A "Prescription" for all People in Early Recovery

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

After a dialogue with Sistersteel, I want to clarify that, a "prescription" for resistance training, diet, hormone optimization and cardio would be great for all recovering people if medically cleared.

It will help people feel better in early recovery. Suffering is not an option that I want for anyone in recovery. I make detox smooth, like the smooth landing of an airplane and not like the Tower of Terror at Disney. I've been doing this with years of trial and error. My detox today differs greatly from that of 1987 or even 2000.

My patients usually are concerned that their energy is not coming back fast enough. Usually from people who are going through or just went through an opiate detox. I tell them they'll get their energy back at about 1% a day when they get off their detox meds.

A lot of people in recovery want to, as Verizon puts it, "get it now". Patience & tolerance are not virtues of many people in recovery in the early years. Emotional sobriety, as someone told me, takes years.

So the addition of this "prescription" may bridge the gap of that first 90 days and longer for recovering people to feel better and be more motivated toward staying off their drugs of choice. Someone needs to do a study on this. I know a researcher at the U of Miami who I'm going to write to about this.

Any Comments?

Joel

[BigJD69]

I believe the saying in A.A. is "If you walk a mile into the woods you have to walk a mile out"

[msfit]

I know that 21 years ago when i went to treatment, exercise was a big factor of our treatment and recovery program. Obsessive compulsive people need to have some sort of plan or they will relapse. Meetings, as many as needed to fill time and exercise to get the "rush" that the drugs gave me, helped a ton!! It wasn't about long term gains at all, its all about the one day at a time and sometimes ONE SECOND at a time.

[sam]

bodybuilding has become a big part of my recovery. i had to learn the hard lesson, that bodybuilding alone wasn't going to keep me clean, but now firmly rooted in the 12 steps, bodybuilding certainly adds to my happiness and has changed my perspective on life in many levels. :)

[Dr Pangloss]

i honestly think bodybuilding helped me make it through this stuff. I keeps my thinking directed forward and involved in planning and organizing for the immediate and distant future, as it should be.

To me, it was a lot like meetings. bodybuilding occupied time and thought that normally would not have been constructive. It put goals back in my life and habits that helped me reach those goals.

i think its a fantastic idea Doc.

[BoneBz]

Man, for a long time I was bad with a lot of shit. Drinking was my big thing tho. All day everyday. Got kicked out of high school cause of it, lost my license once and made a person or two hate me that I wish were still a part of my life. As of two years ago I decided to quit that life and start bodybuilding, mainly cause I treated a great girl like total shit cause I was always drunk and no one deserves that. I needed to better myself and weight training was my "prescription" I had no real goals or motivation for so many years. And the shitty part is I am only 22. Now all my money goes to food not recreational drugs and I can finally walk around with my head up high.

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

Man, for a long time I was bad with a lot of shit. Drinking was my big thing tho. All day everyday. Got kicked out of high school cause of it, lost my license once and made a person or two hate me that I wish were still a part of my life. As of two years ago I decided to quit that life and start bodybuilding, mainly cause I treated a great girl like total shit cause I was always drunk and no one deserves that. I needed to better myself and weight training was my "prescription" I had no real goals or motivation for so many years. And the shitty part is I am only 22. Now all my money goes to food not recreational drugs and I can finally walk around with my head up high.

You are an important example of how the discipline needed in body building carries over to the rest of one's life. Through daily practice and exercise of this discipline, self respect and confidence sky rocket. Respect and trust towards you and you towards others increases. You become a great role model for others.

Joel

[ellocogrande]

I think it's a great idea. When I was straightening up I wanted more than anything to be able to get back in the gym. I had created such a financial hole that I literally worked 7 days a week for almost 3yrs trying to turn things back around. That combined with fighting for custody of my small child, if I could haver found the time I couldn't afford a gym membership anyway.

I find the gym to be such a release for me regardless of my frame of mind. If I'm angry its a release, if I'm depressed I can find something positive in it, if something is troubling me I can be contemplative. Of course I use my Ipod with Shure sound-isolating earphones so I just shut out the world when I'm lifting. Say a couple of hellos on the way in and a couple on the way out but between then I'm in my own private world. I may nod or grunt a hello when I pass people but I'm not there to make friends or socialize......I am there for ME!

[Dr Pangloss]

Have you actually incorporated resistance or endurance training into your rehabilitation programs. For instance, does your center feature access to a gym or other means of training?

I can look this up, but perhaps you could elaborate more on whether these kinds of things have been formally found to be beneficial for recovery?

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

Please see my post about this at :
http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthread.php?p=135314#post135314. The article is from 6/08 and was on website titled "Addiction in a Box."
Joel



Have you actually incorporated resistance or endurance training into your rehabilitation programs. For instance, does your center feature access to a gym or other means of training?

I can look this up, but perhaps you could elaborate more on whether these kinds of things have been formally found to be beneficial for recovery?

[Dr Pangloss]

Thanks Joel. You are the go-to guy for clincal trials. Thanks!

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

In my private practice of Addiction Medicine, I practice a pro-active approach. I currently have added exercise, diet and some but not all of the medications used in Age Management.

I go over a Low Glycemic diet with my patients; however in early recovery, it's better to have some sugar then go back to drugs or alcohol. The low glycemic diet can always be implemented later.

I have their personal doc do hormone levels (TSH, T3, T4, Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, DHT, Estradiol, Homocystein (a cardiac risk factor that increases with exercise), cardio-CRP (c reactive protein), PSA (Prostate Specific Antibody....in men), lipid panel, Complete Blood Count,, Complete Chem Panel, Fasting Blood Sugar, Hemoglobin A1C and fasting insulin level.

I then interpret the tests for them and we speak about how to optimize their health.

Exercise is a major component. Walking 20 minutes 3X a week is a good start for many. Length and intensity of exercise is increased as the patient's brain clears and their nutrition improves.

Of particular interest is that those patients who's drug of choice is THC (found in marijuana) or PCP, aerobic exercise will worsen things if done in the first 3 weeks. Why? Because THC and PCP are stored in fat and when the fat breaks down it releases these drugs into the system. This leads this patient to irritability, insomnia and possible hallucinations.

I am currently doing a literature search regarding exercise and recovery.

Joel

[big ronster]

i just came off suboxone at roughly .5 mg/day for the last week=week n a half, was at one mg b4 that, 2mgs for 2 months b4 that. i did it on my own. my blood pressure is good n stays low so i havent gotten any clonidine,i have klonopin if i need it, and ephedrine and forskollifor my cyclic amp levels. i am now at 48 hrs after my last dose where i took .25 mgs instead of .5. what should i expect n what should i do? i amn doin ok just weak and chills n mild diarhhea. doctor?