Holistic Medicine: Why It Is Necessary in Drug Rehab

by Fusion 360 Studios Digital Marketing Specialists

Over the past few decades, alternative medicines and treatments have come and gone. Since most people are interested in quick fixes, holistic medicine is seen as a sort of “out there” approach when one can go to the pharmacy and get some medicine to alleviate whatever symptoms seem most troubling.

While this is a great short-term fix, not everything is as easy to fix as the common cold. Drug addiction isn’t a virus; it is a disease that needs something beyond traditional medicine to fix. Enter holistic medicine.

The Canadian Holistic Medical Association defines holistic medicine as:

“A system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health. It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person; including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values […] Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well-being.”

For those under the influence of drugs, holistic healing would involve much more than just taking a nicotine patch. Long-term drug rehab is actually a great form of holistic medicine since it involves changing the circumstances surrounding the addicted person.

Good drug rehab involves changing the mindset that brings about the addiction. No negative external influences to bring the person back down; just encouragement and sobriety to help during the entire process.

Patients in drug rehab facilities are also encouraged to focus on their physical health beyond simply quitting their addiction. They are encouraged to exercise and eat right to mitigate the need for drugs or other things to pick them up from a depressed state.

Meditation can be beneficial during this process to help a person deal with cravings they might have both during and after their time in drug rehab. Urge surfing is an effective technique used by those fighting addiction to calmly deal with the cravings and impulses instead of relapsing back into addiction. It helps users to see cravings as a wave that crests and ultimately disappears, instead of being sucked under by the cravings.

Acupuncture and massage therapy are other types of alternative, holistic medicines that are used to remove toxins or stress from the body. Instead of simply making symptoms of drug abuse recess for a short time, these alternative practices seek to change the person and relieve the symptoms for good.

While holistic medicine may have little clout in other fields, it definitely serves a necessary purpose when used in drug rehab.

Taylor Larsen is a health writer. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Centers. Taylor writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah.