Forward Movement Magazine SUMMER ISSUE 2016 | Page 38

ANATOMY

FORWARD thinking

Have no fear; we are not talking
about becoming an ultra-endurance
athlete or an Olympian. Just the
simple inclusion of physical activity
can have a radical impact on your
quality of life and chances of sobriety.
How Does It Work?
During active addiction, the drugs
and alcohol that a person consumes
have a large impact on a complex set
of structures in the brain called the
limbic system. This part of the brain
is largely responsible for creating a
person’s feelings and motivations.
In short, this system plays a major
role in how a person sees the world
and subsequently behaves in it.
While substance abuse does warp
and alter this brain system, exercise can actually have the opposite

effect. A regular exercise routine
helps to grow new cells in this area
and put the brain in homeostasis.
We know that drugs and alcohol
impact chemicals in the body including serotonin and dopamine. For
someone new in addiction recovery
that is trying to rebalance these
neurotransmitters, physical activity
can help to speed up the process.
PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms)
Prolonged substance abuse creates dependence, and with that
comes a period of withdrawal when
a person stops using. Some of the
physical characteristics include
shaking, extremes in body temperature, nausea, and vomiting. In
addition to these physical ailments,

there are other difficulties that can
last from 5n 10 days or as long
as a year and a half. These are
referred to as post-acute withdrawal
symptoms or PAWS, and may include insomnia, depression, anxiety,
irritability, trouble thinking clearly,
and difficulty with coordination. Not
only are these feeling uncomfortable,they are particularly dangerous
for the recovering addict, as they can
be contributing factors for relapse.
The great news is that you can be
proactive in your recovery, and by
adding exercise to your daily routine, you can ha