Overcoming an addiction is easily one of the biggest challenges
that an individual abusing substances can endure. It's an accomplishment that
doesn't happen overnight, and in fact for many, it takes years of relapses and
therapy in order to become sober. Methods such as holistic treatment has proven
to be incredibly effective in preventing relapses, maintaining balance, and
implementing practices that can change the overall quality of one’s life beyond
addiction.
What is unique about holistic treatment is that it focuses on the individual as
a whole, rather than addressing an addict’s individual issues. Holistic
treatment focuses on the person's physical, emotional, spiritual, and
nutritional needs.
Some examples of holistic therapy methods include:
1. Adventure and exercise therapy: Instead of spending all day
in a rehab facility, individuals are taken to the beautiful outdoors in a
supervised area. This gives patients the opportunity to reflect while gazing at
some of the most beautiful mountains, trees, and sunsets. You do not need to be
addicted to substances to recognize the therapeutic benefits of nature.
2. Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy is my absolute favorite. I love to
sit in my room at night and light a lavender candle, as the scent is relaxing.
I have also found that deep breathing essential oils reduces my anxiety
overall. Aromatherapy helps with an addict’s relaxation, mental clarity, better
sleep, and alleviating withdrawal symptoms.
3. Art and music therapy: As an individual who suffers with
anxiety and depression, I have found that listening to music has helped me more
then words can explain. It allows us to express ourselves in a non verbal way,
by listening to words that describe our feelings and deep thoughts. Art and
music therapy is also helpful for those individuals who have trouble opening up
to others, as they can express themselves through their mind and creativity.
In addition to the above tactics, there is also a simple method
to help with addiction recovery: exercise. Exercise can simply start with
putting your headphones in, listening to music that calms you, and talking a
walk. This is something that I do on a daily basis at my home, as my daily
walks are an essential part of reliving my anxiety. The cool thing about
exercise is that it releases and restores dopamine, which is a happiness
enduring chemical in our brain. Going out and engaging in physical activity
such as hiking, swimming, or cross fit can greatly improve one’s mood and
self-esteem. This also works as an advantage for recovering addicts, because studies show that exercise can actually help
return a user’s dopamine levels to where they were before they started using
drugs.
There are many beneficial exercises that have worked for many
over the years in order to recover from addiction. For me, yoga has been the most beneficial. In fact, many recovery
programs teach yoga to addicts as a part of recovery. Yoga specifically focuses
on healing the mind and body, which releases dopamine to the brain. This
is why yoga has helped so many in recovery. Yoga
is a combination of physical poses, controlled breathing, relaxation, and
meditation. It also helps to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart
rate.
Another popular exercise to help those in recover is playing
team sports. Being able to get
together with sober friends and enjoy the outdoors while focusing on sports is
a wonderful and very beneficial way for addicts to recover. Not only does
it provide for a good workout, but also can be an essential part of an addict’s
recovery. This is because forming new relationships that don't involve drinking
or using drugs helps recovering addicts feel like part of society again.
From personal experience, recovering from an addiction is a very
difficult experience. However with the right treatment, exercises, meditation
and mindset, it is very possible to become sober with a new lease on
life.
