“Holistic addiction rehab” is more than just a new-age buzzword. Addiction is a complex physical and psychological ailment that requires a multi-faceted treatment program to put an addict on a path toward genuine sobriety. Holistic rehab treats a recovering addict as a whole being, rather than as a collection of discrete problems that each require a separate treatment methodology. Treating a person as a whole involves analyzing an addict’s physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being while working toward helping him to achieve long-term stability and sobriety. Treating a recovering addict as a whole person also prepares him to re-establish relationships that can sustain his sobriety throughout the rest of his life.
Holistic rehab specialists understand that a substance abuser is more than just a drug addict or alcoholic. Rather, alcoholism and addiction are perceived as diseases that derail a person from realizing his potential. Holistic counselors look for the gaps and weaknesses in a person’s whole being that put him on the path of substance abuse. An addict might be suffering from depression, anxiety, or other psychological disorders. He may not have developed healthy coping techniques to manage stress, or he may have experienced physical pain or some trauma that drew him into drug use. Traditional addiction recovery programs will also look for these root causes of addiction, but will be more likely to address each diagnosis discreetly. Holistic rehab steps back and looks at all diagnoses together, then develops a unified treatment program that is designed to change everything that may be affecting a recovering addict or alcoholic.
From a physical perspective, this can include making sure that a recovering addict is getting proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise, and that any physical problems that emerged as a result of his addictions are fully accounted for. This also leads into an assessment of and treatment for a recovering addict’s emotional maturity and ability to cope with stresses and relapse triggers as he moves forward with his recovery. Yoga and meditation will frequently be incorporated into a holistic rehab plan in order to teach a recovering addict to focus on his present day, rather than having him dwell on the past or worry about the future. These combined activities also put structure into a recovering addict’s day and preclude him from becoming bored and distracted.
Holistic rehab program may appear to be more demanding, which can cause some recovering addicts to shy away from them. The success of any rehab program, holistic or otherwise, will be a function of an addict’s resolve and his desire to break a substance abuse habit. If an addict has expressed his commitment and resolve, a holistic rehab program will help him to uncover the root causes of his addiction and will work not only to address those root causes, but also to rectify all of the problems that flowed from the addictions that were catalyzed by those causes.
Counselors and addiction recovery specialists all preach that overcoming addiction involves more than just staying away from drugs and alcohol. In almost every case, recovering addicts will achieve long-term sobriety only by making wholesale changes in their lives and their attitudes about their lives. Holistic rehab is a strong way to accomplish this.
Sustain Recovery Services in southern California can provide holistic rehab programs for adolescents and young adults who are struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism. Please see our website or call us at 949-407-9052 for more information about our services or to arrange a confidential consultation with one of our counselors.
