Holistic Treatment for Substance Abuse and Addiction

holistic treatment

As important as traditional addiction treatment can be for substance abuse, sometimes other options are more suitable. Holistic treatment options are becoming more popular among people who crave a different, more natural kind of addiction treatment. Practices like yoga, acupuncture, and biofeedback are known to ease the mind and cleanse the body during addiction treatment.

Personal satisfaction is a large part of holistic addiction treatment. Learn more about the different types of holistic treatment available at Granite Mountain, and see why it’s such a popular option for many recovering substance abusers.

What is Holistic Treatment?

Rather than relying on traditional evidence-based treatments involving medication, holistic (alternative) treatment takes a different approach. Holistic treatment emphasizes taking the whole person into account -— body, mind, and soul. Practitioners of holistic treatment believe in healing the entire human body rather than just fixing one part of it.

Addiction doesn’t just affect your physical self; it highly affects your psychological functions as well. Even after you undergo a medical detox for drug dependency, you’ll still need to work on how you think about drugs.

You’ll face emotional and environmental triggers that can set off relapse, which is the act of abusing substances after quitting them. By healing your entire body with holistic treatment, you’re likely to notice a difference in how you react to everyday life.

Much holistic treatment is founded in Asian practices, which promote well being and inner peace. Both holistic and traditional addiction treatment have the same goals; they just have their own unique approaches to it. Sometimes a combination of traditional and holistic treatment can be effective. You can speak with your addiction specialist to see which treatment is right for you. 

Types of Holistic Addiction Treatment

Below are some of the most common types of holistic addiction treatment available. Since there are so many options, you’ll most likely find a method that best fits your needs in recovery.

Fitness

Exercise is already known to increase the production of endorphins, releasing feelings of happiness. Fitness also makes your body tighter and stronger. Since addiction can rewire brain chemistry, fitness can reverse some of this damage. One of our most popular modes of holistic treatment is the Recover Strong program.

Recover Strong

Our Recover Strong program is a hands-on system that uses intense physical activity to heal addiction. Patients in Recover Strong engage in physical exercise that allows your brain to heal and grow new nervous tissue and cells. As a result, you handle more stress, improve your self-esteem, and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.

Based on the latest research on psychology, neuroscience, and addiction treatment, Recover Strong has high success rates among our participants. Our patients work together to achieve their recovery goals in a calm and supportive environment. 

Recover Strong is the only program of its kind in the Prescott Valley, Arizona area, and we guarantee that you’ll benefit from it. It improves group participation in therapy as well as recovery rates.

Tai Chi

Tai chi is a martial art that originated in ancient China. It’s a slow-motion, low-impact exercise that focuses on specific movements. These movements are named for martial arts moves (i.e. “box both ears) and animal actions (i.e. “white crane spreads its wings). As you move through each stance, you concentrate on your bodily sensations.

The object of tai chi is to stimulate the proper flow of your “qi,” or natural energy force. It also promotes the balance of your “yin” and “yang,” two opposing elements around us that must be kept in harmony. 

One benefit of tai chi is that it can be adapted for people in any physical condition. People recovering from surgery or living in wheelchairs can practice tai chi and feel its benefits. Many who participate in tai chi combine it with standard medical treatment to solve health problems, including the disease of addiction

Yoga

Yoga incorporates breathing techniques, flows, and postures that increase flexibility and bring you at peace. A large part of yoga is mindfulness. When you’re mindful, you are aware of the present moment and accept everything as it is right now. Meditation also plays an important role. Meditating helps you practice gratitude and also keeps you mindful. 

Yoga has been a popular form of exercise and therapy for thousands of years. Developed in India, yoga has helped millions of people recover from injuries and stay strong throughout addiction treatment.

Adventure Therapy

Adventure therapy, also known as wilderness therapy, is a relatively new type of addiction treatment. When in adventure therapy, patients experience the great outdoors and gain a new appreciation for nature. Teens and adolescents seem to get the most out of adventure therapy. By fostering social responsibility in patients, they’ll learn how to tackle real-world problems.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that involves placing needles in certain areas of the body. Like those who practice tai chi, practitioners of acupuncture also believe in “qi.” They say it runs through pathways in the body called “meridians.” By placing anywhere from five to 20 needles in these pathways, your body’s natural energy will be reinstated. Professionals may gently twirl the needles so they stay in your body.

A typical acupuncture session lasts about 10 to 20 minutes, and the needles provide virtually no discomfort. Although there isn’t solid proof that acupuncture cures illnesses, patients have felt relief from it once needles are removed. 

Biofeedback

When you learn biofeedback, you can control certain bodily functions. Some of these include breathing, muscle contraction, heart rate, and brain waves. In this process, electrical sensors are connected to your body so that you can get information about it. By learning how to control these vital functions, you reduce pain by relaxing certain muscles. 

Biofeedback is mostly performed through mobile devices and computer programs, or through wearable devices that can track your pulse. Computer graphics can help you pace your breathing, therefore minimizing stress. Biofeedback can help ease painful withdrawal symptoms resulting from drug addiction.

Massage

Massage therapists use their hands to manipulate soft tissue throughout the body, releasing tension and increasing relaxation. This form of therapy is used to correct a number of pain-related issues. People recovering from addiction can use massage to relieve stress and bring their minds at peace. Some studies show that massage also relieves depression and anxiety.

Massage therapy doesn’t pose too many health risks. However, some deep-tissue massages can be painful for elderly people or those who are at high risk of injury. You can request how intense you want your massage to be during your session.

Nutrition

Eating a healthy, balanced meal is always good for your body. It can also be a powerful way to manage your addiction cravings. Good nutrition will also boost your immune system, which will fight off infections and diseases. 

It’s no secret that addiction can leave someone malnourished, and it takes a toll on the human body. Substances like alcohol and stimulants contain toxic chemicals that can suppress your appetite and cause organ damage. Once you begin eating proper meals again, you’ll gain back some of the important vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly.

How Can Holistic Treatment Help with Addiction?

We mentioned earlier that holistic addiction treatment aims to treat the whole person and not just one part of the body. Addiction has likely damaged your physical, mental, and emotional well being. Holistic treatment can inspire you to look inside yourself and fix what’s broken.

Holistic treatment is said to help relieve physical withdrawal symptoms, which can be extremely painful depending on your substance of choice. It also helps you gain spiritual ground and look inside something deeper than yourself. Eating nutritious meals can help bring important chemicals back into balance, and it can flush your body of harmful toxins from drugs.

Many patients who practice holistic addiction treatment notice a sense of calm and feel more productive in their recovery. They’re more focused on their sobriety goals and the challenging parts of rehab, including medical detox.

If you try out holistic treatment and find that it isn’t your style, Granite Mountain has plenty of traditional addiction treatments available. 

Will My Insurance Cover Holistic Treatment?

Since holistic treatment is considered “alternative” and not traditional medicine, your insurance plan might not cover it. Talk with your insurance provider to see if it covers holistic treatment. If it doesn’t, you might have to pay out of pocket, and this can be expensive. If you are going to go with self-pay for holistic treatment, talk with a rehab center representative to see if you can work out a payment plan.

You don’t want to waste your money on holistic addiction treatment, either. When looking for holistic addiction treatment, you want to make sure each professional has the proper credentials. Do as much research on alternative treatment as you can, since you’re making a large investment in your health and well being. 

Find Help for Addiction Today at Granite Mountain

Whether you prefer holistic treatment or traditional addiction treatment, Granite Mountain Behavioral Health can help. Our licensed professionals have the expertise and training to treat your substance abuse. We can provide you with a safe and secure environment to achieve your addiction treatment goals. Contact us today to learn all about our numerous programs. 

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-tai-chi

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/biofeedback/about/pac-20384664

https://www.nanp.org/what-is-holistic-nutrition-