Will I Gain Weight in Drug Rehab?

A common question people have when they are considering rehab for addiction is will they gain weight in drug rehab or alcohol treatment, or will they lose weight in addiction treatment. The good news is, that over our years of experience with guests in addiction treatment rehab, is that those that need to gain weight will, and those that need to lose weight will. In other words, people in recovery tend to return to a healthy life balance, and that includes body weight.

Here is one person’s story:

When in active addiction there was nothing attractive to taste.  There’s a bleak feeling of solitude with taste. The senses feel as if they feel nothing at all.  When in active addiction there is a great sense of numbing. Indulging in anything new or lustful felt like a distant relative. It was a grave disappointment compared to the complete substance your taste buds felt when drinking a full glass of whole milk, clean, sober, alive.  In active addiction it was just, gone.There were scenarios when friends who were dealing opiates would eat a bowl of cereal once every three days. This may remind you of someone you know, or even yourself?  “I’ve been there too,” is something most addicts can agree on. In active addiction there are all kinds of nutritional deficiencies that have increasing negative health effects, but there was no feeling it when indulging in active using. In active addiction life was hard; something needed to change. I needed something more, something that addiction was taking from me. And that included proper nutrition. It was held back from me because another hunger was growing dangerously fast: “Addiction.”Many people in active addiction tend to neglect their nutrition. If this personal testimony isn’t enough, then consider another one of my friends—a loved one actually—at 140 pounds standing six feet four inches. He still had a gut but due to poor nutrition he had loss of abdominal muscles. His innards were left dangling as in an epic display of improper nutrition. In active addiction the first thing to go is a proper feeding cycle. So, you see, gaining weight in drug rehab isn’t too much to worry about!  If you are underweight, putting on weight in treatment may just be the best thing for you.When it comes to your body and nutrients I see now there is little room to lack them. When you develop common eating disorders (like anorexia) due to the numbness of drugs, you can develop many other ailments too. Without the proper nutrients in your body you can develop certain auto-immune deficiencies. When your body is lacking what it needs to survive it will start to feed on itself.  When you don’t have enough of the essentials in your body and inadequate consumption of water—and it’s filled with toxins (e.g. drugs)—your nerves are the first to become susceptible in the attack on self. Mood can become unregulated with mood swings and symptoms like bipolar disease can show up. Anxiety and panic can set. It’s hard to tell which came first now:  Addiction versus Mental Health.A healthy balanced diet of a variety of foods is the answer. It can be as simple as including a dressing to your salad, some chicken in your pasta, or a nice refreshing and nutritional fresh fruit smoothie. For most alcoholics or addicts in early recovery, replacing all of those naked calories of alcohol with a healthy diet often means to put on “some” weight in treatment. Make sure it’s with the help of trained professionals like those at Serenity Vista Addiction Recovery Retreat in Panama. You will probably gain weight in drug rehab if you need too, but not if you don't.In recovery you begin to feel again, but in an eagerly, optimistic way. During treatment the specialists you’re surrounded with are knowledgeable of what your body needs to regain its health. One special part of recovery is gaining back what you lost, in all senses of the phrase. You need to trust those who are there to help you when they say, “Eat some of this delicious fruit", or, "Try some of this fresh salad". One of the many great things about being at an addiction facility located in the tropical highlands of Panama is the colorful and abundant assortment of healthy, naturally grown foods.

What Causes Some To Gain Weight in Drug Rehab?

To gainweight in drug rehab may not be for everyone and it isn’t just “gaining weight.” It’s putting on safe weight. It’s putting on healthy weight. You may be putting on weight in treatment, but with the help provided here, it’s safe weight. It's replenishing a poor nutritional status, and in those that tend to be underweight, that often means gaining back to a healthy weight to live a long, full, and prosperous life. There may be much debate around it when you first think, “Am I getting fat in treatment?” Look at it this way. You’re not getting fat; you’re getting what you’ve been missing when using. And conversely, if you have been overweight, the extra pounds drop off, due to balanced meals and moderate exercise.

Moderation is the Key

Serenity Vista is a holistic recovery program based on a solid balanced philosophy of healthy nutrition and moderate, regular exercise. We are not a vegetarian facility, but we certainly accommodate vegans or vegetarians. Likewise we can work with you on food allergies, or religious observance of certain foods to avoid. We do not offer ‘vitamin tablet therapy’, ‘dietary cleanses’ or other forms of extremes. We believe in moderation, healthy fresh vegetables, fruits and meats. Addicts do tend to love extremes, and here we practice moderation and good sense. There is nothing safer than getting back to a healthy body mass through good food, moderate exercise, sunshine and clean mountain air and water.