Holistic Rehab

What Does Holistic Mean?

Holistic treatment has been around for some time, but not many people know enough about it to have an opinion. The word holistic means “whole person,” and this treatment seeks to treat the entirety of a problem. Holistic treatment approaches usually look at an entire person as a complete organism. Not only does an illness impact the physical part of a person, but also their mind and spirit. Holistic treatments are typically combined with traditional and conventional medicine to create a powerful whole-body healing experience. A holistic approach to healing illness and disease focuses on patients’ psychological and physical needs and their spiritual ones.

The Ancient Origins of Holistic Approaches

Holistic treatment uses techniques such as meditation, yoga, and nutrition to support and enhance traditional medical methods. The shortfall of using conventional medicine is that modern medicine seeks to heal; what it sees. Without an appreciation for the rest of the person’s whole self, the results are far less likely to last. For long-term recovery, holistic care can offer what a person needs. With holistic care, a person can deal with mental and physical problems over the long term. However, many people don’t understand holistic care and, as a result, have an aversion to trying it. Rehab centers have recently started embracing this type of alternative care to supplement their already tried and true methodologies.

Okay, But What Is a Holistic Rehab?

A holistic rehab uses these holistic care methods alongside their already established medical methodologies. Holistic rehabs see substance use disorder as a problem that goes beyond physical and mental addiction. Both of these cause a person to want to keep using the drug, but until the person’s body, mind, and spirit are brought into balance, it’s difficult for the person to leave the substance behind altogether. Through dedicated methods used alongside things like detox and inpatient therapy, a person can successfully break the hold these substances have on them. Not only can they stop using those substances, but they can cut them out of their lives altogether.

What defines holistic rehabs is their alternative approaches to wellness. Many of these unique approaches would seem strange since they utilize methods such as acupuncture, yoga, and meditation. However, research has shown that these approaches bring some level of balance to a person and allow them to be mindful. In recovering from substance use disorder, these feelings of discovery and self-peace can be crucial in helping people re-center themselves and gain perspective on their situation. Even more important is how these alternative treatments interact with a person’s therapy sessions, giving them better ways to use the tools taught to them by their mental health professional.

Common Features of A Holistic Rehab

What are you likely to find in a holistic rehab? Many of the things you’d encounter are similar to a typical rehab center. The core goal of these facilities is to help patients recover from their substance use disorders. There are areas for detoxification of patients that are operated by medical professionals. Alongside these are inpatient rooms that individuals can utilize to help them overcome the mental hold the substance may have on their bodies. Among the typical therapy approaches that one will find in these holistic rehab centers are:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Relapse Prevention Strategy Education
• Family services
• Aftercare planning and counseling
• Nutritional education
• Support group development

Holistic rehab doesn’t do anything extraordinarily different when treating substance use disorder. The true power of these holistic enters is their incorporation of alternative medical approaches. Many of these holistic rehabs utilize:

• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Meditation and Yoga
• Nutritional Therapy
• Reiki and Energy Work
• Biofeedback and Neurofeedback
• Herbal Medicines

Utilizing these methods offers holistic rehab much more scope in covering the problems that their patients are suffering. They aren’t limited by what conventional medicines can do but are free to explore the alternative methods that have shown good promise in trials. These approaches are unique because they don’t just offer the typical recovery pathway to substance use disorder. These rehabs offer you a new way to look at and experience life on the whole.

What Are the Methods Of Holistic Addiction Treatment?

Holistic addiction treatment is similar in a lot of ways to typical rehab. The processes of holistic healing only come into play alongside the already existing framework of traditional rehab methodologies. So what can you expect when you enter a holistic treatment center?

Initial Assessment

The first thing that will happen is that you will be greeted by the staff and shown to a place where an interview can occur. The medical professionals will interview you about your past, history of drug use, and a few other things. These questions are designed to give the holistic treatment center an idea of what you’ve gone through so that the staff can create a proper treatment methodology for you. Addiction is a highly personal condition, and as such, it needs personalized attention in the form of an individual treatment plan. The thorough assessment that the staff will do helps the treatment center tailor a treatment plan to you specifically.

Detoxification

After the assessment, a patient will enter detox. Holistic detox is a little different from the traditional methods of breaking a substance’s physical hold on a person. However, these methods are just as helpful for a patient to overcome the grip of the substance on them. Detox can last anywhere between one to two weeks. Staff usually monitor the process since withdrawal symptoms may become intense, depending on the length of use and how long since the last time the patient had the substance.

Activity-Based Therapy

After detox, a patient has to recover and approach the mental portion of the addiction. Holistic rehab centers allow patients to use activity-based therapy to find healthy ways of using their energy in fun and uplifting pastimes. These are usually physical activities such as sports, weightlifting, exercise, etc. There is good evidence for these activities to positively affect a recovering person’s mental state because of the dopamine it produces. These activities also keep them healthy as they progress through the rest of their therapy.

Nutritional Counseling

Eating properly can help a person develop a more balanced approach to life. Nutritional counseling gives patients the tools they need to plan meals on their own. This therapy gives patients something to occupy themselves with while also teaching them valuable skills that have application when they leave the facility. Some foods help replace the craving that the person may have for the substance. Eating well will not only increase their energy output but will keep them healthy and happy for a longer period, allowing them to re-enter society that much easier.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a well-recognized method of helping patients overcome their addiction. In CBT, a patient is taught to notice the negative thoughts that lead to negative actions. Relapse usually happens when emotional triggers drive a person to think they need the substance to enjoy their life. CBT allows a patient to spot these triggers and consciously deal with them. It allows the patient a level of agency that they never knew beforehand. CBT is a powerful method of controlling one’s urges and desires through direct intervention in one’s thinking process. It remains a well-proven method of helping a patient overcome their dependence.

A Holistic Approach to Medical Detox

Medical detox, as mentioned before, is a crucial part of overcoming the physical hold a drug may have on a person’s body. When a person becomes addicted to a substance, they develop a tolerance to it. This tolerance means that the person needs more of the substance to get the same effect they would have previously had with a fraction of the dosage. The side effect of this is that the person’s body becomes used to having the substance around. The brain rewires itself to force the body to keep giving it the drug.

Naturally, this leads to dependence – a state where the individual can’t function without the substance. Dependence is the first step toward addiction, but these are two different terms altogether. Addiction is a brain disease where a person will make illogical actions just to obtain the substance they crave, even if they become a danger to themselves or others.

Medical detox is a method of controlled withdrawal where a person breaks their physical dependence on a substance. The side effects of withdrawal are often unpleasant, but medical detox can help patients by weaning them off the substance little by little. The intensity of withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person. Withdrawal is necessary to break the substance’s hold on a person. Once the substance remains in the person’s body, they can’t possibly hope to break their dependence on it. For many people, detox is the scariest part of recovery. However, holistic rehabs tend to make it much easier to detox. Contacting a holistic rehab center like Emerald Isle will give you some ideas about what you can expect.

Are Holistic Rehab Settings Covered By Insurance?

While rehab is generally covered by insurance, many of those insurers don’t see the positive effects of holistic treatment. As a result, they may not be willing to cover the full or partial cost of a patient’s stay. The price can be a significant preventative factor for many patients seeking holistic rehab. While insurance companies may not directly cover the cost of holistic treatment, it may be worth it for some patients to pay for expenses out of pocket. Holistic treatment offers some of the best ways to recover over the long term and learn life skills to help a recovering person reintegrate into society.

Achieve Lasting Recovery with Holistic Care At Emerald Isle

When seeking a holistic treatment center, you should know what you’re getting. Among the elements that make for a professional holistic rehab center are:

• A wide variety of treatment options, both conventional and alternative
• Length of the program
• Cost of the program
• Location and whether it offers inpatient/outpatient treatment
• Staff credentials, especially the medical personnel and the alternative practitioners
• Follow-up Care/Aftercare options

These factors should be foremost when looking for a holistic treatment center that can cope with your needs as a recovering person. Emerald Isle offers all of these to our patients and a whole lot more. Our professionals are accredited and well-trained in helping individuals dealing with substance use disorder. Our alternative treatments take into account a person’s individual needs. We believe that each person is unique, and so we offer personalized care that caters specifically to you. Are you ready to experience what Emerald Isle has to offer you? Contact us today, and let’s get started on the road to recovery.