It is easy for an addiction to grow and eventually take over someone’s entire life. But most addictions begin without people being aware of these spiraling behaviors. This not only applies to substance addiction but also behavioral addiction. Learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of these various types of addiction is important for prevention and timely intervention.

Addictions to Substances

People may become dependent and addicted to a wide range of substances, including, but not limited to:

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Opioids
• Prescription drugs
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Meth

With repeated and long-term use, people experience urges and cravings, cognitive problems, lack of attention, loss of mental sharpness, low work productivity, and many physical health issues.

Substance addiction also leads to risky behaviors such as sharing needles, having unprotected sex, or contracting transmittable diseases. Many people tend to develop co-occurring mental health symptoms and issues, such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression. When people mix multiple substances, such as alcohol and drugs, or different kinds of opioids, there can be a high risk of life-threatening overdoses.

Behavioral Addictions

Addictive behaviors are not always associated with substance use. Non-substance-related addictions include:

• Food addiction/eating disorders
• Sex addiction
• Social media addiction
• Work addiction
• Video game addiction
• Shopping addiction
• Excessive exercising.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), all entities capable of stimulating a person can be addictive, and whenever a habit changes into an obligation, it can be considered an addiction.

Because behavioral addiction risk factors have the same biological bases as substance addiction, some of them can be treated by methods that are proven effective for the latter. These include SSRI medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and peer-support groups. Some behavioral disorders may create stress that leads people to substance use.

Seeking Treatment Options

Recovery experts now have a big toolkit of treatment methods. They can mix and match treatments based on what condition and symptoms you have. People with multiple disorders or addictions get a dual diagnosis. Treatment for this situation needs to be highly specialized and requires medical staff to work closely with mental health specialists.

Even for people suffering from a single type of addiction, there can be an integrated strategy to design a comprehensive treatment plan. Health professionals will assess your needs and pick from several therapeutic approaches. Or they may suggest changing to a different therapy when you made progress and adjustments in healing.

Different Types of Addiction Treatment Therapies

The most common type of approach to treating both substance and non-substance-related addictions is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The basic principle is easy to understand: our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are closely connected, and all these factors affect our well-being. A trained CBT therapist can help people identify harmful thoughts and behavioral patterns in life. It is a problem-oriented strategy focusing on finding solutions.

Dialectal Behavior Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is based on a biosocial theory to regulate emotions. It tends to people with a disposition toward emotional vulnerability. The therapist integrates many behavioral skills and teaches people how to recognize, understand, label, and regulate their emotions. It is an emotion-focused and change-oriented strategy.

Family Behavioral Therapy

Family behavioral therapy (FBT) has proven to be highly effective in both adults’ and adolescents’ addiction treatment. It involves key family members who can apply new skills of communication and stress management to improve the home environment.

Experiential Therapy

Another popular approach is experiential therapy. The therapist relies on the positive influence of nature, such as art-making, wilderness, or interactions with animals, to help feelings of healing and empathy. It is often used as a complementary treatment to other methods. For example, wilderness therapy can be especially helpful for people with dual diagnoses.

Building a Confident Roadmap to Recovery

Although addiction is a complex disease and takes different forms, we now have many effective tools to address these conditions. To build a confident roadmap to recovery, one needs to be educated about these conditions as well as the most effective treatment methods. To properly comprehend this knowledge, you need to understand not just the science of addiction and recovery, but also the available resources.

If you are looking for a roadmap or supporting a loved one in this journey, it is important to find a one-stop shop that provides you with the necessary coaching and resources. The scope of service offerings at each treatment center varies. But generally speaking, you would have a higher chance of recovery by working with programs that use an integrated approach with licensed staff members. It is also crucial to check out their extended care and alumni programs because continuing care is also important.

Addiction is a complex disease. Substance-related addiction may lead to co-occurring mental health issues. Even after completing detox treatment, some people may substitute non-substance-related addiction for their past addiction. For effective treatment, you need to work with experienced health professionals who work in these intersecting areas. A holistic treatment approach and quality extended care will boost your chance of long-term recovery. At Capo Canyon Recovery, near Mission Viejo, CA, we take pride in our holistic path, which is incremental to a sustainable, long-term recovery. We focus on each stage of recovery, both in terms of physical health and mental health. Our inpatient residential care and outpatient, long-term care programs offer unmatched benefits. We provide excess comfort with an in-house chef, luxurious beds, and an onsite organic garden during your sobriety journey. To learn more about our treatment programs, call us today at (800) 804-8714.

Have you ever enjoyed a walk in nature that leaves you re-energized? Many people get away from their busy lives by immersing themselves in a more natural setting, whether a remote cabin in the woods or just a hike in a park. Nature provides calmness and tranquility that is unrivaled during times of stress.

For people who are going through recovery from addiction, it is good to incorporate nature or outdoor therapy into their daily routines. Placing yourself in green spaces can restore your mental and emotional health while helping you feel connected to a bigger picture of delightful existence.

The Power of Nature Therapy

Healers and religious traditions around the world have long pointed to the healing power of nature. Many integrate the sight or sound of nature (e.g., running streams) into their meditative, immersive experiences. People who participate in nature therapy tend to have lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and happier moods. Nature also presents signs of wonder and awe that distract from negative self-talk.

Nature’s healing power is almost too mystical to be explained. There are, of course, identifiable health-boosting elements such as natural light, fresh air, pleasant sounds, and uplifting stillness. These sharpen our sensations and help balance our body and mind. For people in recovery, spending time in nature can give a sense of renewal. Watching the sunrise brings hope for a new day. Seeing green leaves growing reminds us of the resilience of life.

Benefits to Physical and Mental Health

Outdoor time usually involves more active moving of the body than a sedentary lifestyle. Whether it is running, hiking, swimming, or skiing, exercise helps the brain increase the production of endorphins, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. For people who have achieved early sobriety, the time spent outdoors allows the brain to re-learn natural ways of finding pleasure.

Not everyone has easy access to green or blue spaces. Still, nature therapy also includes farming-related work, animal-assisted activities or playtime, adventures such as water rafting, wilderness experiences, and forest sensory observation. Some of these activities can be formally guided by trained therapists and counselors. With time constraints, you can also add small-scale nature therapy to your home and workplace. These include adding green plants, decorating with photographs of nature, or downloading apps of soothing nature sounds.

Nature therapy also boosts the immune system and regulates our biological clock. Feeling in sync with nature, we experience a boost in mental and emotional wellbeing. Even a short time spent outdoors can reduce stress levels and calm the mind. The awareness of our symbiotic relationship nature can be fulfilling and therapeutic in its own right.

Taking Nature Breaks for Your Health

Nature is never dull. There are different ways to integrate nature therapy into your daily recovery routines. For example, you can plant a rooftop or balcony garden, even if you live in the city. You may consider joining a community agriculture group and enjoy the company of other nature-lovers. You can stargaze outside on summer nights.

Mindfulness can be incorporated into nature-watching. Notice as many different species of plants and animals as you spend time outside in nature. Embrace a loving-kindness from nature to you. Affirm your own worth as part of Mother Nature. Be content with simply being.

Embrace A Broader Vision of Life

People with substance addiction tend to live in a narrower scope of life. The central focus is on acquiring and using substances for pleasurable effects. They often not only ignore family and friends but also what nature has to offer. Recovery grants them another lens through which to appreciate small and simple beauties in the surrounding environment. Appreciating these simple joys is a marker toward improved emotional and mental health.

Recovery is a unique opportunity to restore a natural rhythm in life. Consider the time you spend in front of a computer screen each day. With the global trend toward urban living, many of us are increasingly removed from our natural environment. Now, we need to intentionally get out into the natural world to enjoy these health benefits. Immersive experiences in nature help restore a sense of wholeness against the fragmenting trends of modern urban life.

Nature restores a sense of true happiness. For children and teens who are recovering from substance use, spending time in green space or with animals may help heal them from psychiatric disorders that co-occur with substance use. Connecting with the earth and its various beings can harmonize our internal system. We can humbly acknowledge and affirm our place in the entire ecosystem. This positive outlook may motivate your recovery progress.

Do you know the full spectrum of benefits from nature therapy? Many people know from experience that nature restores a sense of true happiness. For those who are recovering from substance use, spending time in green space or with animals may heal them from psychiatric disorders that co-occur with substance use disorder. At Capo Canyon Recovery near Mission Viejo, CA, we offer a tranquil environment with all the benefits of nature therapy. You can benefit from both our inpatient residential care and outpatient long-term care programs. With an in-house chef, luxurious beds, and an onsite organic garden, you will feel relaxed and begin healing here. Our team also serves gourmet food, made by our in-house chef, for you to enjoy. If you long for reconnecting with nature and with yourself, you will not find a better place than Capo Canyon Recovery. Call us at (800) 804-8714 today. A fresh beginning is here.

Substance addiction affects not just a person’s physical health, but it also negatively reshapes their emotional and mental wellbeing. For this reason, many experts in the recovery field recommend holistic therapy as an approach that takes all these dimensions into account when designing and implementing treatment.

What Is Holistic Therapy?

The word holistic refers to accommodating the whole person by taking into account all systematic factors that impact them. This comprehensive approach acknowledges the interconnectedness of multiple aspects regarding human existence, both internally and externally.

Holistic therapy is designed to meet needs that are not usually focused on in traditional therapy, including medications and psychotherapy. Sometimes it is called complementary or integrated therapy. The many forms of holistic therapy are used to complement traditional addiction treatments.

Common holistic therapies include art therapy, music therapy, nature or wilderness therapy, chiropractic care, herbalism, acupuncture, meditation, and nutritional counseling. Holistic therapy stresses the importance of returning the individual into a natural setting or a creative environment, as nature and creativity have great healing powers.

Benefits of Holistic Therapy

Although different forms of holistic therapy may offer distinct benefits, they have a lot in common regarding restoration of health and destressing. Take stress reduction, for example. Holistic therapies such as meditation and mindfulness exercises are excellent ways to relieve stress naturally. Because people who use substances tend to have emotional numbness, these practices are also helpful in restoring healthy emotional functions in the brain.

Art and music therapy are healthy coping methods for staying sober. Creative projects in these areas can become new hobbies that allow people to enjoy themselves without using drugs or alcohol. They are also common forms of stress relief outside of treatment. The creative and sometimes spiritual elements in art and music can be powerful to bring healing to both the body and the mind.

Stress reduction can be the most effective relapse prevention strategy. By reducing and managing stress, holistic therapy reduces the rate of relapse. Equally important is the fact that these therapies help people find a renewed sense of hope and fulfillment, which is also a critical factor in preventing relapse.

Improving Self-Esteem and Overall Health Through Holistic Therapy

Many holistic therapies strike recovering individuals as new and innovative because they have most likely ignored these aspects of living before. The life of someone with substance addiction is often one without balance. Holistic therapies help restore balance by inviting other fun and healthy activities into their routines.

Addiction tends to damage one’s self-esteem. Addiction can also stem from feelings of low self-esteem, to begin with. Holistic therapies help them to reconnect with themselves. When they find that creativity is inside them, there is a renewed boost to their self-esteem. Being able to better cope with difficult emotions also helps them gain self-confidence in their journey.

Working With Holistic Therapists

A trained holistic therapist understands that your mind, body, and spirit are interconnected and thus directly impact one another. When you work with a holistic therapist, expect them to ask questions to understand all these parts within you. Holistic therapists are trained to have a large deposit of coping skills and practical tools to help you in many areas of life. You should not hesitate to ask questions about these resources either.

Holistic therapists strive to make you feel empowered to move from treatment to long-term healing. Expect advice on everyday living and lean on these practical suggestions. If you require specific help, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or trauma-informed care, most holistic therapists can provide help in these ways too. Most importantly, holistic therapists help you learn more about yourself in the areas of body, mind, and spirit. You will be asked to explore your thoughts, emotions, physical health, spiritual beliefs, and social connections.

Healing Towards Holistic Health

Today many people are experiencing stress and fatigue from consuming nutrient-deficient fast food and harmful water and produce. Many chronic diseases and mental health problems have complicated underlying causes that relate to the interconnectedness of our body, mind, and spirit. Holistic therapy promotes a comprehensive and multi-faceted outlook on our wellbeing by restoring your connection with yourself, environmental factors, and the spiritual dimension.

Holistic therapy works in the recovery community because substance addiction most often has co-occurring mental health issues. The body and the mind need to be treated simultaneously because they are incredible systems. Holistic therapy helps people achieve optimal wellness in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual sense. It empowers people by involving them in understanding their innate ability to heal.

If you or a loved one wants to experience the full spectrum of treatments that help you achieve optimal recovery, you should try holistic therapy in addition to traditional treatment. There are different forms of holistic therapies, including art therapy, music therapy, nature or wilderness therapy, chiropractic care, herbalism, acupuncture, meditation, and nutritional counseling. Each offers unique advantages in bringing healing to certain areas of your health. At Capo Canyon Recovery, we have experience designing unique holistic therapies for our clients. At our treatment center near Mission Viejo, CA, you can meet with mental health experts who are holistically trained. We care about your long-term recovery and well-being. You can benefit from both our inpatient residential care and outpatient, long-term care programs. With an in-house chef, luxurious beds, and an onsite organic garden, we’re here to help you on your journey to all-rounded well-being. Don’t hesitate to call us at (800) 804-8714 today.