Your Brain on Opioids (Part 4)
Are you trying to recover from an opioid addiction? Self-care can help your brain heal.
The first three installments of this series focused on our brains and how we might begin to mend them in the healing process. The ways we can care for our bodies throughout recovery are just as vital as the ways we can heal our brains and maintain their neuroplasticity. Are you just tuning in? Start with the first part of this series, This Is Your Brain on Opioids, to learn how opioids change our brains and how we can try to change them back.
Exercise subutex doctors near me
When we use, our bodies go through a lot. It's difficult to help them recuperate, yet moving our bodies is crucial for both physical and emotional wellness. Exercise has been proved to boost our moods, sleep, and focus, as well as lower worry and stress, according to studies. Exercise also helps us retrain our brains to release and detect endorphins naturally. We are not required to run marathons. We can begin by doing some easy yoga or going for a ten-minute walk. The goal is to re-establish movement in our bodies. And, as with everything else we've talked about, we want to establish a habit, a new neuropathway, so that exercise becomes a natural part of our daily lives and healing.
Meditation subutex doctors near me
Some of us may be as apprehensive about meditating as we are about exercising on a regular basis. We have a tendency to overcomplicate the concept of sitting quietly and being mindful. Meditation improves the way our brains work, according to research, and some studies are concentrating on how it helps with addiction recovery especially. It's nothing to be terrified of. There are numerous tools available online, including some excellent apps, to assist you in getting started. Alternatively, see if any meditation classes are available in your region.
CBT is a type of cognitive behavior therapy.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been used in treatment since the late 1960s. It helps us understand the patterns of behavior we need to modify and provides the support we need to accomplish those changes with the help of a skilled therapist. Which, as you probably already know, aids in the creation and maintenance of good neuropathways in our brains. CBT has been shown to be an effective aid in addiction treatment and relapse prevention by assisting us in understanding how we act and respond, why we do so, and what we can do differently now.
Nutrition subutex doctors near me
Almost all of us disregarded self-care when we were using, particularly when it came to eating properly, resulting in nutritional and vitamin deficiencies that make it difficult for the brain to function well. Eating correctly aids in the healing of both our bodies and minds. (Rehab centers are increasingly focusing on nutrition, and a research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information revealed that correcting nutritional deficits in opiate addicts improved the efficiency of methadone treatment.)
It doesn't take a brain scientist to figure out how to eat better in recovery: less sugar and processed carbohydrates, more protein, and more fresh fruits and vegetables. We can redevelop the self-care habits (hi, neuropathways!) that get forgotten in the craziness of addiction by eating properly and on a regular basis.
Sleep subutex doctors near me
We all know how addiction disrupts our sleep habits, and reestablishing normal sleeping patterns in early recovery may be as stressful as looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Still, it's critical that we try to retrain our brains and re-establish proper sleep habits. Setting and sticking to a regular bedtime is a fantastic place to start. Don't get too worked up if sleep is difficult to come by at first. Establishing excellent habits, like anything else in recovery, takes time and work.
Play subutex doctors near me
Now it's time to have some fun! Neuroplasticity is essential for a healthy brain, and we're relying on it and increasing it with the new behaviors we're developing in recovery. It's also critical to keep our minds on their toes with some lighthearted ways. Playing trivia games, doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, learning a new language, or picking up a new hobby are all excellent methods to help our freshly aware, newly recuperating brains on their route back to health.
