Alcoholism is a term used to describe a person who is dependent on alcohol. The person may have tried several times to quit without any success. The condition takes a toll on a person’s overall health and may have devastating effects on the person’s life. A rehabilitation center is the best treatment to assist the person in detoxing and living an alcohol-free life. However, using natural remedies in addition to professional help may further enhance success.

Yoga

Alcohol addiction has the potential to cause a person a great deal of stress and anxiety. The strong urges can lead to a person experiencing difficulty concentrating. Not to mention, the other symptoms of withdrawal aren’t very pleasant either. A person can combat all of this with the ancient western medical practice of yoga. Yoga is an exercise that consists of an individual holding various poses while regulating his or her breathing. It is meant to relax a person as well as enhance flexibility. It even has the potential to help with certain medical conditions. For those who face a substance abuse problem, yoga provides a stress and anxiety relief outlet.

Depression is common in those with a substance problem, and yoga can combat Yoga helps these individuals to be able to focus on something other than their addiction. Yoga can also fulfill one’s need for spirituality and trying to reconnect with the world around him or her without the use of alcohol. According to the Yoga Journal, some of the best positions for addiction recovery include Vajrasana (Sitting Mountain), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) and Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose).

Meditation

Another alternative route to recovery is meditation. Meditation is a practice that consists of a person inducing a state of consciousness to become in touch with what is on the person’s mind without actually identifying with it. It’s a way to relax and to reduce anxiety associated with alcoholism. Ultimately, it can be a way for a person to come to terms with his or her addiction without facing the emotional aspect of it.

Meditation can be a hobby to take a person’s mind off of the alcohol. It also has many health benefits such as the ability to lower blood pressure naturally. Meditation has the ability to help those who are suffering from depression. This is especially beneficial since a person may have to been taking care of his or her health while he or she was abusing alcohol.

Diet Changes

It isn’t uncommon for a person who suffers from alcoholism to not eat properly. During this time, he or she may become vitamin deficient with one or more vital nutrients. This leads to a wide range of health problems. For this reason, a person who is recovering should consider making diet changes that include eating a balanced diet. Certain foods will actually help cope with the addiction.

For instance, eating berries will curb the craving for sugar that many people have after stopping alcohol because the alcohol has such a high sugar content. Since the berries have natural sugar, they won’t cause weight gain either like items with refined sugar in them will. Another food ideal for its high nutrient content is bananas. Bananas have fiber and potassium in addition to being an excellent choice for energy. Foods high in B vitamins are beneficial as well. This is because a lack of vitamin B has been associated with worsening cravings.

Exercise

Exercise has so many benefits; yet, a lot of people don’t include it in their daily lives. This is especially the case with those who battle substance abuse. First and foremost, exercise has the potential to take a person’s mind off of the cravings. Exercise also improves mood by combating negatives like anxiety and depression, oftentimes associated with alcoholism.
It’s not uncommon for a person who is battling with substance abuse to lose his or her self-esteem, especially if he or she lost a job or stopped taking care of his or herself.

Exercise has the potential to make a person feel better because of the endorphins it releases. These “feel good” chemicals can replace the harmful chemicals that a person was using to feel better. Since exercise can improve body image, it has the potential to boost one’s self-esteem.

Acupuncture

As part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture is the process of inserting thin needles in the skin in order to balance the body. The needles are used to redirect “qui,” which has been known to relieve pain, combat depression and reduce anxiety. Sometimes, it’s used to detox a person’s body, in particular the live, which is said to help with alcohol addiction recovery. Even though acupuncture isn’t known to directly treat alcoholism, it has benefits and is relatively safe, so it won’t hurt a person to try it.

Although getting the alcohol out of a person’s system is a very vital step in the process of recovering, it’s not the only step. After this occurs, the next step is to stop using completely, which may require more than just an alcohol recovery center since a majority of the recovery process happens outside of a facility. This is where alternatives remedies like acupuncture and yoga can come into play.