Holistic Therapy for Addiction Treatment

Addiction is not purely a physical or mental health problem—it encompasses multiple domains, including biomedical, psychological, spiritual, and social or interpersonal functioning. As our understanding of the multifocal nature of addiction has grown, many healthcare providers have begun to embrace a holistic model of addiction treatment, which accounts for the mind-body connection.¹

A comprehensive treatment plan for addiction can include adjunctive holistic therapies. In this page, we will cover the definition of holistic therapy, its benefits in addiction treatment and recovery, what to expect in treatment, and several types of adjunctive holistic therapies.

What Is Holistic Therapy?

Holistic therapy for physical or mental health problems is an approach that incorporates modalities outside of traditional treatment. The term “holistic” refers to how this approach treats not just the medical or psychological aspects of a problem but the whole person, including their social, spiritual, and other needs.

Holistic therapy is considered a complementary approach to evidence-based interventions, meaning that it is a non-mainstream approach used in conjunction with conventional approaches for treatment.² Holistic therapy is often referred to as “whole person health,” because it can help you to improve your health in multiple interconnected areas of your life.²

Homeopathic vs. Holistic Medicine

Though their names are quite similar, homeopathic medicine and holistic approaches are not the same. Homeopathy refers to an approach to medical treatment that utilizes natural medicines and very small doses to treat common ailments.³  Practitioners of homeopathy utilize interventions in place of and outside of conventional medicine.³

On the other hand, holistic medicine is integrative, meaning that in addition to adjunctive therapeutics like yoga, meditation, and healthy eating, holistic practitioners will also use conventional techniques. Holistic therapy is a complementary approach, used alongside mainstream approaches, such as pharmaceutical medication, not in place of them.

Holistic Therapy for Drug Addiction Treatment

Holistic therapy approaches consider multiple domains of functioning and how they interact. For example, a holistic approach to understanding addiction considers how the systems of the body provide information to the brain and nervous system that can reinforce patterns of addictive behavior.¹

In an addiction treatment setting, holistic therapy would include non-conventional approaches that benefit the mind, body, and spirit, in addition to traditional medical or psychological treatment. It is not a stand-alone treatment, but rather, it is one component of a comprehensive treatment plan. It is used to address the multitude of ways that addiction can impact a person’s daily life and overall health, to help you develop long-lasting skills to maintain your recovery.

Benefits of Holistic Therapy

There are several benefits to participating in holistic therapy that go beyond abstinence from addiction. Some of these additional benefits may include:

• Improving sleep—Holistic treatments can have the effect of improving sleep quality. For example, using mindfulness skills, which encourage curiosity and kindness towards one’s own thoughts, can help you to have less anxious or ruminating thoughts and fall asleep more quickly.⁴
• Reducing symptoms of mental health disorders—Mental health disorders often co-occur with substance use disorders. Incorporating holistic practices, like exercise, can reduce mental health symptoms, improve physical health, and help manage stress.⁵
• Reducing cravings to use substances—There is some evidence that indicates that holistic practices like exercise, yoga, and mindfulness can reduce the urge to use substances such as alcohol or nicotine.⁶
• Emotional regulation—Holistic therapy methods can provide a sense of catharsis, or emotional release, to help you regulate your emotions. Using approaches such as meditation or mindfulness, you can learn to accept uncomfortable emotions when they arise, rather than using substances to cover them up.⁷

How Does Holistic Therapy Work?

Holistic therapy is companion treatment to conventional treatments. It works because it augments or supplements other interventions and provides a more whole-person health care experience.¹⁰ This can manifest in different ways, such as your treatment center offering traditional psychotherapy as well as complementary options such as exercise or yoga. It could also include pastoral or spiritual care to benefit your well-being in this area as well.

Certain practices, such as mindfulness, can give you alternative ways to manage cravings and cope with triggers.¹⁰ Still others, like a a regular exercise routine, can improve health and reduce stress. Holistic therapy provides additional tools that can help strengthen the gains made in therapy or with other conventional treatments.

Holistic therapy can be a highly personal experience that helps to understand your unique needs in recovery and help you develop the skills to meet them.

Types of Holistic Therapy

There are many approaches that holistic therapy can encompass, and what modalities will be most beneficial from person-to-person can vary widely. Some of types of holistic therapy include yoga, mindfulness, meditation, expressive therapies such as art or music, or exercise.

Yoga

Yoga is a form of movement that emphasizes the mind-body connection and originated in India as a cultural and spiritual practice.⁶ By blending the movement of your physical body with practices that center your mind, yoga can help you regulate the reward system in your brain, reducing cravings or urges to use substances.⁶

Certain types of yoga, such as yoga nidra or restorative yoga, can teach you how to relax or manage racing thoughts, as the goal of this form of yoga is to achieve a state of rest in your mind and body.⁶

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a holistic therapy approach that focuses on paying attention to the present moment, including noticing any thoughts, feelings, or sensations that may come up with curiosity and non-judgment.⁷

Developing mindfulness skills can benefit you in recovery to address sensations, urges, or cravings to use again that may crop up. Mindfulness teaches you to notice these thoughts and feelings as they arise naturally without judging them, accepting that discomfort is natural and temporary, which resisting the urge to use drugs or alcohol.

Meditation

Meditation is a holistic therapy approach that emphasizes focus, usually on the breath or using chanting, to increase your awareness of the mind and body.⁸ A meditation practice can benefit you by helping to integrate your mind and body together, which can be helpful in understanding the connection between physical sensations and thoughts or emotions that come up in early recovery.⁹

Several types of meditation can benefit you in recovery. One common approach is to maintain a mental focus on one of your senses at a time, such as the feeling of your breath, the sounds in your environment, a visual image you have conjured up, or a repeated word or phrase, known as a “mantra.”⁹

Other forms of meditation that can help with mind-body integration include body scans, which help you to take stock of physical sensations throughout the body, guided or recorded meditations, and walking or moving meditations.

Breathwork

Breathwork refers to a variety of techniques and exercises that focus on conscious breathing to enhance physical, emotional, and mental well-being. These practices range from deep, slow breathing to more rapid and rhythmic patterns, often involving specific instructions on how to inhale, exhale, and hold the breath.

By intentionally controlling the breath, individuals can influence their autonomic nervous system, reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and enhancing mindfulness.

These benefits can collectively contribute to better mental health and support the recovery process for those struggling with addiction.

Arts and Music Therapy

Arts and music therapy can involve a variety of activities that allow patients to explore creative ways of connecting with and expressing themselves to promote health and forces of change.

Arts therapy may include painting, drawing, and coloring, in addition to other mindful art activities.

Music therapy activities may be active or receptive. Patients may listen to, discuss, create, or perform music as led by a trained therapist.

Holistic Therapy for Addiction Treatment in Orange County, CA

If you are interested in addiction treatment that incorporates holistic therapies, Laguna Treatment Center can help you on the path to recovery. Laguna is an Orange County rehab that offers multiple levels of substance use disorder treatment and offers a multidisciplinary approach that can be tailored to your unique needs.

For more information about Laguna Treatment Center, contact our admissions navigators at today to learn more about our treatment center and how we can help you get on the road to recovery. Our team can answer any questions you have about rehab admissions, and help you to determine the right path for you.