Can Yoga Help in Recovery from Addiction?

Some experts believe that yoga can be a valuable tool for treating addiction, although the topic has created some controversy among addiction counselors. Proponents of yoga as a method for treating addiction believe that this ancient Indian practice provides addicts with an effective method for dismantling compulsive behaviors and triggers, achieving self-confidence, regaining physical health, and learning physical and mental self-control.

According to these proponents, the practice of yogic postures, breathing, and meditation can aid recovery from many kinds of addiction, including drug, alcohol, food, gambling, and shopping addictions. Addicts suffer a great physical, psychological, and emotional toll because of their behaviors. The goal of yoga is to create peaceful union among the body, mind, and spirit. Although few studies have been conducted on this topic, those that have been done provide favorable results for the use of yoga as a treatment tool.

The compulsive and extreme behaviors of addicts are usually linked to pent-up emotions, including anger, grief, self-loathing, shame, anxiety, trauma, and other negative feelings. Addicts, unable to deal with these emotions in a healthy way, engage in addictive behaviors (drug use, shopping, binge-eating) in an effort to evade or quell these emotions. Because the emotions are never really processed, they don’t go away. The addict’s shame related to his or her addictive behaviors compounds these negative feelings, and propels the addict into a downward spiral. Proponents of yoga for treating addiction believe that yoga provides recovering addicts with a safe context for confronting negative emotions, and a structured process to help resolve them.

Some individuals become addicted to prescribed substances, often in an effort to deal with chronic physical pain. Yoga offers good news to these individuals as well. A 1999 study conducted by the International Pain Institute at Texas Tech University indicated that yoga could improve the effectiveness of medical treatments for chronic pain. Approximately 80% of study participants reported some or great improvement in their condition. In addition to helping individuals addicted to pain medication kick the habit, yoga may be helpful in addressing the physical root impetus of the addiction.

The physical toll of addictive behaviors can be immense, and may also contribute to an addict’s shame. Yoga offers a gentle and peaceful way for recovering addicts to reconnect with their bodies. The positive physical effects of yoga are both immediate and long-term. Yogic stretches, bends, and breathing methods can bring an immediate sense of calm and focus. For addicts, who are often jumpy and unable to self-soothe, these simple techniques can provide immense relief from racing or impulsive thoughts, as well as tension, fear, anger, frustration, and anxiety. The ability to defuse thoughts and situations which trigger addictive behaviors represents a key to recovery. Longer-term effects of yoga, such as increased bone and muscle strength, increased flexibility and stamina, improved circulation, and better coordination help recovering addicts regain physical health and develop a positive self-image. Learning reverence and respect for the body, as well as patience and tenacity through the practice of yoga, may also help recovering addicts avoid relapses.

Proponents of yoga for treating addiction seem to agree that yoga is most successful when combined with other treatment methods. At least one study has shown that yoga can be just as effective as traditional psychotherapy when used to enhance other traditional substance abuse treatment methods. The study, conducted in 1997 by Harvard Medical school, found that there “were no meaningful differences between traditional psychodynamic group therapy and Hatha yoga presented in a group setting” for 61 patients who participated in methadone maintenance enhanced by either group therapy or yoga.

References

Stukin, Stacie. Freedom from Addiction. Yoga Journal. Retrieved from http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/679?page=5 on July 10, 2008.

Hyatt, Vicki T. Minding Your Pain. Yoga Journal, Sept/Oct 2001. Retrieved from http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/679?page=5 on July 10, 2008.

Shaffer, H. J., LaSalvia, T. A., & Stein, J. P. (1997). Comparing Hatha yoga with dynamic group psychotherapy for enhancing methadone maintenance treatment: a randomized clinical trial. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 3(4), 57-66.