The Benefits of Holistic Treatment for Addiction

Anyone who has studied health even tangentially quickly gets an understanding that the body and mind don’t work separately. They function as an integrated system that requires multiple inputs to be in balance to reach a state of being “healthy” as we define it today. When things are imbalanced, the body goes into arrest and the mind begins to issue instructions to compensate. While it addresses the issue in the short-term, long-term continuation of the compensation eventually becomes detrimental to the system as a whole. This is why people suffer more injuries after an initial injury and as their body compensates for the first problem. Eventually, a cascading effect occurs, and the whole system begins to falter without some kind of significant change being applied.

An Addiction Takes Down More Than Just Physical Defenses

In the world of rehabilitation and recovery, the mind and body again are intertwined in a problem that has overwhelmed the person. Typically, the addiction starts as some kind of a release to an original problem. Work, family, stress, social issues, other health issues, the list goes on. But the addiction develops because the body and mind no longer can offset the effects, and instead they try to incorporate the problem as a cure for the original concern. That addiction, as many know, can wreck a life, overwhelming the common sense of the mind and the correct function of the body simultaneously.

Holistic Application

A holistic approach to recovery involves far more than just applying a medical treatment or a withdrawal. Those simply deal with the body’s reaction to breaking the addiction. Instead, holistic addiction treatment focuses on a wider scale, trying to restore the necessary health balance to the mind and body together. This is done through:

  • Personal Acknowledgement – helping the patient and motivating him or her to want a well-balanced life that proactively works to protect itself from harm and instead seek out personal improvement.
  • General Health – Improving one’s diet, exercise, stress management, and relaxation via techniques helps the patient restore the physical functions of the body to protect itself from biological harm.
  • Environmental Training – Patients are impacted by their external environments just as much as by what they take into their bodies. Counseling and training on environmental change where possible has a significant influence on indirect triggers that can weaken a patient in the recovery phase. This is why so many serious programs include in-patient treatment to remove a patient from surrounding triggers, at least until recovery can stabilize. But at some point patients have to live in the real world again and understand how to control what’s around them to complete healing.
  • Commitment – Education involves engaging with the patient to realign wants and desires into a long-term commitment for sticking with therapy, sobriety and life management through training and confidence-building strategies. This can include a variety of tools from breathing and meditation to pain and anxiety management.
  • Natural Aids and Supplemental Resources – Teaching patients what resources exist for natural assistance as well as how to use these resources in relaxation, stress-management, travel, pressure situations, diet, and sleep.

Finding Local Help With Active Holistic Application

Grace Recovery has long been a major proponent of and integrator of holistic treatment in its addiction recovery programs. Located in Hollywood, CA, Grace Recovery combines medical treatment in detoxification and residential inpatient response with holistic behavioral training, stress, and pain management education, confident and commitment enhancement and life stability training. Because of this combined approach versus just treating medical symptoms only, addiction rehabilitation at Grace Recovery produces far greater results in patients preparing for long-term, life sobriety versus just addressing symptoms.

The myths of in-patient addiction treatment and recovery are just that, stories. Grace Recovery puts an active approach in your hands as an effective tool towards stopping addiction, either for you or a loved one. Take advantage of the valuable benefit and recover your life the way it should be instead of feeling out of control.

 

The Benefits of Group Therapy

Recovery can be difficult. This is a well-known truth. However, having the benefit of others around you that understand your struggle can be a lifesaver. Instead of feeling alienated am misunderstood, you’re surrounded by people who’ve been through the same things. Group therapy has the ability to create a sense of community among people on the same journey. The process embraces the individual and acts as a catalyst for greater bonding and understanding. Regardless of the addiction, group therapy creates a safe haven for people struggling with many of the same adversities. However, it does many other things too.

Communication

The goal of group therapy is to create a warm, understanding, and safe environment. Placing the chairs in a circular pattern makes it easy to see everyone in the group and invites open and honest conversation. The small close-knit group builds a sense of community. This is beneficial as members transition into society and meets people. Patients are able to rebuild their confidence and start all over again. In essence, group therapy helps members express themselves, and find their authentic voice.

Companionship

It helps to have someone with you on your recovery journey. Group therapy brings members together as a support system for one another. Often, the addiction process isolates members from friends and family. It can leave members feeling isolated and rejected. Group members often come together to fill that void building bonds that will last throughout the recovery process and beyond. This companionship is also an important part of the recovery process. It brings members together and helps form strong friendships with others that may have been through the same thing.

 Insight

Group therapy also cultivates reflective insights. Other members often bring a fresh perspective to the table which allows you to look at the situation differently. Often times, a member may be too close to his or her situation, making it difficult to truly see the situation holistically. Sharing your experiences with other members brings a fresh new perspective that a member may not have been able to see or understand on his or her own. Members are able to gain powerful insight which is also part of the powerful healing process.

Affordable Help

Group therapy is often free or very low cost. Members have access to counseling and support without having to worry about affordability. This type of support is vital to the recovery process because members can focus on getting well without worrying about money. Members can take advantage of all the advice, insight, and support of other members. Rehab is designed to benefit every member involved.

Putting It All Together

Group therapy can be an important part of your recovery process if you let it. Take advantage of the camaraderie and support that other members offer. It’s also a good idea to be as open and honest as possible. This also invites help and support. There are many things that you can do to get the most out of group therapy. Be open and honest with other members during therapy sessions. It may also help to keep a recovery journal and write your feelings and thoughts. You can even offer ideas if they come to mind during therapy. Hold yourself and others accountable. This will help yourself and other members stay on track or get back on track if they fall off. Consistency and participation are key.

An addiction problem isn’t the end of the world. With the right support system along with consistency, recovery is possible. Stay the course and use all the resources available. This is not a journey you have to take along. Your support system is there to help you if you stumble or when times get hard. Even if you fell, all you have to do is get back up and start again. Perfection isn’t the goal. Instead, sincere consistent effort is the goal. Consistency leads to better choices and habits that will continue to serve you well beyond your recovery.