The idea that the mind and body are connected, and that conditions affecting one can impact the other, goes far back in human history. In fact, the separation of mental illness from physical illness, and the creation of different disciplines to treat each, is a fairly recent development in human history. However, as more research is conducted into the connections between the brain and the body, scientists have assembled a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the impact of mental changes on physical well-being and vice versa.
Substance Abuse – The Mind-Body Connection
Nowhere is the connection of the mental and the physical more clear than with the issue of substance abuse. Substance abusers know first-hand that the substances they abuse have both physical and psychological effects and that these effects are often intimately intertwined. There are both physical and psychological components of addiction, and chronic substance abuse can cause much physical and psychological damage over time to the abuser. Each drug has its own unique characteristics in this regard, but they all share the common theme of negative physical and psychological consequences to abuse.
In many instances, especially following detox, recovering substance abusers experience physical pain and discomfort – ranging from backaches, to head and neck pain. Seaside Palm Beach offers several pain management and pain reduction therapies to assist our clients throughout detox and treatment. In addition, some specific drugs such as prescription pain medication or other opioids can actually (and ironically) decrease an individual’s pain tolerance over time, requiring specialized non-drug pain management techniques to help them work through physical pain as their pain tolerance gradually returns to normal levels. These physiological therapies also help those who have underlying physical conditions that may have led them to abuse pain medication in the first place.
Acupuncture, Massage and Chiropractic Therapy for Addiction Treatment
These techniques – which include acupuncture, massages and chiropractic applications – are implemented to keep our clients motivated throughout their recovery. Pain and discomfort can make rehab unnecessarily difficult, and these physiological therapies help offset any lingering withdrawal symptoms, improve sleep, circulation and overall physical health. In fact, our Seaside Palm Beach research team has seen physiological therapies play a critical role in the recovery of numerous individuals, in addition to the more traditional psychological therapies that substance abuse treatment has always relied upon.