Why is wellness essential in recovery?
Wellness refers to good health and mindful living. In the present
times, there are deeper meanings of wellness for people who are
recovering. Wellness builds the foundation for a healthy mind, body,
and living. Wellness has had a significant impact on people who are
trying to recover. “Wellness is a functional process through which
people become aware and make choices for a healthy and
successful living,” as per The National Wellness Institute. There are
many dimensions to people who are recovering from wellness that
begins with a mind blogging substance. They have elaborated
wellness on the basis of a six-step journey for a healthier and
longer life: emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, social, and
physical. Breaking up from the use of active substances needs to
develop a consciousness that aligns wellness, enabling us to be
completely present in our emotions and living.
What is wellness?
Concerning recovery from substance abuse, wellness has an
intense effect when it comes to successful recovery. We refer to
physical and mental health when talking about wellness, as both
are equally essential for healthy living. But is this what wellness
means? No wellness is much broader than this, and wellness refers
to overall good health that comprises physical, intellectual, mental,
social, and emotional wellbeing. A perception of delights and
healthy relationships play a vital role in comprehensive wellness.
These are considered as the essence for maintaining prolonged
recovery.
As per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration(SAMHSA), wellness is far more than recovering from
any disease. There are eight aspects of fitness as per SAMHSA,
● Emotions are proved effective in maintaining healthy and
satisfying relations that help in getting through life effectively.
● Satisfaction with current and future financial stability helps in
living a stress-free life.
● Getting connected with people socially and developing a
sense of connection with them serves as a backbone in the
recovery process.
● Getting through the purpose of life and spreading a spiritual
sense is helpful in overall mental health peace.
● A sense of enhancement achieved in occupational life
develops satisfaction within the mind.
● Being active physically, such as proper sleep, eating habits,
helps in the overall wellness of mind and body.
● Recognizing and enhancing skills, knowledge, and experience
within us develops intellectual wellbeing.
● A good and healthy environment helps stimulate the effects
of a pleasant environment, which helps support healthy living.
Ways to achieve wellness in substance disorder recovery
Health plays the most vital part in recovering. For people in their
path to recovery, muscles of the body need to be strong in order to
stay sober. As the use of substances for various years puts severe
stress on your body. The process of Detoxification of substances
from our body is also exhausting for your body.
Your body might take months to recover from substance abuse,
whereas your brain would take much longer to heal completely.
Your brain, while recovering, might seek some other rewards such
as food, sexual desires, gambling, and much more. This could
further result in relapsing substance abuse.
Here are some important ways that could help in achieving overall
mental and physical wellness:
● Exercise and wellness: exercises help to enhance your mood
This is why many treatment facilities offer exercising such as yoga,
Zumba, table tennis, cardio, swimming to encourage personal and
team growth. These exercises help build up a healthy body while
and after recovering from substance abuse. Exercises help boost
your brain chemicals that aid in peaceful sleep, reduce stress,
improve eating habits, and are also helpful in maintaining your goal.
Join an activity that you enjoy, do not force yourself for any kind of
exercise you do not want.
● Nutrition and wellness: paying attention to proper body
nutrition is far more than just a part of the recovery process.
Individuals going through detoxification therapies might
undergo diseases such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, muscle
cramping, flu, etc., as a side effect of drawing out those
toxifications from your body. This is why wellness centers
ensure proper hydration and nutrition to their patients to build
strength and stamina within the patient’s body. Food rich in
nutrition will help to recharge your body naturally with vitamins
and minerals. Consuming a balanced diet that comprises
carbohydrates, protein, fruits, and vegetables are sufficient to
fulfill patients’ body nutrition requirements. It’s advised to avoid
canned, frozen, or sugar-rich foods as this could delay your
recovery.
● Boosting mind and brain: studies suggest that being aware of
your environment and surroundings has effectively developed
a healthy and positive life. Developing a daily yoga practice
will help you attain a state of relaxation and calmness in mind
that can help you achieve mindfulness. Being mindful will help
you make better decisions and develop healthier body goals.
We advise you to sit for a minimum of five to ten minutes for
meditation before sleeping or early in the morning to scan your
body. You can get guidance from youtube or practice going to
short yoga classes for healing with meditation.
● Emotional wellness: being well emotionally is vital for
everyday recovery. Emotions highly dysregulated the activities
in substance abuse, and building skills to manage these
emotions have served as essential for the early stage of
recovery from substance abuse. It’s not always about being
happy or cheerful; it’s about building skills to become aware of
your feelings, such as moods, behavior, thoughts, and ways to
overcome those emotions. Emotional wellness is essential for
accepting your feelings without trying to escape from emotions
with the help of substance or maladaptive behavior.
● Spiritual wellness: spiritual wellness gives us a chance to
discover by developing a high sense of purpose for your life.
Spirituality helps you connect yourself rather than being
attached to other things, hence enables you to live enriched
and connected. Mental Wellness is an essential tool while
practicing spirituality to generate self-awareness, to live in the
present moment. This helps in overcoming depression and
anxiety and helps us live with a healthy perspective and
understanding.
Conclusion
Recovery is even possible in the alarming stages of substance
abuse, and wellness can help a person live a healthy lifestyle in
your recovery process. Wellness can help a person distance
themselves from substance abuse with a rare chance of relapsing.
It also helps in building opportunities where substance abuse is just
a matter of the past.