Boxing helps cope with stress of opioid addiction

(MyFoxBoston.com) -- Boxing is a new way to combat the stress of opioid addiction and family members of those addicted are taking part in an innovative program Thursday night.

Family members of those addicted took part in the innovative program and say coping is key. Many of the programs offer people help by talking about the pain addiction causes for users and loved ones, but people in this class do more than talk, they let it all out.

It may seem like a regular boxing class, but if you take a closer look, an all women class is made up of people looking for more than just exercise.

"It's a good stress relief," one attendant, Paula, said. "You can get your frustrations out, you can talk to people in the same situation."

That situation is the all to common problem of opioids. One participant, Robyn, lost her son in May.

"I'm never gonna get over this, it's horrible," she said.

Let It Out is the name of the class in Randolph and its brainchild is Christine Fennelly.

"It's amazing what you do when you hit something. It does release everything from you," she said.

Christine lost her own son Paul Connolly at just 21 last February.

Talking is fine but boxing she says, keeps you from going over the edge.

"It's such pent up bottled up rage, frustration, emotion," she said. "What other way are you gonna get it out?"

Timmy Stanton runs the gym and he's also a Boston cop and sees first hand how heroin reeks havoc on users and families.

"It can really destroy a family. It can cause so much turmoil in a family. This way they can focus all that bad energy and punch it out," he said.

Cox Media Group