While substance abuse seems to be an epidemic in America today, it has been a problem since humans found a way to alter their consciousness, no matter where on the Earth they lived. Substance abuse has a deleterious effect on diet and nutrition. Tufts University School of Medicine Associate Professor William McGee, M.D., explains that irregular eating habits can play havoc with blood sugar levels and often result in feelings addicts interpret as craving that are actually hunger pangs.
Expert Insight
Treatment Improvement Protocol 14 of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that social instability is an exacerbating factor in substance abuse. This is pertinent to this article in that there is a connection between family stability and families eating together, and family stability mitigates against substance abuse. Family makeup plays a very small role in terms of this stability. When families eat together, there is increased communication and connection. Children learn about negotiating and have an opportunity to be heard, validated and supported when they share in a meal with their family.
Substance Abuse and Eating Habits
One of the biggest hurdles for substance abusers is the building of stability and schedule into their lives. Marijuana abusers do a lot of binge eating, consuming whatever is expedient, which is usually junk food or fast food. Opiate abusers commonly crave sugary foods. There are reasons for these behaviors, including the effect of food and drugs on serotonin and dopamine levels. Fluctuating blood sugar levels make it harder to resist drugs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The negative effects of the eating behaviors on the body are not insignificant, contributing to bone loss, unhealthy weight gain or loss, purging and diabetes, to name just a few.
New Habits
Beginning a new habit such as regular eating times will take effort. You can start by keeping a journal to track how many times in a day you were able to stick to your planned schedule for eating. Achieving just one planned meal time each day is a success. Savor that success. Maybe next week you will achieve two planned meals four days out of seven, and that will also be a success. Seek out a sponsor or a treatment professional with whom you can share your success, and work to find other ways to build structure into your life.
What is a Healthy Diet for Me?
In thinking about your diet and cravings, keep in mind that early in recovery you are at risk for relapse as you may interpret feelings of hunger as cravings for your drug of choice. When you think you are having a craving, try to focus your attention on your appetite and identify whether you are really struggling with a craving or if your body is signaling hunger. Finding balance is key in gaining a nutritional edge during recovery. Eat a balanced diet, high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat. Keep refined sugars and caffeine to a minimum if you are unable to eliminate them altogether.
Warning
In 2005, there were 1,846,400 arrests in the U.S. due to substance abuse. If you are struggling with substance abuse, please seek treatment. There are treatment options for people without insurance or income. There is help and things can get better if you are interested and ready to stop using. Working on a diet from jail is a very difficult proposition. Maintaining sobriety is a higher priority than following a rigid diet.
References
- SAMHSA: Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIP) 14, Chapter 1
- SAMHSA: Treatment for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Opportunities for Coordination, Chapter 9
- The Journal of the American Medical Association: Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000
- United States Department of Justice: Substance Abuse and Crime
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diet and Substance Abuse Recovery
