When it comes to serving clients, First Steps Recovery places importance on studying your background and considering your unique history. This allows us to provide the best treatment, which will lead to long-term recovery success.
We expand our approach to treatment to account for each client. Holistic treatment aims to do just that, addressing both the mental and emotional aspects of addiction treatment and recovery. We aim to answer what holistic treatment is and what it involves. Discussing the different forms of holistic treatment and how they can benefit you can help you determine treatment approaches that may be right for your individual needs.
What Is Holistic Treatment?
Holistic treatment is a form of therapy that goes beyond physical addiction. It is a look into mental and emotional well-being by providing forms of therapy that strengthen our mental well-being. Holistic treatment can look differently depending on the person. Below is a list of possible holistic treatment options.
Art, Music, or Writing Therapy
According to the American Public Health Association, engaging in artistic expression has significant positive effects on health. Strengthening our artistic muscles gives us the mental space to rest on different ideas, giving our present emotional state a rest.
Artistic expression also allows us to explore diverse thought patterns that we may not have originally accepted. Creativity is a tool we can use to clear our heads and give our minds a way to work through difficult realities.
Yoga
According to the International Journal of Yoga, yoga can “[P]romote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
Often, we can fall into the trap of being stuck in past actions or future consequences. It can be challenging to find the patience to rest. However, this form of exercise can help you achieve this balance by bringing you into the moment through body strengthening. Yoga connects your brain and body to the present, making it one of the most powerful modes of meditation.
Nutritional Therapy
The connection between our bodies and our diets is closer than we realize. Whatever we put into our bodies strongly affects how our body performs, and our brains interpret our surroundings. Nutritional therapy can be empowering because it gives you control over what you are fueling your body with. This can often give us a sense of peace, knowing we are nurturing our bodies with our meals.
Exercise
The best form of physical strengthening is exercise. While many people use exercise as a form of weight loss, it is an excellent tool for mental clarity. Giving ourselves a routine focused on bettering our bodies can also make our brains feel focused. The benefits of exercise can be found through walking, running, yoga, strength training, or any other form of exercise you enjoy.
Breathwork
Most growth starts with a firm foundation. We often don’t consider simple things like breathing when we go through substance abuse treatment. However, our breathing is the conductor of our heart rate and blood pressure. When we learn to be mindful of our breathing and how this affects our physical state, we can learn how to moderate our bodies.
Meditation and Mindfulness
This is another building block to breathing. Staying in the present is difficult for many people. When life is fast-paced, it makes mindfulness all the more important.
Meditation allows us to take time to pause our lifestyles and get in touch with our mental state. How are you feeling? Why are you feeling that way? Can we improve this mental state? These are all questions that can be addressed during our moments of silence.
Nature Therapy
One of the most calming environments available to us can be our backyard. According to a study by Science Advances, experiences in nature are associated with psychological well-being. A simple walk through the woods can be the difference between a stressed mental space and a calm one.
Equine Therapy and Other Animal Therapies
While alone time is a great way to find your mental balance, sometimes it can be more calming to have another being around you. A study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that study participants “[S]howed an improvement in daily skills, which [favored] a better quality of life and decreased impulsiveness, enabling them to regain self-control” when engaging in animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Animals can act as peaceful forces that help ground us in reality and bring us to a state of peace.
Why Holistic Therapies Lead to Success
Holistic therapies focus on the mind, bodies, and spirits of clients. When all of these aspects are addressed, combined with evidence-based therapies, addiction can be treated from all angles. Holistic therapy in addiction treatment can:
- Help identify underlying causes of addiction
- Strengthen resistance to cravings
- Promote physical fitness
- Increase self-confidence
With these benefits, clients are more likely to achieve long-term recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.
At First Steps Recovery, our treatment takes you in as an individual and looks at you as a whole to best serve you. The holistic treatment we provide is one example of the numerous ways we look to serve you. Here at First Steps Recovery, we fight for your well-being. While we offer detox and medical treatment, we go a step further to enable you with the tools that will serve you in the long term. We recognize that your story is personal and unique to you. We want to work with you to account for the various variables in your life that may hinder your success. If you are searching for treatment, either for yourself or someone you care for, please reach out to our facility. We want to help you every step of the way. To learn more about First Steps Recovery, call (844) 489-0836.
