Yoga Treatment Therapy For Substance Abuse

To increase their odds in the battle against substance abuse, many individuals look for help in the form of various treatment methods. Traditionally, these methods include counseling, group therapy and inpatient addiction treatment. Recently, however, alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, nutrition therapy and hypnosis have gained popularity in the treatment of addiction. Typically, alternative therapies are used as complimentary treatments, and are designed to supplement more traditional methods of addiction treatment.

Yoga has many significant benefits for both the body and mind when it comes to recovering from substance abuse. For the mind, yoga provides calm and helps to counteract some of the negative thoughts and emotions associated with addiction. These emotions include anger, self-loathing and shame, and are often linked to harmful behaviors like substance abuse, and typically intensify as addiction progresses. Yoga can greatly reduce the occurrence of negative thoughts of feelings, and can therefore reduce the risk of depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders often experienced by addicts.

Those addicted to prescription painkillers, amphetamines, alcohol and other substances often suffer great physical trauma as a result of their addictions. Traditional treatments typically focus on the mental aspects of addiction rather than the physical. And while addressing psychological and emotional factors is essential, omitting physical treatments can be detrimental to recovery. The physical trauma done by addictive substances can be severe, and yoga can help reverse some of this damage by restoring the system and improving overall health and body function.

Yoga can also be performed during the detoxification stage of substance abuse treatment. Detox is an integral aspect of treatment, and involves ridding the system of all addictive substances. In some cases, this process can be quite painful and intense. Yoga can help speed up the detox process so that the next stages of treatment can begin. For detoxification purposes, certain forms of yoga are more beneficial than others. Ahstanga and Bikram yoga methods, for example, are extremely intense and speed up detoxification by ridding the body of unwanted substances through profuse sweating.

Pain relief is another great benefit of yoga in the treatment of addiction. Many substances, such as opiates and prescription painkillers, lead to severe pain when use is discontinued. Yoga can help decrease pain and increase feelings of well-being by upping the body?s production of natural painkillers such as dopamine and endorphins. In addition to pain relief, these chemicals are also linked to improved mood and positive thinking.

In addition to benefiting the initial stages of addiction recovery, there is also evidence that yoga can increase an individual?s chances of maintaining sobriety. This could be due to a number of factors, including the discipline and improved self-esteem associated with yoga. Self-esteem is a powerful tool in achieving and maintaining sobriety, and yoga can lead to enormous boosts in both mental and physical self-confidence.

When used in conjunction with traditional treatment methods like counseling, yoga and other alternative therapies further increase an addict?s chances of recovery from substance abuse. No matter an individual?s skill level or which type of yoga they choose to perform, the benefits are great.

Lillian Sanders is a freelance writer from Florida. Aside from writing, Lillian works closely with holistic drug rehab programs helping people struggling with addiction.

Source: http://www.ebestproducts.com/2012/11/yoga-treatment-therapy-substance-abuse/

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