Wellness

💊 A person in recovery from substance abuse is more likely to relapse when they have poor eating habits and do not adopt a self-care routine.  I know this first hand!

The human journey is a culinary dance, in my eyes. It’s a blend of ingredients that each contributes some texture, some flavor, some sort of deepening sensory experience, that together form the way we see ourselves, and our world. We’re all born with some disability or disadvantage. We’re all born with some sort of privilege. All our traumas, sorrows, and challenges are as important to the dish as our victories and delights. What separates the finest cuisine from a dog’s dish? It all has to do with how you use each ingredient!

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a recent study from Disability and Health Journal, indicates that people with disabilities are more likely than the general population to have issues with substance abuse and addiction.  Specifically, about 40 percent of the population that has some form of disability also struggles with drug or alcohol use.  This includes people who have sensory disabilities, such as being deaf or blind.

Often, the frustrations of these conditions can leave a person feeling depressed, anxious, and isolated from the rest of the world.  For many people with these emotional issues, drugs or alcohol can be a way to numb negative feelings or create a false feeling of euphoria.

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🏆 Here are some great eating habits that may improve the mood and state of people struggling with addictions:

– Decrease caffeine consumption.

– Avoiding refined carbohydrates and foods high in sugar is so important to overall health, especially when trying to recover from any addictions or any mental health struggles. As refined carbohydrates and foods high in sugar can cause energy to crash, ups and downs, which translates into mood swings.  These types of foods are truly empty calories which results in a lack of needed nutrients for the body.

– Eat foods rich in antioxidants such as fruits and vegetables: they play a key role in boosting your immune system and help restore your skin and hair, which often deteriorate as a result of various addictions.

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Patients with disabilities often use prescription medications to battle painful conditions, many of which have high potential for addiction. Prescription opioids in particular are effective pain relievers, yet are highly addictive and can easily be abused. People with disabilities are more likely to abuse opioids, but less likely to get the treatment they deserve. Opioids are so highly addictive that even individuals that closely follow short-term prescriptions can quickly get hooked, a risk that only goes up the longer the prescription is for.

Once a disabled individual develops an addiction to prescription opioids, they will often end up switching over to cheaper and more readily available drugs such as heroin when their prescription runs out. This risk is heightened among the disabled, who are often under greater mobility and financial restrictions than the general population. These factors, combined with the fact that opioid addiction is by far the most likely form of addiction to end in overdose and death, make disability and addiction to opioids a growing cause for concern.

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