Have you found yourself struggling to get through addiction treatment? Or have you relapsed, but dread returning to the same rehab you’ve done before? Chances are, the treatment you’re receiving isn’t meeting your unique needs.

You’re in luck, though, because holistic treatment is available to give you the extra boost you need for your recovery.

What is holistic addiction treatment?

Holistic means comprehensive, or relating to the whole. In regards to addiction recovery, holistic means treatment addresses all aspects of a person’s wellbeing, rather than just fixing symptoms and the addiction itself. Holistic addiction recovery also places special emphasis on simultaneously healing mental illness.

According to the Journal of Psychiatric Drugs, holistic recovery from addictions can incorporate practices like dance therapy, art therapy, Tai Chi, recreation therapy, spiritual development, cultural appreciation, building vocational skills and psychiatric and physical care.

Holistic care is essential to full recovery because it can help you identify and conquer the root of the addiction and find ways to manage cravings. Without it, you may have underlying stressors that contribute to a cycle of relapse and treatment. Holistic recovery promotes long-term, sustainable sobriety because it heals wounds and gives new purpose to life.

How do I know if I need holistic treatment?

Holistic care is for everyone, but it might be more necessary for some than others, and impact you differently at different stages in your journey. ere are some signs that holistic treatment is for you.

Traditional methods are ineffective

For most people in rehab, the go-to methods are psychotherapy and medication. The popular literature holds that these two measures have the highest rate of success statistically. Though proven to be effective, for many people these tools alone are not enough.

If you’ve tried psychotherapy and medication for some time and you’re still barely managing to handle cravings, it’s possible there’s a roadblock holistic therapy can tackle. Maybe the key that was missing is a self-care exercise like yoga, or a sense of fulfillment that you can find through faith practices.

Medications have left you with negative side effects

Many prescribed drugs can help people overcome the hardest days of recovery, especially in the withdrawal period. Although there are surely times when medication is necessary, many individuals prefer to opt for more natural healing. If you’re eager to rid your body of any and all substances, holistic addiction treatment can help with that.

The holistic perspective relies on whole person healing, using natural methods before resorting to other options. While medication can be part of a holistic treatment plan, there will be fewer clinical interventions. Other techniques will be used to decrease stress, minimize pain, build emotional regulation skills and manage anxiety.

You want more variety in treatment

One of the best perks of holistic addiction recovery is that it allows for a wide variety of options. Whether you take up hiking or baking, start rock climbing or acupuncture, or take up nutritional education or stretching, you’ll find that there are plenty of choices to enhance your journey to sobriety.

An integrative approach allows holistic recovery from addictions to be much more personalized than traditional recovery. You can find activities that suit your personality, temperament, location, preferences and budget.

You need an extra dose of motivation

There’s no sugarcoating it— treatment is tough. Even on the best days, you’re still fighting cravings, handling personal concerns and building a new life for yourself. Sometimes we find ourselves wearing thin and need some external encouragement.

If you’re low on motivation, holistic treatment can help. You’ll be with people who can push you to grow in many areas of life. You’ll also have the chance to see your own growth and talents at play, which can build up an intrinsic well of hope to get you through hard times.

You want to enjoy treatment more

Too often we can find recovery to feel like a chore. While there will always be hard work involved in breaking an addiction, treatment shouldn’t feel draining. If you’re struggling to get through inpatient and outpatient treatment, you can look forward to holistic care.

Because holistic care naturally draws on your preexisting interests and hobbies, you’re sure to be more engaged. This can even impact treatment retention, helping you stay connected through the hard moments of sobriety.

You have co-occurring mental illness

The comorbidity rates between substance use and mental health disorders are high, as high as 50 percent according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Holistic recovery from addictions aims to address the whole person, and consequently, addressing co-occurring mental illness is foundational to this framework.

Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD and more are all common diagnoses that people who struggle with substance use may experience. If you’ve wondered whether a mental illness could also be at play, keeping you from full health, holistic recovery is for you.

Take charge and find healing

Holistic addiction treatment is really as good as it sounds. It is personalized, enjoyable and truly healing. Take advantage of everything this integrative approach has to offer with Pyramid Healthcare. Get confidential, award-winning care today, contact us at 888-694-9996.