Everyone has an individual journey when it comes to addiction and so it’s natural that everyone responds to treatment in different ways. The approach that may be successful for one patient may not be as effective in another, which is why it’s crucial that a personalized addiction treatment plan is devised for each patient. Stabilization is the initial stage of treatment that concerns many entering rehab for the first time and although this vital first step is challenging, holistic therapies can do much to help.
What is Holistic Detox?
What Kind of Holistic Approaches to Addiction Treatment are Available?
One of the major advantages of holistic therapy in rehab is that there is something to suit everyone including activities such as:
Guided Meditation- Achieving a meditative state can be a huge benefit to a recovering addict as it allows them to develop their own coping mechanism for stress. However, it is not easy to achieve and that’s why guided meditation is invaluable in teaching the practice for maximum effect. Being in the right environment and talked through the step-by-step process of truly relaxing the body and focusing on breathing to calm the mind.
Equine Therapy- This is known as an ‘experiential’ treatment and involves developing a relationship with horses. Horses are super-sensitive to the moods and intentions of creatures around them and they also have a strong pack instinct that connects them to their surroundings. This makes horses excellent teachers for patients in rehab as patients are forced to become self-aware of their own moods and intentions as they connect with horses in a supervised environment. Someone who has been dealing with addiction has forgotten how to look after themselves, let alone those around them and equine therapy is effective in helping them to rediscover those vital human skills.
Yoga- Yoga works in a similar way to meditation by transporting the mind to a calm place. However, the difference is that yoga is much more physical than meditation and involves various postures and poses that improve the body’s flexibility. Although yoga looks really sedate, it is actually very invigorating and your body feels the burn the day after. Generally, the end of a yoga session involves a short meditation during which time the body achieves complete relaxation as a way to wind down after exercise.
