Holistic Therapy

Holistic Therapies for Mental Health and Substance Use

Whether you struggle with a mental health condition, addiction, or a combination of both, holistic therapies can help you recover. To explain, the term “holistic” refers to the whole person. This means that holistic treatments help you recover mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Holistic treatments are known to reduce stress, improve your physical health, and help you manage your emotions naturally.[1] In other words, they can reduce symptoms of mental health conditions and help you overcome addiction by replacing substance abuse with natural coping mechanisms.

Mental health and addiction treatment centers use holistic therapies like art therapy, music therapy, yoga, meditation, and more. While holistic care can be incredibly helpful, it is usually paired with evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or medical detox for substance use disorders.

At Palm City Wellness, we integrate evidence-based therapies with holistic care to ensure your mind, body, and spirit recover. We offer holistic care for both mental health and addiction, treating the whole person and helping you recover from co-occurring disorders simultaneously.

In this article, you will learn:

• What is holistic treatment?
• What types of holistic therapies are used to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders?
• What are the benefits of holistic addiction treatment and mental health care?

What is Holistic Therapy?

Holistic therapy is a form of treatment that focuses on the whole patient. It is designed to address your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Holistic practices believe that the mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected, which means one cannot be treated without addressing the other.

Holistic therapy is used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

• Stress and anxiety conditions
• Depression
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Substance use disorders
• Self-esteem issues
• Insomnia
• Chronic pain conditions
• Relationship and family problems

While holistic care can address mental health, addiction, and even some physical health conditions, it is not meant to be a standalone treatment. Mental health and addiction treatment programs like Palm City Wellness use evidence-based therapies in combination with holistic care to create a comprehensive approach to recovery.

What Types of Holistic Therapies Treat Mental Health and Addiction?

There are a wide variety of holistic therapies that can be used to manage mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

Holistic Therapy for Mental Health

Holistic therapy can alleviate the symptoms of mental health conditions by managing stress, teaching you emotional regulation skills, fostering self-acceptance, connecting you with spirituality, and more.

Some of the holistic therapies used to treat mental health include:

• Mindfulness Techniques- Mindfulness techniques keep you focused on the present moment, preventing you from ruminating on the past or future. This can be helpful for a wide range of mental health issues like anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and more.
• Meditation- Meditation is used to calm the mind and reduce stress, which can be helpful for people struggling with anxiety conditions.
• Yoga- Yoga helps connect your mind and body, which can promote an awareness that allows you to recognize symptoms for what they are.
• Massage and Acupuncture- Massage and acupuncture release endorphins and dopamine, which can help reduce stress and manage depression.
• Art and Music Therapy- Art and music therapies help you express underlying emotions that you don’t know how to verbalize.

Holistic Therapy for Substance Abuse

Holistic therapies can help you recover from substance use disorders by teaching you how to cope with negative emotions healthily instead of using drugs and alcohol. They can also alleviate symptoms of underlying trauma, which contributes to the disease of addiction.

Types of holistic therapies used for addiction recovery include:

• Mindfulness Meditation- Mindfulness meditation helps manage addiction by teaching you how to stay in the present moment, which reduces stress and can help you overcome cravings for drugs and alcohol.
• Yoga- Yoga can relieve stress, teaching you a healthy coping mechanism to use when you experience a trigger or a craving.
• Exercise Therapy- Exercise therapy helps you connect with your body and releases feel-good chemicals in your brain, providing you with a healthy way to experience pleasure and reward.
• Nutrition Therapy- When you are recovering from addiction, you are likely suffering nutritionally due to substance abuse. Nutrition therapy teaches you how to eat well, which improves your body and mind at the same time.
• Art and Music Therapy- Art and music therapy can be beneficial for overcoming underlying trauma that contributed to the development of addiction in the first place.

What are the Benefits of Holistic Therapy?

Holistic therapies can be incredibly beneficial for both mental health and addiction. Whether you are struggling with a mental health condition, a substance use disorder, or a combination of both, you should consider engaging in holistic care.

The benefits of holistic therapy for addiction and mental health include:

• Increased self-awareness and learning how to identify the emotions you are experiencing
• Having useful tools for stress relief and managing drug and alcohol triggers
• Improving your coping mechanisms for mental health or addiction symptoms
• Lessening the risk of addiction relapse through an overall improvement in the quality of your life
• Promoting lasting recovery by improving your mind, body, and spirit
• Increasing self-confidence and self-esteem

Get Connected to Holistic Care for Addiction and Mental Health

If you or a loved one suffers from addiction and mental health issues, it’s time to seek professional help. At Palm City Wellness, we offer a combination of holistic care and evidence-based therapies, ensuring you receive the tools you need to achieve long-term recovery.

Contact us today for more information on our holistic services for substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

References:

1. Research Gate: Holistic Therapy to Improve Quality of Life in Chronic Disease Patients