Climbing out of addiction
As well as providing all the benefits to addiction recovery and personal growth that are associated with general exercise, rock climbing can help to induce a “flow state”, many of the encompassing factors of which have direct benefits for people in recovery from substance misuse: Intense and focused concentration on the present moment; A loss of reflective self-consciousness; A sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity; Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding; Feeling that you have the potential to succeed; Feeling so engrossed in the experience, that other needs become negligible. All are factors which may take people in recovery out of their present, often unhappy state of mind, giving them relief from the desire to use drugs or alcohol and the stress and depression often associated with withdrawal and recovery, and/or may lead to long term improvements in confidence, happiness and self esteem, all of which will hopefully increase their chances of staying clean and sober.
How Climbing Helped Me To Get Clean by James Culley
I started trying to get clean in the summer of 2012. It's taken three years, two relapses, the love & support of friends & family, a lot of hard work and determination for me to get to this point. But without being introduced to my new interest in climbing, I can honestly say I don't think I'd be where I am now.
Getting addicted to drugs and alcohol for me was essentially about giving up, things got too hard, too scary, the fear of not being good enough raised it's ugly head and I sought escapism through drugs. It's these very reasons that I feel climbing was the perfect new pastime to fill the void in my life that stopping using illicit substances had left.
Climbing is essentially for me about managing my fear and doing so in a healthy, safe and constructive environment. Many of the fears and issues that I have to deal with come from abandonment issues, which in turn cause issues with trust. Putting myself in a situation where my life was literally in someone else's hands was a nerve racking but enriching and highly therapeutic experience. Knowing that when I fall someone was going to catch me, and learning to trust this knowledge and becoming more confident in it has been highly beneficial.
Learning to trust myself was also a very difficult task. My confidence in my own abilities where at an all time low. Learning the basics of rope work was a meditative and concentration enhancing experience, going from having no confidence in tying a figure of eight knot, to leading a climb, safely setting up a belay and being trusted to do so, has caused my self esteem and confidence to come on leaps and bounds. Knowing that someone else is happy to trust my abilities with their life has made a monumental change in mine.
Actually being on the rock face is deeply personal endeavor, when you get to the crux of a climb there is no one you can call on for support. You have to look deep within yourself, tell yourself that you can do it, try and quell your nerves as best you can and just go for it. Putting myself in these psychologically challenging situations has most auspicious for my recovery.
Apart the psychological benefits that I have found spending time on the rock to have on my recovery, the physical benefits are numerous and note worthy. There are obvious advantages to maintaining regular exercise, but it's also the rush of adrenalin that has helped me through my periods of withdrawal. During the summer of 2015 I reduced off my methadone prescription. As the dose was being slowly titrated down, my withdrawal symptoms gradually became more and more uncomfortable. Restless leg syndrome, a general low mood, anxiety and many sleepless nights ensued as my body was slowly resetting its physiology. During these difficult times I found the meditative practice of spending time on the rock and getting my fix of adrenalin, was the only thing to alleviate my symptoms. It's been six months now since I stopped taking opioid medication and I still suffer slightly from PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome). I believe a large part if not all of this condition is psychosomatic. Climbing has been my main coping mechanism for dealing with this condition. The flow states and subsequent peak experiences I get from climbing always seem to give me a sort of emotional reset. There is no time or place for rumination or worry whilst on a route., your attention is fully captivated in the present moment and with the task at hand. It's always a good day when you fear for your life (however irrational the fear) and you're still alive at the end of it.
Learning to trust myself was also a very difficult task. My confidence in my own abilities where at an all time low. Learning the basics of rope work was a meditative and concentration enhancing experience, going from having no confidence in tying a figure of eight knot, to leading a climb, safely setting up a belay and being trusted to do so, has caused my self esteem and confidence to come on leaps and bounds. Knowing that someone else is happy to trust my abilities with their life has made a monumental change in mine.
Actually being on the rock face is deeply personal endeavor, when you get to the crux of a climb there is no one you can call on for support. You have to look deep within yourself, tell yourself that you can do it, try and quell your nerves as best you can and just go for it. Putting myself in these psychologically challenging situations has most auspicious for my recovery.
Apart the psychological benefits that I have found spending time on the rock to have on my recovery, the physical benefits are numerous and note worthy. There are obvious advantages to maintaining regular exercise, but it's also the rush of adrenalin that has helped me through my periods of withdrawal. During the summer of 2015 I reduced off my methadone prescription. As the dose was being slowly titrated down, my withdrawal symptoms gradually became more and more uncomfortable. Restless leg syndrome, a general low mood, anxiety and many sleepless nights ensued as my body was slowly resetting its physiology. During these difficult times I found the meditative practice of spending time on the rock and getting my fix of adrenalin, was the only thing to alleviate my symptoms. It's been six months now since I stopped taking opioid medication and I still suffer slightly from PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome). I believe a large part if not all of this condition is psychosomatic. Climbing has been my main coping mechanism for dealing with this condition. The flow states and subsequent peak experiences I get from climbing always seem to give me a sort of emotional reset. There is no time or place for rumination or worry whilst on a route., your attention is fully captivated in the present moment and with the task at hand. It's always a good day when you fear for your life (however irrational the fear) and you're still alive at the end of it.
Spending time in nature has been highly beneficial for me. To get outdoors and see the beauty of our coastlines and national parks has been awe-inspiring. The feeling of being connected to nature has given me a renewed sense of responsibility toward the environment in which we all live.
For me one of most challenging parts of abstinence has been to give up my most personal relationships and the majority of my social connections. For my recovery it has been paramount to do so. All these relationships and connections were cemented within the drugs culture in which I had immersed myself. For me it's not easy to make new social connections as I still have some self-esteem issues, but I've found the experience of climbing with someone to be a great leveler. You're there with a common goal and in trying to attain it, have to combat your fears in the process. I've found that sharing this emotional journey is conducive to forming strong bonds and connections quickly, in a safe and sober environment. The friendships I have formed this way have been pivotal in my recovery.
I've found climbing to be an extremely apt and healthy substitute for substance misuse. The excitement and perceived danger it offers within a safe environment has met my needs perfectly. It's always the highlight of my week to get outside on the rock or go to the wall. Whilst I'd say I have only replaced one addiction for another, I'm happy that it's directs my energies and interests onto something constructive and wholesome, and I'll be forever grateful for the opportunities, experiences, connections and courage that learning to climb has given me.
I've found climbing to be an extremely apt and healthy substitute for substance misuse. The excitement and perceived danger it offers within a safe environment has met my needs perfectly. It's always the highlight of my week to get outside on the rock or go to the wall. Whilst I'd say I have only replaced one addiction for another, I'm happy that it's directs my energies and interests onto something constructive and wholesome, and I'll be forever grateful for the opportunities, experiences, connections and courage that learning to climb has given me.