If you are looking for sustainable treatment options, then you might want to consider taking part in holistic recovery techniques. 

Whilst there are a wide range of recovery medication and therapy techniques, an increasing number of people are turning to holistic recovery techniques in order to recover.

Unfortunately, many people go on to relapse after they attend rehab and undergo their treatment. 

This is because a lot of people’s recovery simply is not sustainable, meaning that whilst it might help them to initially recover, they stand a good chance of going on to relapse later on in life.

Holistic and sustainable recovery techniques include things such as eco-friendly practices, art therapy, music therapy, drama therapy, reiki, equine therapy and mindfulness. 

If you attend a rehab centre, then you will likely be offered some of these recovery techniques.

Whilst some people might disregard the benefits of these holistic recovery techniques, their benefits are widely admired amongst addiction recovery professionals. 

Some of these benefits are explained below.

Holistic Recovery Techniques

Below, we list some common holistic recovery techniques:

1. Eco-friendly practices

Eco-friendly recovery practices have a whole host of benefits. Essentially, eco-friendly and sustainable recovery techniques involve being exposed to nature. 

This could include gardening, forest work, planting fruit and vegetables and even sometimes recycling.

Various studies have now shown that spending time in nature and helping with eco-projects has a proven ability to reduce stress. 

Spending time in nature can help to increase your mindfulness significantly, as you enjoy a slow pace of life. 

Not only this, but you should never underestimate the power of fresh air.

More and more treatment centres are now incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly recovery techniques to their treatment centre offerings, which is having a positive effect on individuals suffering from addiction issues.

2. Art therapy

Art therapy is another holistic recovery technique helping people all over the world to recover from mental health and addiction issues.

Sometimes art therapy involves creating art which can take many forms, including painting, collaging and even sometimes simply admiring art. 

Art therapy has a proven way of entering you into a ‘flow’ state. This state of flow is used to describe when you feel fully embraced into the process of creating, so much so that you temporarily forget everything else. 

Art therapy is also commonly used to help with trauma recovery, as lots of people find that creating art can help individuals to express their trauma in a unique way.

Professionals working in a luxury addiction treatment center insist on integrating art therapy into personalized recovery plans to promote emotional healing. They believe that the creative process allows patients to release suppressed feelings and build healthier ways to communicate their experiences without relying on words alone.

3. Music therapy

An increasing number of addiction recovery centres are now offering music therapy as a form of recovery. 

Similar to art therapy, a lot of people find that listening to music can help them to express themselves and any traumas they might be suffering from.

Music based interventions allow for opportunities for self-expression, the ability to work in a group, harness your imagination and create a synchronised sensory experience.

Similarly to art therapy, a lot of people who engage in music therapy enter a state of flow, allowing you the chance to temporarily forget your worries.

Sometimes, music therapy might simply involve listening to music, although you will get the chance to create some of your own music, too. 

This could involve learning a new instrument, or even editing music. By allowing people the opportunity to learn something new, their self-esteem and confidence will both increase.

4. Drama therapy

Drama therapy is a form of psychotherapy. By acting out certain scenes and taking part in vocalisation and storymaking sessions, individuals are able to express themselves in a way that they might not have been able to before. 

By taking part in drama therapy, you might find that your confidence increases, as well as your ability to communicate with others and express your thoughts and emotions clearly.

Sometimes, during drama therapy, you might be asked to act out certain scenes that might trigger certain aspects from your own life to think about, including how your addiction might impact others. 

You will never be asked to act out a scene that could trigger any negative or disturbing thoughts.

5. Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that uses gentle and relaxing touch to promote well-being. 

During a Reiki session, the practitioner will place their hands just above the patient’s body, where the practitioner’s energy will help to guide the patient’s energy.

Reiki is often used to help the body manage and deal with any stress or trauma [4].

Reiki is being used across different treatment centres to help individuals and sufferers deal with the difficult side effects of the medical detox. 

Detoxing and withdrawing from any addiction substance can be difficult and will put a huge amount of pressure and strain on your body. 

This is why techniques such as Reiki are becoming increasingly more popular.

When it comes to Reiki, there are seven chakras that a practitioner will focus on. Essentially, chakras are energy points on the body. 

Different parts of the body will help you to manage different types of stress and sometimes trauma. 

The seven chakras are as below:

• The throat chakra (throat)
• The root chakra (tailbone)
• The heart chakra (above the heart)
• The sacral chakra (below the belly button)
• The third eye chakra (between the eyes)
• The crown chakra (top of the head)
• The solar plexus chakra (upper abdomen)

Whilst some people might disregard the benefits of sustainable and holistic treatment options such as Reiki, it is becoming increasingly popular across many treatment centres.

However, it is never recommended to solely rely on holistic and sustainable recovery techniques such as Reiki. 

This type of treatment should always compliment other treatment options such as a medical detox and therapy techniques.

6. Equine therapy

Equine therapy involves feeding, grooming and generally looking after a horse or a number of horses in an attempt to help you to recover from addiction or mental health issues. 

Equine therapy helps you to manage your stress levels whilst giving you something very real to focus on.

Anyone who has ever owned or looked after a horse will be the first to tell you that they require a lot of hard work. 

Sometimes, this level of responsibility can be exactly what someone who is recovering from an addiction or mental health illness needs.

By attending equine therapy, you will learn how to care for something and stick to a routine. 

You will slowly and over time build trust with the animals and those around you and will also get a chance to talk through your trauma and anxieties with trained therapy professionals.

7. Mindfulness & yoga

Mindfulness and yoga has been used throughout addiction centres for a while now and have been a proven, sustainable way of helping individuals who suffer from addiction and mental health issues recover. 

Yoga and mindfulness therapy will help you to manage stress, reduce cravings and anxiety.

Whilst some people in addiction treatment might disregard the thought of mindfulness as a technique to recover from addiction issues, an increasing number of treatment centres are offering this as a treatment option.

Whilst these sustainable and holistic addiction treatments are growing in popularity and use across a speciality addiction rehab treatment centre, they should always compliment other forms of treatment, such as medications, a medical detox and other therapy techniques, such as cognitive behavioural therapy.

The post Sustainable Addiction Treatment Options appeared first on Green Prophet.

Our Finnish friends did it before anyone we know and when we were in university we enjoyed a hot tub and then a jump in the snow. But cold water plunges, as our writer Brian does every year in the New Year is a growing trend that has emerged out of the Wim Hoth method.

Want to go for a plunge and don’t live near an ice cold river, lake or sea? The easiest way to make an ice bath is to fill water in an old standalone freezer and if you live in a cold climate just leave it outside. Or buy some blocks of ice for $5 a bag and make a cold plunge out of your bath.

If you live in nature, you can carve a path into the lake or pond in the winter and secured by a rope and a spotter plunge to your heart’s desire. But if you are regular city cold water plunger and live in a warm climate and want the ability to cold plunge at your leisure there are a growing number of products on the market. Mark my words, you will find something in Costco by this summer.

One of the new products is created by a US company called Ice Barrel which makes the Ice Barrel 500. With the name from the 80s this cold water chiller is an upright, spacious, chiller-ready cold therapy tool made to fit nearly every body type and space.

Wyatt Ewing, Founder & CEO of Ice Barrel says: “While we continue to educate consumers on the physical and mental health benefits of cold therapy, we are dedicated to creating innovative products that are effortless to use while providing maximum personal benefit, holistic well-being, and optimal human performance.”

But then again it’s still a sort of luxury item, all plastic, and retailing for $1500.

Key Features include:

• Fully Insulated: Whether you’re using ice or a chiller, the thick polyurethane foam insulation throughout the barrel and lid helps keep your water at your desired temperature longer, especially in warm climates.  Comes chiller-ready without modification, with a fully insulated and UV-resistant lid, a UV and water-resistant cover, and hardware (drain spout, plugs, bulkheads, and seals).
• With an integrated seat and generous interior space, the Ice Barrel 500 allows you to enjoy a comfortable, upright seated position to easily plunge up to your neck and shoulders for maximum full-body benefit.
• Keep it on your roof? Easy To Drain and Clean: Can hold 356 liters (94 gallons) of water and 104 lbs. when empty. Requiring very little maintenance, it is recommended to change the water every four weeks or as preferred using a water stabilizer to keep the water clean. Ice Barrel’s maintenance kit includes everything needed to keep your Ice Barrel 500 clean and functional.

Some people report that cold water plunging helps with pain relief, low moods and improves their immune system. While your city lifestyle might prevent you from getting in nature, we can guarantee you a better experience cold water plunging in nature.

There are plenty of tutorials online on how to make a cold plunge bath cheaper than $1500:

The Plunge is a read-made cold bath you can install on your porch.

 

The post Looking for an ice barrel cold plunge bath? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Take the time to smell the roses. Chances are you’ve heard this quote about spending some enjoy the simple pleasures of taking a stroll through a field, garden, or any form of nature. If you’ve ever walked through a park or forest, you can attest to some of their benefits.

While these benefits may be intrinsic and felt, researchers are trying to understand why spending time in nature affects mental health. Mental Health has been at the forefront of medical research due to its pervasiveness among children and adults. While research has been around for some time, mental health is becoming less of a taboo topic, and more people are coming forward with their mental health problems.

Benefits of Nature

Research shows that spending time in nature affects overall mental health. Below are some of the mental health benefits of nature.

Spending time in nature can support recovery by lowering stress levels and giving patients a calmer setting for daily routines. In Texas, access to consistent care can shape long-term outcomes for people living with severe mental illness. Families who explore treatment for schizophrenia in Texas often look for programs that combine clinical support, structured routines, and ongoing follow-up. A stable plan makes it easier to manage symptoms and protect daily functioning.

Boosting Mood

A few minutes a day taking a walk in nature has been shown to boost moods. In a 2015 Stanford study, participants were asked to take a 90-minute stroll. Half of them walked in a natural area while the other half strolled in an urban area.

The study examined how settings affected ruminations–the ability to think repetitively about a negative aspect in one’s life. Researchers measured participants’ brain activity and heart rate before and after the stroll.

The results show that participants who strolled through a natural area experienced less brain activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex. The subgenual prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain where emotions are regulated and the most affected area by bipolar disorder and depression.

While researchers didn’t hypothesize why they saw this trend, it’s a clear indication that spending time in nature helps one’s mental and physical health.

Physiological Benefits

Spending time in nature doing activities such as forest bathing or the Wim Hof Method by swimming in ice water can provide physiological and psychological benefits for many people. Aside from getting a dose of Vitamin D and breathing, which are well-documented, researchers have found other health benefits that are more difficult to explain.

A 2010 study based in Korea showed that people who spent time in nature lowered their blood pressure levels, decreased heart rate, and reduced anxiety and stress. Other studies have mirrored these results and claim lessened muscle tension and decreasing migraines and headaches.

Some studies show that just experiencing nature through photos or videos can produce similar effects.

Treating Mental Disorders

Exposing patients to natural environments is an essential aspect of mental health treatment facilities, often incorporating walkways or natural paths adjacent to the center. Monasteries would build their cloisters on land surrounded by greenery and natural forests.

Multiple studies have shown that patients with ADHD, schizophrenia, and Major Depressive Disorder have experienced significantly reduced symptoms after spending 50 minutes walking through nature.

Final Thoughts

Nature can be an effective way to treat your symptoms and promote good mental health. However, it should not be a substitute for traditional therapy but should be a part of your mental health journey. If you have symptoms of mental disorders or feel anxious or depressed, reach out to a licensed therapist today.

The post Mental Health Benefits of Nature appeared first on Green Prophet.