Substance abuse is harmful enough for the body both physically and emotionally, yet addiction recovery presents even bigger challenges in both categories. At a critical point in your life when you will need an outlet for healing beyond treatment, BJJ is an excellent way to naturally heal yourself. The fundamentals of BJJ, along with the actual physical activities, can provide you with the mental and physical strength needed to overcome drug or alcohol abuse problems.
Health Motivator
When training for BJJ competitions, it is essential to have optimal balance, stamina, technique, and a full range of movements available. For those reasons, substance abuse issues will prevent you from reaching your full potential as a fighter. If you are displaying cocaine abuse signs, for example, you will be more likely to be out of shape and unable to keep up with your opponent. If you take pride in yourself as a competitor, you can harness those competitive juices to get serious about your training and leave your drug or alcohol problems behind. Although you will be training for short-term results in the ring, BJJ can improve your overall long-term health outlook by showing you the health benefits of sobriety.
Boredom Cure
The first few weeks and months for a recovering addict are especially troubling, as you will be challenged to put your life back together without an element that was once a huge part of it. Since it is often hard for recovering addicts to find interests without drugs or alcohol around, boredom is often one of the biggest culprits for relapse. With plenty of free time available and supportive relationships to build, picking up a hobby such as BJJ can go a long way in filling that void.
BJJ helps to bring much-needed structure to lives through planned training sessions, sparring sessions, and competitions throughout the week. Not only will these events take up time in a new and productive way, but they also will give you something to look forward to each and every day. You will also have the opportunity to meet plenty of new friends at classes who all share BJJ as a common interest. If you attend classes often enough and make an effort at connecting with classmates, you will have a great chance at meeting people to spend your newfound free time with.
Confidence Builder
Checking into rehab and admitting that you have a substance abuse problem can be very detrimental for overall confidence and self-esteem levels. Having the belt system as a reward for improving skill will help you rebuild your damaged sense of self-worth. BJJ will give you a feeling of purpose that may be missing, along with the motivation to make a positive difference in your life. If you feel as if you have lost direction in your life, BJJ can give you a reason to strive to get better.
BIO: Connor Hayes is a freelance writer interested in sports, fitness, addiction, and recovery. In his free time, Connor enjoys watching sports, cooking and reading.
