6 Holistic Approaches to Addiction Recovery & Why They Work

When you’re in recovery from substance use disorder, abstinence is just one component of the treatment process. With a treatment plan that includes holistic addiction therapies, you can achieve improvements in your physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health.

“Holistic treatment means treating the whole person, not just a single problem in isolation.”

Understanding Holistic Addiction Treatment

Holistic treatment means treating the whole person, not just a single problem in isolation. This model of addiction care recognizes how substance use disorders affect people’s bodies, minds, social circles, and work relationships.

Practitioners of holistic addiction treatment do not focus solely on helping people stop drinking or using drugs. Instead, they aim to heal the underlying causes of addiction. They also help clients develop tools that will allow them to thrive in every aspect of their lives. 

With holistic addiction treatment, clients can cultivate resources that they will draw on for the rest of their lives. As evidence-based treatments that recognize the wide-reaching effects of substance use disorders, holistic addiction therapies inspire recovery for years to come.

6 Holistic Addiction Therapies

Holistic addiction therapies complement other evidence-based treatments that help people overcome substance use disorders. These are six of the most common and effective holistic interventions.

1. Art and Music Therapy

Art and music therapy helps clients engage in the therapeutic process through creative pursuits. During sessions, therapists encourage clients to use artistic media to express their unique emotions and challenges. 

Creative expression is a powerful outlet for the challenges that people face while recovering from substance use disorders. By working with a specially trained art or music therapist, clients can learn new ways of coping and expressing themselves that can inspire recovery for years to come.

Many people who struggle with traditional talk therapy approaches find that creative therapy is a much more natural and comfortable step.

2. Dual-Diagnosis Treatment

Dual-diagnosis treatment is an approach to treating substance use and mental health challenges simultaneously. Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that:

• 37.9% of adults with substance use disorders have co-occurring mental health conditions
• 18.2% of adults with mental health conditions have co-occurring substance use disorders
• 52.5% of people with co-occurring disorders receive no treatment whatsoever
• Only 9.1% of people with co-occurring disorders receive both mental health and substance use treatment

In addiction treatment, co-occurring disorders are the norm, not the exception. 

3. Peer-to-Peer Support Groups

One of the most common challenges for people recovering from substance use disorders is a lack of social support structures. 

For many people, breaking free from addiction means leaving friends behind. To succeed, they must separate themselves from those who encourage substance use and forge new relationships on the path to recovery.

Peer-to-peer support groups help restore these essential social structures with people who truly understand. A support group brings people with a common challenge together. During sessions, they collaborate on the work of recovery, lift up one another, and provide feedback and encouragement when things get tough.

4. Sober Living

After a client has graduated from an addiction treatment program, they can find added support and structure in a sober living arrangement. 

Sober living centers are houses or apartments that people in recovery share with others committed to sobriety. These homes may have specific rules to ensure that all residents are sober and moving forward in the recovery process.

5. Nutrition and Exercise

Proper nutrition and physical activity are important components of healing from the effects of living with a substance use disorder. An exercise routine and a healthy diet can have widespread benefits for physical and mental health, such as:

• Increasing energy levels
• Promoting better sleep
• Acting as healthy coping mechanisms
• Reducing a number of common mental health symptoms
• Preventing injury or illness

By focusing on healing your body, you could experience a substantial change in your mood, emotions, and overall mental health.

6. Life Skills Training

Many people who have lived for years with substance use disorders have not developed the practical skills needed to thrive after achieving abstinence. Life skills training programs can help our clients with important aspects of daily life. Training sessions might cover the following:

• Job skills 
• Interview prep
• Healthy communication styles
• Financial literacy
• Goal setting
• Stress management

By equipping clients with the tools they need to lead productive, fulfilling, and engaging lives, life skills training can remove many common obstacles to lifelong recovery.

Start Holistic Treatment at SoberMind Recovery

We created SoberMind Recovery to provide the best evidence-based and holistic treatment approaches, helping clients overcome their addictions once and for all. At SoberMind Recovery, we offer the full spectrum of care to help our clients not only achieve sobriety but also flourish in recovery. Our representatives will help you find the right level of care for your needs. When you’re ready, we’ll be there every step of the way on your journey toward recovery. To get started with treatment, send us a message on our confidential online contact form.