickly. Meth rapidly increases the dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is responsible for motivation, body movement, and the “rewards center” of the brain. Short term effects include fast breathing, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and rapid eye movement. Long term effects of meth use include weight loss, addiction, memory loss, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.[6]

Heroin/Opioid Abuse

Signs of Heroin abuse include pinpoint pupils, bluish lips, difficulty breathing, and a weak pulse. [7] An easy way to differentiate between users of cocaine and heroin are the pupils. Heroin users will have very small pupils, whereas users of cocaine will have pupils that are very large. Typically heroin users do not have red eyes and will do anything to get their hands on the drug. Heroin has a difficult withdrawal period of at least a week as the body can quickly develop a dependency on it, even after a quick or short binge period.

Opioid abuse is more prevalent today than ever; substances such as Oxycodone/Hydrocodone and Fentanyl are flooding the market. Reeling from the over-diagnosis of ADHD and prescribing too many opioids to children, doctors are cutting back on prescribing opioids, but many are still heavily addicted. Now that doctors are less inclined to satisfy their needs, individuals are turning to disreputable dealers to get their pain-killers. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and can kill even in the smallest doses.[8] It carries many of the same signs as heroin, with the main sign being the pinpointed pupils.

Alcohol

Though consumption of alcohol is legal for those over 21 in the United States, ‘it’s important to know the signs as well as the differences between an individual using illicit drugs versus one who is intoxicated. Intoxication increases pupil size just like cocaine, but for the vast majority of individuals, this will be far less pronounced than those who are using cocaine or hallucinogens. Signs of intoxication also include slurred speech, slower pupil reaction, as well as eye twitching. According to the NIH, 26.9% of Americans over the age of 18 reported binge drinking in the last month. With Alcohol-related deaths reaching 88,000 a year, [9] alcoholism is no joke and should be treated just as seriously as many of the illicit drugs on this list.

Warning Signs

In a study conducted by PMC, a subsidiary of the NIH, a group of neuroscientists explored what the early detection of illicit drug use in teenagers was. Their results indicated that one of the first signs of teenage drug use is changes in behavior and mannerisms. They noted that changes in behavior, violent tendencies, isolationism, lack of motivation, and instability were some of the key factors in identifying illicit drug abuse among teens. Constant fatigue, poor eating habits, and of course, the possession of drug paraphernalia are the most obvious indicators of substance abuse. [10] Intervention early is the best way to assist loved ones you may believe are struggling with illicit drug use. Without regulation, many of these drugs can be improperly measured or laced within another substance. They can even be potent enough to kill unsuspecting victims.

Conclusion

Without regulation, these drugs can be incredibly dangerous. Betting a life on a word of mouth or reputation instead of regulation can be a costly choice. Understanding the risks as well as the signs of these drugs can help save a loved ‘one’s life or stop addiction before it starts. While there are various indicators such as pupil dilation or redness of the eyes, the most important step is to stay close to your loved ones so you can be ready to identify changes in behavior.

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Advice Health

Who Is More Likely to Do Drugs? Knowing the Risk Factors

Nearly everyone is exposed to drugs at some point in their life, whether it be at school, work, with friends, or something you seek out on your own.

One hot topic of debate has been whether we can predict who potential drug addicts are before they become addicted.

Continue reading “Who Is More Likely to Do Drugs? Knowing the Risk Factors”
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General Health Lifestyle

Can Drugs Make You Permanently Crazy?

Society seems to be focusing more and more on instant gratification; however, a quick fix tends to come with long term consequences.

With the stresses of life weighing down on people, some tend to turn to drugs – not understanding the long-term mental effects that come with them.

This article will help to shed some light on drugs that can lead to a permanently disturbed mental state, and more specifically, how schizophrenia can become a real long-term risk.

Continue reading “Can Drugs Make You Permanently Crazy?”
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General Health Lifestyle

What Do Drugs Do to The Heart? 5 Dangerous Drugs

Drugs are an increasingly prevalent topic in today’s world, and for a good reason. It seems like just about everyone knows someone who has fallen into the addiction of drug abuse.

Continue reading “What Do Drugs Do to The Heart? 5 Dangerous Drugs”
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Advice General Health

How Does Suboxone® Help Addiction Recovery?

Suboxone® is a prescription medication, used in the treatment of opioid and heroin addictions. Every single day in the United States, 130 people die from an opioid overdose, on average. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which closely monitors the worsening opioid epidemic. Drug overdose deaths are arguably the most alarming health care crisis that our nation has ever seen. Today, more people die from a drug overdose than do from car accidents, firearms, homicides, or HIV/AIDS. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. Fueling the dramatic increase in deaths that result from drug abuse is prescription and non-prescription opioids including heroin and oxycodone.

Prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Vicodin or Percocet were once marketed as non-habit forming and many doctors prescribed them for all types of pain. Many of these patients became addicted to the painkillers and some would even turn to street drugs like heroin or fentanyl, once their prescriptions ran out. Opiates are known for having painful, excruciating withdrawal symptoms which makes it hard to quit, even when the person really, really wants to.

Suboxone can significantly aid in drug rehabilitation efforts, as the United States faces an overwhelming opioid overdose epidemic.

Suboxone is a prescription medication that combines buprenorphine and naloxone. This life-saving medication has been shown in numerous studies to ease opiate withdrawal symptoms in patients who are beginning their recovery from addiction. These studies also highlight that the medication is beneficial in helping to reduce the likelihood of relapse in many of the patients who use it as a part of their addiction treatment program. Suboxone is known as a medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which is used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy and other approaches to addiction treatment.

In 2017 over 70,000 Americans died from a drug overdose according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most of these overdose deaths were fueled by an ongoing opioid epidemic that appears to only be getting worse as time goes on. Opioids were linked to 47,600 of these deaths (67.8% of all drug overdose deaths). With the United States battling this epidemic, the need for effective treatment options is at an all-time high.

Suboxone and buprenorphine are relatively new, yet they are an effective form of evidence-based treatment for addiction.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Suboxone® to treat opioid dependence issues in patients in 2002. Because Suboxone is itself an opioid drug, it should only be taken with a prescription from a doctor, under close medical care and supervision at an addiction treatment facility.

Since suboxone and buprenorphine do exhibit the potential for abuse and misuse, they should be considered carefully, as a part of your ongoing recovery efforts. Much like methadone and naltrexone, Suboxone or buprenorphine medications like Subtex® should only be a temporary form of treatment for addiction to opioids. A step-down approach or drug-taper, should be followed carefully to prevent a replacement addiction from occurring. Tapering off medication is when the patient’s dosage is incrementally decreased, over time to eventually wean patients off of habit-forming drugs.

How does Suboxone help people recover from opiate addiction?

 

Helping to suppress cravings and often painful withdrawal symptoms, Suboxone has the potential to make the process of detox and recovery from opioid addiction much more manageable. Suboxone and buprenorphine have some distinct advantages over other medication-assisted treatments like naltrexone or methadone. Suboxone contains both buprenorphine (an opioid partial-antagonist) and naloxone (an opioid antagonist). The buprenorphine will allow the brain to think it is receiving opioids, while the naloxone component blocks the euphoric “high” associated with opioids. These components, in combination, will typically last for approximately 24 hours. Success rates, as measured by retention in treatment and one-year sobriety have been reported as high as 40-60% in some studies.

Learn more about the long term effectiveness of Suboxone in addiction treatment from Houston, Texas drug recovery: https://morethanrehab.com/2019/03/07/what-is-suboxone/

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Advice General Health Lifestyle

Addressing Mental Health Issues in Addiction Treatment

Addiction and mental health issues are deeply connected to the human brain. Roughly one in five adults in the United States was living with some form of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. According to NIMH estimates in 2017, there were 46.6 million Americans living with at least one type of mental health problem. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate their inner feelings from clinical depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, or other types of mental illness. Sadly, these people will go on living their lives, without a proper diagnosis from a doctor. Many of these patients will turn to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism for their internal mental or emotional struggles.

Behavioral therapy, support groups, and other mental health services used to treat a dual diagnosis.

 

In the field of addiction treatment, when someone has a substance use disorder, coupled with another form of mental health issue, we call this a co-occurring disorder or a dual diagnosis. Sometimes addiction treatment alone is not enough. Many people who struggle with addiction also have a co-occurring mental health disorder that adds to their substance abuse problem. In a dual diagnosis treatment program, your treatment plan will be customized to meet your specific individual needs. A personalized addiction treatment plan is the best chance for a successful recovery in the case of dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder.

 

Treatment for co-occurring disorders at a drug rehabilitation facility will commonly include a variety of physical, mental, and behavioral therapies. These are designed to work together on an individual basis, to help the patient with their mental health and to overcome their addiction. These will typically be conducted through a combination of individual and group therapy sessions.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an individual therapy session that helps the patient identify and change negative behaviors and thought patterns.
  • Integrated Group Therapy (IGT) is specifically for patients who experience bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
  • Therapeutic Communities (TCs) are focused on the reintegration of the individual into society. They integrate broad-based community programs and help the patient learn how to socialize and function outside of an institutional setting.
  • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) will emphasize the treatment of severe mental disorders with outreach to patients in small, community-oriented group settings.

 

Your treatment providers will work with you during your stay at rehab to formulate an aftercare plan that will help you stay focused on your recovery after you leave their direct care. Outpatient treatment programs, 12-step support groups and relapse prevention strategies will help you during this crucial, early phase of your recovery.

 

Detox from drugs or alcohol is the first step in diagnosing an underlying mental health issue.

Cognitive impairment from long term drug and alcohol abuse can often interfere with the proper diagnosis of mental illness. Once a patient undergoes a full medical detox, cleansing the chemicals from the body and mind, clinicians can start to assess the patient’s underlying mental health. This is a crucial part of addiction recovery, as many patients might not even realize they have been living with a mental health disorder. Some people have been using drugs or alcohol on a daily basis, filling up most of their daily life with intoxication. This can go on for years and years, without them ever realizing they have an underlying struggle with mental health.

 

When a patient finally experiences sobriety for the first time in a long while, the emotional stress can be very difficult to overcome. Stress, anxiety, sadness, and guilt are all commonly experienced when someone first enters addiction recovery services. This is why it is important for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol to seek rehab from a professional treatment facility. These facilities should offer detox and recovery services for addiction treatment while a dual diagnosis drug rehab will offer help with emotional recovery, medication management, stress reduction, and other crucial mental health services. With the support of the right program, it is entirely possible to transform your life and rebuild yourself from the ground up.

 

To learn more about addiction treatment for people with underlying mental health issues, please visit Houston, Texas area drug recovery here: https://morethanrehab.com/2019/05/04/mental-health-and-addiction-treatment/

 

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Advice General Health

Can Eating Healthy Food Assist Drug Addiction Recovery?

If you or a loved one is currently struggling with addiction, please understand that you are not alone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are over 21.7 million people in the United States who currently need treatment for an issue concerning addiction or substance abuse. Many people who experience a problem with drugs or alcohol will not realize the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise. Living and eating healthy should play an important role in their recovery from addiction. Typically, when someone has abused drugs or alcohol over a long period of time, substance abuse has taken its toll on their physical and mental health. Through recovery from an addiction, a lot of emotional and mental growth is necessary to rewire the brain, helping to cure the symptoms of the addiction. The patient’s physical health should be a major concern as well. Developing healthy eating habits can help ease some of the early withdrawal symptoms. This will also provide a basis for total body, mind, and spiritual health.

For most people who have struggled with alcoholism or drug abuse, the disease of addiction has created other habits, besides just substance abuse. They will have likely developed some severe nutritional deficiencies as a result of their addiction. For someone who has abused alcohol, the client has usually replaced the calorie intake of food with calories from alcoholic beverages. Some who have developed an addiction to stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine may have skipped entire days of eating food altogether.

Focusing on eating healthy, nutritious foods early on in the initial detox phase of the recovery process is important not only to the physical well-being of the patient but also to the mental health of the individual as well. Replacing the use of illicit drugs or other substances with eating healthy meals, on a regular schedule, will help the person in recovery to develop new habits. This is the beginning of a whole new life, as these habits will play a major role in their successful recovery from addiction.

Food has a profound influence on the way the brain functions. As someone who has studied nutrition, we can assure you that eating unhealthy foods can cause a multitude of health problems. Some chemicals found in fast food can actually have addictive properties in themselves. It is fairly common for us to discover that many people who enter a drug rehabilitation program, sadly cannot remember the last home-cooked meal they ate. Most of these patients will admit that they would simply eat McDonald’s or Taco Bell every single day, that is if they even ate food at all. This is essentially malnutrition and it can have a profound, lasting effect on the mind and on the body.

What healthy foods should I eat while in an addiction treatment program?

A healthy diet in recovery will take into account the levels of serotonin and try to balance them through eating nutritious foods. Serotonin is a hormone produced in the brain that regulates mood and helps the body relax. There are many types of foods to consider as part of a healthy diet for recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. A healthy diet for someone in recovery should include the following:

  • Foods high in carbohydrates. Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils are high in complex carbohydrates and B-vitamins. Broccoli and whole grains are also recommended.
  • Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, yams, turnips and parsnips.
  • Foods high in carbs like pasta, bread, barley, wheat, and rye.
  • Fruits and antioxidants like beets, avocados, blueberries, and citrus will help the body naturally detox.
  • Nuts and seeds like almonds, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts will help the body detox in a natural way.