There’s no simple formula for lasting sobriety. But one of the most effective tactics out there is a combination of traditional therapy methods and wellness practices.
Here’s the issue with most sobriety programs…
They only treat part of the problem. Someone will go into treatment and receive great therapy. They may even detox their body from substances. But what they often don’t get are the wellness practices that’ll allow them to maintain sobriety in the long run.
As you can imagine, this leads to some huge statistics when it comes to relapse.
Did you know that rates for people relapsing back into drug use after treatment range between 40% and 60%?
With statistics that high, it’s important to spread the word about combining traditional therapy with wellness practices. Doing so can allow mental health rehabilitation programs to treat the whole person.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why Traditional Rehab Programs Fall Short
- Integrating Therapy & Wellness Practices for Sobriety
- 5 Wellness Practices To Aid in Long-Term Recovery
- Finding the Right Recovery Program
Why Traditional Rehab Programs Fall Short
You know the saying, “You can’t see the whole forest for the trees.”
That’s often what happens with traditional therapy. Clinicians try to treat drug addiction with only one approach, rather than combining it with other practices.
Of course, traditional therapy is important. You wouldn’t want someone to receive no therapy at all.
Things like CBT, group counselling, and medication assisted treatment are all great ways to treat mental health as part of your recovery.
But something gets lost when other therapies aren’t included.
Addiction affects your whole being. It damages your mind, body, and spirit. So when someone only goes through traditional therapy, they’re not addressing all of the areas that addiction has hurt.
This is why so many people end up relapsing. Their mind may feel okay, but their body doesn’t.
Top recovery centers around the world like thailand rehab programs are now starting to integrate traditional therapy with other holistic practices.
By combining multiple therapy approaches, recovery centers can treat your mind, body, and spirit.
Think of traditional therapy as just one piece of the recovery puzzle. By adding other wellness practices to your therapy, you can experience a more well-rounded recovery.
Combining Therapy & Wellness Practices For Sobriety
Alright, so now it’s clear that traditional therapy only provides half of the solution. But how can you combat that?
By integrating it with other wellness practices!
Adding wellness practices to your recovery will help you achieve full, long-lasting sobriety. It’ll allow you to heal your mind and body.
People often think of therapy and wellness practices as two different treatment styles. But they can work together to give you the best outcome.
What’s more, over 41% of these people received no treatment whatsoever for their disorders.
That’s staggering when you think about it.
So many people suffering from drug addiction also have some sort of mental illness. And yet, recovery centers aren’t always treating both aspects of their addiction.
When you combine therapy with wellness practices, you have a better chance of recovering from both your mental illness… and your material use disorder.
Here are just a few reasons why combining the two works:
- It allows you to treat both your mental illness and substance use disorder
- You build healthy habits that determination last a generation
- You strengthen the mind-body connection
- You learn how to manage stress without running to substances
Sounds pretty powerful when you lay it all out like that.
5 Wellness Practices To Aid In Long-Term Recovery
Alright, now it’s time to dive into the wellness practices that can truly change your life.
When paired with traditional therapy, these five wellness practices will allow you to attain lifelong sobriety.
Yoga & Mindfulness
You’ve likely heard of yoga before, but did you know just how effective it can be?
Not only does yoga help people in recovery build strength, but it also helps them calm their mind.
Mindfulness goes hand in hand with yoga. You learn how to sit with your cravings and desires, without acting on them.
Yoga and mindfulness work perfectly together to help you emotionally regulate and find inner peace.
Exercise
Exercise is another incredibly helpful practice to better your mental health during recovery.
Why? Because exercise:
- Releases endorphins (your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters)
- Decreases cortisol levels (the stress hormone)
- Improves your sleep quality
All of these benefits will better your chances of staying sober.
Something as simple as taking a daily walk or swim can change the way you feel during recovery.
Nutritional Therapy
Ok, this one might sound a little boring, but stick with this one…
Addiction warps your nutritional intake. Whether you have a vitamin deficiency or your gut health is shot, nutritional therapy can help you rebuild what addiction has stolen.
Your brain won’t function properly if you don’t have the right nutrients. Eating right helps you:
- Stabilize your mood
- Increase energy
- Feel less urges to use
When your body feels good, your mind will too.
Meditation & Breathwork
Both meditation and breathwork are great tools to help with the stress and anxiety that comes with recovery.
Meditation helps you rewire your brain. It creates a gap between the time you experience a trigger, and react to that trigger.
Breathwork is similar in that it allows you to calm your nervous system within minutes. Techniques like box breathing are great for moments where you feel an immediate craving or are facing a high-stress situation.
Creative Therapy
Last but certainly not least, there’s creative therapy.
Creative therapy can consist of anything such as: art therapy, music therapy, and journaling.
You know how sometimes it’s hard to find the right words to express how you’re feeling? Creative therapy allows you to express those emotions without saying a single word.
Many people in recovery find these practices therapeutic because it helps them better understand emotions they’re feeling.
Finding The Right Program
Now that you know all about traditional therapy and how to use wellness practices to your advantage, it’s time to discuss treatment.
Not all treatment centers are created equal. And if you want the most successful recovery, you should be looking for a program that combines traditional therapy with wellness practices.
Here’s what you should look for in a program:
- A facility that uses evidence-based therapy. (CBT, DBT, trauma-informed care, etc.)
- A facility that offers holistic wellness services such as yoga, meditation, fitness, and nutritional therapy.
- Someone who will tailor the treatment to your individual needs. Remember, everyone is different and requires different forms of treatment.
- Access to aftercare. When you leave the treatment facility, you don’t want to be left hanging! Aftercare support is vital to long-term recovery.
At the end of the day, if a recovery center wants you to be sober for life, they’ll treat you like a whole human being, not just a recovering addict.
Wrap Up
If you want your recovery to be successful, you have to combine traditional therapy with wellness practices.
Traditional therapy only allows you to see part of the problem. By mixing it with other therapies, you can ensure you are recovering from addiction in more ways than one.
To sum everything up…
- Traditional therapy isn’t enough to prevent relapse.
- Wellness practices like yoga and thought can help you recover your body as well as your mind.
- Combining therapy with other practices can allow you to treat any co-occurring mental illness.
- Recovery centers that offer both traditional therapy and wellness services are the ones that will get you sober for life.
Recovering from addiction is possible. You just have to do it with the right foundation.
And that foundation comes from combining traditional therapy with wellness practices.
