| No one completely understands addiction. The | | | | benefit from increased self awareness, greater |
| complexities of the mind preclude our complete | | | | personal control and discipline, and a sense of calm |
| understanding and although we slowly chip away at | | | | that can pervade a whole day after meditating. |
| the puzzle, scientists concede that they are a long | | | | Learning how to deal with stressors effectively |
| way from any great solutions to the problems of | | | | increases the odds of sobriety, and meditation is a |
| substance abuse and addiction. | | | | very effective strategy to minimize the perceived |
| But even the most ardent of scientists would accept | | | | challenges in life. |
| that there is a spiritual element to the bettering of an | | | | Yoga |
| addiction, and although you can't quantify the impact of | | | | Through a unification of mind and body, through intense |
| the soul, without addressing spirituality in addiction you | | | | concentration and an emphasis on proper breathing, |
| offer an incomplete therapeutic experience. | | | | yoga offers spiritual cleansing, greater self awareness, |
| At its best, drug or alcohol treatment recognizes that | | | | and an increased sense of well being and calm. |
| addiction affect us all on the physical, mental and | | | | Addicts actively using spend little time listening to the |
| spiritual planes, and to offer the best chance at | | | | true messages of the body, and through yoga, |
| recovery treatments need to recognize that interplay | | | | recovering addicts reconnect the physical with the |
| of mind body and soul. | | | | spiritual. |
| When looking at some of the programs offered at | | | | Karate |
| better and holistic drug and alcohol treatment | | | | For many of the same reasons as yoga, training in |
| programs, the cynical might question the value of | | | | martial arts increases focus, concentration, physical |
| classes on yoga, karate and meditation, but these do | | | | connection and transcendent peace. |
| offer therapeutic assistance, do better the problems of | | | | It can be very difficult to measure the impact of |
| the soul, and do give recovering addicts a better | | | | alternative and peripheral therapies, but anecdotal |
| chance at sobriety. | | | | reports of their effectiveness indicate a strong benefit, |
| What types of programs are offer in a holistic drug | | | | and clinical studies have found that meditation training is |
| and alcohol rehab? | | | | just as effective as group therapy for addiction |
| By definition, a holistic drug or alcohol rehab offers a | | | | recovery. |
| complete and comprehensive experience, and holistic | | | | Choose a rehab that treats your whole |
| should not imply that the conventional therapies and | | | | We abuse drugs and alcohol out of an imbalance or |
| effective medications are abandoned in favor of | | | | unhappiness from some part of our being, and unless |
| alternative treatments. The best holistic drug and | | | | we treat the symptoms of discontent in a holistic and |
| alcohol rehabs recognize the medical and treatment | | | | pervasive manner, we risk allowing those basal |
| science has unearthed much of value, and that it | | | | problems to abuse to remain; and once again rear up, |
| would be foolish to abandon completely what has | | | | pulling us back to abuse and unhappiness. |
| proven effective for so many. | | | | Therapy works, 12 steps programs work, medications |
| But since conventional rehabs using clinical techniques | | | | work; but none of these on their own or even in |
| of therapy and medication cannot yet offer impressive | | | | combination offers enough. Get treatment that offers |
| long term recovery statistics, holistic rehab advocates | | | | you the best chance for sobriety, treatment that heals |
| argue that more is obviously needed. | | | | our spiritual selves as it treats the mental and the |
| Meditation | | | | physical. |
| Through courses in meditation, recovering addicts | | | | |