Many drug rehabilitation centers are now offering holistic treatment programs.

The term “holistic” has become an extremely broad term as the number of alternative therapies seems to grow each year. Holistic does not refer to any one single type of treatment; rather, it is a reference to the philosophy a particular therapy uses in its healing process. Holistic rehab means the treatment takes the whole person into account. In this way, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual factors are all given equal credibility in the recovery process.

Very few people are purely physically, emotionally or mentally addicted to drugs and alcohol. Individuals abusing illicit substances almost always have elements of each of these types of addiction and often are lacking a spiritual direction in life. Traditional drug rehabilitation addresses the physical, emotional and mental aspects of the problem through detox and psychotherapy. These methods can be very effective, but some people need a wider range of tools to lean on as they move towards sobriety. Holistic rehabilitation programs address all these aspects of addiction in a variety of ways and also regularly focus attention on the spiritual needs of an individual.

What Should I Expect?

Each holistic rehabilitation program offers a different menu of alternative healing therapies. In general, most centers will use traditional treatment protocols including detoxification and counseling. With these tried and true methods as the basis, each person can individualize which holistic therapies they feel will help them in their recovery. Many of these holistic treatments can be incorporated into a person’s life once they leave rehab in order to help sustain their sobriety.

Each of these healing options are designed to encourage deeper insight into an individual’s core self. In addition, these holistic rehabilitation choices promote physical well-being, self-esteem and the use of healthy coping skills. All of these possibilities, when combined with standard rehab therapies, have the potential for powerful and lasting change.

What Are the Benefits?

Holistic rehab attempts to get down to the cause of addictive behavior instead of just fighting the symptoms of the real problem. Each of the following four aspects is treated by a holistic rehab approach:

• Physical Benefits of Holistic Rehab. Detox is the first physical benefit of holistic rehab just like in standard treatment programs. However, the holistic approach takes the physical benefits further with therapies that work to heal the body such as massage, acupuncture and high-quality nutrition. Then there are holistic modalities designed to exercise the physical body (e.g., yoga, adventure therapy and physical exercise) which can not only improve physical fitness, but also reduce stress, anxiety and depression that often play a part in addiction.
• Emotional Benefits of Holistic Rehab. Studies have shown that an individual’s emotional growth becomes stunted when an addiction takes hold. For some people who have been battling addiction for a long period of time, they may have years, even a decade or more, of emotional development to catch up on. Holistic rehab programs offer a wide variety of talk therapy approaches to help a patient work through the emotional challenges they face.
• Mental Benefits of Holistic Rehab. Some research estimates half of people with drug addiction also have at least one psychiatric diagnosis as well. This is known as a Dual Diagnosis, and holistic rehab programs have psychiatric professionals on staff to treat those who need this additional help. Also years of drug abuse can cause chemical changes in the brain that need psychological attention as well.
• Spiritual Benefits of Holistic Rehab. Most people battling drug addiction experience a spiritual disconnect during the time of their dependency. Holistic rehab offers patients an opportunity to explore their spirituality in a nonjudgmental environment. Some patients need to reconnect with a religion they strayed from while others choose to explore new spiritual beliefs. For example, time is given to practices such as meditation or reiki to allow the individual to go deeper within their own person to discover new thoughts and ideas or concentrate on their own time-honored faith.

How Do I Find a Quality Program?

If drug addiction is a problem in your life or that of a loved one, please contact us today. If standard drug treatment has not been effective for you in the past, holistic rehabilitation programs offer more opportunities for change by targeting all levels of an individual. A holistic approach to your addiction may be the key to sobriety you have been searching for.

We can connect you with top-quality, evidence-based holistic rehabilitation programs all over the United States.