Embracing Adventure Therapy for Veteran Healing This Spring

The challenges that veterans face affect daily life year-round. Even with the turn of spring, veterans will still be tasked with addressing the effects of addiction and overcoming the persistent effects of trauma, PTSD, flashbacks, and more. However, spring also brings new therapeutic opportunities for veterans working each day to navigate these challenges in the form of adventure therapy. Utilizing the advantages of the season and the opportunities available through Hawaii Island Recovery can transform the spring season into a wealth of new experiences and change to further each veteran’s healing journey. 

Adventure therapy is a form of experiential therapy that embraces the natural world, physical activity, and community engagement to facilitate psychological healing from trauma, PTSD, mental health disorders, or addiction. It often utilizes physically active activities to empower participants to overcome obstacles and embrace new experiential learning opportunities. Some common examples of adventure therapy include:

However, adventure therapy can also take many other forms, and can be molded to best fit what each veteran may best resonate with. While many of these activities can be fun, they are still supervised by dedicated professionals and are conducted with a focus on the benefits of adventure therapy. Talking with professionals at Hawaii Island Recovery about adventure therapy and the connections Hawaii Island Recovery has to local opportunities, cultural outreach programs, and more can empower each veteran to better understand how adventure therapy may be incorporated into their unique treatment plan. 

Veterans are tasked with not only overcoming stigmas surrounding mental health disorders and addiction that may stymie pursuits of professional treatment but also developing a unique approach to effectively address how addiction, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and the continued impact of military culture all influence daily veteran life. Finding a comprehensive approach to treatment for veterans is paramount, with adventure therapy being just one of the possible options to pursue or one aspect of a larger treatment plan. 

Approaching adventure therapy with an open mind and plan can empower veterans to best take advantage of its benefits. These benefits include:

Each of these benefits can be transformative, empowering veterans to not only pursue a healthier lifestyle in sobriety and treatment but also create a plan to sustain these changes at home. 

Hawaii Island Recovery’s unique rehab in Hawaii celebrates new experiences each day and incorporates adventure therapy into each program through nature-based activities, oceanic healing opportunities, outdoor yoga, and community outreach engagement. However, veterans continuing their healing journey at home can still explore ways to stay engaged in new experiences and activities to further their healing and sober lives. 

Staying physically active is important for continued healing among veterans. Not only can physical activity help veterans navigate urges and cravings but it can also promote a healthier mindset and improve resilience. Planning to incorporate adventure therapy into daily life while transitioning to life outside of a treatment facility can empower veterans to set opportunities and expectations with friends and family for a healthier, physically active lifestyle. Finding hiking paths or deciding to bike to new places can be great ways of staying physically active this spring. 

Others may look to join a local sports league or gym to maintain healthy levels of physical activity and continue to blend these physical outlets with camaraderie, team-building, and more for a successful transition to life outside of a treatment facility, with springtime being a great time to jump into a new sport or season. 

Veterans can also incorporate adventure therapy to facilitate healing with their families. It is common for many veterans to feel isolated after returning home from active duty, with different cultures, experiences, and more all affecting personal relationships. Embracing adventure therapy alongside family can help to repair these relationships and bring the healing opportunities home this spring. 

Engaging in scavenger hunts, hiking with the family, and more can all be great ways of continuing to benefit from the advantages of adventure therapy alongside the loved ones that matter most, facilitating familial healing while navigating the challenges of sobriety and trauma. 

Adventure therapy can empower veterans to better feel the connection between their bodies and minds, and engaging with adventure therapy can facilitate further mindfulness-building strategies and techniques. Blending adventure and mindfulness practices can be a transformative experience, with activities like meditation, yoga, journaling, and more all being great ways of further reducing stress. Getting outside to engage in these activities can also create a more relaxing atmosphere, and even promote a healthier approach to spiritual healing this spring.

Adventure therapy blends the benefits of new experiences with proven therapeutic healing, and we at Hawaii Island Recovery champion the opportunity to explore not just new ways to overcome the effects of addiction and trauma but to also create new lifestyles, hobbies, and empower veterans to explore new identities in sobriety. Your time with us is personalized to address your needs, with many different opportunities for adventure therapy available, all backed by trained, trauma-informed professionals and a community of veteran peers. Whether you are pursuing effective residential treatment or looking for new ways to incorporate adventure into your continued healing as an alumnus, we can help. For more information about our unique rehab in Hawaii, call (866) 390-5070.