Holistic approach

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You may have heard of the term “holistic treatment” in the field of addiction recovery, but what exactly is it and who can benefit from such treatments?  The medical definition of holistic treatment is an approach that treats the whole person, not just a symptom of a disease.  Holistic addiction recovery does not discount traditional treatment methods, but rather utilize holistic treatment approaches in conjunction with traditional forms of addiction treatment.  While standard addiction treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Medication Assisted Treatments (MAT) are evidence-based treatments that are widely used and accepted in the field of addiction recovery, holistic treatments can help curb withdrawal symptoms, serve as coping tools to help prevent relapse, help with mental health and emotional issues, and enhance mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing as well as overall quality of life. 

What is Holistic Addiction Recovery?

A holistic approach to addiction treatment has been a growing trend in the field of addiction recovery that is incorporated into more standard therapies.  The term “holistic treatment” can be used as an umbrella term that often refers to a “whole person” approach to treatment, meaning that there is a simultaneous focus on mental health and physical health, as well as other areas of an individual’s wellbeing such as spiritual health.  As such, an underlying premise of holistic therapy is that there is an integration of an individual’s body, mind, emotions, and spirit.  Using a holistic approach to addiction recovery, the entire person is addressed in treatment and not just one aspect of the individual or a particular symptom that the individual is presenting.  Holistic treatments are designed to have an effect on the individual’s overall well-being rather than target a particular symptom or behavior.

Today you will find that most inpatient addiction treatment centers, as well as many outpatient addiction treatment programs and even private addiction therapy practices incorporate some aspects of holistic therapies into their approach to addiction recovery.

What Are Some Examples of Holistic Addiction Treatments?

There are a wide range of holistic treatments that can be used in the field of addiction recovery.  Some common forms of holistic treatments used for addiction recovery may include:

· Art, Music, or Writing Therapy

· Yoga

· Nutritional Therapy

· Exercise

· Acupuncture

· Reiki

· Hydrotherapy

· Aromatherapy

· Sound Therapy

· Shamanic Healing

· Energy Healing

· Breathwork

· Hypnotherapy

· Tai Chi

· Meditation and Mindfulness

· Nature Therapy

· Equine Therapy and other Animal Therapies

Who Is a Good Candidate for Holistic Treatment?

Addiction treatment should always be customized to meet the unique needs of each individual. While there are multiple approaches to addiction recovery that are highly effective, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for example, the best treatment outcomes occur when an individual has a customized treatment plan to meet their respective needs.  Needs are based on considerations such as history of substance use, past attempts at addiction treatment (what has worked and what has not worked), co-occurring mental health disorders (dual diagnosis), multicultural differences (age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, etc.), and personality, among other areas.

Being that there are a wide range of holistic treatment approaches for addiction recovery, there are sure to be various approaches that will be beneficial for everyone.  One of the core tenants of holistic therapy and addiction recovery overall is to improve wellness and become an improved version of self.  As such, holistic approaches such as nutritional therapy or exercise can be beneficial for just about anyone.  Especially being that individuals’ physical health has generally deteriorated as a result of substance use.  Holistic therapies are not harmful, and therefore they are often incorporated and encouraged in addiction recovery plans for all individuals.  The best way of finding an approach that is beneficial to an individual's addiction recovery process is by trying them with an open mind and an open heart.