Holistic Rehab
Holistic Treatment for Drug Addiction
Holistic rehab is typically not delivered in isolation, but rather in combination with other evidence-based forms of treatment like MAT (medication-assisted treatment) and psychotherapy like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).
Holistic therapy is based on the concept that the various systems in your body are considered as whole entities instead of separate, unconnected body systems. The practice of holism or holistic therapy views these various systems as working together in harmony to support your overall health and wellbeing.
In the case of addiction treatment, holistic rehab treats all parts of the individual instead of purely focusing on troublesome symptoms triggered by substance use.
By: Renaissance Recovery
Clinically Reviewed by: Diana Vo, LMFT
Last Updated:
03/24/2024
What is Holistic Rehab?
A holistic approach to addiction therapy involves an array of holistic, alternative, and complementary therapies all gathered under the umbrella of holistic therapy. You will find the approach usually also includes traditional elements of medical practice – specifically, MAT and psychotherapy.
The whole-person approach involved with holistic healthcare interventions can address your physical, psychological, and spiritual needs. This is a much more comprehensive and probing approach than the traditional method of relying only on medication or psychotherapy without any holistic aspect.
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While research in this area is lacking, a 2020 study reviewing 69 different studies evaluating various methods of treating addiction found that treatment efficacy increased when a multi-dimensional and holistic approach was utilized.
Most addiction experts agree that there are many contributing and interlinked factors underpinning addiction. It makes sense, then, to take a multi-pronged approach to treatment.
As you’ll find out below, here at Renaissance Recovery’s California Rehab, our treatment programs for alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder, and dual diagnosis all offer you the chance to supplement evidence-based treatment with holistic elements for a wider-reaching addiction treatment plan.
Some of the different approaches commonly used for holistic rehab include:
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Acupressure
- Tai chi
- EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
- Mindfulness
- Breathwork
- Meditation
- Guided meditation
- Biochemical restoration
- Aromatherapy
- Art therapy
- Hiking
- Surfing
- Nutritional therapy
- Hypnosis
- Herbal therapy
- Massage
- Animal-assisted therapy
- Sound therapy
- Sports and exercise
- Nutritional education
Treating Your Mind
While treating the body in the aftermath of addiction is reasonably straightforward, treating the mind is more nuanced.
With physical problems, it’s possible to take advantage of physical tests to determine what’s wrong and to establish how to fix it. The mind is much more intangible, and as such resistant to such binary testing and diagnosis.
Fundamentally, all addictions and mental health conditions impact the mind. Addressing the mental aspect of the condition is vital if lifelong recovery is the goal.
Substances like alcohol prescription medications and illicit drugs can all alter the way your brain functions. Imagine someone with a demonstrable addiction who plainly denies they have a problem. They may not be deliberately lying, but the substance they are using to excess clouds the mind and they may not perceive any legitimate problem.
While treating the body is beneficial, it’s essential to also tackle the flawed thought patterns and irrational behaviors that are holding you back.
With mental health disorders, these are profoundly based on issues in the mind rather than physical problems. Treating your emotions in tandem with your body is key.
Where to Find the Best Holistic Rehab
What can you do if you feel holistic alcohol rehab or drug rehab presents your most effective route to recovery?
Fortunately, a simple online search should yield plenty of affordable holistic rehab centers near you.
You should also ask friends and family for recommendations. With current SAMHSA data showing that 40 million people in the US have substance use disorder and 28.5 million have alcohol use disorder, there is every chance that someone you know has engaged with holistic rehab.
Alternatively, shortcut the process and explore our range of holistic therapies delivered by specialists here at Renaissance.
What to Expect at a Holistic Alcohol and Drug Rehab
To explore some of the various ways that holistic therapy can help you fight back against addiction to drink or drugs, we’ll focus on how you can benefit from an integrated approach in the following ways:
- Treating your body
- Treating your mind
- Treating your spirit
Treating Your Body
For most people looking to engage with a holistic treatment program, the root cause for seeking treatment is:
- Alcohol use disorder
- Substance use disorder
- Mental health disorder
When addiction co-occurs with a mental health condition, this is known as co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis.
All these issues impact the body in some way. With alcohol, for instance, excessive consumption can affect the liver, kidneys, and heart. All drugs, too, will exact a battery of physical effects when abused long-term. Physical dependence on substances is also integral to most addictions.
The physical treatment of addiction takes on many forms, depending on the specifics of the issue at hand. In the case of alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder, holistic rehab usually starts with medical detox. You can purge your body of toxins under close medical supervision, with the assistance of FDA-approved medications if appropriate.
There are three core goals to treating the body with holistic rehab:
- Repairing damage: If substance abuse or a behavioral addiction has caused any physical damage, treating the body can sometimes trigger at least partial self-repair. You’ll also strengthen your body to better ward off future damage. Prescription medications and some forms of physical therapy can be beneficial, but this must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Improving your overall health: By treating your body as part of a holistic rehab program, you can expect to notice improvements in your overall health. Even if some damage inflicted by substance abuse is permanent, you can still get fitter and healthier regardless.
- Maintaining your health: The stronger you are today, the better equipped your body is to cope with any illness tomorrow.
Treating Your Spirit
The spiritual component of holistic therapy is arguably the trickiest of these aspects to treat.
Even defining the spirit can be challenging. If you’re unsure, think about what animates and motivates you, what makes you the personality and person that you are? All of this derives from your spirit.
In many important ways, your spirit determines how you hope for the future and how you view your purpose in life. Often, addiction results in the loss of hope, a sure recipe for depression. As both issues then feed into each other, an absence of hope and a misplaced sense of purpose can leave some people feeling like recovery is a hopeless and insurmountable barrier instead of a challenging but manageable journey.
Treating the spirit in holistic rehab does not necessarily involve any kind of religious component. For some, this may be the approach they take, typically those with firm existing beliefs. For others, simply acknowledging the existence of the spirit is enough without entering the realm of religion.
Renaissance Recovery’s Holistic Rehab in California
Rehab doesn’t need to be purely functional and boring. With the right holistic therapy program – especially when it’s based in Southern California – you can powerfully connect with nature through hiking, rock climbing, or surfing. You’ll find all these components and more as part of our experiential adventure rehab therapy program here at Renaissance Recovery Center.
Taking part in outdoor activities that stretch you and take you outside your comfort zone can help instill in you the skills needed to overcome the rigors of recovery without relapsing. You’ll sharpen your ability to build relationships, and you’ll learn how to work more effectively as part of a team.
Often, you’ll encounter hobbies or activities you can use to relieve stress and to occupy yourself with when you leave rehab and start reintegrating with daily living. If you found that active addiction has plundered your happiness and robbed you of experiences, engaging with a holistic treatment program can do more than set you going on the road to recovery. You may also find this form of treatment reignites your love for life, too, showing you how it’s perfectly possible to have fun and regulate your emotions substance-free.
Regardless of the scope and severity of your addiction, we’re here to help you at Renaissance. Our holistic therapy programs for alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder also involve the proven effective combination of medication-assisted treatment and talk therapies. Beyond this, our holistic rehab center also offers integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders.
To get things started, reach out to admissions at 866.330.9449.
Rehabilitation can put an end to addiction
Call and ask the facility directly or call your own provider to determine if your insurance covers the treatment.