What Is Holistic Addiction Treatment? 

Incorporating complementary, alternative, or holistic treatment into traditional, evidence-based methods is an approach that more and more people are seeking in healthcare. Addiction recovery programs are an ideal setting for integrative holistic treatments because the disease of addiction takes a toll on every area of a person’s life and health.  Effective drug and alcohol abuse treatment must address drug addiction’s mental, emotional, and physical aspects for successful recovery.

Holistic addiction therapies are treatments that heal not just the body, but the mind and spirit as well.  The term holistic refers to treating patients as a “whole” and restoring people to their natural fully integrated state, rather than the fractured parts that addiction leaves in its wake.  Treatments that fall into the category of holistic healthcare include: 

• Massage Therapy
• Yoga & Meditation
• Acupuncture
• Nutritional Therapy

In the field of addiction treatment, holistic treatments are used to complement evidence-based treatments like behavioral therapy and treatment with medication.  A holistic approach to addiction treatment addresses the broad set of factors that have played a role in the development of drug addiction in a person and helps to resolve the underlying causes of addiction. 

Holistic substance abuse therapies also help many people who have difficulty articulating their feelings in more traditional talk therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Holistic addiction treatment provides an opportunity to work through the challenges of addiction without always having to find the right words.  

For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.

Holistic Therapies That Support Addiction Treatment

In addiction recovery, holistic treatments are used in the drug withdrawal process, as well as during drug and alcohol rehab.  They are used to augment and enhance aspects of standard addiction treatments. Some holistic therapies that may help in drug addiction treatment include:

Nutritional Therapy

Substance abuse not only harms the body it can also result in significant nutritional deficiencies. A healthy body is a crucial foundation for addiction recovery, and nutritional counseling is one of its cornerstones. With the right vitamins and minerals, the body can repair itself and improve the mental health aspects of addiction.  At The River Source, we help patients establish a healthy diet that will nourish their bodies for the long term.  We also rely on IV and oral vitamin therapy and amino acid therapy because many come to rehab so depleted that they benefit from strong supplementation right away.  IV nutritional therapy not only helps to heal the physical damage caused by drugs and alcohol but restoring the body’s chemistry also helps to balance the mind and emotions. 

Exercise and Recreational Therapy

Daily exercise can help build a routine, relieve stress, encourage detoxification, and strengthen the body.  Exercise also releases endorphins that the body may not be able to regulate on its own because of drug abuse, which can also help in mood disorders.  In addition, establishing a habit of regular exercise during treatment sets up a new healthy coping strategy that people in recovery can rely on for life.   

Massage and Acupuncture

Both forms of bodywork help relieve stress and relax the body and can help with the physical and emotional pain of withdrawal and addiction recovery.  Massage and acupuncture can also help address painful conditions that often lead people down the path of opioid abuse and addiction.  

Meditation

Meditative practices, including yoga and tai chi, help increase focus and clarity of mind, improve the mind-body connection, and teach mindfulness practices that are key for relapse prevention. Meditation therapy can also help ease many mental health symptoms that many people deal with while in addiction recovery, including stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

How Holistic Addiction Treatment Works

Holistic addiction treatment can help address the physical, mental, and emotional components of drug and alcohol addiction. In addiction recovery, people will experience adverse symptoms, including emotional stress, mood disorders, insomnia, and poor nutrition due to drug abuse, all issues a holistic approach can help manage. Holistic therapies support addiction recovery by:

• Increasing self-esteem and confidence
• Reducing cravings
• Helping to identify underlying causes of substance use disorders
• Promoting a healthy lifestyle through physical and nutritional health
• Helping to reduce the appeal of alcohol and drug abuse

Truly Holistic Healing at The River Source

Many treatment centers offer holistic therapies, but The River Source is built on a truly holistic foundation.  We incorporate naturopathic and holistic treatments into every aspect of addiction care because our clients show tremendous improvement with it.  Naturopathic medicine is a critical component of our addiction recovery programs that allows our physicians to find and treat the root causes of your drug or alcohol addiction. Our clinically driven evidence-based approach is so effective that we offer a recovery guarantee that allows you to return to our drug and alcohol rehab for free if you complete the entire continuum of care and adhere to treatment plan advice and relapse within a year of graduation. If you would like to learn more about holistic addiction treatment or any other aspect of our program, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331 and start the path to your life in recovery.