Addiction has often been justified as only a habit. However, addiction’s most scarring effects go beyond the physical; it damages our emotional and mental well-being, making addiction a disease. When it comes to treating this disease, it is important not just to treat the routine of using substances but also to heal our mental health for long-term sobriety.
Addiction Is a Disease
Addiction is recognized as a disease due to changes that occur in the brain and body with consistent substance use. Our brains release chemicals when we engage in pleasurable activities such as eating and sex. Substances cause our brains to release high levels of these same chemicals. As a result, we associate substance use with pleasure.
Over time, the consistent release of these chemicals causes changes in the parts of the brain involved with reward, motivation, and memory. Eventually, our brains and bodies build tolerance, which leads us to have to use more substances to achieve the same effects.
Treating the Disease
Overcoming addiction is more than just stopping the use of substances. Once the brain has been changed by substance abuse, willpower alone is not enough to break free from addiction. As a result, we often need professional treatment.
Holistic treatment plays a significant role in the treatment of addiction. Holistic modalities aim to treat the mind, body, and spirit. It combines the best methods of therapy into addiction treatment to ensure long-term success.
What Is Holistic Treatment?
According to the Pacific College of Health and Science’s article “Holistic Medicine: A Guide for Beginners,” holistic means “dealing with the whole.” When it comes to looking at the wellness of a person, we don’t just look at just one aspect of their situation. We look at their whole.
For example, if we were to focus only on the arm, we might miss important details dealing with the heart. This is the same in addiction treatment.
Holistic treatment’s guiding principle is the belief that we are naturally self-healing creatures. Innately, we are able to recognize what is missing, hurts, or needs strengthening. This allows us to determine the best course of action in a relationship with treatment professionals.
Holistic treatment returns the human element back into treatment. It focuses on reaching the root of mental or physical issues to help us achieve sustainable sobriety.
Why Holistic Treatment?
Holistic treatment is personalized to your unique background. Practitioners aim to reach into your health history to discover any hidden symptoms or causes. More often, this is preferred over blanket medical treatments that do not consider emotional history when determining treatment approaches.
Furthermore, this gives you more control over your treatments as you can determine shared information and methods you wish to employ based on practitioners’ suggestions. Remember, holistic practices are used in conjunction with medical practices to ensure complete bodily health.
Where to Find Holistic Treatment
At First Steps Recovery, we utilize holistic therapy in our program. Once you have completed detox, you are admitted to inpatient care. In the spirit of holistic treatment, we do not offer a stale environment. Instead, we create an atmosphere that places your comfort at the forefront.
Placed among five acres with gorgeous views of Yosemite, you are able to completely detach from the worries of the past and focus on your mind and body connection. This is to help you navigate your own thoughts and find the words to push through treatment and find lasting recovery.
First Steps Recovery offers a team of specialists ranging from treatment experts to clinicians and physicians that are available to meet your needs. They are on-site at all times to ensure your needs are always met.
We also believe that everyone’s treatment journey looks different. As a result, we ensure that you are offered highly individualized care. We achieve this by creating a personalized treatment curriculum that combines evidence-based counseling, psychotherapy, and holistic treatments.
Treatment plans and care continue with First Steps even after inpatient treatment. We want to help you create a foundation that you can build on through your healing to achieve long-term sobriety.
Making the Decision to Seek Treatment
Making a decision to seek treatment is the first step toward healing. Our facilities at First Steps Recovery are built to accommodate all aspects of addiction treatment. The holistic treatment we provide will instill a foundation of healthy habits that will ensure your future health.
When we heal our bodies and minds, we find a sense of deeper peace. This can only make us stronger, affecting those around us in a positive manner too. It only takes one step toward deciding that addiction has taken too much from you. This is the time to reclaim your happiness and health.
Addiction is more than just a habit; it is a disease. The disease of addiction cannot be overcome by willpower alone. Because of this, holistic treatment that focuses on healing the mind, body, and spirit ensures lasting recovery. At First Steps Recovery, our treatment takes you in as an individual and looks at you as a whole to best serve you. We all have special circumstances that make our backgrounds unique. Due to this, we don’t serve our clients with blanket treatments. We look into each individual and determine the best way to help you in your journey to recovery. If you are struggling with addiction, know that you are not alone. First Steps Recovery is here to walk alongside you and help you find the healing you deserve. Call us today at (844) 489-0836 to learn more about our program.
