Everything You Need To Know About Holistic Addiction Treatment
Multiple factors can lead to substance abuse and drug or alcohol addiction, and incorporating additional issues into a holistic treatment plan can often lead to reinforced recovery and reduced risk of relapse. Holistic addiction treatment can offer more comprehensive treatment for individuals, as it considers all aspects, from mental health to meditation and calming influences. At our professional holistic drug rehab, we will help you get through your addiction. Were your recovery partner and are here to explain how the holistic drug method works.
What Is Holistic Addiction Treatment
Substance abuse and addiction are complex issues that can arise from various physical, emotional, and social factors. Each person has a unique journey through life and requires an individualized plan to address their wants and needs. As we understand more about addictionhow it happens and what impact it has on someones lifeit is clear that it is a multifaceted issue that needs a compassionate, holistic approach to treating it.
A holistic treatment approach essentially means that it treats the whole person. We understand that addiction is not simply a medical issue, so it doesnt work to treat only a persons body. It is also not simply a mental health issue, so therapy alone is not usually enough to support someones journey to sobriety. Instead, a successful treatment program must incorporate care for the persons body, mind, and spirit to give them the best chance of staying sober for the long term.
At Northern Illinois Recovery Center, we take a holistic approach to treatment for substance use and mental health disorders and keep the whole person in mind when developing treatment plans.
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- Reiki/other energy work
- Meditation
Defining Holistic Addiction Treatment
Holistic addiction treatment is an approach that takes into account the emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the individual in addition to the persons physical state. Often, people equate holistic care with non-medical care. However, this is not always the case. Holistic care includes non-medical approaches but can include clinical care as well. So, although this type of treatment uses some medicinal and clinical approaches to addiction treatment, some of the methods of holistic care work to help individuals overcome substance abuse without the use of prescription drugs.
Holistic care can include a variety of treatment methods. It might include individual talk therapy, yoga, mindfulness meditation training, or massage therapy. Each of these elements is designed to help those who are working to overcome substance dependence.
The main goal of a holistic approach is to treat addiction from all angles of life. For example, instead of exclusively focusing on physical symptoms, holistic treatment programs emphasize each individual patients unique complexities. So, a long-lasting recovery is more likely when a holistic approach to drug addiction treatment is involved.
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Treatment Compliance And Completion
A person that remains compliant with addiction treatment will have better outcomes compared to someone with a shorter duration of treatment. With this in mind, CAM approaches can be helpful by keeping the individual engaged and active in their course of addiction treatment. One such technique is horse-assisted therapy , an intervention that actively involves horses during the therapy process. Results show that people involved in equine-assisted therapy stayed in treatment for twice as many days and were much more likely to complete treatment than those in traditional programming.
It is likely that various types of integrative techniques would yield similar results based on the unique likes and interests of the individual in treatment. If someone felt passionately about music or dance, for example, bringing aspects of these into sessions could improve their retention, compliance, and outcomes of addiction treatment.
Types Of Holistic Treatment
If you have been pondering the question of what is holistic addiction treatment, you will probably want to know more about what it is and what types of treatments are used. With so many different approaches available, the exact holistic therapies used will depend on the treatment provider. However, below are a few examples of the different types of holistic therapies commonly used for addiction treatment:
- Ayurveda
- Nutritional education.
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What Is Holistic Approach
The dictionary defines holism as the idea that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts. In applying this definition to substance abuse treatment, the holistic addiction treatment approach can be viewed as treating the individual as a whole person rather than just treating the symptoms of the substance use disorder and other co-occurring disorders associated with it. Also known as complementary treatment, the holistic substance abuse treatment approach utilizes alternative methods outside of mainstream pharmaceutical treatment. Integrating nature-based practices with evidence-based practices, this alternative approach uses methods such as acupuncture and massage therapy.
What Role Does Mental Health Have In Addiction Treatment
Mental health issues are often a contributing factor to substance abuse, and the effects of some substances can make the symptoms of mental illness harder to manage. When treating substance abuse, it is important to understand the whole person. Each person must receive individualized care that considers their past, present situation, and hopes for the future. Part of understanding how to treat someone holistically means untangling their mental health issues from their substance abuse and treating both of these issues.
Many commonly-used holistic treatments have a positive effect on the symptoms of mental illness. They can provide calming and centering sensations, and many allow people to gain more control over their thought patterns. Taking care of the body and mind is important, and a holistic approach works well for many people as they work towards recovery and sobriety.
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Other Holistic Treatment Approaches
While the above holistic treatments are some of the most studied approaches, other holistic substance abuse treatments may include:
- Art therapy uses painting, sculpting, and other forms of art to express and move through difficult emotions.
- Massage therapy uses massage techniques to address physical pain, increase relaxation, and improve mood.
- Nutritional therapies approaches may include nutritional counseling, nutrition classes, and cooking classes.
- Aromatherapy uses the essential oil scents to affect mood.
- Ayurveda promotes health through plants, diet, and exercise.
- Guided imagery a form of meditation that uses the imagination to help you relax.
What Constitutes Moderate Drinking
Moderate drinking is defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as someone of legal drinking age limiting their alcohol consumption each day by the specific guidelines they set out. Those guidelines are two or fewer drinks a day for men and one drink or less a day for women. While these are guidelines, these are suggestions as it is optimal for your health to reduce drinking to a limited amount or not consume alcohol.
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Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
EMDR therapy is an evidence-based intervention proven to ease symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, and other challenges. The practice taps into your brains natural ability to heal from distressing experiences. Past trauma can activate your fight, flight, or freeze response in the present. When your stress response is activated, your body cant distinguish if the perceived danger is happening now or in the past. It goes into survival mode. This makes it extremely difficult to process traumatic events and move past them.
EMDR is a gentle trauma therapy that doesnt require you to relive difficult memories. It works on the parts of the brain responsible for the fight, flight, or
freeze response. EMDR can help diminish the arousal and distress tied to past trauma. It doesnt erase the distressful memory but trains your body and mind to feel safe when it arises.
In EMDR therapy, a specialist helps you identify a past event that is hijacking your stress response. Youll discuss negative beliefs around the event as well as positive beliefs that could replace them. The EMDR therapist will guide you through sets of rapid eye movements. This bilateral stimulation of the eyes helps you stay grounded in the present moment. Youre not sucked back into the past by your memories. This state helps your body feel safe to reprocess the event. EMDR typically runs 6-12 sessions. Its important that EMDR is performed by a certified EMDR professional.
Who Provides Holistic Addiction Treatment
If you are struggling with an addiction and are looking for a treatment programme, you might be interested in a provider that uses holistic therapies as standard. Addiction treatment is offered by various organisations across the UK, including the NHS and local charities. For the most part though, you find that a holistic treatment programme is a part of programmes provided by private clinics.
Private clinics usually offer comprehensive inpatient programmes where holistic therapies form an integral part of individual treatment plans. Inpatient programmes tend to be condensed over a period of weeks and because of their structured and concentrated nature, patients are immersed in a programme of recovery, designed to help heal all aspects of their being.
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The Benefits Of Holistic Treatment
The purpose of holistic treatment is to help the addicts discover what caused their addictions. Once people have completed a holistic treatment program, they can claim to have received at least these four benefits:
- A Physical Benefit The detoxification process cleanses the body of the drugs or alcohols toxins, but holistic therapy also improves the persons health and physical fitness.
- An Emotional Benefit Because addicts emotional growth has been stunted due to drug use, they receive therapy to help them catch up to where they need to be currently.
- A Mental Benefit Since a large percentage of people with drug addictions are also suffering from mental illnesses, holistic treatment centers have psychiatrists who are ready to address these issues.
- A Spiritual Benefit People have a chance to reconnect with their old faith or to discover new ideas.
Holistic treatment may be the rehabilitation program that people who have entered into traditional therapies need to take them further into sobriety. Of course, those entering rehab for the first time are welcome as well.
What Are The End Goals Of Holistic Treatment For Addiction
Challenges and obstacles are expected during rehabilitation, and dealing with the physical, mental, and spiritual causes and consequences of addiction can make the road to recovery even more difficult. Holistic treatment plans create daily practices and routines for patients to fall back onto and strengthen their resolve in the face of relapse.
At Silver Sands Recovery, our goals for our patients in holistic treatment programs are as follows:
- Strengthen resilience in the face of potential relapse
- Increase commitment to recovery
- Understand the underlying causes of addiction
- Promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness
- Increase self-confidence
- Holistic treatments give patients the tools they need to resist the temptations of drugs and alcohol
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Incorporating Holistic Techniques For Substance Abuse Treatment
In some cases, holistic approaches are used to augment certain aspects of more standard recovery efforts. In doing so, these approaches may help with:
- Certain withdrawal symptoms .
- Stress or other emotional issues that may have supported the development of compulsive patterns of substance use.
- A lack of spiritual grounding.
- Unhealthy eating habits and resulting malnutrition in conjunction with chronic substance use.
Some techniques, such as Reiki, aim to correct a theoretical energetic imbalance through body-energy manipulation.
Adherents of CAM practices advocate that they can improve chances of lasting recovery from substance use disorders. However, it is generally recommended that holistic therapies be used in combination with standard treatment efforts, and not as a replacement for more traditional, evidence-based approaches.
California Behavioral Health: Holistic Addiction Treatment With Medical Intervention
California Behavioral Health advocates for combining a scientifically-led holistic and clinical approach to provide a comprehensive recovery process that genuinely helps the individual. Medical support for holistic addiction treatment is offered 24/7 with licensed vocational nurses, certified medical professionals, and our fully-certified Master therapists. We provide secular, non-twelve-step support to provide an individualized recovery process. California Behavioral Health endorses fully integrated medical and holistic alcohol rehab as an alternative rehab treatment to the solely holistic or clinically-led approach.
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Holistic Therapies For Addiction
There are many different holistic treatment methods used to treat substance use disorders.
Here are some of the most common:
1. Meditation
Meditation is a mindfulness practice that focuses on relaxing the mind and body. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and sleeping problems.
Many people in recovery suffer from these problems, which makes meditation a useful aid.
2. Art Therapy
Some treatment facilities utilize art therapy to encourage self-expression through painting, drawing, and other creative exercises.
Art therapy helps people:
- Boost self-esteem
3. Music Therapy
Music therapists will have patients listen to, dance to, sing, or write their own music. The types of activities and song selections will be based on the person or group.
Music therapy can reduce muscle tension and anxiety. It helps encourage openness in personal relationships.
For some people who have trouble expressing themselves, music can act as a translator.
4. Animal Therapy
Animal therapy involves interacting with animals.
Equine therapy is a popular form where patients learn to ride, take care of, and “communicate” with horses. Volunteering at animal shelters is also common.
Research shows that this can improve patients’ willingness to participate and open up and share their past. It’s a popular treatment for anxiety and PTSD.
5. Horticulture Therapy
6. Acupuncture
This may be especially useful during detox, as it can soften withdrawal symptoms and decrease cravings.
7. Yoga
Advantages Related To Holistic Treatment
One of the principal advantages of holistic treatment is that it serves to treat the entire individual and not simply the current manifestations. By attempting to discover the main driver of compulsion, for instance, an individual could be bound to stay away from backsliding.
Holistic treatment is regularly an entire way of life change and not a handy solution. Holistic treatment requires responsibility from the patient and an agreement that every individual is answerable for their prosperity and self-appreciation. This can assist those in recuperation with steering back on issues that may have tormented their lives for quite a long time. It puts you solidly steering the ship of your own life.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records the key elements associated with deciding a persons condition of wellbeing through holistic treatment. Everyday way of life decisions represents 53% of an individuals health, with the nature of clinical consideration just representing 10%. Different reasons like climate, which represents 19%, and hereditary qualities at 18% likewise assume a part, yet propensities and way of life appear to be the greatest factors in deciding a general condition of prosperity. Holistic treatment centers around this fundamental idea.
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Is Holistic Addiction Treatment Right For You
Holistic drug rehabs and traditional programs use both individual or group therapies.
Therapy helps you understand and assess the underlying problems that led to drug abuse. This is essential to long-term recovery.
Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy focus on shifting negative thought patterns and behaviors. CBT is available in both traditional and holistic drug rehab treatments.
The key difference is that holistic recovery approaches also involve alternative treatments. These treatments can help you approach your substance issues from other angles.
Alternative therapies can also help you heal from the physical and spiritual effects of addiction.
Holistic recovery treatments can be an effective complement to the work you’re doing in traditional addiction treatment programs.
Integrating Holistic Therapy With Traditional Addiction Treatment Methods
Common techniques paired with holistic methods include:
- Medically assisted detox the first step in building the important foundation needed for recovery. Medications are administered in a medically supervised setting to carefully and safely break the dependency on drugs and alcohol.
- Comprehensive medical care derived from a thorough assessment given upon entering treatment. All medical issues are addressed and treated.
- One-on-one mental health counseling to identify and explore the mental and emotional root causes related to addiction.
- Attending 12-step groups for emotional support to give peer-to-peer support for assisting everyone in the group in remaining sober and resisting a fall back into destructive patterns.
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What Are The Benefits Of Therapy
Behavioral therapy for treating substance use disorders offers many benefits, including:1
- Motivating you to enter and stay in treatment.
- Giving you strategies for how to deal with drug cravings.
- Teaching you how avoid substances.
- Helping you cope with relapse , if it happens.
- Improving your communication skills.
Do You Need Help For Addiction
One of the biggest obstacles to holistic addiction treatment is the fact that those affected by addiction are often unable to admit the truth of their situation. Coming to terms with the fact that addiction is a problem can be tough for many, especially because of the stigma and shame that surrounds this illness.
It is not uncommon for those affected by addiction to practice denial. It is actually far more common for loved ones to see there is a problem long before the person with the addiction is ready to accept the truth.
If your loved ones are urging to you consider treatment for addiction, it is likely that they have firm basis for their concerns. It is important that you take these concerns seriously as failure to get help as soon as possible could see your situation worsening. If you believe your loved ones are exaggerating your problems, then think carefully about your drug or alcohol use as this will give you an indication of your need for help.
It is likely that you have not even noticed a progression in your level of substance use. This is usually the case an addiction does not occur overnight. In fact, it is far more likely that your substance abuse has been progressing steadily without you even being aware.
Another sign that you may need help for addiction is if you suffer with withdrawal symptoms whenever the effects of drugs or alcohol wears off. These symptoms include shaking, sweating, nausea, and mood swings and are the result of a physical dependence.
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