patients in drug detox recovery in multiple ways.
When a person abuses alcohol or drugs, their brain chemistry becomes affected. The emotions and pleasure receptors in the brain become altered as well as the prefrontal lobe’s ability to make sound decisions or control behaviors.
Patients with anxiety or depression can also use yoga as a means to regulate their brain chemistry. Dr. David Simon, director of the Chopra Center in California, claims yoga can help these patients manage their emotions and lower their addiction risks.
Psychiatrist Dr. Roy King notes that certain yoga techniques like breathing patterns can release endorphins in the brain. Yoga practice, in turn, reduces dopamine levels, which usually spike when people use drugs or when recovering patients experience cravings.
Author: Sean Woodard
Sean Woodard is a journalist for Addiction Now and serves on the Film Department for Drunk Monkeys Literary Magazine and Film Blog. Focusing on a wide variety of interests, Sean’s fiction, film criticism, and other writing have been featured in Los Angeles Review of Books, Found Polaroids, and Los Angeles Magazine, among other publications. A native of Visalia, CA, he now resides in Orange County. Contact Sean at seanw@addictionnow.com
