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Holistic Therapy
Primrose Lodge take a holistic approach to the treatment of addiction and its common co-occurring illnesses. It is our experience that holistic therapies are extremely powerful in aiding the healing process and in addressing how the individual thinks and behaves. There was a time before holistic therapies were introduced, that those suffering from addiction or mental health problems were just left to suffer, treated through barbaric means or heavily medicated to the point of being hardly able to function. Nowadays, much more is understood about the human brain and how it works, with far more compassionate and effective therapies being used to assist in the recovery process.
Addiction is essentially an illness of the mind that starts in the addict’s thought processes and then exhibits in their subsequent actions. It is the thinking that needs to be addressed in order for them to recover from the obsessive and destructive thinking that drives their addiction. Holistic therapy achieves this on a number of levels without the need for pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals. This is good news for the addict; their brain struggles to differentiate between a pharmaceutical drug and street drug. To the addict’s brain there is no difference and both hold the potential to be abused. For this reason, medications should only be used when absolutely necessary; for optimum results treatment should also have a strong therapeutic element that promotes change in the individual.
What Is Holistic Therapy?
Any therapy that treats the individual as a whole and includes their social, emotional, spiritual and mental well being, constitutes as a holistic therapy. The term holistic therapy covers a wide range of therapies; Primrose Lodge holistic therapies include:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Dialectical behavioural therapy
- 12 step therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Person-centred counselling
- Mindfulness therapy
- Music therapy
- Art therapy
Holistic therapies are very healing to the individual and can be used to address a vast number of illnesses, mental health issues and behavioural problems. Along with treating the mind, they also have a spiritual element, aimed at connecting the individual to their true authentic self and healing the body in the process.
Why Holistic Therapies Work
When it comes to treating addiction and its common co occurring illnesses, we believe, and so it has been proven, that there is no quick fix. Yes the symptoms of drug addiction and mental health illness can be quickly removed using medication, but when it comes to achieving a long-lasting recovery, far more than abstinence through medication is needed. It is important, we feel, to treat all parts of the individual; neglecting a part or parts ultimately results in a relapse. Holistic therapies are very conducive to a long-term recovery as they offer a solution based healing treatment. The principles of the individual therapies can be applied by the individual in their daily life for continual healing and to keep the illness from returning. With a medicinal solution, the problem returns as soon as the medication is removed and the individual makes little progress in terms of changes in their behaviours. For an addict this is dangerous; an addict’s behaviour can be just as damaging with or without the presence of a drug. For an addict or alcoholic to stay clean, they must address all areas of themselves and their lives. Many that come to us, ask what it is that they have to change in order to stop drinking and taking drugs; our answer is simple..Everything! That may seem like an impossible and overwhelming task, but we help each patient to break it down into small achievable goals as they look at what needs to be changed in them as a person, and in their own individual circumstances.
Treating Addiction and Mood Disorders Through Holistics
Addiction is a chronic relapsing illness that resides within in the individual’s mind and their thinking; subsequently it manifests in their actions. It is a progressive illness, which over any given period of time only ever gets worse, never better. The obsessive and self-destructive thinking that an addict experiences, causes them to seek relief through chemical substances and compulsive behaviours. These substances and behaviours change the way that they feel about themselves and the world around them, essentially doing for them what they cannot do for themselves. Take away the compulsive behaviours, alcohol and drugs and the addict is left to face him or herself. This is often extremely painful and uncomfortable and unless armed with healthier coping mechanisms and a way of dealing with their own thoughts and feelings, it is only a matter of time before they seek out their old solution of alcohol and drugs. Years of alcohol and drug abuse causes years of imbalances and pent up emotions. It comes to a point where the individual feels they cannot exist without a chemical in their system. Arrived at this point, they are caught in a perpetual cycle of self-destruction and harm to those around them. In order to recover from addiction, the root causes must be addressed and a different perspective and way of thinking adopted. Holistic therapies achieve this without the need for chemicals. They assist in treating the root causes and beliefs that drive the individual in their addiction; offering a different way of thinking and perspective, and provide healing and growth from past experiences and events. It is our experience that no individual has sunk too low or gone too far in their addiction to recover fully with the aid of our holistic programme.
Holistic therapies have also been proven to be very successful in treating mood disorders and compulsive behaviours; they serve well in restoring the spirit and addressing mental and physical imbalances. Holistic therapies are very safe and involve no chemicals. Often they are talking based therapies, aimed at treating the individual’s mind-set on a deep and corrective level. They also work by bringing the mind, body and spirit into balance and can continue to be applied to keep the individual healthy and safe from relapse. Patients who attend our rehab programme will be shown methods and tools, enabling them to continue treating their own individual illnesses once they have left our care.
Our Holistic Programme
Primrose Lodge offer a comprehensive holistic treatment programme; we combine a number of proven therapies and treatments that are aimed to heal the individual on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Our treatment programme is transformative and only highly qualified and experienced professionals deliver our therapies. Our treatment programme is both interesting and varied, designed to keep the individual motivated and engaged at optimum levels. By treating the whole individual and not just one singular aspect, their chances of recovery are vastly improved. We do all we can to assist our patients in accessing further support on leaving our clinic and completing their inpatient treatment. Our holistic therapies do not cause conflict with any religious or spiritual beliefs that the individual may have. We feel that it is important that our patients remain individual and true to themselves throughout the process of recovery. Our recovery programme provides a long-term solution to addiction and its common co-occurring illnesses. Those admitting to our clinic will receive only the best in addiction treatments and care from our elite team of therapists and counsellors.
For more information on our holistic treatment program, please contact us direct and speak to a member of the team.