Once the toxins are clear from our bodies, we must now focus on the pains and sickness that have been masked by the drugs and alcohol. Our weaker physical bodies drag our spirits and our minds into dark places. We must be and feel healthy to be free.

Physical Ailments and Disease

Find a doctor you trust. Together, explore all your blood work and test results to find your body’s deficiencies, diseases, and weaknesses. What are the best ways to regain your health? What procedures or medicines can assist?

What does your body chemistry reveal? Do you need more iron in your diet? Are you diabetic? How are your endorphin and serotonin levels?

Our brains are designed to communicate information throughout the body. Billions of cells interact with each other inside our bodies through a network. Neurotransmitters are messengers that send information from cell to cell. Each neurotransmitter has its own unique molecular structure as well as message.

Each neurotransmitter can only send its chemical message to that exact receptor site. For example, the serotonin neurotransmitter carries the message to allow us to feel at ease, at peace, and creative. It helps us to focus and have impulse control. The serotonin neurotransmitter can only deliver its message to a cell at its serotonin receptor sites.

Endorphin neurotransmitters act like a natural and powerful pain killers. They produce feelings of well-being, ease in emotional stress, increase self esteem and also euphoria. Again these messages can only be sent to exact endorphin receptor sites on the cell.

Here is where the mind starts to influence our bodies. On a molecular and cellular level, our emotions can literally change our bodies at a very basic level. Simply put whatever it is that we feel, whether it be happiness or depression, more receptor sites for that emotion will be created on our cells. Because we have invested on energy towards those emotions, our bodies will follow suit and create new cells that are more receptive towards that emotion.

In the process of reading this statement, approximately 50,000,000 cells have already died and replaced themselves. We have the ability to recreate our bodies with more receptor sites to accept feelings of happiness and freedom rather than depression and fear.

You may want to consider some blood work done so that you know what your body chemistry reveals. Having low levels of serotonin or endorphins can create feelings of depression, impulsivity, suicide, and low self esteem. Sobriety will be a much more challenging venture with these feelings that are caused by body chemistry.

In the same token, our Physical Body will influence and affect our Mind and Spiritual Body. If we are weak and frail, our mind and spirit will be meek and timid. If our Physical Body is strong and vibrant our mind and spirit shall be powerful and free. A strong body allows us to push our limits and gain strength. It shall serve as a healthy, solid ground for our Mind and Spirit to operate.

In order to thrive, we must first meet our needs to survive.

So be aware of what you put into your body. Know why you are taking certain supplements or medications. What are the side effects? Though meds are an easy answer for most, try to avoid them. The pill popping habit can wreak destruction on your life as any illegal street drug.

Find the holistic ways of healing. Look into massage and acupuncture. What natural herbs and foods would be beneficial? What are your allergies?  What is your body needing? Vitamins and supplements can be beneficial in balancing your chemistry.

What diseases are you dealing with? What are the pains and symptoms? Are there any changes that can be made to reduce these? It will be difficult to maintain a happy sobriety if we cannot be free from wanting to numb physical pains.

Be at peace with your incurable disease. Change what you can. Be at peace with what you cannot. But know and realize that a disease is incurable because there is no known cure. Many ailments can be relieved simply with the power of the mind. Miraculous cures have come about simply by faith alone. These concepts will be further explored in the further sections.

Love your physical body and that health will bring mental and spiritual strength.

In Part III, we will conclude connecting Sobriety and physical fitness and nutrition.