More and more clients are becoming interested in seeking a holistic approach to their addiction treatment and recovery. That’s because holistic addiction treatment focuses on treating the whole person, not just the disorder. When facilities neglect to treat the whole person, it can make clients feel dehumanized. Some may even become more susceptible to relapse. A whole-person approach can help reduce that risk.
You may be searching for an addiction treatment program and struggling with what to choose. Nowadays, options are endless, which is good, but it does make finding the right program more challenging. Consider holistic addiction treatment programs, their benefits, and what our holistic program at West Coast Recovery Centers can offer. Continue reading to learn more today!
What Is Holistic Addiction Treatment?
As mentioned, a holistic addiction treatment program accounts for a person’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Everyone’s experience with addiction is different, so they should have a treatment plan unique to their needs. However, a holistic approach to treatment also provides individuals with the opportunity to focus on overall wellness. That typically involves making life changes that promote recovery and wellness within your mental, physical, and spiritual life.
To live a life of recovery, we must live a life of improved health and wellness. While everyone’s definition of wellness varies, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines the eight dimensions of wellness as:
- Emotional: Coping with life and creating positive relationships
- Environmental: Maintaining a healthy living environment
- Financial: Being comfortable with your financial situation
- Intellectual: Making time for passion projects, creative hobbies, and further education
- Occupational: Feeling fulfilled with your work
- Physical: Prioritizing fitness, nutrition, and sleep quality
- Social: Making connections with people who add value to your life
- Spiritual: Thinning about what gives your life meaning
Holistic practices teach people how to make healthier life choices. Additionally, holistic therapy programs often tackle addiction from a personalized, non-medical, whole-person perspective. You can utilize your time in treatment to learn holistic, mindfulness-based practices and continue using those tools to help you maintain long-term recovery.
Two common holistic and mindfulness-based techniques that can help you through treatment and recovery are:
- Yoga: Helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings and offers a healthy outlet for people in recovery to cope with stress. Practicing yoga will also help you increase strength and self-awareness and provide emotional healing through intentional movement and breath.
- Mediation: A form of mindfulness that forces you to slow down, breathe, and focus on the present moment. Along with helping you stay sober, meditation can improve your physical well-being by lowering blood pressure and improving sleep.
There are many other practices facilities integrate into their addiction treatment programs, including massage therapy, acupuncture, or art and music therapy. But how exactly can these practices benefit you?
What Are the Benefits of a Holistic Addiction Treatment Program?
Holistic treatment has many benefits. These treatment programs consider so much more than just symptoms. They address traumatic experiences, painful memories, co-occurring disorders, and other contributing factors to substance use disorder (SUD).
Other benefits to keep in mind when considering a holistic addiction treatment program include that it can:
- Help you create a stronger spiritual connection within your belief system
- Increase the chances of preventing relapse
- Teach healthy coping techniques and stress reduction skills
- Improve your overall health, including physical well-being
- Increase self-esteem and help you discover a new person within yourself
Why You Should Consider Using Holistic Practices and Evidence-Based Modalities
The benefits of a holistic addiction treatment program don’t negate the benefits of clinical, medical, or evidence-based treatment. Often, the most effective programs combine holistic practice with evidence-based modalities.
Some of the evidence-based modalities you can generally expect during your time in treatment include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Group therapy
These modalities, along with other forms of psychotherapy, can help you understand more about your SUD. The reason holistic and evidence-based practices are effective together is that they complement each other. Evidence-based modalities help you get to the root cause of your addiction, which often stems from trauma. Meanwhile, holistic therapy offers practical tools to cope with that root cause and the process of uncovering it.
What West Coast Recovery Can Offer You Today
There are many holistic approaches to treating SUD that you can consider today. Nevertheless, it helps to have a safe, supportive environment to try these different practices. West Coast Recovery Centers can help provide that to you. We offer a variety of traditional and holistic modalities designed to treat the individual needs of each and every client. Through mindfulness, meditation, yoga, gender-responsive care, and creative expression, you can be on your way to a life of recovery today. Contact West Coast to learn more and start your recovery journey today!
For decades, addiction recovery specialists used the same treatments for every client. After years of research, we now know that addiction treatment is most effective when tailored to each client’s individual needs. That means treatment will look different for everyone, and many people today are becoming more interested in an individualized and holistic addiction treatment program. That’s because holistic therapy offers a whole-person approach to addiction treatment, focusing on treating the mind, body, and soul. Furthermore, the most effective addiction treatment programs implement holistic and evidence-based modalities into the curriculum. West Coast Recovery Centers can offer you a similar approach to treatment. Call us at (760) 492-6509 to speak with a team member and begin your treatment journey today.