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The road to recovery for people who are struggling with addiction is rarely linear. If you’ve tried the standard approaches to addiction treatment, such as 12-step-based groups and talk therapy, it can be discouraging to relapse. Even the 12-step literature tells us that if something isn’t working, we need to change it. Many people in recovery are looking at holistic addiction treatment options as a more natural, sustainable approach to recovery.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with typical rehab; however, natural rehab appeals to some people because it matches their outlook and fits their existing lifestyle. For others, the idea of holistic rehabilitation is appealing because it represents a fresh start. It’s possible to benefit from supplemental therapy alongside standard treatment protocols, and this can be an effective option for people who feel they need a little extra support.
Holistic addiction rehab is a relatively new treatment option that combines traditional rehab with several forms of alternative medicine. A few of the practices of holistic addiction rehab include:
- Acupuncture
- Meditation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Yoga
- Reiki
- Chiropractic Care
The above are only a small number of the ever-expanding holistic addiction rehab services, and what’s offered can vary depending on the organization you work with. At FHE Health, we believe you can’t separate the mental self from the physical self, which is why we offer holistic addiction rehab services for clients who request them.
What Is Holistic Addiction Treatment?
Simply put, holistic addiction rehab is an alternative form of rehabilitation. Holistic rehab utilizes different, more natural forms of medicine or treatment from traditional approaches. The desire is to treat the whole person, hence the name holistic.
Beating addiction isn’t easy. Statistics show that even inpatient addiction management programs can have relapse rates of around 45%. Holistic addiction treatment focuses on the unification of the mind, body, and spirit. It’s a more spiritual approach to treating addiction, but the term “spiritual” doesn’t necessarily mean that the people who pursue such treatment are religious.
Holistic rehab treatment aims to improve the mental health of the individual and may use a mixture of traditional approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), alongside meditation, mindfulness, and other alternative treatments. The goal is to take what works from a variety of sources to get the best possible results.
Treating the Mind
Holistic addiction rehab doesn’t necessarily replace traditional forms of therapy commonly used at inpatient rehab facilities. As previously stated, natural rehab will utilize methods that treat the mind, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a form of therapy that seeks to analyze cognition. Your therapist will try to track your mental pathways and identify how to best help you cope.
Coping mechanisms are an extremely integral part of our well-being as a person. Once these thinking pathways are identified, the goal is to restructure them, developing healthy coping mechanisms. In this way, the individual will be better able to cope with the struggles of addiction naturally.
Another form of treating mental health is dialectical behavior therapy or DBT, which is a practice rooted in CBT. DBT believes in treating two persistent themes: emotional vulnerability and unhealthy environments. An emotionally vulnerable person is susceptible to lashing out or producing extreme emotions. Constantly being in toxic environments places additional strain on a person’s mental health. DBT practitioners believe that by changing a person’s environment while changing how they process their emotions, they can achieve lasting results.
Holistic rehabilitation may also involve other treatments such as group therapy or even art or music therapies.
Treating the Body
Holistic addiction rehab also has a strong desire to treat the body of the person via yoga, massage, or acupuncture. Yoga is an incredibly soothing form of exercise that combines meditation and stretches. It offers both physical and mental health benefits and is something people can continue to do in their own time to maintain lasting well-being.
Another way holistic addiction rehab treats the body is through acupuncture. This is the practice of piercing various pressure points in the body with sanitary needles. Acupuncture has been used for physical pain relief throughout history. It’s been found to decrease withdrawal symptoms, help manage cravings, relax the self, and enhance mental and physical functions. Ancient peoples believed it worked by balancing the qi flow of energy in the body. Today, we know it stimulates several nerve centers in the body, and that’s where the beneficial effects come from.
Other ways holistic addiction rehab treats the body are through stretching, breathing exercises, and massage. People who enroll in holistic addiction treatment programs will have the opportunity to try several different treatment options.
Treating the Soul
Spirituality is also connected with holistic care. Those who follow the spiritual route value the practice of having a deeper knowledge of the self and the universe. This doesn’t mean those who participate in natural rehab are required to uphold a strict set of religious rules, embrace a specific religion, or even believe in God at all. Rather, those who engage in spiritual practices acknowledge that there are deeper connections to the universe and the self and try to get more in tune with that part of their soul.
Meditation is perhaps the most famous way holistic care does this. It’s the practice of clearing the mind, developing a connection with the moment, and being truly aware. Engaging in regular meditation has been found to have incredibly beneficial effects on many different facets of life.
Along with meditation, there is the practice of Reiki. This is the idea that there’s life energy in the self and, through the laying of hands, it can be channeled. Reiki can help people relax and can be used to calm anxiety or even reduce cravings.
Embracing the Traditional and the Natural
In addition to treating the mind, body, and soul with natural and holistic therapies, many rehab centers offer traditional treatments. By combining natural and holistic treatments, you can increase your chances of success.
For example, someone who’s early in their recovery journey may require medication-assisted rehab or supervised withdrawal to help protect their health as they stop taking certain substances. Using medication to ease withdrawal symptoms and prevent serious side effects helps people get over the first hurdle of recovery.
Once the physical aspect of dependence has been defeated, a combination of traditional talk therapies, life skills sessions, and holistic rehab options can be combined to provide a comprehensive approach to recovery that reduces the likelihood of a relapse.
Getting Treatment
Although we discussed three distinct categories here, it may be more helpful to think of holistic addiction rehab as a circle, treating the whole person. This approach has helped many people enjoy lasting, sustainable recovery. However, holistic addiction rehab isn’t right for everyone. If yoga and acupuncture sound like mumbo jumbo to you, that’s okay too. There are more traditional treatment programs out there. What matters is that you seek treatment.
Please reach out to FHE Health today to start your recovery journey. We always want to answer any questions or address any issues you may have. Take your whole self back, and don’t let addiction control you any longer.
