The holistic treatment approach to addiction rehab has gained significant popularity in recent years although many people are still unaware of the benefits. When used in an addiction rehab setting, holistic therapies such as meditation or yoga have been shown to be extremely beneficial in helping individuals achieve recovery. However, it is not always clear to people just why this is and so in this article, we explain more about how people with addiction illness respond very well to holistic treatment.
What Does “Holistic” Mean?
The term holistic refers to the treatment of a person as a whole in terms of how they feel physically, mentally and psychologically. Holistic therapies are designed to address all the health-related factors affecting one person so that their overall wellbeing is improved. In a holistic rehab setting, therapies are very effective in helping individuals deal with the issues underlying their substance abuse.
Whereas traditional medicine heals the symptoms of an illness, the holistic approach delves much deeper. It seeks to get to the very root of the individual’s substance abuse and heal them from the inside outwards. Holistic rehab California also enables people to continue with their own care, with practices they can introduce into daily life to help protect their sobriety.
The Extensive Damage Done by Addiction Illness
Addiction is a chronic and relapsing illness that takes time to develop. It also affects people differently and manifests in ways personal to them. In other words, one person’s addictive behavior patterns are likely to be very different from another’s. For these reasons, it is vital that they have a personalized treatment program created for them that addresses the drivers of their addiction.
Substances work by interrupting the brain’s neurotransmitters and “tricking” the user into feeling intensely pleasurable sensations. When the brain is constantly bombarded with drugs and/or alcohol, it is naturally affected over time. In the case of younger users whose brains are still developing, this damage can be long-term or even permanent.
Many people feel that substance abuse is a lifestyle choice and although a person is highly likely to have chosen to use drugs or alcohol voluntarily at first, they inevitably lose control in time. Addiction is characterized by a person who continues to use substances when their lives have fallen apart. This is because they have developed a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol and a compulsion to use them that is beyond their control.
How Holistic Rehab California Helps Overcome the Challenges of Rehab
One of the key challenges faced when a person enters a treatment program is dealing with the reasons why the person started using substances while treating the consequences of continued abuse. It is not enough just to go through detox which is never advised as a stand-alone treatment for important reasons. The objective of all rehab is to prepare individuals for the inevitable challenges to their sobriety they will face when they return home. This takes hard work, commitment and a great deal of honesty which for many addicts involves a fundamental shift in their mentality.
Holistic treatment has been used since ancient times as a form of healing when there was no conventional medicine. It is based on the principle that we all have the ability to heal ourselves naturally once we know how. For example, someone who has become withdrawn and isolated as a result of substance abuse can find other ways to express themselves in art and music therapy. Another who has been using prescription painkillers can find other ways to manage their pain with massage or aromatherapy.
Many holistic centers in California use complementary components in combination with traditional medical treatments or evidence-based therapies. This integrated approach to substance abuse rehab has been shown to be extremely effective in achieving long-term recovery.
Finding a Natural Path to Addiction Recovery
Perhaps the most distinct advantage of holistic therapy San Francisco is that individuals can find a completely natural way to heal. The damage done by drugs and alcohol can be significant and many people entering rehab will have neglected their diet and consequently reduced their immunity to other illnesses. Holistic rehabs centers in California and nationwide offer nutritional education and physical fitness components in their programs, which more traditional addiction treatment programs don’t include.
It makes sense that people seeking to live a substance-free life are treated for addiction without the use of pharma medications. Holistic therapy in San Francisco and national programs are generally longer in duration than standard rehab because it often takes more time to heal naturally. This is much more beneficial for a person who has been abusing substances and also prevents the possibility of transferring addiction from one substance to another.