A Beginner’s Guide to Holistic Addiction Recovery
Holistic refers to an evidence-based, “whole person” approach to healthcare and treatment.
While conventional medicine focuses on treating illnesses and conditions as individual diagnoses, holistic treatments believe in a full-spectrum approach to treatment. When you embark on a holistic recovery journey, you’ll simultaneously receive care for your mind, body and soul, in addition to the specific area of struggle.
If you aren’t sure a holistic recovery program is for you, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at holistic recovery and what the addiction recovery process looks like for those wanting to pursue holistic healing.
Why go the holistic route?
There are many reasons why people choose to pursue holistic recovery programs. Some people want to avoid conventional treatment methods and explore treatment options that are medication free.
With the ongoing prescription drug epidemic and the often-extreme side effects that come with many medications, more people are choosing to receive holistic treatments for their recovery.
For others, their reasons are sourced in religious beliefs or other personal preferences, while others still simply prefer to utilize the most natural methods possible to heal.
The core goal of the holistic approach is to fully heal the addiction and all of the ways it’s integrated into your life.
The basics of holistic recovery
While holistic care is commonly thought to be devoid of any conventional clinical approaches, this isn’t always the case. Plenty of holistic programs, especially those designed to treat multifaceted problems and co-occurring disorders, draw upon both medicinal and clinical methodologies.
Holistic care consists of a variety of different treatment methods, including:
- Mindfulness training
- Talk therapy
- Yoga
- Nature therapy
- Animal therapy
- Dietary changes
- Acupuncture,
- Tai chi
- Aromatherapy
- Lifestyle changes (exercise, relationship improvements, etc.)
All of these elements, and more, are designed to treat the person’s overall being and not just a singular facet of their health, so they can achieve successful and sustainable recovery.
The holistic recovery process
Holistic recovery programs begin just as conventional recovery programs do, with an assessment of the person’s state. The main difference is that, in a holistic program, the assessment will take into consideration the fullness of your personhood: your work environment, home life, platonic and romantic relationships, daily lifestyle habits and more.
When it comes to the treatment portion of the program, the exact treatments used will depend on the program and the client. There are general holistic programs that use a variety of common holistic modalities and others that focus on specific treatments, such as nature or equine therapy.
One of the reasons holistic recovery methods are so effective is the fact they are innately sustainable practices. This means that you will be able to continue every treatment modality outside of the program because they are integrated into your lifestyle and not limited to direct treatment of substance use disorder.
If you aren’t sure what kind of holistic recovery program is the right fit for you, send us a message today and we’ll help you discern the next steps.
Find holistic recovery programs near you
Bluff Augusta delivers personalized, evidence-based treatment to those struggling with addiction, combining expert medical care, traditional treatments and holistic methodologies.
We recognize that no two people and their challenges are alike. This is why our team works closely with you to curate a treatment plan best suited to your needs. Our comprehensive care includes counseling, behavioral therapy, nutrition, wellness, relapse prevention and more.
Your recovery is our top priority. We’ll be here with you every step of the way.