Substance use disorders (SUDs) can be caused by a multitude of factors. However, the one commonality that all SUDs share is that they inflict distress on the complete makeup of an individual, including their mind, body, and spirit.
Successful addiction treatment programs seek to treat the addiction and treat the whole person. Whole-person treatments include programs centered around self-improvement that help individuals identify and heal the root causes of their addiction.
Whole-Person Care
The whole-person approach in recovery is focused on successfully helping a person to manage long-term sobriety. This approach includes both evidence-based clinical modalities as well as holistic treatment services. The whole-person approach also incorporates herbal and naturopathic remedies with pharmaceutical medication.
Whole-person treatments use methods centered on helping the individual to think, feel, behave, and heal in healthy ways. They also prioritize strategies that make self-care a priority.
The goal of whole-person treatments is to focus on helping the patients improve their overall sense of well-being and become healthy in the following areas:
#1. Healing the Mind
Mindfulness treatments help patients learn how to be present in the moment and are effective treatments for assisting patients in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, these treatments can help patients control their cravings and impulse controls, allowing them to improve and strengthen their coping mechanisms.
#2. Healing the Body
Physical activity and exercise can help alleviate stress in recovery and improve one’s overall sense of well-being. In addition to being active, other treatments for the body include massage therapy and nutritional counseling. These treatments will help reset and strengthen the body after a person’s chemical dependence relating to SUD.
#3. Healing the Spirit
Having faith in something larger than themselves helps patients find their purpose in recovery. It also helps to motivate them to stay sober and increases feelings of peacefulness. Connecting with a higher power is not always religious. Patients can also find connections via mediation, nature, or philosophy to help bring them peace, purpose, and motivation to stay sober.
Whole-Person Approach Treatment Examples
Many holistic services can also be considered part of the whole-body treatment approach.
Here at Hawaii Island Recovery, we offer patients the following holistic, whole-person treatments as part of every individualized treatment plan:
- Massage therapy: Reduces stress and anxiety, helping to detox the body, relax the muscles, and improve blood circulation.
- Yoga: Promotes the restoration of balance and strengthens the patient’s mind, body, and spirit connection. This is one of the most popular holistic activities.
- Mindfulness: Practices that teach a person to become present in the moment. They will acquire new skills for reducing stress and anxiety without the use of addictive substances.
- Acupuncture: An ancient Chinese modality that addresses mental/emotional, spiritual, and physical health. Immediate benefits include feelings of calm, improved sleep, increased energy, and a decrease in withdrawal symptoms.
- Nutritional Consultations: Patients receive private consultations to better understand their body’s unique nutritional needs and help them prepare for a lifetime of healthy, sober living.
Additional services of chiropractic care and cryotherapy are also available for an additional cost.
In addition to these treatments, we also use experiential therapy to treat patients in our residential treatment programs. Experiential therapy is a therapeutic group modality that engages our patients in activities designed to inspire them and help foster long-term recovery.
Our experiential therapy treatments include:
- Ocean-based therapy
- Nature-based experiential therapy
- Medicine walks and hikes
Are Whole-Person Treatments Effective?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), successful recovery will address the individual’s complete life. In addition to mind, body, and spirit, other aspects of a person’s life that should be addressed include family, health care, social networks, community participation, housing, and employment.
Patients who participate in their recovery by incorporating self-care activities that they enjoy are more likely to manage their long-term sobriety. Personal satisfaction is a critical factor in recovery success.
By working to align a patient’s mind, body, and spirit, whole-person treatments have been shown to provide long-term recovery success in helping patients manage their sobriety.
How Hawaii Island Recovery Can Help
At Hawaii Island Recovery, we specialize in treating the individual and believe that recovery is available to everyone. Our unique programs offer individualized care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual causes of addiction using evidence-based approaches that foster lasting sobriety.
We are committed to delivering highly individualized, whole-person, patient-centered care to address the long-term physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of recovery. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we are dedicated to helping everyone heal from the damage of addiction.
The whole-person approach in recovery is focused on successfully helping an individual manage their long-term sobriety. Whole-person treatments are patient-centered and are focused on treating and healing a patient’s mind, body, and spirit. Many treatments are holistic in nature and include mindfulness, yoga, massage, acupuncture, and nutritional counseling. The whole-person approach consists of both evidence-based clinical modalities as well as holistic treatment services. It also incorporates herbal and naturopathic remedies with pharmaceutical medication. For more information on how we can help your client with an individualized treatment plan, or for more information on referrals, please call Hawaii Island Recovery at (866) 390-5070 today. Our dedicated team of professionals is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer any of your questions. We are committed to helping patients live a life free of substance abuse, need, and dependence and move them toward a position of self-reliance and freedom. We are here to help.
