Boulder County Mental Health & Drug Rehab |

Oct 22

5 Benefits of Eating More Nutritional Meals During Non-Residential Treatment

Proper nutrition is essential during recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). Often, individuals struggling with substance misuse have unhealthy eating habits. According to Nutrition Reviews, “Chronic substance use affects a person’s nutritional status and body composition through decreased intake, nutrient absorption, and dysregulation of hormones that alter the mechanisms of satiety and food intake.” The body cannot function properly if it doesn’t get the right balance of vitamins and minerals each day. The Redpoint Center provides clients with nutritional meals and nutrition coaching to ensure people remain healthy, energized, and focused during treatment.

Why Are Nutritional Meals Important During Recovery?

A person’s eating habits and mental health significantly impact their physical well-being. According to Nutrients, “[C]hanges in diet may influence psychiatric disorders through direct effects on mood, while the development of psychiatric disorders can lead to changes in eating habits.”

Eating regular nutritional meals during recovery improves overall health by doing the following:

Encouraging healthier eating
Reducing the severity of withdrawal and symptoms of SUD
Decreasing the risk of physical health issues by strengthening the body

Physical health directly affects mood, cognition, and emotion regulation. People who eat nutritious meals daily experience fewer side effects of SUD and reduce the risk of developing health complications.

Maintaining Nutritional Meals During Non-Residential Treatment

Individuals participating in non-residential treatment spend their free time at home, away from the controlled environment of the treatment center. Maintaining a healthy diet requires more effort when clients must prepare the food for themselves. Some people feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to create nutritional meals at home. Clinicians at The Redpoint Center ensure clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food and feel confident monitoring their own nutrition outside of treatment. Some clients may be referred to an outside nutritionist if they request additional support in establishing a healthier diet.

5 Benefits of Eating Nutritional Meals During Recovery

The Redpoint Center teaches life skills, including identifying and preparing nutritional meals. The care team works with clients to ensure they have the knowledge they need to keep their bodies nourished and healthy. Below are five primary benefits of eating nutritional meals.

#1. Nutritional Meals Increase Focus

Essential vitamins and minerals keep the brain functioning at total capacity. Gut health is critical for mental health and emotional stability. According to Nature Reviews Neuroscience, “In addition to the capacity of the gut to directly stimulate molecular systems that are associated with synaptic plasticity and learning, several gut hormones or peptides, such as leptin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) and insulin have been found to influence emotions and cognitive processes.” Nourishing meals positively affect gut health and other body systems.

A healthy diet increases focus by doing the following:

Reducing fatigue
Improving focus
Decreasing stress

Increasing brain function through healthier eating makes it easier to focus during treatment.

#2. Nutritional Meals Increase Energy and Physical Healing

Nutrients energize the body and facilitate physical healing. Many people with SUD have health issues caused by their substance misuse. Eating healthier foods gives the body the nutrients it needs to begin repairing damage caused by chronic substance abuse.

Some of the most common health issues reported by people with SUD include:

Severe and prolonged infections
High blood pressure
Compromised immune system
Gastrointestinal issues
Respiratory problems
Damage to the liver, kidneys, or heart

Nutritional meals can reverse some damage to the body and increase energy levels. People in recovery face many challenges. Feeling healthy and energized makes it easier to overcome those challenges.

#3. Nutritional Meals Reduce Stress Levels

Stress is a leading cause of diseases in America. Misusing substances influences how the body reacts to stress. In addition, many people with SUD have a history of trauma and chronic stress. Trauma also affects how the brain manages and responds to stressors. Nourishing meals help the body cope with environmental and emotional stressors.

People who struggle with co-occurring disordered eating have a higher overall stress level and benefit from adjusting their meals to include more nutrient-rich foods. The Redpoint Center does not treat primary eating disorders (EDs). However, the care team provides additional support and nutritional guidance to individuals with non-active EDs.

#4. Nutritional Meals Decrease Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety-related disorders are the most common co-occurring conditions for individuals with SUD. The types of food a person eats affect serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters. According to Missouri Medicine, “Several nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, B9 (folate), and zinc, can cause symptoms of depression . . . low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability.” Eating healthy meals helps people recover from long-term nutritional deficiencies.

#5. Nutritional Meals Reduce the Risks of Developing Additional Health Issues

Nutrition affects long and short-term physical health. According to Advances in Nutrition, “From a medical and psychological standpoint, deficiencies in several micronutrients have been associated with several physical and mental disorders.” Proper nutrition reduces the risk of developing physical health issues like heart disease, obesity, and some cancers.

Nutritional meals improve physical and psychological health by ensuring the body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. Many people in recovery from substance misuse have unhealthy eating habits due to the side effects of their disorder. Treatment programs at The Redpoint Center provide clients with healthy meals and nutritional coaching to ensure they continue to eat healthy after transitioning out of care. Eating nourishing meals daily is the first step toward repairing physical issues caused by an unhealthy diet. The care team collaborates with each client to determine what changes to their diet may be necessary to support long-term recovery. To learn more about The Redpoint Center and our programs, call (303) 710-8496.

Jul 09

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Is Addiction a Family Disease?

By redpointcenter Addiction, Alcohol Rehab, Community, Longmont Drug Rehab, Mental Health, Therapy, Treatment

Is addiction a family disease? What does this mean? Those experiencing addictive behaviors are suffering on their own. And their loved ones suffer immensely, too. It goes without saying that living with alcohol addiction or substance use disorder is incredibly difficult.

When someone using alcohol or drugs begins to hurt their family, they may have various behavioral symptoms. They may show disrespect to their friends, siblings, or parents. In addition, they might lash out, challenge boundaries, or project their emotional struggles. Furthermore, other family members may modify their behaviors to manage the stress of it all. Some may try and help the individual using drugs or alcohol to protect them from getting into trouble. Thus, becoming the enabler. Others may take on the role of caretaker and attempt to compensate, providing care that may be lacking. These are only a few examples of the dysfunctional roles that family members might play.

Addiction: A Family Disease

In a recent study at Texas Tech University, the saying, “addiction is a family disease” took on new meaning. Not only is the addicted brain affected by the substances. In addition, the family members’ brains actually change as well. The study found that family members suffer as a result of the addict’s behavior. The prefrontal cortex of one using substances shuts down when faced with temptation or triggered to use drugs. Research shows the family members’ prefrontal cortex malfunctions as well. Hence, studies validate that addiction is a family disease. Parents and siblings can actually crave patterns. They seek to rescue and care-take their addicted family member. Therefore, this is similar to the substance abuser who craves their substance of choice.

The conclusion of the Texas Tech study, states the following:

“The present study provides preliminary evidence that family members’ symptomatic behaviors associated with a loved one with a substance use disorder (such as fear-based behaviors), as hypothesized, may be related to altered brain functioning. Given these findings, problematic symptoms and behaviors may likely not decrease simply because the loved one struggling with a substance use disorder finds abstinence or engages in a process of recovery. Should altered pathways be present in the brains of affected family members as has been found in individuals struggling with substance use disorders, it becomes of great importance to help family members recognize their own personal need for support, therapeutic treatment, and/or recovery. Part of the recovery process should include family-based therapeutic support, and it is therefore important to make sure that the appropriate systemic and relationship training is available to helping professionals.”

Family Therapy Changes Outcomes

This study proves the concept of addiction as a family disease. The entire family needs to participate in treatment. Family members who turn to support groups such as Al-Anon or partake in family therapy find great success. Consequently, they are able to change their behavior. Also, families learn “the three C’s”: You didn’t cause it, you can’t cure it, and you can’t control it. If the alcohol or substance user is the only one getting treatment, it’s a vacuum. And then they go back into an environment where the rest of the family is still unwell. Hence, the individual’s likelihood of success goes down. The disease of addiction is viciously contagious. Therefore, it is important for everyone to seek help.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, drug addiction, mental health problems, The Redpoint Center is here to help. You are not alone. The Redpoint Center treats both adults and youth struggling with addiction and alcohol. To learn more, call us 888-509-3153.

Jun 05

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EMDR in the Treatment of Addiction

By redpointcenter Addiction, Community, Mental Health, Therapy, Treatment

EMDR to Address Trauma During Addiction Treatment

EMDR is a powerful tool for healing trauma. Studies show that trauma is a risk factor for addiction and substance use disorder. In addition, treatment of trauma is key for individuals to recover from addiction. At the Redpoint Center, we use several different types of treatments for trauma. These modalities differ from talk therapy. One reason talk therapy doesn’t always effectively address trauma is that the memories are stored in the hippocampus, part of the midbrain. Talk therapy doesn’t effectively access these memories stored in the midbrain—it tends to involve the utilization of our frontal lobes. Furthermore, trauma is often stored in the body, requiring somatic attention. Hence, EMDR is a powerful intervention.

Using EMDR to Cope With Trauma and Stress

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy is a positive tool. It helps us access and process memories stored in the midbrain. Our use of EMDR is expanding and helping more people with issues that cause distress. People with substance abuse issues commonly have a history of trauma. In addition, they struggle to cope with stress and often benefit from EMDR.

Research shows that EMDR causes changes in brain chemistry that reverse the damage caused by trauma or acute stress. Bessel van der Kolk, an expert, and researcher, in brain chemistry and trauma, shares several brain studies to support this approach. His PET scan photographs of the brain before and after EMDR sessions show the benefit.

EMDR and the Brain

The PET scans of one who is remembering trauma light the amygdala in the brain. This is part of the limbic system that is responsible for emotions, survival instincts, and memory. The amygdala is activated when one experiences trauma and acute stress. It is the “smoke detector” that scans the environment and lets us know of a threat or event that is relevant to survival.

When people experience a threat the amygdala becomes activated. The frontal lobe, where cognition and understanding take place, is quite dim because the amygdala is more heightened. Hence, when people are experiencing “normal” day-to-day happenings, the frontal lobe is bright and outshines the amygdala.

Studies Show the Benefits of EMDR

In one study, van der Kolk had several individuals go through EMDR sessions. Before the sessions, the PET scans showed a brain in a trauma state. After the EMDR sessions, the brain appeared normal when the client was bringing to mind the same stressful event. The memory was no longer held as a traumatic memory but as a normal, processed memory.

We found another study where van der Kolk showed that subjects with a complicated traumatic history, after six EMDR sessions, had greatly reduced PTSD symptoms that continued to decrease even more for up to six months after the study.

We do not know exactly how psychotherapy affects the brain’s neurobiology. However, we do know that when people are upset, their brains cannot process information normally. EMDR is similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

During REM sleep, the information from the day is being processed. When people experience trauma, the amygdala becomes hyperactive and stores traumatic information and memory. This makes it difficult to process this information. EMDR creates the same stimulation that occurs during REM sleep. This assists the brain in processing the trauma or issues related to stress. The end result is that people see disturbing information in a new and less distressing way. Consequently, they are better able to process information.

Getting Started with EMDR in Treatment

We know addiction is connected to acute stress and often trauma. Once a client has dealt with trauma and acute stress through EMDR, he or she is better able to cope. Therefore, they experience healthy relationships, cope with stress, and live a happier life. In addition, people can recover from addiction since they are no longer, or less affected, by their distress.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, drug addiction, Mental Health problems, The Redpoint Center is here to help. The Redpoint Center treats both adults and youth struggling with addiction and alcohol. Learn more about our Longmont Drug Rehab, by calling 888-509-3153.

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