Finding Nutrition In Addiction Recovery
Nutrition And Addiction Recovery
Bluefield founder Becky Georgi recently discovered a great article by Lisa Frederiksen detailing the vital role nutrition plays in recovery from addiction. Frederiksen urges that “nutrition and brain health go hand-in-hand,” which is especially important for someone trying to get sober. Finding mental stability can be tough when coming off of drugs and alcohol, so the brain needs all the support it can get. Unfortunately, many addicts turn to food once they quit their drug of choice and most of the time it’s not healthy food.
Addicts usually turn to sugary, processed foods, which can prove to be just as addictive as the drugs they recently gave up. Some resources, such as AA’s Big Book, even suggest addicts have a sweet treat whenever a craving arises. This, however, creates a bad habit in the addict, which can be tough to kick down the road. They see food as a coping mechanism instead of a resource for nourishment and mental stability.
Frederiksen cites a report by Rebecca Place Miller that suggest that fresh, nutrient rich foods are an “effective component of comprehensive addiction therapy.” The report also says that sugary, processed foods perpetuate the craving process that kept addicts using for so long. This cycle of cravings can lead addicts back to their drug of choice, or with an entirely new addiction to food. Addicts must be wary about their relationship to food and try to eat in a manner that promotes nutrition and stability instead of using food as a way to cope.
