Holistic treatment for addictions and alcoholism is not the same as traditional recovery. In fact it is quite different and is generally not as widespread or mainstream. Let’s take a look at some of the real world differences between the two types of treatment.
Traditional treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction is typically:
* 12 step based recovery. The vast majority of programs and rehab centers rely on the 12 step model of recovery. So they are based on Alcoholics Anonymous or sister programs such as NA. The primary method of staying clean and sober is through a spiritual experience brought on by the 12 steps of these programs. The spiritual experience is “a change in personality sufficient enough to bring about real recovery.” In other words, you have to change who you are through a spiritual transformation in order to succeed with these types of programs. This makes up at least 90 percent of the substance abuse community.
* A combination of counseling, inpatient rehab, and group therapy. The inpatient rehab part is usually 28 days or less and is made up of groups, informative lectures, meetings, and so on. Much what you would expect.
How is holistic treatment for addiction different from all this? Holistic treatment typically:
* Does not necessarily draw heavily on the 12 step program.
* Focuses on personal growth and holistic health. So it can be goal oriented and highly personalized to the individual.
* Holistic health means addressing the whole person, not just spiritual growth as in traditional recovery. Therefore it is a more complete program of recovery and can be more effective in the long run (though short term success rates will be comparable). For example, fitness and nutrition might be more important with an holistic alcohol recovery approach, whereas in traditional 12 step recovery, exercise is rarely mentioned and most people at the meetings tend to chain smoke.
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