Prosperity Haven Ohio

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How Do Healthy Life Choices Matter Just As Much As Alcohol Outpatient Treatment?

Whether you’re in recovery or thinking about getting help for alcohol addiction, you’ve already made a considerable commitment to yourself and your health. You already know that alcohol is expensive in more ways than one; in addition to draining your bank account, alcohol might have even cost you friends, family members, or professional opportunities.

Getting your life back starts with the choices only you can make. You’re the one with the power to choose. As you’re considering the recovery experience, you’ve probably noticed that living a healthy lifestyle is a frequent theme in meetings or recovery literature.

Alcohol outpatient treatment is about much more than quitting alcohol. It involves you taking back your relationships, career, and the rest of your life. Before you can do much work on any of these essential areas, you must first improve your health.

Good health is crucial for every area of your life. This is true for everyone, whether they’re in recovery or not. When you’re involved in such an extremely demanding pursuit, healthy lifestyle choices are even more valuable.

Why Alcohol Addiction Recovery Requires A Healthy Lifestyle

A hangover isn’t just about feeling bad. When you drink to excess, your body suffers a great deal of harm. This is particularly true of the liver and brain.

The primary way drinking leaves its mark on the liver is through inflammation. Such dangerous inflammation can lead to diseases such as cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and fatty liver. It can also make you more susceptible to liver cancer.

You’ve probably heard of happy drunks and sad drunks. Alcohol doesn’t just cause mood issues. It interferes with all other areas of the brain, reducing coordination, slowing thinking, and hampering decision making.

When you can’t make decisions, your life has no direction. You’re at the mercy of circumstances and other people. While you might luck out and enjoy smooth sailing for a time, inevitably, life comes with problems.

Living a healthy lifestyle means taking time for you. Doing whatever it takes to nurture your body and feed your soul. It can include exercise, eating nutritious food, and engaging in a mind-body practice such as journaling or meditation.

Exercise can be as simple as a walk or moving to an online video, yet it can yield big benefits. In fact, doctors often say that if they could put all the benefits of exercise into a pill, they’d prescribe it to everyone. The following are just a few of the good things exercise can do for you:

  • boost energy
  • increase circulation to helps all your organs recover
  • enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery to your brain
  • lower your blood pressure
  • reduce your stress levels
  • elevate your mood

In short, exercise doesn’t just undo problems you’ve developed as a result of alcohol addiction. It helps you build a better body, brain, and life.

To stick with exercise and fully reap its benefits, you’ll need adequate fuel. If you’ve ever been hospitalized with delirium tremens (DTs) or other complications of alcoholism, you know that the medical staff always protects your brain by starting an IV and giving you B-vitamins. This is because the brain needs both water and vitamins to recover.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables will provide you with these health-boosting nutrients. When combined with drinking enough water, a nutritious diet will give you the strength and stamina needed to fuel your recovery journey. As is the case with exercise, proper nutrition will restore your mind and body.

If exercise and proper nutrition are essential, then carefully selected exercise and “food for thought” are vital. Mindfulness practices such as meditation or deep breathing can help you hone your brain’s focusing ability. If sitting still isn’t your style, meditative exercise such as tai chi or yoga can help you reap similar benefits.

The focus of your thoughts is just as important as how well you can focus. Reading inspirational literature and listening to others’ recovery testimonies are essential. Whether you consider the words of others or write your own, reflecting on the recovery process can provide motivation and extra challenge.

Ready to write your success story? Message us or give us a call at (440) 253-9915. Counselors are standing by to help 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Reach out. We know we can help you make the best decision of your life.