Addiction and the idea of recovery have historically been tied to criminality and immorality. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), stigma about substance use disorder (SUD) stems from flawed beliefs that addiction is a character flaw or a moral failing. As a result, generations of people have been stigmatized with harmful labels like addict and junkie. In other words, addiction has been cast under a shadow of stigma that places the weight of responsibility on the individual. However, research has shown that a comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment can best support long-term recovery.
According to the World Psychiatry Journal, with advances in neuroscience, there is a greater understanding of the far-reaching impact of addiction. Now, there is greater recognition that SUD is a progressive, chronic, and relapsing disorder. Yet, with greater recognition has come limiting ideas. There are limiting ideas that the chronic and relapsing aspect of addiction makes true recovery impossible. However, substance use and SUD exist on a continuum of severity. Understanding the continuum of severity supports addressing the specific needs of the individual through a holistic approach. A comprehensive and holistic approach to care can highlight many unique paths toward long-term recovery.
At The Guest House, we recognize that everyone heals differently, and your challenges are unique to you. Many traditional rehabs often focus only on treating the substance in SUD and getting you through detox. Although detox and abstinence are important aspects of recovery, they are not the only elements needed for long-term healing. When perceptions of SUD are narrowed to one point, it leaves little room to understand your specific experiences and needs. Therefore, a comprehensive and holistic approach to trauma-specific care can be invaluable to healing the whole of your parts.
Yet, you may question what is a comprehensive and holistic approach to addiction treatment. What makes a comprehensive and holistic approach different from traditional rehab and detox? How can a comprehensive and holistic approach to addiction support your long-term healing and recovery? With a greater understanding of comprehensive and holistic treatment, you can build the tools you need to thrive in recovery.
A Comprehensive and Holistic Approach to Care
In general, comprehensive refers to the inclusive, complete, or broad covering of all the elements or aspects of something. Moreover, when something is comprehensive, it makes a conscious effort to include everything that is needed or relevant to the main thing. As the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes, a comprehensive treatment plan can include a variety of components, approaches, and techniques. Yet, at its core, a comprehensive treatment plan works to:
- Present all identified challenges
- Set goals
- Develop strategies to attain goals
- Design personalized techniques
- Provide specific services designed for each individual
While everyone has different needs, listed below are some of the components you may find in a comprehensive treatment program:
- Recognizing the impact of trauma
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Sexual and or physical abuse
- Emotional and or physical abuse or neglect
- Other adverse experiences
- Community violence
- Poverty
- Exposure to discrimination-based trauma
- Racism
- Sexism
- Sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination
- Ableism
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Identifying the presence of co-occurring mental health disorders
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Recognizing the impact of developmental and behavioral disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Acknowledging the presence and impact of physical health conditions
- Chronic pain
- Life-threatening illness
- Cancer
- Chronic illnesses
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Addressing other interconnected life domains
- Family conflict
- Lack of social support
- Low academic attainment
- Unemployment
- Low income
- Legal issues
Moreover, a comprehensive addiction program does not only look at your challenge with substance use. Rather, it also addresses all the factors that have contributed to your self-defeating behaviors. Addressing all the factors that contribute to your self-defeating behaviors is an important departure from traditional ideals and treatment programs.
As the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) states, historically, only individuals with the most severe SUD received treatment. Treatment was designed around the idea that individuals with addiction had defective personalities or characters. Further, addiction treatment was isolated from other care services as a standalone issue. This separation of SUD treatment from other domains of care has contributed to numerous barriers to long-term recovery, including:
- Incorrect diagnoses
- Ineffective treatment plans
- Poor adherence to treatment plans
- High rates of emergency department and hospital admissions
Thus, some of the issues with traditional rehab include:
- Not understanding SUD as a mental health disorder
- The prevalence of co-occurring disorders
A comprehensive SUD treatment plan not only works to reduce the primary symptoms of substance use but also improves your health and functioning, increases motivation and skills, and supports family engagement. You can find support in traditional therapies like group therapy, experiential therapies like equine therapy, and holistic modalities like yoga.
The integrated nature of a comprehensive treatment plan has shown significant value to multiple domains of well-being:
- Improves health
- Addresses physical and mental health disparities
- Increases long-term recovery
- Supports higher quality of life
What to Expect From a Comprehensive and Holistic Approach
Yet, what does the holistic aspect of a comprehensive and holistic approach look like? A holistic approach focuses on and emphasizes the wholeness of a person. In addition, a holistic approach recognizes the interdependence of the parts of the whole. Thus, a holistic approach to SUD treatment looks at healing you in mind, body, and spirit. Moreover, when a holistic approach says it addresses the whole person, that wholeness is internal and external. A holistic approach also considers your interpersonal relationships, your culture, and the space in which you live.
As the Indian Journal of Palliative Care states, holistic care is a part of a comprehensive model of care. At the heart of holistic care is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Holistic care acknowledges that every domain is interconnected and interdependent. Moreover, a holistic approach invites you to be an active participant in your recovery.
Through the integration of holistic therapies like massage, yoga, meditation, and breathwork, you can find greater personal growth in:
- Self-awareness and self-confidence
- Hope and dignity
- Self-discipline and self-care
- Social connection
- A sense of autonomy
A comprehensive and holistic approach can surface in traditional therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to heal the whole person. Furthermore, the significance of a comprehensive and holistic approach is seen in how detox is supported in an integrated program.
Medical Detox From a Traditional and Holistic Approach
Detoxification is an important step in your journey toward recovery. Much like a comprehensive and holistic approach, the understanding of detox and needs has shifted and evolved. According to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, detoxification is the safe discontinuation of a misused or dependent substance. Some goals of detox are to minimize withdrawal symptoms, alleviate side effects, and provide an opportunity for sustained abstinence. However, not all detox treatments are designed to support building a path toward long-term recovery.
Detox has evolved into several forms over the years to make a more humane and long-lasting impact on well-being. Some social model detox programs focus on detoxification without medication and routine medical care. Medical model detox programs, on the other hand, typically focus on having a medical staff and medication to support you through detox. Moreover, many detox program models intermix concepts as the understanding of detoxification’s place in treatment has evolved. Yet, it is important to remember that medical detox or otherwise does not necessarily equal SUD treatment.
Terms like detox and rehab are often used interchangeably, but there have been significant barriers to accessing continuity of care and proper care coordination for SUD treatment. As noted in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, many short-term inpatient medically managed withdrawal programs or detox centers present barriers to long-term recovery. The transition from a detox center to an outpatient (OP) program or residential program is hindered by a lack of support for follow-up care.
Many detox centers focus on detoxification but lack the resources and training to link clients to appropriate resources like SUD treatment and housing to continue their recovery journey. Thus, linking detoxification to SUD treatment programs, as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states, can reduce the revolving door phenomenon of withdrawal. Therefore, building medical detox into a comprehensive and holistic approach can enhance and support recovery well beyond detox alone. Further, a comprehensive and holistic approach can move beyond medical detox alone to recognize other areas of need in recovery, like trauma-specific programming.
Co-Occurring Relationships: Trauma, SUD, and Mental Health Disorders
Trauma, SUD, and other mental health disorders highlight the interconnected nature of substance challenges. Moreover, the intersecting relationships between trauma and different disorders speak to the need for a comprehensive and holistic approach to recovery. When left unaddressed, the overwhelming distress that accompanies trauma can increase your risk of mental health challenges and SUD. Regarding the relationship between trauma and mental health disorders, experiencing prolonged distress from your trauma increases your risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, mental health conditions associated with trauma also include anxiety disorders and depression.
Thus, mental health disorders like PTSD and other conditions that co-occur with trauma can further increase your distress. You may turn to self-medicating substances like drugs and alcohol to alleviate your symptoms. Self-medicating with substances temporarily creates an illusion that you are feeling better. However, the illusion of good well-being diminishes more and more with greater use. In reality, substance misuse often exasperated the symptoms of mental health disorders.
Furthermore, SUD shares a bidirectional relationship with trauma and mental health disorders, as substance use also causes changes to your brain that impair functioning, like impulse control. For many people, trauma gets buried in SUD and mental health disorders. Therefore, a comprehensive and holistic approach can be of profound value for addressing co-occurring challenges. There is great value in taking the evidence-based benefits of traditional therapies like CBT and pharmacotherapy and applying a holistic approach to them. Together, a traditional and holistic approach can give you the best of both worlds to best support your specific experiences and needs.
A traditional approach can help you work together with your treatment team to understand and treat the functional challenges of addiction, like nutrition deficits. In contrast, adding a holistic approach to treatment can support coping skills and address barriers in your life that can impede recovery, like unstable housing and employment. Thus, a holistic approach can be particularly valuable to the traditional and well-known 12-Step programs.
Value of Integrating 12-Step With a Holistic Approach
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a 12-Step program is a program built to help you recover from SUD, emotional disorders, or other process addictions. A 12-Step program can include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), among others, based on the substance. Further, Social Work in Public Health refers to the philosophy of 12-Step programs as an emphasis on the importance of accepting addiction as a disorder and enhancing your maturity and spiritual growth.
In a 12-Step program, gaps in the continuum of care following treatment are closed to support long-term recovery. Involvement in a 12-Step program is meant to provide support for sustained sobriety, including a support network and 12 guiding principles to follow in recovery. Thus, a 12-Step program can be invaluable to recovery as a readily available, easily accessible, and no-cost resource. However, for various reasons, low and inconsistent attendance and engagement can contribute to gaps in effective recovery support tools.
For some, the idea of sharing your experiences with addiction and recovery in the public group setting of a 12-Step program can feel intimidating. Others, for different reasons, may feel uncomfortable with the spiritual or religious involvement found in many 12-Step programs. Although sharing a volunteer element, many 12-Step programs focus on spirituality rather than a specific religious belief system. Moreover, potential barriers to seeking out support in a 12-Step program can be further dismantled through the support of a holistic approach.
With a holistic approach, you can take foundational components of a 12-Step program like self-observation, self-awareness, and self-acceptance to build a recovery toolkit that helps you thrive at every stage of recovery. For example, various therapeutic modalities within a holistic approach, like adventure therapy, equine therapy, and transformational breathwork, support connection with your inner self. The pain of trauma often steals your courage to confront life stressors and erodes self-awareness and self-understanding. Yet, holistic modalities that invite nature and breathwork support the mindfulness needed to connect with yourself in mind, body, and spirit.
Healing in Mind, Body, and Spirit at The Guest House
At The Guest House, we champion a holistic approach to comprehensive addiction treatment because we know each life and journey to recovery is unique. Moreover, our expert clinicians and co-founders are well-versed in the intersecting relationship between trauma, SUD, and mental health disorders. We recognize that many challenges with SUD and other mental health disorders are rooted in trauma. Thus, we are committed to providing a comprehensive and holistic treatment program that meets you where you are on your journey.
A comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment and recovery provides an access point to healing the whole of your parts. As a result, we provide a multidimensional and personalized treatment model in which you have access to a wide variety of therapeutic modalities. You can explore traditional talk and clinical therapies alongside holistic, creative, and experiential therapies in a trauma-specific center to build the program that best supports you. At The Guest House, you are given the space you need to engage in self-discovery and healing as you work in collaboration with your clinicians to discover your unique path toward long-term recovery.
Your challenges with trauma, SUD, and or other mental health disorders are part of your journey, but they are not you. So, you deserve a treatment program where treatment focuses on helping you heal as a whole person rather than the substance alone. Lasting recovery is more than abstaining from misusing substances or a one-size-fits-all approach that can resolve every issue in your life. With a treatment program based on positivity, support, respect, and kindness, you can foster a purposeful and fulfilling life to thrive in long-term recovery.
Trauma, SUD, and other mental health disorders are often interconnected to each other. However, many traditional rehabs focus on the elimination of substances and abstinence. Although abstinence is an important part of recovery, detox does not address barriers to recovery, like unemployment and unstable housing. Therefore, a comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment recognizes that addiction is more than substance use and is often rooted in trauma and unaddressed mental health disorders. Thus, at The Guest House, we are committed to providing a treatment program that offers traditional and holistic therapies to build a plan of care that matches your experiences and needs. Call us at (855) 483-7800 to learn how a holistic approach can support long-term recovery.