San Diego Sober Living - Recovery

The Impact of Drug Abuse on Physical Activity & Recovery

All psychoactive substances have the potential to affect normal physical activity to a certain degree. Impairment is a hallmark of drinking too much. Many people who drink at nightclubs call it a night when they’re too drunk to be on the dance floor. With opiates, the impairment is different in the sense that it forces your breathing and heart rate to slow down, thus hindering your physical performance. The extent of the effects on physical activity will depend on the substance, how much it’s abused, and the frequency of abuse.

Short-Term Physical Effects

Liquor, Valium, and Xanax are examples of central nervous system depressants that can quickly slow down the signals exchanged between neurotransmitters and their receptors, thus instilling a sense of pleasure, relaxation, and drowsiness. With cannabis in its various forms, the neurochemical interactions that induce euphoria can alter perception and prompt feelings of lethargy. In large doses, it can result in dissociation.

Stimulants, ranging from cocaine to crystal meth, immediately reduce appetite, increase blood pressure, and speed up the heart rate. Then you have psychedelics such as LSD that mostly impair the senses, sometimes causing hallucinations that skew perception and reasoning.

Long-Term Physical Effects

Intoxication is often followed by impairment. When psychoactive substances are taken in moderation, the level of physical impairment is normally mild and manageable. When moderation is lost to frequent abuse, the negative effects on physical activity are more likely to cause long-term deterioration. 

There are many examples of this, but the most common stems from the cardiovascular issues associated with liquor, depressants, and opiates. The gradual damage to the cardiac tissue and blood vessels caused by these substances will diminish your overall physical condition. You may think you’re just getting out of shape when in reality your neurochemistry is going through negative changes.

Motivation to Perform Physical Activity

Some psychoactive substances have performance-enhancing effects, but only in small doses. Once you exceed a performance dose limit, the neurochemical effects will take over and create an opposite effect. This is when the motivation to get moving is diminished. The feeling of being “too drunk or too high to function,” despite being in adequate shape to function, isn’t just a defense mechanism. It can be due to a negative rewiring of the ventral striatum, the brain region associated with effort estimation and reward processing. In other words, you’re processing a different life in which physical activity becomes too bothersome.

Getting in Shape during Recovery

If your rehabilitation program includes checking into Solana Beach sober living housing, we strongly recommend incorporating physical activity during your stay. Exercise is a cornerstone of recovery for several reasons. Physically, it helps you regain the strength and endurance that may have been compromised by substance abuse. Neurochemically, it will speed up the positive rewiring of the ventral striatum because your motivation is now based on recovery. Beyond repairing the negative effects of substance abuse on physical activity, exercise can also regulate sleep patterns, boost the immune system, and enhance overall physical health.

Addiction impacts every aspect of physical and mental health, and it’s a serious problem that requires professional treatment. If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, seek help from a medical professional or another person you trust to help you explore options for treatment and continuing support, such as recovery coaching. Solana Beach men who need help with forming new sober lifestyle habits can reach out to the dedicated team at Casa Pacifica for the guidance they need. Give us a call today.