Recovery can be a complicated process that differs greatly for each recovering addict. The optimal treatments for one individual may not yield optimal results for others, resulting in addiction treatment that is highly customizable so individuals can be assured that their respective curricula address their specific recovery needs. While it’s widely accepted that psychotherapy, individual counseling, and group sessions serve as the basis of most addiction treatment programs, there are numerous supplemental, complementary, and even holistic treatments and services rehabs offer to clients for an even greater level of customization and variety. Therefore, the following are seven services offered by alcohol and drug rehabs to ensure that clients’ addiction recovery needs are met over the course of their rehabilitation.
Yoga
While it may not be the first activity that individuals would think of as beneficial in the treatment of addiction, more and more addiction treatment facilities are offering yoga to clients as part of the recovery curriculum. Yoga is an ancient practice that has a number of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. According to those who recommend utilizing yoga for addiction recovery, individuals who suffer from addiction experience a great inner lacking that can be addressed using yoga. In effect, yoga helps individuals to replenish their inner life force, which is a great asset to overcoming chemical dependency.
Food & Nutrition
Nutrition is an overlooked component of health. One of the, unfortunately, effects of addiction is the tendency for addicts to disregard their nutritional needs. Under the influence of certain drugs, substance abusers will lose their appetites while other drugs may increase appetite. The result in the development of very poor, inadequate eating habits and likely a reliance on unhealthy foods. Many addiction treatment programs incorporate life skills therapy sessions that focus on teaching recovering addicts how to meet their nutritional needs, which can even involve more technical skills like learning how to grocery shop and cook healthy meals.
Exercise
Similar to nutrition, many individuals come to see exercise as an unimportant aspect of daily life. However, in recovery many individuals learn the benefits of exercise and how it can promote physical and even mental wellness. In particular, rehabs often offer exercise classes led by instructors who help individuals to learn specific exercises and activities that promote health and well-being.
Dual-Diagnosis Support
Research has found that individuals who have alcohol and drug addiction suffer from comorbid, or co-occurring, mental illnesses at rates that are considerably higher than the rate of mental illness in the overall population. In other words, it’s been found that it’s exceptionally common for individuals who suffer from addiction to also suffer from a mental or emotional disorder. This has led many to wonder whether substance abuse can cause mental illness or whether substance abuse is a symptom of mental illness. According to estimates, individuals addicted to mind-altering, chemical substances are two times as likely to suffer from a mental disorder as someone who is not addicted to alcohol or drugs; the inverse is true as well with individuals with mental illnesses being twice as likely to become chemically dependent. As such, dual-diagnosis support is readily available as part of most addiction treatment programs. The idea is that both diagnoses are related in some way with individuals being unable to achieve long-lasting sobriety if they have a co-occurring disorder with symptoms that have been left untreated.
Experiential Therapies
Whereas we often think of therapy as consisting of one-on-one counseling between a single patient and a therapist, there are actually many different types of therapies with each being effective for addressing specific symptoms. Experiential therapies are forms of therapy that involve clients participating in certain physical activities, or experiences while a therapist observes the behavior in order to make cognitive inferences. There are many possible types of experiential therapies that might be offered as part of one’s addiction treatment curriculum with some of the most common being wilderness therapy, equine therapy, art therapy, and so on.
For instance, equine therapy involves clients interacting with and caring for horses; the patient’s interactions and manner of conduct with the horse can offer a therapist some insight into the patient’s mental and emotional symptoms. Moreover, experiential therapies are much more engaging than other types of therapy, making the experience more fun and enjoyable for clients who may not respond as strongly to traditional psychotherapy.
Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation has recently become a popular treatment option for those in recovery from addiction, especial when in a holistic treatment program. Over the course of active addiction, individuals experience emotional deterioration, which manifests in the form of anxiety, fear, depression, and emotional pain in general. The evidence suggests that using mindfulness meditation for addiction is an effective means of improving one’s state of cognition, which includes general mental and emotional processes. For instance, individuals who become more aggressive or angry while in active addiction can alter their temperaments with mindfulness meditation, helping them to become more accepting and to adopt a more positive outlook.
Relapse Prevention
Although there are many important components of an effective addiction treatment program, relapse prevention is an essential part of the recovery process and ensures the longevity of a recovering addict’s newfound sobriety. Being a rather broad service or treatment, there are many different relapse prevention tools and strategies that help individuals avoid substance abuse triggers that may cause them to relapse back into active addiction. In particular, this often includes learning how to avoid situations in which an individual would be tempted to use alcohol or drugs, implementing a daily schedule and routine, and learning healthy, productive methods for coping with stress, anxiety, and hardships on a day-to-day basis.
Return to Sobriety with Drug Treatment Center Finder
The recovery process is like a puzzle with many pieces coming together to complete a larger picture. Moreover, the individual pieces differ from one recovering addict to the next, allowing individuals the means of addressing their specific recovery needs by choosing the most appropriate therapies and services for their symptoms. If you or someone you love would benefit from learning more about the services offered at alcohol and drug rehabs, Drug Treatment Center Finder is available to help. Call us today at 1-855-619-8070 to speak with a recovery specialist who can guide you or your loved one to a quality addiction treatment program.