Mind, body, and spirit- this is the most simple definition of what approaching something from a holistic standpoint means. The holistic approach is being used to treat all areas of mental health, from addiction and alcoholism (substance use disorders) to depression and anxiety (mood disorders) to bipolar and borderline (personality disorders). Any kind of mental health disorder, it has been discovered, doesn’t only affect mental health. Instead, most treatment providers have discovered that mental health issues affect both physical health and spiritual health as well. Holistic treatment means creating an integrative plan for each client which assesses all three areas of mind, body, and spirit. Their mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and spiritual well being have to be treated at the same time in order to ensure a greater chance at lifelong recovery. Isolating just one area of treatment negates the other areas of treatment. For mental health issues, there can not be any room for neglect. When someone makes the decision to call for help and enter treatment for a significant amount of time in their life, they need to heal. Most often, people who enter treatment are not well, perhaps more in one area than another. Still, in order to fully recover, they have to heal holistically.
Mental Wellbeing
Mental health is not composed of just one thing. Our thoughts, behaviors, patterns, attitudes, emotions, actions, beliefs, concerns, and stress are all part of our mental wellbeing. Working on mental health is a primary part of recovery. Different types of therapy where a client interacts with a professional therapist help to achieve better mental health. Processing old pain, learning new skills, and developing emotional literacy, as well as stress reduction tools create a more calm state of mind.
Physical Wellbeing
Mental health issues can take a toll on the physical form. A stressed mind, by any means, creates a stressed body. Addiction and alcoholism, for example, actively abuse the body with harmful substances. Depression can cause lethargy and a lack of motivation, reducing exercise and harming physical health. Anxiety, on the other hand, can cause muscle tension and high levels of stress which also harm physical health. Eating disorders can cause organs to shut down. Restoring physical health supports mental health. Trying to recover when in poor physical health can feel like twice the battle.
Spiritual Well Being
How does one define spiritual well being? That is part of the journey. Spiritual discovery is immensely personal. Each individual will go through their own discovery process of what spirituality means to them. Many in recovery for addiction and alcoholism find solace in creating a relationship with a Higher Power or greater ideas of the world around them. Mindfulness and meditation are scientifically backed practices which are rooted in ancient traditions of spirituality. The spirit is what makes us uniquely human. Our spirits, our connection to and lust for life, are often broken under the weight of mental health issues. Spiritual well being helps motivate recovery and give the journey a purpose.
Avalon By The Sea is a dual diagnosis treatment center, offering primary care for both mental health disorders and substance use disorders. All of our programs offer a holistic approach to treatment, healing mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.
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