In addition to traditional therapies, many addiction treatment facilities are now integrating holistic healing practices into their provision of services. You may be wondering: what does “holistic” mean, exactly? The term is still unfamiliar to many people because the medical profession in the United States has generally avoided recommending holistic treatment methods—until recently.
Alternatives to standard medical practices have a global origin. Yoga originates from northern India, tai chi from ancient China, and saunas have a home in Finland. Asking whether or not they’re legitimate is missing the point; each of them serves a purpose in the comprehensive treatment of addiction, illness, or other ailments. While modern medicine fits the usual scientific model, holistic treatment accounts for the deficits in mental and spiritual care that it tends to leave unchecked. Essentially, the pros and cons of holistic addiction treatment are determined by what you personally look for in your rehabilitation program. At Promises Behavioral Health, we can help you make the best treatment plan for your needs. Contact us at 844.875.5609 to learn what a holistic addiction treatment center can change for you.
What Holistic Substance Abuse Treatment Looks Like
Rather than directly addressing the illness, holistic treatment methods promote comprehensive physical, emotional, and psychological wellness as the most natural and effective remedy to poor health and its underlying causes. Holistic practices aim for long-term success and are designed to create permanent (and positive) changes in lifestyle, outlook, and attitude. When holistic methods are used to treat addiction, the mind, body, and spirit are all engaged in the recovery process, tapping into the hidden capacities for healing that we all possess. Some of the most popular holistic modalities used in addiction treatment include:
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Meditation
- Massage
- Tai chi
- Nutritional therapy (dietary changes plus supplements)
- Spa/sauna therapy
Patients in rehab are usually given the opportunity to sample various holistic methods to determine which ones work the best.
The Advantages of Holistic Treatment for Addiction
There are several pros and cons of holistic addiction treatment. Here are a few of the positives observed with using non-traditional treatment in tandem with standard rehab:
- Long-term sustainability. Recovering addicts who leave rehab don’t take their therapists home with them. However, they can continue using the healing practices they’ve learned. Stress-mitigating, calming practices picked up from a holistic healing plan can remain a permanent fixture of their daily lives.
- Stress reduction. Holistic practices are highly effective at reducing stress and anxiety, which helps eliminate the triggers that so often provoke a relapse in recovering addicts and alcoholics.
- Personalized attention is guaranteed. Mind-body therapists are trained to see each client as a unique individual with a specific personal history that must be assessed and acknowledged before treatment can begin.
- Holistic healing improves the whole process. The usual rehab treatment tends to be far from comprehensive. It fails to consider the total comfort level of every patient, which is why holistic healing can take the edge off of patients who feel like rehab is chipping away at their humanity.
Holistic Healing Is Part of the Plan at Promises Behavioral Health
While people struggling with addiction can benefit from holistic healing, it should never be viewed as a replacement for medically supervised detox, individual and group therapy, medication, and after-care counseling. Addicts who try to defeat addiction on their own through acupuncture, yoga, meditation, or other holistic methods will not adequately treat their addiction. These therapies should only be used to complement traditional substance abuse treatment methods: too many people have unrealistic expectations about the breadth and scope of holistic healing methods, which can lead them into trouble.
Holistic treatment regimens can impact the fight against addiction, but to do so, they must be integrated into a more comprehensive recovery plan supervised by trained specialists. It’s important that you weigh the pros and cons of holistic addiction treatment to determine that it’s the right complementary treatment for you. Promises Behavioral Health offers the best course of action for you, as well as the necessary guidance to make rehabilitation holistic and effective. Call 844.875.5609 for any questions about the holistic approach to recovery.
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