About 18% of the U.S. population deals with some kind of addiction. When speaking of young adults, 16% of 18-25 year olds fit in this category. Let’s put that in perspective a little. The U.S. has a current population of 326,853,219. So, 58,833,579 people in the U.S., alone, deal with addiction every day. When someone makes the wonderful decision to kick addiction, they often don’t realize the damage that has taken place in their mind, body, and spirit. Below are a few ways the recovering addict can help his/her body get back to a healthy, fit state.
Mind
When a mind starts the long road of recovery, the thoughts and ways of thinking them that were such trouble in the beginning, begin to resurface. We are faced, head on, with the situations we used our addiction to escape from. There are many times that fear, anxiety, regret, and self hate will attempt to push us back into trouble.
One of these best ways to help get your mind back in shape is to develop your coping skills. Sometimes life just doesn’t go like we think it should. Find someone you can share your feelings candidly with who will listen and be encouraging, but transparent with you. Learn a new skill or develop a hobby. Hang out with friends who know your limits or learn what things are good distractions for you.
Body
As stated before, addicts of all types just don’t realize how badly they neglect to take care of themselves. A lot come into recovery malnourished and weak. In order to help the body recover, depending on what the addition was, of course, you should make sure to get plenty of protein to help build muscles back.
Always eat your veggies like Mom said. This will fine tune your senses and also help push any leftover toxins from your body and always drink plenty of water. One of the reasons addicts seek escape is because of malnourishment. Water will not only help you feel full more often, it will help you stay hydrated which will help your energy levels over all.
Spirit
Part of being fit overall includes paying attention to our spiritman. This is often the place one finds the motivation to keep going. Some seek help from God and some search inwardly for peace. Either way, there are some things you can do to feed this aspect of your being.
If your center is God, make sure to read scripture and pray daily. Find a church family you can depend on for encouragement and guidance. If you look inward make sure to meditate often, select reading materials that guide you to more patient coping skills and ways to relax in situations that might otherwise push you into danger. Additionally, you can also access detailed Clergy resources and other Bible study materials, which can enhance your faith, provide nourishment for maturity, and increase your resistance to temptation.
Getting fit and staying fit, mind, body, and spirit, is the key to long term recovery. When we feel good about ourselves and healthy, we don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize that. Come back often for reminders.
