When you think about the best addiction treatment centers out there, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the facilities, expertise of the therapists, programs available, or maybe the duration of your stay. But do you think about the therapies utilized in treatment? Or their approach or philosophy to healing?
In many cases, the best addiction treatment centers across the US really stand out due to their ability to integrate traditional and holistic approaches to therapy together. So what does this look like at a holistic addiction treatment center, and why is this approach important to your long-term recovery?
The Importance of Mind Body Healing in Addiction Recovery
If it’s your goal to overcome substance abuse or addiction, you need to understand what that actually looks like. For some, the thought of quitting an addiction simply means changing your behaviors and maintaining better self-discipline. However, if inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs only addressed these surface-level issues, you’d likely revert back to your addictive behaviors in just a few short months (or days, even). Healing an addiction requires deeper work than symptoms reduction and behavior modification alone.
Addiction is often a byproduct of being traumatized earlier in life. As trauma’s effects linger, you can begin to seek out drugs and alcohol to cope, which eventually leads to substance abuse and addiction, not to mention co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. So if you truly want to achieve real recovery, that means healing from complex trauma and PTSD, for example, in addition to healing from addiction.
Because of addiction’s complexities and layers, holistic addiction treatment that addresses the whole person is ideal. That means treating your mind, body, and spirit in the process. After all, addiction isn’t just a physical issue. Whole-person treatment understands how physical conditions affect mental health and how mental health affects physical health. Holistic approaches to addiction recovery help you not only quit your addiction; the root traumas of your struggles are also addressed, leading to deep, personal change. In the process, you also develop greater self-awareness and self-discovery of what your true self needs to thrive. As a result, you achieve the mind body healing needed to maintain lasting recovery.
Traditional, Holistic Addiction Treatment, or Both?
What therapies do treatment centers utilize to help you achieve mind body healing from both your addiction and your traumatized past? Some treatment centers start with traditional forms of psychotherapy or talk therapy, either in an individual counseling setting or within group therapy. These evidence-based treatment programs are based on scientific principles and empirical research. They may be focused on changing negative thought patterns, improving your motivation to heal, enhancing your emotional regulation, or managing symptoms through medication. Examples of evidence based practices include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Motivational interviewing
- Narrative therapy
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
On the other hand, holistic addiction treatment utilizes therapies that address your overall well-being in the recovery process. That means taking a big-picture view of your sobriety by treating your mental, physical, and spiritual health together. Holistic addiction treatment may involve daily self-care practices like physical fitness and nutrition. Yet it can also include recreational or experiential therapies designed to get you out of your comfort zone and into new environments, empowering your personal and spiritual growth.
However, the best addiction treatment centers incorporate both traditional, evidence-based practices and holistic addiction treatment together into one comprehensive recovery program. After all, holistic therapies can improve your chances of recovery from addiction especially when used in addition to traditional therapies, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. These two approaches to addiction treatment integrate well together, which is why we utilize both evidence-based and holistic therapies for drug and alcohol addiction treatment here at Defining Wellness Centers.
The Best Holistic Therapies for Integrated, Holistic Approaches to Recovery
Considering that every person — as well as every person’s addiction journey — is unique, holistic therapies allow holistic addiction treatment centers like ours to personalize our treatment programs to your individual needs and goals. Using an array of experiential therapies complements the effectiveness of traditional methods, leading to a well-rounded, whole-person treatment experience. But what are some of the common holistic therapies that integrate well into addiction treatment programs? Let’s explore some of the main ones we use at Defining Wellness Centers:
Cold Plunge Therapy
Cold plunge therapy involves submerging yourself in cold water (usually about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) for a fixed period of time, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. By doing so, you can better understand how physical conditions affect mental health, as well as experience a number of other recovery benefits. Some of the benefits of cold plunge therapy include:
- Reduced stress
- Improved mood
- Experiencing a mental reset
- Increased energy levels
- Rebalanced autonomic nervous system
Yet cold plunge therapy also plays a helpful role in complementing traditional therapies like CBT and motivational interviewing. Participating in cold plunge therapy allows you to achieve better mental focus, allowing you to identify and change any negative thought patterns. At the same time, sitting in cold water teaches you resilience, which can be helpful in staying the course during recovery.
Equine Therapy
What is equine therapy, exactly? Equine therapy programs involve participating in horse-centered activities — alongside treatment professionals — to promote emotional growth and healing. Horses have the innate capacity to reflect the emotions of their rider or handler, shares the National Association of Social Workers, giving you a practical, hands-on experience to develop skills that will serve you well in recovery. Equine therapy can provide the real-world opportunity to regulate difficult emotions in the moment while remaining present with the task at hand, applying the techniques you learned during traditional therapies.
Expressive Arts Therapy
The idea of expressive arts therapy, according to Husson University, is that artistic expression can help you attain personal discovery and emotional release. Using art forms such as painting, drawing, dance, or drama, expressive arts therapy allows you to achieve personal growth and healing from addiction at the same time. Not only does this holistic therapy give you an outlet to express vulnerable emotions (including those associated with past trauma) in a safe, healthy way, you can also practice the coping skills learned in traditional therapies like CBT, too.
Sweat Lodge Therapy
Sweat lodge therapy provides a unique opportunity to promote mind body healing, as well as incorporate spirituality into the addiction recovery process. Often conducted in a group setting, a sweat lodge experience in addiction treatment gives you the chance to reflect upon your past, which can be a helpful opportunity to reinforce the reauthoring of your story within narrative therapy. In addition, the physical challenges of the sweat lodge can help you apply distress tolerance and mindfulness skills learned in DBT.
Adventure Therapy
Adventure therapy utilizes nature and the outdoors to challenge the self-limiting beliefs that often rule your life amidst addiction. Whether it’s backpacking through a national forest or participating in a high ropes course, adventure therapy gets you out of your comfort zone and pushes you in unfamiliar ways. It’s often part of a wider set of outdoor therapy approaches, such as wilderness therapy and nature therapy. Common adventure therapy activities may include:
- Mountain biking
- Whitewater rafting
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Rock climbing
By participating in adventure therapy, you become more self-aware of your abilities and resiliency in the face of challenges. The experience also provides supplemental personal affirmations and a proving ground for self-efficacy that can enhance traditional therapy practices like motivational interviewing.
Breathwork Meditation
The practice of breathwork focuses on controlling your breathing to benefit your emotional, mental, and physical wellness. This may look like holding your breath for a period of time, breathing in deeply, or other intentional breathing patterns. In the context of traditional therapy methods, breathwork meditation can be a practical coping skill you can utilize for any future negative feelings or addiction cravings. It can also help facilitate mindfulness techniques taught in dialectical behavior therapy.
Recovery Yoga
Recovery yoga is a holistic practice that strengthens your mind, body, and spirit. Often taking place in a class format, recovery yoga mixes physical postures with breathing exercises and meditation. Participating in yoga will typically require flexibility, coordination, and balance to match the poses taught by your instructor, helping to enhance your physical fitness. Yet mentally it also equips you to block out negative thinking patterns and remain in the present moment. At the same time, it can improve your ability to regulate your emotions as a healthier coping mechanism for future addiction triggers.
Integrating Holistic and Traditional Therapies at Defining Wellness Centers
Choosing an addiction treatment program that integrates both traditional, evidence-based practices with holistic therapies puts in you the best position to achieve long-term healing. And that’s where we can help at Defining Wellness Centers in Mississippi. Whether it’s detox, inpatient rehab, outpatient addiction treatment, or aftercare, our integrated approach to therapy empowers your lasting recovery. If you’re ready to overcome addiction and embrace a new, balanced, and healthier way of life, contact our team today.
