We all know that getting enough sleep is generally important to your overall health but it’s even more important when you are fighting a drug, alcohol, or behavior addiction. It’s common to feel like you’re not getting enough or you’re sleeping too much.

Sleep is a key component when breaking any behavior, alcohol or drug addiction. Just like fitness and nutrition, it’s important to take care of your health by focusing on adequate sleep. In other words, you need to let your body rest.

Sleep is the Body’s Repair Time

The effects of drugs, alcohol addiction, and behaviors often produce sleep loss. Your addiction has likely been taking a toll on your body and most people in active addiction also struggle with addiction-related sleep disturbances. Certain drugs and substances impact sleep quality so it’s not uncommon for individuals who struggle with an addiction also struggle with sleep disturbances or a sleep disorder such as insomnia. When you have sleep issues, your entire body is affected. Your brain needs sleep in order to repair itself and help you turn back to baseline.

Poor Sleep during Withdrawals

In early recovery, the sleep period is often disturbed by withdrawal symptoms. Anyone with any addiction may suffer from withdrawals whether it’s a behavior or substance like cocaine, meth, or alcohol. Opioid withdrawal can be quite intense. A common withdrawal symptom is insufficient sleep. During the withdrawal period it’s common to have vivid dreams and disturbances throughout the night.  

The Link Between Sleep and Triggers

One study that was published in the National Institute of Health stated that there is a strong link between sleep disturbances and relapse. Sleep loss can cause your body to become irritated and agitation can lead triggers which could put you at risk of relapse. When you sleep too much, your body doesn’t get the activity it needs to be in a healthy state and this can lead to lack of motivation, depression, or sadness which can also lead to triggers and relapse. The key is to get just the right amount, every single night. 

Most people don’t have a healthy sleep schedule and those who are fighting an addiction have it that much harder. That’s why I want to talk to you about how exactly to get a good night’s sleep every night. When you couple this with a healthy diet and fitness, you set yourself up for great success. 

How much sleep are you getting now?

The first thing you’ll need to do before changing anything is take inventory. How much are you getting now and is it quality sleep? Does it take you forever to fall asleep? Do you wake up often? Detoxing from substances can impact your sleep as many people who are withdrawing or detoxing report major insomnia. Once you finish with detox though, you should be aiming to get restful sleep.

Keep a Diary

The answers to these questions should be documented over a couple of days. The easiest way to get answers is to use a fitness tracker that logs your sleep.  Most fitness trackers are pretty affordable now and very beneficial because you can use it for your nutrition and fitness as well. If you don’t have a fitness tracker then you’ll have to start using a pen and paper – just keep a log next to your bed.

If using a pen and paper it’s impossible to know your exact sleep cycle but that’s okay; when you wake up just try to remember around what time you fell asleep, what time you woke up and if you remember waking up in the middle of the night.

You’ll need a few days in order to calculate some sort of average. Everybody has off nights here and there; that’s normal but what we really want to know is how much you are getting on average and what your natural sleep cycle is like.

It’s important to make a note of how you feel each morning and throughout the day while making a log. Are you feeling refreshed when you wake up, groggy, what about during the day? Do you get tired often? Go ahead and start and log and continue to log your sleep over the next few days. After that: we’ll talk about how much sleep you should be getting. 

How much sleep should you be getting?

According to the CDC you should be getting 7-9 hours each night and only waking up once or twice for a few moments, if at all. It shouldn’t take you  more than 7-10 minutes to fall asleep and  you should find waking up; while yes nobody likes to wake up but it shouldn’t feel impossible.

Once you figure out where you stand, you can then start to make improvements.

 Getting the Right Amount

Getting the right amount of sleep isn’t easy and won’t just come naturally. It’s going to take some time and effort to establish better habits to reduce sleep disturbance and we’ll talk about that a little more later.

Depending on how far away you are from getting an average night’s sleep; the time it will take to get there will vary. For example, if you’re getting about 6 hours of sleep, then it shouldn’t take long to make your sleep even better. But if you’re sleeping only 2-3 hours of maybe 12-13 hours per night, it may take a bit longer. 

Once you’ve established your baseline and you know where your goal is,making those small improvements each week will be a little easier to do. You wouldn’t just go from getting 2-3 hours per sleep to magically the next night trying to aim for 7 hours. 

Do What’s Right for You

Now I’ve heard all the arguments in the world and the most common one is that individuals sometimes feel like they’re getting enough sleep and sleeping more is not how their body works. I mean look at some of the stuff you read online – successful people work 24/7 with very little sleep overall.

I was once listening to a podcast with Oprah and Arrianna huffington ( the founder of huffington post) and Arianna was saying that when HuffPost was getting off the ground she would work around the clock and sleep maybe only a few hours each night. She stated this was her biggest regret.  Once she started sleeping she started to make less mistakes and the overall quality kept rising. So don’t let the media fool you into thinking sleeping just a little is normal. It’s not good for you, for your brain or for your body in any way. 

Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

There are many signs to look for to know if you’re getting too much, too little, or just the right amount of sleep.

Let’s talk about signs of too little sleep because that’s what the vast majority of people experience in general.

First, do you find yourself falling asleep in strange places during the day? The car, the bus, the theatre, at work on your lunch break?  If so, you’re not getting enough sleep.

Do you feel groggy, irritated, do you have heavy eyes?  What about falling asleep easily while watching  TV?  When your body isn’t well rested, it’s constantly trying to catch up in any way possible.

Sleeping Too Much?

This is a very real concern especially for those who struggle with addiction.  Sleeping too much, especially in the middle of the day can lead to insomnia at night. But if you sleep too much your body isn’t moving or staying as active as it should be. You’re not burning off the calories and it becomes this never ending cycle. You sleep all day, you’re up all night because you slept all day and it goes on and on.

You will Feel the Benefits

Once you start taking your sleep seriously you’ll notice that when you get the right amount of sleep, you don’t become tired during the day. You will feel refreshed every morning and your overall sleeping patterns will be much smoother than when you weren’t sleeping enough. 

How Sleep Quality Can Affect Addiction Recovery 

The one thing to know when logging your sleep is that the number alone doesn’t mean you’re getting a good night’s sleep. Have you ever slept for 10 hours but felt tired and groggy because you were tossing and turning all night? The link between sleep and substance use disorders is high. According to one study, people who struggle with alcohol or drug addiction are more likely to develop a sleep disorder than someone who is not.

Sleep Cycles

The 5 stages of sleep-wake cycle are: non REM sleep, sleep, sleep, deep sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement.) This is the circadian rhythm your body relies on every 24 hours. Stage 3 and 4 is where all the work and benefits takes place. During the deep sleep stage, your body is repairing and recovering from all the days of stress. This includes REM sleep and also when the human growth hormone is released which is essential to keeping your body healthy and active. If you wake easily throughout the night you are experiencing broken sleep cycles. Every time you wake up, your body has to go through each stage over again. So someone who is getting 10 hours of sleep but is hardly getting to the deep sleep stage  is not the same as someone who is getting 5 hours of deep sleep and 4 of those hours are sleeping deeply. This is why it’s important to not just get the right amount of sleep but to make sure you are getting a high quality of sleep.

Benefits and Risks 

Sleeping too much and too little can cause an array of health problems. Ironically, sleeping too much or too little can both put you at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Additionally, when you sleep too much you are also at a higher risk for depression, sadness, and you might be feeling even more tired because your body isn’t getting enough physical activity when you sleep too much. It’s a vicious cycle.

The relationship between sleep and mood is strong. When you experience sleep deprivation, lack of sleep, or have poor sleep quality you may experience symptoms such anxiety, agitation, irritation and overall feeling pretty grumpy.

Both sleeping too much and too little puts you at risk for relapse. Why? Well, what do you do when you feel bad? You don’t make good decisions. The goal here is to help you realize how important your sleep is for your recovery so you can feel at your best. 

When you have a healthy sleep schedule you literally add years to your life. Longevity has been linked to good sleeping habits. If you combine good nutrition, fitness and sleep, your recovery and ability to beat your addiction for good is at a much higher chance than if you neglect your physical health in any way.

How to Get Better Sleep and Reduce Your Risk of Relapse

Until you’ve reached your sleep goal, you’ll want to keep a journal. There’s lots of things to journal.

I always like to start with talking about what step you can take today to start making progress. Now remember, this process is going to take some time so just be patient.

Now that you know what time you are going to bed, tonight I want you to aim to go to bed 15 minutes earlier.  The important thing though is to keep your wake up time the same, even on the weekends. 

For example, if you normally go to bed at 1am and wake up at 6am tonight – you will go to bed at 12:45am and wake up at 6am. 

Continue to do this every single week until you have established a time where you can reach your goal. For example, let’s say you have a goal of 8 hours (this is pretty normal and average) If you currently go to bed at 1am and wake up at 6am you’re only getting 5 hours of sleep every night. You need to start getting your body used to sleeping more so if you up your bedtime by 15 minutes per week it will take you about 12 weeks to hit the 8 hour mark. If you’re waking up at 6am every day you should have a bedtime around 10pm.  

How to get Better Sound Sleep

First thing to do: Set a sleep ritual or a bedtime routine. One to two hours before bedtime, start winding down and then you’ll want to take time every night to establish a routine right before bed. To start this can be as little as 15 minutes but like your bedtime you’ll want to increase this as the weeks go bye.  Ideally, bedtime rituals should be about an hour before bed. Include relaxation activities and limit your screen exposure before bedtime. Here’s some examples:

• Create a reading nook and read on a non lit kindle or a book.
• Do some yoga
• Breathing exercises
• Listen to some calming music
• Meditate
• Drink some non-caffeinated tea

Eliminating Sleep Disturbances 

If your quality of sleep is affected by waking up multiple times per night check your bedroom for sleep distractions. Perhaps you sleep better with white noise or in cooler temperatures (your body temperature rises while you sleep.) Pay attention to your light exposure. You may need to eliminate any bright light or blue light as well. 

Think of this as self-care. This is your team to create some calm and peace in your life that positively affects your circadian rhythm. After everything you’ve been through it’s important that you take some time for yourself. Not only will this help with your mental health but this will also help with your physical health and reduce the chances of relapse. You’ll start to have more energy and combine with fitness and nutrition your body is going to thank you. Be patient with yourself as you work through this. It takes time to get it right. 

Are sleep AIDS okay?  answer: no

A lot of people rely on sleep aids or sleeping pills to fall asleep. I do not recommend this. You are fighting a drug, alcohol or behavior addiction so it’s important to not trade one addiction for another. Sleep aids are often addictive substances as well.  If you’re addicted to sleeping pills it’s important to fight both addictions at once. If you do rely on sleep aids, start tapering yourself off now. At first, you’re going to have a really hard time sleeping but if you stick to a routine, establish good sleeping habits and a good ritual it won’t be long before your body will start to understand.

If you are thinking about taking sleep aids because you are having a hard time falling and staying asleep; don’t. The negative effects from this can be catastrophic and can cause even more sleep disruption later down the road. Follow this plan, stick with a good diet, and exercise regime and you will be able to obtain unassisted sleep naturally. I say this though but I do know there are healthy non-addictive natural sleep aids you can try if you really feel like you need to : melatonin for example. But use caution and always contact your doctor before doing so.

When to talk to your doctor

Sometimes no matter how much you try, getting the right amount of sleep seems impossible. There are medical conditions that cause people to sleep too much or cause insomnia as well as some medications may play a role. I recommend giving it 12 solid weeks of sticking to this sleep plan along with getting good exercise and eating healthy. If after 12 weeks you’re still struggling with your sleep or have insomnia then it’s important to call your doctor. There may be some sort of underlying medical condition such as sleep apnea or  brain disease, that you’re unaware of. Chronic (long-term) sleep difficulties need medical attention. 

Substance Abuse and Sleep Deprivation 

The relationship between substance abuse disorders and proper sleep is strong. Getting the right amount of restful sleep is crucial when in recovery from addiction and is where the healing process starts. People in recovery need to practice good sleep hygiene in order to be successful in the overall recovery process. The relationship between sleep and relapse among persons who struggle with addiction is strong especially when chronic sleep deprivation is involved. Keeping a sleep journal of your recovery journey and sleep habits is highly recommended.

Finding the Right Program

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder or any behavioral addiction, check out Live Rehab. Our online addiction recovery program allows you to obtain a full recovery on your terms. Traditional treatment programs may not be for everyone. Whether you struggle with alcohol addiction, substance abuse or any addictive behavior we know how important it is to get the help without having to leave to go to an expensive treatment center. Flexible treatment options are available.

Does exercise help people in recovery from addiction?

At Live Rehab we use a holistic approach for addiction and recovery treatment which means we focus on the whole body rather than just stopping the drug, alcohol, or behavior addiction. A piece of this is making sure your physical health is in tip top shape so that you have a better chance at succeeding in quitting your addiction, fighting triggers and having a healthy lifestyle with long term recovery. Part of taking care of your physical body is making sure you are incorporating fitness into your daily lives.

Why Fitness is Important in Addiction Recovery Treatment

First off, I want to recognize that the recovery process is hard work and for any person in recovery, sometimes just thinking about workouts or engaging in fitness may seem near impossible.  And that’s okay.

Let’s start this by talking about why fitness plays a crucial role in your ability to completely recover from your drug, alcohol, or behavior addiction. We’re not talking about suddenly becoming major athletes with huge muscles. We’re talking about getting the right amount of physical activity for your health which will help reduce stress levels so you can be prepared to overcome withdrawal symptoms and triggers.

Dr. Hartney stated at verywellmind.org that, “Exercise has been investigated as a treatment for reducing the risk of relapse to addictive behavior and has been shown to reduce drug cravings and improve treatment outcomes. “

Focus on the Health Component

At Live Rehab we don’t focus specifically on body weight, weight loss, or weight gain unless that is something you feel you need in order to obtain optimal health. We focus on incorporating healthy activities into your daily routine so that you can go on to live a healthy life in recovery. Incorporating fitness into your daily routing shows strong mental health benefits and an overall higher quality of life. 

Studies not only show that regular types of exercise has numerous health benefits and increases mood but a regular exercise regimen also reduces the likelihood of relapse and helps with withdrawals, stress reduction, reduces craving, provides physical benefits and helps manage triggers. The more you focus on your overall health, the better chances you have for a full recovery.

Exercise in Addiction Recovery

Frontiers in Psychiatry published a study in Us National Library of Medicine that stated, “Accumulating evidence shows that exercise influences many of the same signaling molecules and neuroanatomical structures that mediate the positive reinforcing effects of drugs. Previous studies have revealed that exercise produces protective effects in procedures designed to model different transitional phases that occur during the development of, and recovery from, a substance use disorder.”

Another current study showed that swimming reduces the severity of physical and psychological dependence and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine dependent rats. 

Exercise, nutrition, and sleep go hand in hand especially in addiction recovery.  You can eat well, but if you’re not moving your body every single day then eating well won’t cut it. It goes the other way too – you can’t work out every day and then eat crappy food – you won’t see and feel the results that you need. And when we talk about results, I’m talking about the way you feel about yourself in recovery. 

Overcoming Health Challenges after a Behavior or Substance Abuse Addiction

The body is extremely resilient- surprisingly resilient. Chances are – you have not been focusing on your health as much as you’ve needed because your addictive behaviors have taken precedence over everything else.  But don’t let that discourage you – the sooner you start to focus on this, the easier things will become and you will soon start to notice the mental benefits as well. So, how exactly do you get started? 

Find a plan VS Making your own

 Let’s now talk about how to figure out what to do.  So you have two options here:

1. You can find a fitness plan and use that or
2. You can make your own plan

Let’s dig a little deeper on how to decide.

First, let’s talk about finding a fitness plan. There are so many fitness plans you can find online.  You need to decide what type of fitness you are interested in. Maybe it’s running, hiking, biking, lifting weights, or just general routine exercise like going to a gym. If you like more traditional fitness, there’s no need to reinvent the exercise wheel. Once you decide on something then it’s time to hit the internet. 

So let’s say you chose running. There are tons of running apps that you can purchase or I’m sure there are free ones too. From there, you need to narrow it down to what you think will work best for you. I know a lot of people in recovery have had success with couch to 5k but there are so many others as well.

Or, let’s say you want to hike more. There are also hiking apps where they show you the nearest trails, mountains, etc.  Same thing with swimming or biking. Or perhaps you want to lift weights.  Find a plan or maybe pick a program like Crossfit.  Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you find enjoyable and fun. When fitness is fun it is more likely to turn into a healthy habit. The great thing about following a plan is that you don’t have to think about it.  Someone else is literally telling you what to do and no doubt in a few weeks, you’ll be in great shape and will start to notice changes – as long as you follow the plan.

Now for some people, following a plan may not be your thing and that’s okay too! If that’s you then make your own plan. Here’s how to do it. Pick an activity you enjoy or maybe more than one activity.  Once you pick your activity, think about what your goals will be for that activity.  For example, if you choose biking, maybe you start with biking a mile a day, 3 times per week, and increase it .5 miles each week until you can start biking 5 miles a day 3 times per week or 4 miles a day 5 times per week. 

Start with your end goal and work backwards. 

If you’re a runner, maybe your goal is to run faster or run further. Or maybe you want to get stronger and lift weights. What are your weight lifting goals?  Perhaps your exercise program will include high-intensity interval training.

Gathering necessary items for success

In order for you to be super successful it’s important to gather all the tools you need. Let’s say you chose the home workout program Insanity.  You would need some weights and maybe some new workout clothes. If you chose biking – has your bike had a tune up?  Do you have the right shoes to work out in? Maybe your workout plan requires a heart rate monitor or a yoga mat. It’s important to research exercise routines before you attempt them so you can gather items you may need to prevent a physical injury.

Whatever you need, get it.

You are likely saving a bunch of money by not indulging in your addiction or addictive behaviours. With the money you save, you deserve to put it back into yourself. When you start to invest in yourself, in your health specifically, other areas of your life will open up and you’ll reap the benefits. It’s not okay to splurge on drugs, alcohol, video games, porn, etc.. It’s 100% okay to splurge on your health. Think of this as an investment. An investment towards your future and your health.  

Making a Physical Activity schedule

Now it’s time to put all of this into action.

Similar to a nutrition schedule, you’ll want to schedule your fitness times. Let’s say your plan is 5 days per week.  Take a look at your calendar and figure out what 5 days work best for you.  Maybe you have a late meeting every Tuesday so Tuesday may  not be the best day.  Then think about the best times – before work, after work, during your lunch break? Late at night, on the weekends. What works for your schedule?  Remember, you are in control of this.

Now take a weekly planner (either a physical planner or one on your phone) and start plugging it in. Personally, I just use my google calendar.  It keeps me focused but everyone has their own ways of staying focused.  The important thing is that you take time  to think this through.

I had a client who was trying to be more physically active.  She went as far as choosing a plan but was constantly failing. I asked her to tell me what days she had scheduled to do Zumba – she had signed for a Zumba class and she said “Oh I don’t really have specific days I just try to go when I can and I’ve been really busy lately and keep running out of time”. That doesn’t work. We’re all super busy and if we don’t make time in our busy schedules, it’s not going to magically appear. 

So make the time and schedule it out.

That’s the difference between being successful or not.

Benefits of Exercise with a fitness tracker

There are so many options and of course this all depends on your budget but if you don’t have a fitness tracker yet, I highly encourage you to get one. The reason for this is fitness trackers hold you accountable and they show your growth and progress which is super exciting to see. They range anywhere from $15.00 to $300.00.  I personally recommend just a basic fitbit but if you can afford more – that’s super cool too!  Not only can you track your fitness but you can also track your nutrition, sleep, and heart rate. Take some time looking around and see what you can come up with.  If you already have one then great! 

Make sure you’re wearing it every day! 

Move your body more (10k steps per day)

Now you know the importance of regular fitness but did you also know how important it is to move your body every single day for maximum benefits? Being complacent is one of the worst things you can do to your body. If you’re complacent you are at a higher risk of developing arthritis, heart disease, and of course you’re more likely to be overweight, and yes even if you regularly exercise.

Think about this – if you follow a plan that has you doing intense physical fitness 4-5 times per week, one hour per day – what happens to the rest of your time?  Of course, it’s important to relax but that doesn’t mean you work out for one hour a day and then do nothing for the other 13 hours you’re awake. Even gentle exercise has cardiovascular benefits so if you’re not able to get a good quality workout in, something is always better than nothing.

I get that most of you probably have some sort of job where you sit at a desk and it’s really hard to find time to get up and move. 

A healthy person will aim for 10k – 12k steps per day. You’ll want to be sure you’re getting physical exercise every hour too. For example, the fitbit sends a reminder at 50 minutes after the hour letting you know if you’ve met your hourly step goal. You can set your hourly goal to meet your needs but the standard is around 250 steps per hour.

So when you’re up and about it’s also important to think of creative ways to be more active in your daily life.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, maybe walk to the corner store instead of drive and incorporate an evening walk, every night.  There are benefits of physical activity in smaller consistent amounts emotionally and physically including improved mood, mental benefits, less stress, improved joint function and less likely to have symptoms of chronic diseases.

Making fitness fun is good for your mental health

Seriously.

Fitness doesn’t have to be a drag.

You get to control what you want to do and when you do it. I don’t typically recommend working out at a gym because I know for some individuals in recovery, going to the gym is uncomfortable. If you’re a gym rat I totally get that as some people genuinely enjoy their time there but if that’s not you, don’t feel bad about it.  Some people prefer fitness classes or hiring a personal trainer but there are other ways to meet your fitness goals.

This isn’t about excessive exercise, this is about changing your exercise behavior so that you enjoy it.

Think of something you enjoy and take it up as a hobby. You see a fitness plan is a great way to get you started but they generally are only 6-12 weeks long and you’ll want to be sure you keep up your  fitness level and exercise even after that. A fitness or physical exercise plan is a great way to jump start your body, but as you progress and start to see the end, start thinking about how you want to keep up fitness for the rest of your life. 

Maybe it’s preparing for a marathon or a triathlon, rock climbing, or training to hike mount everest (only half kidding on that one) but have fun! Go swimming, do some yoga at sunrise, take long walks in the park. There are many forms of exercise such as aerobic exercise, flexibility exercises or low-impact exercise programs you can incorporate.  Remember, this is all about taking good care of yourself so you can be the best person you can be. Recovery from drugs, alcohol or problematic behaviors doesn’t have to be so serious or hard – make the most out of your sober days and don’t forget to laugh.

Excessive Exercise

Be careful about trading one addiction for another.

Just like anything else, too much of one thing can be harmful. You don’t want to have an exercise addiction or pick up damaging habits. Your relationship with exercise should be healthy and fun. Compulsive exercise, loss of control,  obsessing over body weight loss, or body image issues  could be a symptom of exercise addiction. If that is happening might be a good idea to talk to mental health professionals to get mental health medical advice. Exercise addiction can cause negative symptoms and be harmful to the body. 

Is it best to combine Fitness with other addiction treatment approaches?

I’m proud of you for being here and reading this blog.

Recovery from alcohol, substances or a behavior is not a one size fits all. What may be easy for some may not be easy for you and vice versa. Our program at Live Rehab focuses on helping people fight their addictions from home, without having to leave to go to an expensive treatment center or rehab facility. Whether you struggle with addictive behavior, alcohol or substance abuse, we have courses for you. 

We’ve been helping people who struggle with behaviors, drug or alcohol addiction obtain full recoveries online even before the covid-19 pandemic. The beauty about getting sober at home is that nobody is there to judge you or make you feel bad about anything which will help with the positive effects of exercise. 

Take your time with this and don’t overdo anything but stay actively engaged and continue to make small improvements each and every day. Remember, fitness and exercise routines are only a piece of pie so be sure to focus on all areas for the best possible outcome.

If you have any questions about treatment options please feel free to reach out.

There are many factors that come into play when deciding when it comes to detoxing from alcohol, drugs, or addictive behaviors. Not every person is going to be the same either. At Live Rehab we take a holistic approach to addiction and recovery and that starts well before the behavior, alcohol, or drug detox process which is what I want to talk about here. 

Behavior, Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal

I think we all have this perception that drug and alcohol detoxification is this incredibly uncomfortable situation you are put in when struggling with alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder or any other addictive behavior but that’s not always the case. When you make the decision to quit something you are addicted to, you will go through a period of time where you will be detoxing but the process will be unique to you. The goal of detox is to rid your body from drugs, alcohol or toxic behaviors so that you can have a clear mind for long term treatment.

Dependence 

No matter what types of substances or behaviors you are addicted to; meth, heroin, alcohol, cocaine, prescription medications, porn, sex, your phone, you should make sure you are fully prepared for how you will handle those first days once you stop cold turkey.

Medical Detoxes vs Natural Detox 

When it comes to alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction or substance abuse with certain medications like benzodiazepines or barbiturates medical detox may be necessary.  Pregnant women or those who have any medical condition do need to talk to medical professionals as a cold turkey detox can be lethal. Do not attempt to detox on your own without consulting your doctor. If you think you are experiencing an overdose, please call 911 right away.

Alcohol Detox

Acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe and could lead to life threatening alcohol withdrawal seizures and will require medical supervision at a detox facility. These symptoms of alcohol withdrawal range from moderate to severe. Some severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms include: increase in body temperature, seizures, racing heart rate, hallucinations, muscle spasms and extreme confusion. If you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal syndrome you will need to go to seek medical treatment right away.

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

If mild symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome or benzo medication withdrawal, talk to your treatment provider about options and whether or not medical supervision is necessary. The effects of alcohol withdrawal syndrome or if you are experiencing a benzodiazepine withdrawal, this can be life threatening. A healthcare professional may be able to offer prescription drugs to ease the symptoms. Patients generally report inpatient detox programs or medically monitored drug and alcohol detox to be helpful and can then start their recovery plan when they are done.

According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Detoxification services do not offer a “cure” for substance use disorders. They often are a first step toward recovery and the “first door” through which patients pass to treatment.”

Finding a time to detox 

 You can have a natural detox at home if it is safe to do so. Detox from drugs that are not benzos or barbiturates or from alcohol is generally safe from home and would not require an in-patient or outpatient detox program unless it is advised by your doctor. The drug detoxification process may be uncomfortable with unpleasant symptoms but is typically safe. 

The first thing you will need to do is find a date that works for you. Again, those first few days are going to be difficult no matter what your drug of choice or behavior is but the entire withdrawal period will vary from person to person.  Of course, physiological alcohol dependence or illicit drug abuse withdrawal may be more severe than a behavior addiction withdrawal but whatever it is you are struggling with, you’ll need to make sure you are prepared for the symptoms  and the effects of withdrawal. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, behavioral addictions can still produce symptoms of withdrawal.

There have been quite a few studies on this topic. According to an article that was published by the National Center for Biotechnology information:

Behavioral addiction such as internet addiction is similar to drug addiction except that in the former, the individual is not addicted to a substance but the behavior or the feeling brought about by the relevant action. In addition, the physical signs of drug addiction, are absent in behavioral addiction. Others have stated that behaviorally addicted individuals have certain symptoms and will undergo the same consequences brought about by addiction to alcohol and drugs as well as other obsessive behaviors.

You don’t want to be going through the withdrawal process, detox period,  or be experiencing major physical or emotional symptoms if you have something important going on in your life. For example, if you have a wedding, a birthday party, a work trip, a big presentation or whatever coming up, you will want to make sure you are not starting your detox right then. You will need to be sure to give your body and mind plenty of time to heal before those things and if necessary, you may need to wait until it’s over to begin. I don’t recommend waiting too long, you don’t want to wait longer than 30 days so if you have something coming up in 3 weeks, it’s best to plan to detox before whereas if you have something coming up in 3 days you may need to wait until after.

How to Prepare your body for Detox

Before detoxing I want you to be fully prepared for all of your responsibilities as this reduces the risk of relapse. This process at first can seem quite daunting but it’s essential in increasing your chances of success. Do you have children, pets, or elder parents you need to care for? If so, is it possible to get help during your detox? If not, how can you minimize the risk to ensure they are safe?

For example, I had a client, a single dad, who worked full time. He was able to take time off work to detox but did not have anyone available to take his 5 year old daughter to and from school. He knew that waiting too long was not an option as things were deteriorating and his performance at work was decreasing so together we made a plan. His detox started Friday night. Before, he fully prepared himself, and we’ll talk about that in a moment, but also fully prepared his daughter. This was years ago, so he rented DVDs, stocked up on coloring books, playdough, easy to make food for his daughter and he child proofed the entire house, made sure everything was locked up, He made sure that she knew if daddy was unwell how she could call 911 and then they hung out in the living room and watched movies. Daddy had the flu. By Monday the worst was over but he was still rather weak so he kept her home from school on Monday to give himself another day to recover. By Tuesday he was safely able to take her to school and then by Wednesday he was over the worst and back to work on Thursday. Was this the ideal situation? No. It would have been better for him to have someone take care of her while detoxing but to expect everyone to have every option at their fingertips is unrealistic so you need to figure out a way to do this with the options that you have. Because at the end of the day quitting your addiction as soon as possible is better than dragging it out over months or even years because you are uncomfortable with the idea of having to detox. I’m here to help you figure out a way to get it done. 

Setting a Date for Detox

Okay, so back to setting that date. Once you’ve set that date, which is less than 30 days from now, immediately work on reducing your use even if it’s just a little bit each day. This will make a huge difference in how hard your detox will be. So tapering down will look different for everyone. If you struggle with drinking alcohol, make that appointment with your doctor and have 1 less drink today than you did yesterday. If you struggle with marijuana, smoke half a joint less than you did yesterday, if you struggle with porn addiction, watch 10 minutes less today than yesterday. But whatever you do, and this a very common mistake that a lot of people have, is do not give yourself permission to go out with a bang. Your detox will be excruciatingly difficult and you will regret it. You need to accept this for what it is and start making those small changes now.

As the time gets closer to your first day of detox, you will want to do what you can to reduce your responsibilities at home and at work if possible. If you can take time off that would be the best case scenario. If you can’t then your first two days should be on your regular day off, whether it’s saturday, or another day in the week that you have off. If you can get child care, someone to care for your pet, or best would be to have someone there to help you with the hard stuff like cleaning and cooking. If you don’t have those options, just remember, you still need to move forward and find a way to get it done. 

Opioid withdrawal

So what you do to prepare will entirely depend on what substance or behavior you are detoxing from. Opioid withdrawal symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea so stocking up on liquids to drink that have electrolytes is best as well as ensuring you have clean sheets and towels.

And remember, if you are going through alcohol detox, depending your dependence on alcohol, you may need professional medical care. Even light drinkers can experience body tremors, rapid heart rate, and muscle cramps during withdrawal.

If you are detoxing from something like marijuana you may not have such harsh physical symptoms but you still may experience things like racing heart, anxiety, low mood, body aches, etc. so making sure you know how to handle those by having things to keep you busy and take your mind off stuff.

If you are detoxing from something like porn or sex, maybe making sure you schedule to do things outside or in public to keep you away from the space you normally use for those behaviors. 

How long will detox last?

Regardless of what it is you are detoxing from, you should expect the duration of withdrawal to last anywhere from 2-10 days (possibly longer and of course, every person is different.) If you have a behavior addiction you will experience more psychological withdrawal symptoms. So before the detox starts make sure you have plenty of entertainment (TV, books, puzzles, etc. – things to keep your mind busy.) Make sure you have plenty of healthy food options as the last thing you’ll be wanting to do is make a trip to the store to buy food, and make sure your space is cleaned up. Having to detox in a cluttered or dirty space can feel suffocating and you’ll just be annoyed that you’ll have household chores to do later so do as much as you can beforehand to set yourself up for success.

What to focus on during detox

While you are detoxing there are very specific things you should be working on which may be a difficult process. First, taking care of your physical health so eating healthy meals and snacks and drinking plenty of water. If you gorge on junk food, it’s not going to help your detox.

The severity of withdrawals will entirely depend o n the type of substance or behavior you are addicted to. Some people who are detoxing will experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as muscle aches, fatigue, nausea or a runny nose. Others may experience severe withdrawal symptoms so it will be important to make sure you are looking out for signs of dehydration especially if you are vomiting or have diarrhea. One thing you can do is something called the skin test. Take the back of your hand and pinch the skin. If you are not dehydrated your skin will go back to normal once you let go. If you are dehydrated your skin will stay in a pinched position. If you are becoming dehydrated start drinking more but if you can’t keep anything down you will need to go to the emergency room as you will likely need an IV for fluids.

If you do have an upset stomach stick to the BRAT diet which consists of bananas, rice applesauce and plain toast. Those are foods that are generally pretty natural for an upset stomach. If you are not experiencing gastrointestinal issues then when it comes to eating try to make sure you are eating good portions, not too much and not too little – 3 meals and a snack per day and make sure you stock up beforehand on healthy options like premade salads, soups, some frozen meals can be okay but limit the junk food and especially foods that are high in sugar like donuts or soda. Water should be the only thing you drink unless you are dehydrated then you’ll want to try something with electrolytes.

You will also want to make sure you are trying your best to move your body. If you are in the middle of a hard physical detox, it’s okay to relax until that passes but once you are able to, try to get up and stretch, take a walk outside and so on. Nobody is expecting you to go to the gym and have a hard core work out or run 5 miles each day but light moderate exercise is very important. Try doing things like yoga or a like I said a walk outside can really make a difference. If you are having a hard time getting out of bed or off the couch, which is completely normal when detoxing, then start by just forcing yourself to stand up and touch your toes at least every hour. 

 Sleep

 Taking naps is okay but it’s much better to focus on getting a good night’s sleep so if you are sleeping all day and not able to sleep at night try to limit your napping to 1-2 times during the day, no longer than 20 minutes. During the day, make sure you open windows to get sunlight so that you can ensure you are keeping your body on it’s natural biorhythm. Getting good sleep during detox is really difficult for some people so just do your best to not sleep during the day and aim for a decent bedtime. Limit caffeine so that your body can sleep well at night and try to stay away from screen at bedtime if possible.

Medications

During detox it’s important to nurture your mental health. So give yourself permission to relax and binge watch your favorite shows. Be proud of what you are doing and try not to think about the past but rather focusing on the future. What are your hopes and dreams for after detox? What are some of your life goals? If you have a journal, try to write in it every day and be as descriptive as possible. For some people, they like to go back to their detox journal if they feel triggered in the future so that they can remember how hard it was. Journaling can be a very powerful tool. If you struggle with mental health issues or have a co-occurring disorder (substance use disorder plus a mental health disorder) be sure to contact your therapist if you are in therapy especially if you are experiencing severe mental health symptoms such delusional thinking, thoughts of suicide or self harm. Continue to take any medications that are prescribed by your doctor or therapist. There may be severe health risks associated with stopping medications.

Spirituality

If you are religious or spiritual, now is the time to really embrace that. If you go to church or pray maybe watch some services online. Meditation can also be helpful during detox. Really getting to know yourself on a deeper level, a sobering level, can be impactful. Remember, you are going to start to feel all sorts of changes and some people fear that. I urge you to lean into that and take this time to discover who you are. The pain of detox is your body’s reaction of getting rid of old substances or habits. It’s a good sign and you are strong enough to make it through. 

Be Prepared for Triggers

Triggers are going to hit hard especially in the first few days. So if you have a chance to remove things from your home before detoxing that could potentially trigger you, make sure you do it and make sure you are getting rid of all paraphernalia. Drugs need to be flushed, alcohol needs to be poured even if other people in your home are drinking, and even going as far as locking up your computer for a few days might be something you will need to do to prevent a relapse. Just make sure you put as many barriers as possible between you and the thing you are addicted to. A behavior, drug or alcohol craving can vary from person to person.

Your Social Health

If you are experiencing a severe behavior, alcohol or drug withdrawal you may need to have someone there to help. If you have supportive family and friends don’t be afraid to ask them. If your family and friends are not supportive,  you may need to distance yourself from them so that they don’t drag you down. After detox you can start to work on repairing relationships or learning how to distance yourself from toxic people. For now, you need to do what you need to do to survive detox so whatever it takes. In your journal you can start to explore different ideas about how you may need to deal with family, friends and your professional relationships. A lot of people find out who their true friends are during a detox – those who support you no matter what and don’t belittle or pressure you to return to old habits.

You can do this. 

Your Road to Recovery

This is just the beginning but sometimes the hardest part. Of course long term recovery requires you to take full control of your situation and may include things like medication, counseling or therapy. Having a physical dependence on an addictive substance or behavior can be a challenge but just being here shows that you have what it takes and you are here because you want a healthier life. Life without alcohol, drugs, or addictive behaviors is possible and in turn you will have a much higher quality of life.

When it comes to options, there are many, but just remember, depending on your alcohol consumption or alcohol intake, you may need to seek professional care even if you think it’s just heavy drinking and you’re not physically addicted. Treatment for substance use or behaviors should be tailored around your specific needs.

Dr. Mark Publicker, a specialist in addiction medicine says, “To this day there is little to no formal education of medical personnel on addiction. It’s rare to find any real coursework in medical school. Residencies have very little, and medical schools have been resistant to introducing significant curriculum to address the deficits. If you think about what are the major causes of preventable morbidity and mortality, they’re addictions. It’s anything from nicotine to alcohol to opiates and benzos”

Rehab Treatment and Life after Detox 

It can be a struggle to rid your body from drugs, alcohol, or certain behaviors and entering an addiction treatment program isn’t always an easy choice. inpatient and outpatient treatment requires people to leave their work, family, friends, and responsibilities which can sometimes make things worse.  Our treatment program helps people like you achieve a full recovery without having to go to an expensive, professional rehab program, treatment center,  in-person facility and having to leave their family, pets, or work. A traditional rehab center, outpatient program, or treatment for consumption of alcohol, drugs, or addictive behavior isn’t always an option for every person.

Our Sobriety Success platform offers online addiction and recovery courses, relapse prevention strategies, meditations, and instructor support via the Q&A form. Your treatment for alcohol dependence, drugs and/or addictive behaviors should be unique to you. At Live Rehab we aim to provide the highest standard for your recovery process and offer packages that range from self sufficient to more in depth coaching with regular check-ins.

Questions about Treatment

Check out Live Rehab if you have questions about behavior, drug, or alcohol addiction treatment options.  We’re always here to help so that you have a successful road to recovery so if you have any questions about treatment please feel free to reach out.