Why Some People Choose a Holistic Addiction Treatment Program (And What That Actually Means)

Yoga mat in a natural setting representing the integration of mind-body practices in holistic addiction treatment

Table of Contents

“Holistic addiction treatment” is one of those phrases that means very different things at different programs. Some use it to describe a clinical model where evidence-based therapy is integrated with mind-body practices in a way that’s structurally part of the treatment. Others use it as a marketing label on top of standard programming, where the “holiday” elements are decorative — a yoga class on the schedule, a smoothie bar, an essential-oils diffuser in the lobby.

Below is a practical look at what holistic treatment actually means when it’s done seriously, who it tends to be the right fit for, and the specific questions worth asking on a first call to distinguish substantive holistic care from marketing-layer holistic care. If you’d like to talk through whether our program is the right fit, our admissions team is reachable at 877-328-1968.

What Holistic Treatment Actually Means

The clinical definition: a treatment model that addresses substance use disorder through multiple parallel approaches — cognitive, behavioral, somatic (body-based), and contemplative (mindfulness, meditation) — because the addiction lives in multiple systems and responds to multi-system intervention.

It’s not the rejection of clinical treatment. It’s the integration of evidence-based clinical practice with body-based and contemplative practices that the research increasingly shows are useful adjuncts. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention is a manualized clinical protocol with peer-reviewed outcome data. Trauma-informed yoga is studied. Movement and exercise as part of recovery has a strong evidence base. These aren’t alternatives to evidence-based care — they’re part of it.

What It Doesn’t Mean

It doesn’t mean rejecting medication. A genuinely holistic program offers medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorder where appropriate. Holistic and pharmacological aren’t opposed; they work alongside each other for the patients who benefit from both.

It doesn’t mean rejecting the diagnostic model. Substance use disorder is a clinical diagnosis with established criteria. A holistic program uses the DSM-5 criteria, ASAM dimensional assessment, and structured treatment planning. The framework is the same; the modalities offered within it are broader.

It doesn’t mean a treatment vacation. The work is real and not easy. Holistic programming doesn’t replace the discomfort of recovery; it offers additional tools for sitting with it.

Who Holistic Treatment Tends to Be the Right Fit For

People with trauma history underneath the addiction. Talk therapy alone doesn’t reach the body-level component of trauma. Somatic approaches, trauma-informed yoga, and body-based interventions add a layer that’s often essential.

People with significant anxiety or stress dysregulation. Mindfulness-based practices have particularly strong evidence in this category. Programs that integrate them produce better outcomes for clients whose addiction is partly driven by chronic anxiety or unprocessed stress.

People who have done outpatient and want a more integrated approach. For clients who’ve been through weekly therapy without the change they were hoping for, a residential program that combines deeper clinical work with mindfulness and movement often produces breakthroughs the outpatient model didn’t.

People for whom mind-body work is values-aligned. Some clients find the contemplative side of recovery meaningful in a way that’s hard to articulate but matters for engagement. Holistic programs tend to retain these clients better than purely clinical ones.

Who It May Not Be the Right Fit For

People with severe acute medical complications. Holistic elements work alongside medical care, not as a substitute. Someone in severe alcohol withdrawal needs medical detox, not yoga. The holistic piece starts after stabilization.

People who are explicitly looking for a behavioral, non-contemplative approach. For clients whose preference is straight CBT or motivational interviewing without the mindfulness layer, a holistic program may include elements they don’t want. Knowing the preference matters.

Six Questions to Ask on a First Call

To distinguish substantive holistic care from marketing-layer holistic care:

How are mindfulness or yoga practices integrated into the clinical treatment plan — are they on the schedule alongside therapy or are they part of the therapeutic work itself?
Are your clinicians trained in evidence-based holistic protocols (MBRP, MBCT, trauma-informed yoga)?
Do you offer medication-assisted treatment for clients who benefit from it?
What’s your position on dual diagnosis — do you treat co-occurring mental health conditions integrated with the addiction work?
How do you measure clinical outcomes, and what does your data show?
What happens to clients whose situation needs medical detox or a higher level of care than holistic outpatient can provide?

The answers should be specific, clinical, and grounded. Vague answers about “mind-body-spirit” without the underlying clinical infrastructure suggest marketing rather than model.

If You’re Considering an Integrated Holistic Program

At Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness, our model integrates evidence-based clinical care with mindfulness-based relapse prevention, trauma-informed yoga, and the somatic practices the research supports. Our clinical team includes licensed therapists, addiction medicine physicians, and trained mindfulness instructors working as one team. The holistic piece isn’t separate from the clinical work — it’s part of how the clinical work happens.

If you’d like a confidential conversation about whether our program is the right fit, call 877-328-1968 or reach out to our admissions team online. The first call is free.

If you or someone you love needs help right now, call our admissions team directly at 877-328-1968 — we’re here to talk.

How Holistic Care Fits Inside Evidence-Based Treatment

“Holistic” only matters when it sits on top of clinically rigorous care. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Effective Treatment identify behavioral therapies, medical management of withdrawal, and integrated treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions as the non-negotiable foundation. A serious holistic program uses modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and trauma-focused care as the spine of treatment, then layers in mindfulness, movement, nutrition, and nature-based work to support nervous-system regulation and overall well-being.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s ASAM Criteria describe addiction as a chronic, multi-dimensional condition that involves biology, psychology, social context, and recovery environment. That framing is, by its nature, holistic: any quality program should be assessing all of these dimensions and matching the person to the appropriate residential, PHP, or outpatient level of care.

What to Look For

Peer-reviewed evidence supports complementary practices such as yoga and mindfulness as adjuncts — not replacements — for evidence-based treatment. A 2018 review published in Substance Abuse found that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce craving and relapse when combined with established therapies. Questions worth asking any holistic program: Who holds clinical licensure? Are co-occurring mental health conditions addressed at the same time as substance use, in line with NIDA’s integrated-care recommendation? Is there a clear plan for step-down care?

For a tailored explanation of how holistic and evidence-based modalities are integrated at Bodhi, our team is available for a confidential consultation.

This article is informational only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you or someone you love is considering treatment, consult a qualified clinician for an individualized assessment.

June 10, 2026/by miaadmin

Movement and Recovery: How Exercise Actually Helps the Brain Heal in Early Sobriety

Wellness

Sunlit running trail through nature, representing the role of movement and exercise in early addiction recovery

Table of Contents

Of all the practices recommended in early recovery, regular physical movement has one of the strongest and most consistent evidence bases. Not as a metaphor or a wellness cliché — as a neurobiological intervention that measurably supports the brain’s healing in the first year of sobriety. The research is solid, the mechanisms are increasingly well understood, and the practical implications matter for how someone structures their early recovery.

Below is a practical, research-informed look at what exercise actually does to the addicted brain, why it works, and how to use it well in the first 90 days and beyond. If you’d like to talk through how this fits into a treatment plan, our admissions team is reachable at 877-328-1968.

What Active Addiction Does to the Brain

To understand why exercise helps, it helps to know briefly what it’s helping with. Chronic substance use produces measurable changes in several brain systems:

Dopamine system dysregulation. The brain’s reward circuitry, normally responsive to natural rewards (food, connection, accomplishment), becomes blunted. Natural rewards feel less rewarding, while substance cues feel more compelling. This is part of why early recovery often comes with a flat or hollow feeling.

Stress system over-activation. The HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) gets sensitized. Small stressors produce outsized responses. This shows up as irritability, anxiety, and emotional reactivity.

Prefrontal cortex changes. The brain region responsible for self-regulation, planning, and impulse control becomes less efficient. The ability to pause between a craving and a response weakens.

Reduced neurogenesis. The growth of new neurons in the hippocampus — important for learning, memory, and mood — slows or stops during chronic substance use.

Recovery involves the gradual rebuilding of all of this. Exercise turns out to be one of the more direct interventions for accelerating that rebuilding.

What Exercise Does

The research on exercise in addiction recovery has accumulated steadily over the last two decades. Several mechanisms are now well-supported:

Dopamine restoration. Regular aerobic exercise increases dopamine receptor density and improves dopamine signaling in the brain regions blunted by chronic substance use. The reward system starts responding to natural rewards again, often within the first few weeks of consistent training.

BDNF production. Exercise dramatically increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports neuron growth, survival, and connectivity. BDNF is one of the key mediators of neurogenesis in the hippocampus — the very system that gets suppressed during active use.

HPA axis normalization. Regular cardiovascular exercise reduces baseline cortisol and improves the body’s ability to recover from acute stress. The result is less reactivity to triggers and less time spent in a sympathetic-dominant state.

Sleep improvement. Exercise (especially morning or early-afternoon exercise) is one of the most reliable interventions for the sleep disruption common in early recovery. Better sleep is itself a major factor in relapse prevention.

Mood regulation. The acute mood lift from exercise is well-documented. The cumulative effect over weeks is comparable in magnitude to pharmacological antidepressants for mild-to-moderate depression — a fact most people in early recovery don’t fully appreciate.

Craving reduction. Multiple studies have shown reduced craving intensity following exercise sessions, with some effects lasting hours. The mechanism appears to combine acute neurochemical changes with the simple displacement effect (you can’t be using while you’re moving).

What the Research Actually Supports

The studies that have shown the clearest benefits use specific parameters:

Frequency: 3 to 5 sessions per week
Duration: 30 to 60 minutes per session
Intensity: Moderate — enough to elevate heart rate noticeably, not so much that conversation becomes impossible
Modality: Aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming) is the most studied. Resistance training adds additional benefits, particularly for mood and self-efficacy. Mind-body practices (yoga, tai chi) add benefits around stress regulation.
Timing: Morning or early-afternoon tends to work better than evening, both for sleep and for circadian rhythm

The single biggest predictor of benefit is consistency. A modest amount of exercise done 4 days a week for 12 weeks outperforms intense exercise done sporadically.

How to Start in Early Recovery

The instinct in early recovery is often to either over-commit (“I’m going to run a marathon this year”) or under-commit (skipping movement entirely while the rest of life feels overwhelming). Both miss.

What works for most people:

Start with walks. 20 to 30 minutes, 4 to 5 days a week, outdoors when possible. This is low enough impact that it’s sustainable, and it captures most of the brain-level benefits.

Add intensity gradually. After 2 to 4 weeks of consistent walking, add some pace, hills, or short jogging intervals. Move toward 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.

Include some mind-body work. One yoga or mobility session per week, particularly trauma-informed yoga for people with trauma history underneath the addiction, adds benefits that pure cardio doesn’t capture.

Track consistency, not performance. The metric that matters in the first 90 days is “did I move today, even briefly,” not “how fast did I run.” Performance metrics can become their own form of compulsive behavior; consistency metrics keep the focus on recovery.

What to Watch For

A small subset of people in early recovery develop a new compulsive relationship with exercise — over-training, restrictive food patterns, identity organized around fitness in ways that look healthy from outside but feel similar from inside. If exercise is starting to take on the role substances used to play (mood management, identity, control), that’s worth raising with your therapist.

If You’re Building a Recovery Plan

At Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness, movement is built into the structure of every level of care — residential, outpatient programming, and aftercare. Our clinical team integrates exercise alongside evidence-based therapy, mindfulness practices, and medication management for substance use disorders that respond to it. The combination tends to be more durable than any single intervention.

If you’d like to talk through what an integrated recovery plan could look like for you or someone you love, call 877-328-1968 or reach out to our admissions team online. The first call is free and confidential.

If you or someone you love needs help right now, call our admissions team directly at 877-328-1968 — we’re here to talk.

The Neuroscience Behind Movement and Recovery

What you may experience as a clearer head after a walk has measurable correlates in the brain. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s research on drugs and the brain describes how substance use disrupts dopamine signaling, prefrontal regulation, and stress response. Aerobic exercise has been shown in peer-reviewed trials to support recovery of those exact systems through increased BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), improved hippocampal neurogenesis, and better executive control.

A 2017 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE reviewed twenty-two studies and concluded that structured exercise programs significantly reduced substance use, depression, and anxiety in people in early recovery, with effect sizes that were clinically meaningful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s physical activity guidelines — 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week — are a reasonable, evidence-based starting target, and many people in early recovery do well at the lower end while their sleep, nutrition, and nervous system stabilize.

Using Movement Inside a Treatment Plan

Exercise works best as one piece of a broader plan that includes behavioral therapy, social support, and, when appropriate, medication. At Bodhi, movement is integrated alongside clinical care across residential treatment, outpatient, and health and wellness programming. If you want to talk through how this could look for your situation, our team is available for a consultation.

This article is informational only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you or someone you love is considering treatment, consult a qualified clinician for an individualized assessment.

June 4, 2026/by miaadmin

Sleep in Early Recovery: Why It’s So Hard, and What Actually Helps

Wellness

Peaceful bedroom in early morning light, representing the difficulty and importance of sleep in early addiction recovery

Table of Contents

If you ask people in their first 90 days of recovery what surprised them most, sleep is often near the top of the list. The expectation going in is that once the substance is gone, sleep will improve. The reality is the opposite for most people: sleep gets worse for weeks before it gets better, and the disruption can be intense enough to be its own relapse risk.

Understanding what’s happening physiologically — and what actually helps — makes the experience much more manageable. It also reduces the catastrophizing that tends to compound the problem (“I’ll never sleep normally again”) when the real story is that the brain is healing on a timeline that can be supported but not rushed. If you’d like to talk through your specific situation, our team is reachable at 877-328-1968.

Why Sleep Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

Most substances of abuse disrupt sleep architecture — the structured cycling between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep that the brain does over the course of a night. Alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants each interfere with sleep in different ways, but the common pattern is suppressed REM and reduced deep sleep.

When the substance is removed, the brain attempts to rebound. REM sleep returns in larger-than-normal quantities, which is why early recovery dreams are often vivid, emotionally intense, and sometimes disturbing. Deep sleep returns more slowly. The overall result for the first 2 to 6 weeks is sleep that feels lighter, more fragmented, and less restorative — even when the total hours look normal on paper.

This phase is part of post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) and is well-documented in the addiction medicine literature. It’s uncomfortable and it’s also, in a real sense, the brain doing exactly what it needs to do.

The Timeline (Roughly)

Timelines vary by substance, length of use, age, and other factors, but a typical pattern looks something like:

Weeks 1–2: Sleep onset is hard, middle-of-the-night waking is common, vivid dreams. Total sleep often less than 6 hours.
Weeks 3–6: Total sleep improves but quality is still off. Mornings often feel unrefreshed. Some nights are surprisingly normal, others are not.
Months 2–3: Sleep architecture begins to normalize. Deep sleep returns more reliably. Dreams settle.
Months 3–6 and beyond: For most people, sleep approaches a new baseline that may or may not match pre-substance use. Some people sleep better than they did during active use. Some take longer to fully restore.

What Actually Helps

The interventions that have the most evidence behind them in early recovery aren’t novel — they’re sleep hygiene practices adapted for the specifics of a healing brain.

A consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends. The circadian rhythm is one of the systems most disrupted by substance use, and the fastest way to reset it is consistency. Going to bed within a 30-minute window every night, and waking within a 30-minute window every morning, accelerates the recovery of the sleep-wake cycle more than almost anything else.

Light exposure in the first hour after waking. Bright light — ideally sunlight, but a 10,000-lux therapy lamp works — within the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking helps reset the circadian clock and improves sleep onset that same night.

Cardiovascular movement in the first half of the day. Exercise improves sleep quality across the board, but timing matters. Exercise too close to bedtime can elevate cortisol and delay sleep onset. Morning or early afternoon is usually optimal in early recovery.

Caffeine cutoff by noon. Caffeine’s half-life is around 5 to 6 hours but can be longer in people with disrupted sleep. A 3 PM coffee can be the difference between sleep at 11 PM and sleep at 1 AM.

A wind-down ritual that doesn’t involve screens. The hour before sleep matters. Reading, gentle stretching, a short mindfulness practice, or any low-stimulation activity that the brain learns to associate with sleep. Screens emit light that suppresses melatonin and engage attention in ways that delay sleep onset.

What to Be Careful About

A few common moves in early recovery make sleep worse rather than better.

Over-the-counter sleep aids. Most contain antihistamines (diphenhydramine, doxylamine), which can produce sleep but degrade sleep quality and cause next-day grogginess. They’re also habit-forming in their own way — sometimes literally, sometimes psychologically. Avoid in early recovery unless specifically prescribed.

Alcohol as a sleep aid. This is the trap. Alcohol initially produces drowsiness, then disrupts the back half of the night. For someone in recovery from alcohol use disorder, the rationalization that “just one to help me sleep” can be the start of a full relapse.

Marijuana as a sleep aid. THC reduces sleep onset latency but also suppresses REM sleep — which is the very thing your brain is trying to rebuild. For someone in early recovery (especially polysubstance), starting cannabis to manage sleep often means trading one problem for another.

When to Get Clinical Help

Most sleep disruption in early recovery resolves with patience and the basics above. The signals that suggest professional sleep evaluation:

Total sleep under 4 hours for more than a week
Loud snoring or witnessed apnea episodes (sleep apnea is common and often unmasked in early recovery)
Persistent insomnia past 90 days despite consistent sleep hygiene
Sleep disruption that’s clearly being driven by an underlying mental health condition — depression, anxiety, PTSD

At Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness, we treat sleep as a clinical variable, not an afterthought. Our integrated program addresses the brain-healing piece of early recovery — alongside the substance use itself — with mindfulness practices, movement, and clinical care that includes psychiatric support when sleep disruption signals something deeper.

If you’re in the first 90 days of recovery and sleep is harder than you expected, or if you’re supporting someone in that window, call 877-328-1968 or reach out online. The first call is free, confidential, and we can talk through what’s normal, what’s worth flagging, and what would help.

If you or someone you love needs help right now, call our admissions team directly at 877-328-1968 — we’re here to talk.

What the Research Shows About Sleep in Early Recovery

Sleep disturbance in early recovery is not a willpower problem — it is a predictable, well-documented physiological pattern. The National Institute on Drug Abuse summarizes research showing that substance use alters the same brain systems that regulate the sleep-wake cycle, including the GABA and dopamine pathways. A 2015 review in Current Psychiatry Reports found insomnia rates of 36 to 91 percent in people in early alcohol and stimulant recovery, often lasting weeks to months.

That same body of research identifies untreated insomnia as one of the stronger predictors of relapse, which is why sleep is treated clinically rather than dismissed as a side effect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s sleep health guidance recommends seven or more hours per night for adults; in early recovery, the path back to that baseline is gradual and uneven.

What Actually Helps, Clinically

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line, evidence-based treatment and is supported by Mayo Clinic and major sleep medicine organizations. Consistent wake time, restricted screen exposure before bed, and a low-stimulation evening routine are the foundation. Programs that integrate sleep care alongside addiction treatment — across residential and outpatient levels of care — generally see better outcomes. If untreated sleep issues are interfering with your recovery, a clinical consultation can help identify the right next step.

This article is informational only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you or someone you love is considering treatment, consult a qualified clinician for an individualized assessment.

June 3, 2026/by miaadmin

Mindfulness in Recovery: What the Research Actually Says About Meditation, Yoga, and Sustained Sobriety

Wellness

Peaceful natural setting representing mindfulness practice in addiction recovery

Table of Contents

Twenty years ago, suggesting meditation as part of addiction treatment would have landed somewhere between fringe and patronizing. Today, mindfulness-based practices are integrated into evidence-based protocols at major academic medical centers, and the National Institutes of Health has funded multiple large trials examining their role in recovery from substance use disorders.

The shift didn’t happen because mindfulness suddenly became more spiritual. It happened because the research caught up to what clinicians were already seeing in practice: people who learned to sit with cravings rather than react to them relapsed less.

Below is a practical, research-informed look at what mindfulness actually does in recovery, what the evidence does and doesn’t support, and where these practices fit alongside the rest of treatment. If you’d like to talk through how this could apply to your situation, our admissions team is reachable at 877-328-1968.

What Mindfulness Actually Means in This Context

“Mindfulness” gets used loosely. In clinical research, it has a specific meaning — the practice of paying deliberate, non-judgmental attention to present-moment experience, including thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions, without trying to change them. It’s a skill, trained through repetition, like cardiovascular fitness.

In addiction recovery specifically, mindfulness training typically looks like:

Short, daily formal meditation practice (5 to 30 minutes)
“Urge surfing” — observing cravings as physical and emotional sensations that rise and fall, rather than commands that must be obeyed
Body scan practices that build awareness of physical tension before it escalates
Mindful movement, often through yoga or walking practice
Integration into daily life — mindful eating, conversation, transitions

What the Research Shows

The evidence base has grown substantially over the last fifteen years. A few patterns are now reasonably well-established:

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) — a manualized 8-week protocol developed at the University of Washington — has shown reductions in substance use and craving compared to standard relapse prevention in multiple randomized trials. The effect is most pronounced at 6 to 12 months post-treatment, suggesting that the skills build over time rather than producing immediate dramatic change.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), originally developed for depression, has been adapted for substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. Studies suggest it’s particularly useful for people with depression and addiction together — a common pairing where one condition’s relapse often triggers the other.

Yoga as adjunctive treatment has a smaller but consistent evidence base. Studies have shown improvements in mood, sleep, stress reactivity, and abstinence rates when yoga is added to standard care — particularly for people whose addictions are tied to trauma history, where the body-based work of yoga complements talk-based therapy.

What the research does not support is mindfulness or yoga as a stand-alone treatment for moderate to severe substance use disorder. The evidence is clear that these practices work best as integrated components of a broader treatment plan that includes medical care, individual and group therapy, and, where appropriate, medication.

Why It Works: The Underlying Mechanism

One of the more interesting findings from the neuroscience side is that mindfulness practice appears to actually shift activity in the brain regions involved in craving and impulse control. Functional MRI studies have shown that people with substance use disorders who undergo mindfulness training develop measurable changes in the prefrontal cortex (associated with self-regulation) and reduced reactivity in the amygdala (involved in emotional response to triggers).

Practically, this shows up as a small but consequential pause between trigger and response. The craving still arrives. The difference is that the brain has been trained to observe the craving rather than immediately act on it — and that pause is where recovery lives.

Where Mindfulness Fits in a Treatment Plan

The honest answer is: alongside everything else, not instead of it. At Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness, our integrated model uses mindfulness practices to support — not replace — the evidence-based clinical work of residential treatment, individual and group therapy, medical detox where needed, and medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders that respond to it.

What we see in practice is that the clients who lean into mindfulness work in early recovery often have an easier time with the second and third months — the window when the acute symptoms have eased but the deeper psychological work is at its hardest. The practice gives them somewhere to go that isn’t using.

Starting a Practice Without a Treatment Program

If you’re not currently in treatment but want to begin building these skills, a few starting points have a strong evidence base:

The MBRP workbook (developed by Bowen, Chawla, and Marlatt) is the closest thing to a self-guided protocol
Apps like Insight Timer, Tara Brach’s podcast, and the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center’s free resources are accessible starting points
Local yoga studios increasingly offer trauma-informed and recovery-focused classes
Many treatment centers and hospitals offer free or low-cost MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) groups

A note: if you’re in active addiction or early recovery from alcohol, opioid, or benzodiazepine dependence, please don’t try to white-knuckle through with meditation alone. Medical supervision during withdrawal is not optional, and the work of mindfulness is much more accessible once the body has stabilized.

If You’re Looking for an Integrated Program

Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness was built around the integration of evidence-based clinical care with mindfulness and holistic practices. Our staff includes licensed therapists, addiction medicine physicians, yoga teachers, and meditation instructors working as one clinical team. The mindfulness work isn’t an add-on at the edges of the schedule — it’s woven into the daily structure of residential and outpatient care.

If you’d like to talk through whether our program is the right fit, or just want a confidential conversation about treatment options, call 877-328-1968 or reach out to our admissions team online. The first call is free, and we can verify insurance coverage on the same conversation.

If you or someone you love needs help right now, call our admissions team directly at 877-328-1968 — we’re here to talk.

What the Evidence Actually Shows About Mindfulness in Recovery

Mindfulness-based practices have moved from the edge of addiction care into the mainstream, but the strength of the evidence is more nuanced than wellness marketing suggests. A 2018 systematic review published in Substance Abuse examined 42 randomized trials of mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders and found significant reductions in craving, stress reactivity, and relapse — particularly when mindfulness was combined with established behavioral therapies rather than used in isolation.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, in its Principles of Effective Treatment, emphasizes that addiction is a complex condition requiring multi-modal care — meaning mindfulness works as an adjunct alongside cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, medical management of withdrawal, and treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions. The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s ASAM Criteria support this layered approach across levels of care.

How to Use Mindfulness Practically

For most people in early recovery, the realistic starting point is short, consistent practice — five to ten minutes a day of breath-focused attention or a body scan — rather than ambitious silent retreats. Yoga that emphasizes breath and interoception, trauma-informed when appropriate, has similar nervous-system effects. These practices are integrated into clinical programming across our residential treatment, outpatient, and health and wellness tracks. If you are deciding how to incorporate mindfulness alongside formal treatment, a consultation can help map a plan.

This article is informational only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you or someone you love is considering treatment, consult a qualified clinician for an individualized assessment.

June 2, 2026/by miaadmin

What Does Fentanyl Smell Like?

Addiction, Blog, Wellness

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful prescription opioid derived from morphine, and often marketed under the brand name Duragesic. The drug is very potent, at least fifty times more so than morphine. Fentanyl is typically reserved for cancer patients who receive palliative care in managing extreme pain.

Fentanyl is easily replicated in clandestine labs in foreign countries, which has led to a flood of illicit product in recent years. The drug is manufactured in various forms, such as pills, a spray, gel patch, sublingual film, lollipops, and liquid form. In the past couple of years, rainbow colored fentanyl pills have been designed to target young customers.

What Makes Fentanyl Dangerous

Fentanyl and its copies are being manufactured in other countries and then widely distributed on the streets of the U.S. The fentanyl has shown up in supplies of heroin, cocaine, meth, and opioid analogs. This is why people are asking, “What does fentanyl smell like, taste like, or look like?” The concern is somehow ingesting fentanyl by mistake.

Because of its extreme potency, there is a high risk of overdose when fentanyl is ingested, even the tiniest amount. Fentanyl overdose is an urgent medical emergency that requires immediate intervention with Narcan administration. It may take two or three attempts with Narcan to revive the person.

Also, as an opioid drug, fentanyl is highly addictive. Once someone has felt the euphoric high, the reward system in the brain prompts the user to seek the drug. Fentanyl cravings then lead to drug seeking behavior, and over time this develops into compulsive drug use, and then addiction.

What are the Signs of a Fentanyl Overdose?

A very small amount of fentanyl can result in fentanyl poisoning. Fentanyl is 80 times more potent than morphine. If an individual has ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl, they will quickly display signs of toxicity. Signs of fentanyl overdose include:

Low blood pressure
Limp body
Extremely groggy or sleepy
Difficulty breathing; slowed breathing rate
Making choking or gurgling sounds
Pinpoint pupils
Unable to walk
Confusion
Dizziness
Cold, clammy skin
Bluish tint on fingernails and lips
Cognitive impairment
Slowed heart rate
Coma

What Does Fentanyl Smell Like?

Fentanyl is a lab-created synthetic compound with no distinct color, smell, or taste. In its pure form it is a fine white or off-white powder, easily blended into or other drugs. This is what has fueled so many overdose deaths, as the user has no idea they are ingesting the potent opioid.

Drug users concerned about ingesting fentanyl by accident wonder, “What does fentanyl smell like?, and “What does fentanyl taste like?” These are valid questions for someone hoping to avoid a lethal outcome.

However, because fentanyl has no real scent, even when smoked, it is impossible to detect its presence by smell. This is even true of the rainbow fentanyl pills that were created to attract young victims. Even though these pills are brightly colored, they have no scent.

How to Detect Fentanyl

In recent years, a new product has emerged to address the problem of fentanyl-tainted drug products. These are small, portable fentanyl test strips, and have already made a significant dent in the number of fentanyl deaths since 2023.

Fentanyl test strips allow users to test a substance before consuming it. They work by a dissolving a small sample of the drug in water, and then inserting the test strip into the liquid. Within minutes, the test strip indicates whether fentanyl is present.

Signs of Fentanyl Addiction

Fentanyl addiction follows the same type of symptom trajectory as other opioid addictions. Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of fentanyl addiction:

Increased tolerance, leading to more uptake of the drug
Plans life around obtaining, using, and recovering from fentanyl
Attempts to cut back or quit fentanyl fail
Fentanyl use is prioritized over socializing with friends and family
Fentanyl addicts ignore their responsibilities and obligations at work or home
Keeps using fentanyl even though it is causing problems in every aspect of life
Engages in doctor shopping to get fentanyl prescriptions
Cravings
Experiences withdrawal symptoms

Fentanyl Detox and Withdrawal

Recovery begins with completing fentanyl detox. A medical detox team provides medical interventions that help ease the withdrawal symptoms and support the person throughout the detox process. Detox takes about a week to complete on average.

Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms may include:

Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach cramping
Muscle aches
Bone and joint pain
Chills
Constant yawning
Tearing eyes
Runny nose
Insomnia
Sweating
Fever
Constant yawning
Fatigue
High blood pressure
Racing heart
Agitation
Depression
Anxiety
Intense drug cravings

Rehab Options for Fentanyl Addiction Treatment

Treatment should begin immediately following the detox and withdrawal, as the person will be very vulnerable to relapse.

Treatment consists of a wide range of therapies, including holistic methods. The goal of treatment is for the individual to engage in behavioral therapies that help them make the needed changes. These are therapies that identify thought and behaviors that have supported addictive actions, and to replace them with healthy ones.

Treatment for fentanyl addiction includes:

Evidence-based therapies
Group therapy
Education
Life skills
Medication
Holistic activities
12-step program or similar
Fitness and nutrition

The level of care needed for a successful recovery outcome depends on the severity of the fentanyl addiction. Another factor that determines level of care is presence of a comorbid mental health disorder, called a dual diagnosis. Residential treatment is the preferred setting for severe addiction and/or dual diagnosis.

Outpatient rehab is another treatment setting to consider. This is best for someone involved in drug abuse but who is not yet addicted to fentanyl. Outpatient provides scheduling flexibility and the person can live at home while in the program.

Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness Provides Treatment for Fentanyl Addiction

Bodhi Addiction Treatment & Wellness offers detox support and treatment for individuals grappling with a fentanyl addiction. If you are seeking information about what does fentanyl smell like, you may benefit from rehab. For immediate guidance, please reach out today at (831) 515-1657

May 3, 2025/by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, M-RAS, CCMI-i

How to Manage Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia During Recovery

Addiction, Alcohol, Blog, Wellness

If you’re taking the brave step of getting sober, you might notice trouble sleeping as one of the first hurdles on your recovery path. Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia is one of the most common symptoms, and it can make an already challenging detox process feel even tougher. But here’s the good news-it’s temporary, and there are proven ways to manage it.

Whether you’re going through this, helping someone else, or thinking about getting help, learning about alcohol withdrawal insomnia is a smart place to start.

This blog explains why insomnia happens during detox, how long it lasts, tips to sleep better, and when to get medical help. If you’re in Santa Cruz, Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness offers care and support to help you recover safely.

Why Does Insomnia Happen During Alcohol Withdrawal?

To understand why insomnia occurs during alcohol withdrawal, it helps to know alcohol’s impact on the brain and sleep cycles. Here’s what happens:

Alcohol as a sedative: Alcohol is a depressant that slows down your brain and central nervous system. It has sedative-like effects, which is why some people use it to fall asleep. However, while alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, it disrupts the deeper stages of sleep, like REM sleep, making your rest less restorative.
Rebound effect after quitting: When you stop drinking, your body struggles to adjust. This leads to a phenomenon called “rebound insomnia,” where your brain tries to balance itself after prolonged exposure to alcohol.
Anxiety and physical symptoms: Anxiety, irritability, and physical symptoms like sweating or shaking during withdrawal can make falling and staying asleep difficult.

Insomnia isn’t just a side effect of withdrawal-it’s a key symptom in post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), which can last for weeks or months after detox. Without good sleep, your body and mind aren’t able to heal fully, making insomnia a roadblock in recovery.

How Long Does Insomnia Last During Alcohol Withdrawal?

The duration of alcohol withdrawal insomnia varies, depending on factors like your history of alcohol use, age, overall health, and support system. Typically, here’s what to expect:

Acute Withdrawal (Days 1-7): The first week is often the hardest. You may experience severe insomnia during this period, accompanied by other withdrawal symptoms like tremors, nausea, and mood swings.
Early Recovery (Weeks 2-8): Insomnia usually begins to improve after the first week, but your sleep may still be irregular. It depends on how long you used alcohol and how it affected your sleep patterns over time.
Long-Term Recovery (Months 2+): For some, insomnia can linger for months as the brain continues to heal. This is often tied to PAWS, highlighting the importance of ongoing support and self-care.

Keep in mind that everyone’s recovery is different. If your insomnia persists or worsens, it’s essential to seek professional help to address any underlying issues.

Effects of Insomnia on Recovery

Prolonged insomnia doesn’t just leave you feeling tired-it can directly impact your recovery. Here’s how:

Weakened resolve: Poor sleep can cloud your judgment and make alcohol cravings harder to resist.
Mental health challenges: Chronic insomnia increases the risk of depression and anxiety, both of which can be triggers for relapse.
Physical health issues: Lack of sleep weakens your immune system, slows physical healing, and can exacerbate other withdrawal symptoms.

The takeaway? Addressing insomnia isn’t optional during withdrawal-it’s a vital part of recovery.

Practical Tips for Managing Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia

If alcohol withdrawal insomnia is keeping you awake at night, there are steps you can take to improve your sleep and support your recovery:

1. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
Avoid blue light from phones or screens at least an hour before bed.

2. Establish a Sleep Routine

Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
Develop pre-sleep rituals like reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath.

3. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Try deep breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation to reduce anxiety.
Use mindfulness apps or guided meditation to calm your mind before bed.
You can also do alcohol detox with a sauna as it helps sooth body and mind, reducing insomnia.

4. Avoid Stimulants in the Evening

Limit caffeine intake after noon.
Eat light meals in the evening, avoiding heavy or spicy foods.

5. Stay Active During the Day

Regular exercise can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime.

6. Avoid Alcohol Substitutes

Some mistakenly turn to over-the-counter sleep aids or other substances, which can carry their own risks. Always consult a healthcare professional before trying new medications.

While these tips can help, remember that insomnia during alcohol withdrawal can sometimes require medical supervision. If you’re struggling to sleep despite your best efforts, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional.

When to Seek Professional Help for Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia

Insomnia can sometimes signal that your withdrawal symptoms need medical attention. You should seek help if:

Insomnia persists for more than a few weeks without improvement.
You experience additional symptoms like hallucinations, seizures, or severe anxiety.
You feel overwhelmed or unable to manage your recovery on your own.

At Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness in Santa Cruz, we specialize in helping individuals manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms safely and effectively. Our team of experts provides personalized care to support your sleep, mental health, and overall recovery.

Take the Next Step Toward Restful Nights and Sobriety

Insomnia during alcohol withdrawal can be tough, but it’s a temporary challenge on the road to a healthier, more fulfilling life. By understanding why it happens and taking proactive steps to manage it, you can set yourself up for success in recovery.

If you’re ready to take control of your sobriety with expert care and support, Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness is here for you. Call our admissions team at (831) 515-1657 to discuss how we can help you sleep better, heal faster, and build a brighter future.

January 10, 2025/by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, M-RAS, CCMI-i

Rehab Northern California for Holistic Treatment

Addiction, Blog, News, Sobriety, Wellness

Holistic Rehab Northern California

Holistic addiction treatment rehabs treat the whole person, not just the disease.

A recent trend toward a more holistic approach to treatment is now front and center in some rehab Northern California programs. Holistic treatment is based on the concept that our wellness involves all aspects of the person: mind, body, and spirit. When one of these realms is unhealthy, it affects all the other areas of our being.

There is an array of holistic methods that are present in treatment programs, right there with the other therapies. The thought is that, without treating all the facets of our wellness, it isn’t possible to sustain sobriety.

Combined with therapy and other mainline treatments, the holistic methods only help to strengthen recovery. Read on to learn more about holistic treatment for substance use disorders (SUD).

Learn More About Holistic Wellness

The goal of holistic wellness is simple: to achieve optimal wellbeing through the healthy functions of the whole person. The thought is that when your mental health is stressed or unwell it will impact your physical health and your spiritual health. This concept follows through to all of these aspects of being. To treat the SUD you must address all these facets of wellness.

This is done through the use of holistic treatments. These will assist the person in healing all areas of their life, not just the symptoms related to the SUD. Learn to quiet the mind, to relax, to reduce stress, to eat healthily, to get proper exercise—and improve wellness.

The Holistic Model for SUD Treatment

For most of the past many decades, SUDs have been treated using traditional methods. These include mostly psychotherapy, education, and medication. The concept of SUD treatment has widened quite a bit in recent years. Not only are there more drugs now to help support recovery, but holistic methods are now part of the landscape.

It is now believed that holistic methods enhance the overall treatment effect of the rehab program. They do this by helping the person to engage in rehab while in a more relaxed state. When people feel relaxed they are more open, calm, and willing to share during group sessions. This also holds true for the one-on-one talk sessions. In classes, when relaxed, more of what is being taught will sink in.

So Many Holistic Treatment Methods to Choose From

Even just ten years ago, rehabs did not include much in the way of holistic treatments. That has really changed now that it is widely known how these methods can augment the treatment outcomes.

Yoga.

Yoga is used as an adjunct therapy in rehab because of its ability to increase strength, reduce stress, and help you achieve a calm mental state.

Meditation.

Spending time in thought and reflection helps the person gain new insights while also gaining control over their feelings. Learning how to meditate can help promote better control over cravings. Having more control over thoughts can help the person take a pause before they respond to a trigger. When prayer time is included in the sessions, it also becomes a source of strength.

Journaling.

The practice of keeping a journal provides an outlet for feelings, thoughts, and prayers. Putting your feelings down on paper helps to reduce stress, versus going over and over an event in your mind.

Mindfulness with deep breathing.

Early recovery is not easy. The mind is still bouncing around and can disrupt any attempts at peace. Mindful awareness can help to better manage roaming thoughts. When coupled with deep breathing techniques, stress is also greatly reduced.

Massage therapy.

Stress can be held in the back, neck, and shoulders. Massage therapy helps to release muscle tensions and toxins in the body. It also calms the mind as the person enjoys being deeply relaxed and in a tranquil state.

Acupuncture.

Placing tiny needles in five areas in the ear can help during treatment, and beyond. This ancient practice assists by reducing pain related to detox symptoms. It can also reduce stress.

Fitness therapy.

Movement benefits both our physical and mental health. Programs that include fitness will help clients improve overall wellness while elevating mood with the release of the feel good hormones.

Art therapy.

Some folks may not be willing to open up during therapy sessions. They may feel self-conscious about revealing their deepest thoughts and fears. These same people may find that art therapy helps them to express their feelings artistically instead.

Aromatherapy.

Using certain essential oils has been found to help people relax and distress. These oils can also help improve sleep. Consider lavender, rose, orange, ylang ylang, and frankincense oils to help reduce stress.

Equine therapy.

Caring for a horse, by feeding, grooming, and exercising the horse, can be helpful in treatment. Helping with the horse’s needs becomes a source for building self-esteem, confidence, and caring for something outside oneself.

Gardening therapy.

The process of planting and caring for a garden can help reduce stress. Being outdoors also helps you increase your vitamin D, which can protect against depression.

When treating someone for a SUD, it isn’t enough to just focus on the disease alone. Many factors underlie a SUD in most cases. Trauma, life events, failed relationships, and illness can be involved. Ignoring all the realms of a person in favor of just treating the SUD is not going to yield long-lasting results.

The mind, body, and spirit work in tandem to create a healthy, centered sense of being. Rehab programs that feature holistic methods offer a more complete approach to treatment. These programs take into account the whole person and all their needs.

Bodhi Addiction Treatment Rehab Northern California

Bodhi Addiction Treatment Center offers a blended approach of evidence-based and holistic treatments. Our unique approach centers on helping clients to function better at all levels of their being. By adding the holistic aspects to the treatment program we believe the long-term results will be strengthened. For more details about our program, please give us a call today at (877) 414-1024.

June 28, 2021/by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, M-RAS, CCMI-i

8 Helpful Coping Mechanisms to Use in Addiction Recovery

Blog, News, Sobriety, Wellness

Learn Addiction Coping Mechanisms Tips on How to Protect Your Recovery

The road to wellness after dealing with a substance use problem should be viewed through a long-range lens. It simply takes time to make such profound changes in your habits and lifestyle choices. Over time, the addiction coping mechanisms you adopt to maintain sobriety will also pertain to health and wellness.

Let’s start with our focus being first on ways to strengthen recovery and reduce relapse risk. There are many very good coping techniques that can help support sobriety. When these are accessed often they soon become new habits. Each of these efforts adds to your commitment to living a sober life.

8 Coping Mechanisms Tips to Use in Recovery

When you begin the road to living a sober lifestyle you need to approach the process from a holistic viewpoint. Holistic simply means to think about how all aspects of your being are functioning at any given point. These include your body, mental health, and spirit.

When these three facets are healthy, you will have a better chance of staying sober and well. Use these 8 coping mechanisms tips to help you achieve this goal:

Control stress.

Learning how to manage stress is huge in recovery success. Stress has the power to disrupt your recovery process and lead to relapse. There are many methods people can use to help control stress. These include:

Yoga. Yoga’s movements and poses, coupled with breath-work, help you to quiet your mind and achieve a calm state.
Deep breathing. Learning how to slow your heart rate and breathing rate through deep breathing is easy. When stressed, breathe in deeply to a count of 5, hold breath for 5, and release to a count of 5. Repeat 5 times.
Meditation. Find a quiet time to sit alone and meditate. Practice the process daily. Soon you will learn how to ignore distracting thoughts and worries.
Massage. A massage can help release the toxins in your muscles and relax the body.
Music. Music has great power to affect your state of mind. Create a playlist of soothing music to play while you work, clean house, cook or relax.
Essential oils. Aroma therapy can really help you unwind and relax. Add some drops of rose oil or ylang ylang to your bath or diffuser.

Take up healthy hobbies.

Turn boredom into being productive by taking up some healthy new activities. Consider these adult hobbies:

Gardening. The process of planting and growing plants and flowers is very soothing and gratifying. Spending time outdoors in the sunshine is an added gift to your healthy mind and body.
Arts and crafts. Tap into your artsy side as an outlet for your soul. Take up a new craft, like making jewelry, knitting, or candle making. Try Plein air painting or pick up some charcoal pencils to create new artwork.
Photography. Why not capture the stunning beauty that is all around you? Taking photos is a great pastime that allows you to focus your mind and talents on all that is pleasant. See the world through the lens of your camera.
Cooking. Cooking is really catching on as a renewed hobby this past year. Sign up for a cooking class or tune in to an online cooking show. You will be inspired, and your family will love the results.

Take time to reflect.

Carve out a little time each day to nurture your spiritual side. You might pick up a book that inspires you. Maybe you spend some time in prayer or start a gratitude journal.

Cultivate new friendships.

Without each other, we will fail in our efforts to get better. Our support sources include friendships, and these must be nurtured always. Build up your new sober friendships and sow the seeds for a lifetime of mutual caring and support.

Go to therapy.

Do not, repeat-not, ignore the need to keep up with your therapy sessions. Sometimes no matter all your efforts you still find yourself on shaky ground. Enlist the support of your group or one-on-one therapy sessions to help you through a challenge.

Stay active.

Sitting is one of the least healthy things we can do. To keep our bodies, minds, and spirits in a healthy place it is crucial that we remain active. Define your fitness program any way you want, but just be sure to include regular movement into your days and weeks.

Learn to distract yourself.

One of the most useful tools in recovery is riding the wave of a trigger or craving to avoid a relapse. This is a skill that takes some honing. Create a list of 2 or 3 things you can do to distract yourself when triggered. These can be things like taking a run, going to a meeting, or meeting up with your sponsor.

Improve sleep quality.

Nothing will ruin your day like a bad night’s sleep. Respect your body’s need for restful sleep and do the things that will help you achieve that. These include avoiding caffeine after 3 pm, avoiding heavy meals at night, and shutting your devices off an hour before bed.

Staying sober is tightly wrapped up in mental and spiritual wellness. By giving all aspects of your being the needed love and support you increase your chances of recovery success.

Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness Provides Full-Spectrum Treatment

Bodhi Addiction Treatment devotes its efforts to caring for the whole person. It is through this pathway that real change can be made, and wellness restored. Learning coping skills for addiction recovery is a core treatment focus in our program. For more detail about the program, please reach out to the team today at (877) 328-1968.

March 17, 2021/by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, M-RAS, CCMI-i

The Benefits of Holistic Health and Wellness Practices on Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery

Addiction, Alcohol, Blog, News, Sobriety, Wellness

The Benefits of Holistic Health and Wellness Practices on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Recovery

By Adam Douglas Heyes, M.A.

Edited by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, RAS II

Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness

What Is Holistic Health and Wellness?

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” ~World Health Organization

What does it mean to truly heal? With addiction, recovery is often equated with prolonged abstinence from alcohol or the addict’s drug of choice (DOC). But true recovery, true healing, involves much more than just the cessation of drinking or using. It is often said that addiction is a symptom of an underlying root cause. To truly heal from addiction means to heal mind, body, and spirit, to heal one’s life, to heal the circumstances and underlying beliefs, traumas, thoughts, and behaviors that lead one to use in the first place. Addicts are trying to fill a hole inside.

If the substance is removed but the hole that it was filling is not healed, then the desire will continue to be there, and the addict is not truly healed. They will be fighting an uphill battle against themselves attempting to remain sober, and will almost inevitably relapse. Addicts use because, like everyone, they want to feel good, to feel happy. In order to truly recover, an addict must discover how to feel good and be happy without a substance. Those that find long-lasting recovery do so because they have done a tremendous amount of work on themselves beyond just quitting drinking or using. They have committed to a higher set of principles that is more powerful and important than the desire to use.

Healing is also a highly individualized journey. There will be an inner knowing, perhaps a decisive moment, when a person can look at themselves and realize they have truly healed. What that looks like is different for everyone. It can involve many complex factors, but there are some telltale signs that an addict has truly found healing.

Signs of healing in an addict:

A strong support network and close friendships
Healthy relationships and professional life
Development of coping strategies for the stress of recovery and everyday life
Resolving difficult situations from the past
Changing of circumstances and relationships that trigger using
Improved diet, lifestyle, and self-care
Reduced cravings and thoughts of using
Improved physical, emotional and psychological health
Self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others
A sense of purpose and place in the world
Healthy self-esteem and self-image
Functional, positive beliefs, thoughts, and actions
Desire to be of service
Reduced anger, hurt, sadness, shame, guilt, anxiety, fear, etc.
Increased happiness, gratitude, humility, compassion, loving, etc.
A clear and realistic recovery plan
Openness and willingness to share the story
Connection to a higher power
Optimism about the future

So how does one truly heal? Addiction does not have a simple cause. It is a complex interaction of a number of individualized factors. These include genetics, lifestyle, upbringing, home and family life, relationships, support network, career, finances, past trauma, culture, spiritual beliefs, physical, mental, and emotional health, and a wide range of other factors and circumstances. Because of this complexity, approaches such as ibogaine treatment, which aim to address addiction on multiple levels, are often discussed within broader holistic recovery frameworks. Western Medicine tends to segment human health into different specialties. There is a doctor for the heart, one for the skin, one for the mind, and so on, and what is often lacking is the comprehensive synthesizing of the person as a whole. Eastern Medicine, and holistic health and wellness practices seek to treat the whole person, mind, body, and spirit, to identify and heal all aspects of the individual needed to truly recover.

A growing body of scientific research is providing strong evidence that nutrition and holistic health and wellness practices such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and Qigong are effective and beneficial for treating all stages of addiction, as an alternative or complement to traditional programs such as inpatient treatment, 12 step programs, and psychotherapy. Certain holistic modalities aid in detoxification by reducing pain and other withdrawal symptoms, accelerating detoxification and providing an outlet to deal with stress. These modalities can also reduce relapse and profoundly improve results for early and long-term recovery.

The information provided in this article about complementary and alternative medicine and holistic practices is in no way intended to depreciate the value of Western Medicine and addiction recovery methods. Western Medicine, inpatient and outpatient care, medication, medical detox, psychotherapy and other therapies, 12 step programs, and many other methods may be necessary or beneficial as part of a recovering addict’s overall treatment protocol. According to NIDA, there are over 14,500 specialized alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs, ranging from therapy to pharmaceuticals to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Many people, however, may find profound benefits and success through holistic health and wellness practices and nutrition. Inpatient programs and 12 step programs may be effective in helping to cease alcohol and drug use and remain abstinent, but may only provide one piece of the puzzle when it comes to true recovery and healing mind, body, and spirit.

I present a wide range of modalities to explore. The best approach is to try a lot of different techniques and see what works best for your specific recovery, life, and health needs. For anyone recovering from addiction, holistic practices should be accompanied by a professional treatment plan, and are a vital part of a sustainable long-term recovery plan.

Addiction does not have a simple cause. It is a complex interaction of a number of individualized factors. These include genetics, lifestyle, upbringing, home and family life, relationships, support network, career, finances, past trauma, culture, spiritual beliefs, physical, mental, and emotional health, and a wide range of other factors and circumstances. Western Medicine tends to segment human health into different specialties. There is a doctor for the heart, one for the skin, one for the mind, and so on, and what is often lacking is the comprehensive synthesizing of the person as a whole. Eastern Medicine, and holistic health and wellness practices seek to treat the whole person, mind, body, and spirit, to identify and heal all aspects of the individual needed to truly recover.

The information in this article is intended to provide resources, healing, and inspiration for those seeking recovery for themselves or a loved one. I prefer to focus on solutions rather than problems, and the positive over negative. With that said, I think it is essential to preface the value of these holistic healing and wellness practices with the gravity of the problem that addiction creates in our lives.

If you’d like to skip the grim details about addiction and jump right to information about holistic health and wellness practices, use the Quick Links below. Otherwise, read on!

The High Cost of Addiction

Anyone who has struggled with addiction or has had a loved one has to know that addiction is a form of living death. A once healthy, functioning human being can be reduced to a shadow of their former selves, a hungry ghost in bondage to their DOC (Drug of Choice). Lives and families are ruined. Relapse rates for addicts are staggering. Many have tried, some countless times, to get that monkey of their back once and for all with varying degrees of success. The emotional, physical, psychological, and mental consequences are severe.

Over time, alcoholism and drug abuse can cause or increase the risk for a variety of chronic diseases and other serious problems, including:

Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems
Various forms of cancer
Learning and memory issues, dementia
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
Issues with relationships, family, career, finances, law
Weakened immune system
Nervous system issues
Emotional issues – anger, irritability, impulsiveness, etc.
Impaired judgment and decision making
Deteriorating hygiene, diet, and lifestyle choices
Pregnancy complications and birth defects
Higher incidence of high-risk behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases
Higher risk of Hepatitis and HIV transmission through needle sharing
Hopelessness, isolation, despair
Loss of purpose and spiritual connection

Alcohol and Substance Abuse are a national and global epidemic. The statistics are frightening:

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports that 21.5 million American adults had a substance abuse disorder in 2014.
In 2014, almost 8 million Americans had both a mental health disorder and a substance abuse issue, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The Office on National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates the cost of drug abuse and addiction in America is close to $200 billion in healthcare, criminal justice, legal, and workplace productivity in 2007.
In 2013, there were 489,000 people incarcerated for drug-related offenses, compared to only 40,900 in 1980. About half of inmates meet DSM-IV criteria for substance abuse or dependence. (The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights)
The extent of worldwide psychoactive substance use is estimated at 2 billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers, and 185 million drug users.[2]World extent of psychoactive substance use in an initial estimate of factors responsible for the global burden of disease, tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs contributed together 12.4% of all deaths worldwide in the year 2000.

Stats on Addiction Treatment

About 1.3 million adults and 73,000 adolescents received treatment in 2013 at a specialized facility for an alcohol use disorder, NIAAA
In 2013, only 10.9 percent of the individuals who needed treatment in a specialized facility for a substance use or dependency concern actually received it, NSDUH
Over 115,000 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups exist in more than 175 countries around the world, serving more than 2 million members.
Relapse is common in addiction treatment, with relapse rates being between 40 and 60 percent, NIDA This rate is very similar to rates of relapse with other chronic diseases like hypertension, asthma, or type I diabetes.
Addiction is considered a highly treatable disease, and recovery is attainable. About 10 percent of Americans (adults who were at least 18 years old) claim to be in recovery from an alcohol or drug abuse issue, the New York State Office on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) publishes.

Twenty-three million Americans are currently addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. Only one in 10 of them (2.6 million) receives the treatment they need. The result: a treatment gap of more than 20 million Americans.
Cost and lack of insurance is the primary obstacle cited by Americans who say they need but are unable to receive treatment. Among those able to access treatment, nearly half (48.4 percent) reported using their own money to pay for their care.
In contrast to other chronic diseases, funding for addiction treatment disproportionately comes from government sources. More than three-quarters – 77 percent – of treatment costs are paid by federal, state, and local governments, including Medicaid and Medicare. Private insurance covers only 10 percent of addiction treatment costs, with out-of-pocket expenditures and other private funding making up the remaining percentage. In contrast, private insurance pays for approximately 37 percent of general medical costs.
Screening and treatment are not integrated into the health care delivery system. Less than seven percent of those receiving treatment were referred by another health provider. In contrast, slightly more than two-thirds of those receiving treatment got there through self-referrals or the criminal justice system.

Now that we have thoroughly laid out the severity of the issues, let us switch gears to focus on recovery and healing. The information provided about complementary and alternative medicine and holistic practices is in no way intended to depreciate the value of Western Medicine and addiction recovery methods. Western Medicine, inpatient and outpatient care, medication, medical detox, psychotherapy and other therapies, 12 step programs, and many other methods may be necessary or beneficial as part of a recovering addict’s overall treatment protocol. According to NIDA, there are over 14,500 specialized alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs, ranging from therapy to pharmaceuticals to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

Many people, however, may find profound benefits and success through holistic health and wellness practices and nutrition. I present a wide range of modalities to explore. The best approach is to try a lot of different techniques and see what works best for your specific recovery, life, and health needs. For anyone recovering from addiction, holistic practices should be accompanied by a professional treatment plan, and are a vital part of a sustainable long-term recovery plan.

Scroll down to read about different holistic healing modalities and wellness practices and how they benefit addiction recovery.

Yoga

Yoga is a more than 5,000-year-old practice and body of wisdom, originally from India. The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit word for “union,” referring to the unification of the individual consciousness or soul with Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Yoga seeks to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit through a combination of poses (asanas), breathing techniques, and meditation.

It’s becoming more and more common in addiction recovery centers and as a complement to individual addiction recovery programs to reduce relapse, to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings, for detoxification, and to provide a healthy outlet for coping with the stress of recovery and daily life.

Yoga has been proven to have a wealth of health benefits that may aid in the addiction recovery process. These include:

Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
Improved strength, stamina, and flexibility
Greater mindfulness and self-awareness
Healthier exercise and nutrition habits
Improved self-confidence and self-esteem
Relief of chronic pain
Improved sleep
Increased energy and reduced fatigue
Increased patience, concentration, and calmness
Improved emotional and psychological health
Overall health and wellness improvement

Scientific research is supporting the efficacy of yoga for helping throughout the addiction recovery process. “Mindfulness derives from ancient Buddhist philosophy, and mindfulness meditation practices, such as gentle Hatha yoga and mindful breathing, are increasingly integrated into secular health care settings. Current theoretical models suggest that the skills, insights, and self-awareness learned through yoga and mindfulness practice can target multiple psychological, neural, physiological, and behavioral processes implicated in addiction and relapse. A small but growing number of well-designed clinical trials and experimental laboratory studies on smoking, alcohol dependence, and illicit substance use support the clinical effectiveness and hypothesized mechanisms of action underlying mindfulness-based interventions for treating addiction. Overall, current findings increasingly support yoga and mindfulness as promising complementary therapies for treating and preventing addictive behaviors.” (Khanna, 2013)

Another study looked at the benefits of specific yoga techniques used for detoxification and rehabilitation which included breath control, relaxation, meditation, posture, diet, and chanting. The results strongly suggest that yoga is a positive motivator for rehabilitation and aids in the detoxification process. Results improved when yoga was combined with counseling and group work. (Lohman, 1999)

Excessive drug or alcohol use can alter pathways related to pleasure and reward, emotional regulation, decision making, and impulse control. Research is showing that yoga may be able to aid in the recovery of these neural pathways.

Yoga may also have a direct positive effect on the brain’s neurochemistry. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reported on a study that showed that levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) increased in the brain with yoga practice. GABA serves as a natural tranquilizer and can help manage stress and anxiety, which are often triggered for relapse and side effects of withdrawal. A yoga practice can help to reduce these symptoms and aid withdrawal and relapse prevention.

Meditation

There is a large body of research supporting the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practice for addiction recovery, withdrawal, and relapse prevention.

Large improvements in relapse prevention were seen with the addition of Transcendental Meditation (TM) to the routine treatment program in an alcohol residential treatment facility. 65% of the TM group reported complete abstinence 18 months after leaving the center, compared to only 25% with the control group that did not practice TM. (Taub, 1994)

Another study followed a 20-week mindfulness and modification therapy compared to a standard protocol for alcohol problems, drug use, and physical and verbal aggression. The study found significant decreases in drug and alcohol use, as well as physical and verbal aggression, following up 2 months after the program. (Wupperman, 2015)

A meta-analysis of 10 studies measured the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which involves mindfulness practices, on substance abuse. It compared this to treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), medication, 12-step programs, and other treatments. A significant effect was found that favored ACT over all other treatments. (Lee, 2015)

Meditation is correlated with reduced relapse rate, anxiety, stress, and greater ability to handle triggering situations. It has been shown to have a number of mental, physical, and emotional health benefits. It can also calm the mind, improve concentration, patience, and discipline, and improve self-confidence and self-esteem, all of which can support the recovery process.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a key component of Oriental and Eastern Medicine developed in China over 2,500 years ago. The technique involves inserting thin needles into different key points on the body called meridians, to manipulate the flow of Qi (Chi) or Life Force Energy within the body for healing purposes. Practitioners believe that illness, pain and disease are caused by a disruption or blockage in this energy flow, which can be brought back into balance and proper flow through acupuncture. It is widely used for pain relief and a number of other conditions, and modern medicine is starting to formally recognize the efficacy of this ancient practice as an adjunct or alternative treatment.

Research is proving that Acupuncture may be useful in addiction recovery. Acupuncture was shown to have a significant effect on reducing smoking in a smoking cessation study of 141 adults. These effects were greater when acupuncture was combined with education, especially on long-term smokers. (Bier, 2002)

A study on acupuncture and cocaine addiction concluded that patients who received acupuncture were significantly more likely to test free of cocaine at the end of the eight-week treatment period. Researchers concluded that acupuncture was promising for treating cocaine addiction and should be studied further. (Avants, 2000)

Acupuncture is now found in addiction treatment centers across the world and can be a valuable part of an overall addiction recovery protocol through all phases of treatment. There is even an acupuncture treatment designed specifically for addiction called the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol. This involves placing five needles into five specific points on each ear, connected to the autonomic nervous system, the kidneys, liver, lungs, and the Shen Men “spirit gate,” a point believed to allow spirit to flow into the body.

Acupuncture has been shown to have a number of benefits that may specifically aid addiction recovery. These include reduced cravings, relief of stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and improved sleep.

Nutrition

There are many different schools of thought in nutrition. Weston Price students swear by the health benefits of grass feed beef, bone marrow, ghee, raw dairy, and other animal fats. Vegans believe that avoiding any animal meat or products is most healthy. On the far end of the spectrum, Breatharians believe that you can live without any food and sometimes water and sustain life through harnessing the energy that surrounds us. Some diets may work well for some and not others. The best rule of thumb is to try different nutritional regimens and see what feels best for your body and best suits your specific health needs. With that said, there are some general guidelines for good nutrition that are fairly common.

Eat an abundance of fresh, healthy, organic, non-GMO fruits, vegetables, and nuts
Avoid processed food, fast food, fried food, and junk food
Avoid processed sugar
Avoid trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated oils
Moderate salt intake
Limit wheat and gluten products, eat quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice
Avoid soda, sugary drinks, fruit juices, and opt for natural flavored water
If you do eat meat or dairy, make sure it is from grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic-free, humanely treated animals
Eat healthy oils like coconut, flax, and hemp oils
Eat superfoods like chia seeds, spirulina, kale, broccoli, avocados, almonds, nutritional yeast, etc.
Eat a lot of fresh herbs and spices
Eat probiotic, lactofermented food to promote healthy gut flora and microbiome
Listen to your body, eat small meals spaced through the day, avoid excessive snacking
Chew food thoroughly until it is the texture of baby food. The saliva contains important digestive enzymes.
Choose sustainably grown, locally-sourced, and organic products whenever possible

Ayurveda

Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine, the practice of taking medicinal plants and herbs to treat diseases and illnesses and to promote health, has roots in all ancient cultures. Homeopathy is actually a distinct practice from herbal medicine, although the two terms are often used interchangeably and there is much overlap and has been around in its modern form for 230 years.

The word Homeopathy is derived from Greek for “like disease,” meaning that that treatment given is similar to the disease the person is experiencing. Homeopathy is considered a holistic approach to alcoholism because it looks at a person in their totality, mind, body, and spirit, and medicines prescribed are meant to mirror the sickness of the person as a whole, not just a specific symptom or diagnosis. Homeopathy also operates on the principle of minimum dosing, and homeopathic remedies are prepared through repeated dilution and “succussion” or shaking to create the lowest effective dose.

A number of herbs are believed to have positive effects that may specifically benefit addiction recovery.

These include:

Hawthorn berries help a heart that has been weakened by substance use
Dandelion cleanses the spleen, which can take a toll from addiction
Milk thistle detoxifies the liver without inhibiting the liver’s ability to detox
Burdock root cleanses the blood and kidneys
Kudzu has been used to treat alcohol addiction in Asian cultures for hundreds of years and is now producing positive results in animal testing
Siberian ginseng has been shown to help with cocaine and opiate addiction
Valerian Root has a calming effect that may help with opiate withdrawal

This is only a small sample of the hundreds or thousands of medicinal herbs that may help with addiction recovery, withdrawal, detox, and secondary conditions associated with addiction. An herbal medicine doctor or homeopathic practitioner will prescribe a regiment of herbs for the patient’s specific health needs. Research is verifying that plants and herbs that have been used for healing for thousands of years are beneficial to addiction recovery.

The government of India ran a double-blind study on 60 heroin addicts. Half were given an individualized regimen of homeopathic medicines and half were given a placebo. The homeopathic group had significantly fewer and less intense withdrawal symptoms than the placebo group. 35% of the patients in the placebo group left the study early because they thought they were not receiving any therapeutic benefit. In contrast, only 5% of those in the homeopathic group left early. (Bakshi, 1990)

Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study found decreased relapse rate among recovering alcoholics and drug addicts receiving homeopathic treatment. (Garcia-Swain, 1993)

A study by the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) in India followed 241 addicts who were given a homeopathic treatment regimen within 12 hours of first abstaining from use. 209 of the 241 showed significant improvement in withdrawal symptoms. (CCRH, 1994)

Exercise

Recreation Therapy

Is another way of saying healing through having fun and enjoying activities and hobbies. Recreation gives us an opportunity to relieve stress and anxiety, achieve greater happiness and satisfaction, connect to nature, exercise and improve health, and develop community. We may even experience a natural high or euphoria from adrenaline-inducing activities, and a different kind of high from peaceful and meditative activities as well.

Recreation Therapy can encompass a wide range of different activities and techniques. These can include hiking, biking, fitness, surfing, running, kayaking, gardening, art, music, photography, and many more. There is a wide body of research and expertise around the therapeutic and health benefits and skill development around activities like these. Research suggests that various forms of recreational therapy may have benefits for addiction recovery.

Nature Therapy and Permaculture

Reiki

Reiki is an energy healing treatment that works holistically; on the whole body, mind and spirit. Not a system of religious beliefs, Reiki is simply a relaxing treatment whereas natural healing vibrations are transmitted through the hands of a Reiki practitioner (acting as a conduit) to the body of the recipient. The purpose of a Reiki treatment is to relieve stress and pain, induce relaxation, release emotional blockages, accelerate natural healing, balance subtle bodies energies and support other medical modalities including traditional therapies.

The International Center for Reiki Training has estimated that there are 4,000,000 people throughout the world who have taken at least one level of Reiki training. There are three traditional levels of expertise. Today, Reiki education is offered free of charge in more than 800 American Hospitals as a means to accelerate the healing process and alleviate pain.

Another benefit is that it allows nurses and doctors to bond more closely with their patients, which can increase a patient’s trust, comfort, and faith in their own healing.

Reiki is rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance in the medical community and in the general population as a complementary treatment. A 2007 study found that 1.2 million adults and 161,000 children in the U.S had received an energy healing session such as Reiki in the previous year.

A 2008 USA Today article reported that over 800 hospitals, 15% of all U.S. hospitals, offered reiki treatments as a regular part of patient services. Legitimate scientific research is showing dramatic improvements in patient health attributed to Reiki. A study from Hartford Hospital in Connecticut found that patients who received Reiki treatments improved sleep by 86%. reduced pain by 78%, and nausea by 80%.

Qigong

Qigong (also spelled Chi Kung or Chi Gung) is a system of healing, exercise, and meditation involving synchronized breathing and movement patterns and energy healing techniques. Practitioners believe that Qigong stretches the body, increases fluid movement (blood, synovial, and lymph), and cultivates Qi or Chi Energy, the vital Life Force Energy of the Universe. This Chi Energy is then directed by the mind to heal the self and others. It works with the system of meridians mapped out by acupuncture and is intended to restore proper flow to energy centers and channels in the body.

Qigong has been practiced by millions of people in China dating back over 3,000 years as an effective form of meditation and exercise, and for healing of mind, body, and spirit. A wide body of research shows that Medical Qigong is beneficial in treating a wide range of chronic illnesses and diseases. Qigong also improves concentration and can help to manage stress, anger, depression, and anxiety. At its core, Qigong is a spiritual practice. Derived from Taoism, Qigong is a path to unification with the Tao, the Way also referred to as enlightenment, Nirvana, awakening, and liberation.

Substantial research indicates that Qigong is a beneficial complementary practice for addiction recovery.

A study conducted in China on 86 male heroin addicts who were detoxing found that the treatment group who practiced Qigong had reduced anxiety and more rapid reduction of withdrawal symptoms than the control group who only receive detox drugs. (Li, 2002) Qigong may help with detoxification by stimulating the lymphatic system.

A Harvard study gave 4-6 sessions over two weeks of either Qigong or a sham treatment to 101 cocaine addicts. The Qigong group had reduced cravings and depression symptoms. (Smelson, 2013)

Martial Arts

One of Kung Fu’s philosophical principles may also be helpful for an addict on the path to recovery. Kung Fu, and other disciplines such as Tai Chi and Aikido, teach to “Surrender, Accept and Redirect.” When an opponent throws a strike at you, you don’t resist or try to fight back the energy of it.

You don’t step in the way of the force coming toward you. Instead, you surrender to it, step out of the line of impact, absorb the energy that is coming toward you, and through the path of least resistance redirect that energy into something else, such as a reversal or takedown. The power of the negative energy coming toward you is proportional to the positive energy you can generate by transmuting the attack.

Another way to look at that is that the severity of the addiction is proportional to the potential for healing. I see this framework as exceptionally relevant to recovery. It even reminds me of the Serenity Prayer from Alcoholics Anonymous:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

First, we must surrender. In other words, admit there is a problem. To resist surrender is to persist in the addiction. Resistance may take the form of denial, unwillingness to stop, justification, or other tactics that addicts use to prolong their use. We find that place of serenity and clarity amidst the chaos. We recognize the impact of the attacking force, the addiction.

Next, we accept. We own where we are at in the process. Admit if things are out of control. We take a fearless moral inventory and look at the damage we have caused ourselves and others and take ownership. We ask for help.

Finally, we redirect. We use to turn the energy of the illness into fuel for recovery. Make amends with those we have harmed. Express ourselves in a better way in the world. We tell our story and choose to live a better, healthier life by a higher set of principles. Give back and help others find healing.

A martial arts practice can serve to cultivate several qualities in an individual that may support the addiction recovery process. These include discipline, balance, patience, calmness, relaxation, leadership, self-confidence, self-esteem, resiliency, respect, and humility. In many traditions, sobriety itself is a tenant. Martial arts can also produce profound physical, mental, and emotional health benefits.

Furthermore, most disciplines involve a Master/Student relationship, in which the Master may serve as a guide and mentor for the student in many aspects of life, and help keep them on track with recovery.

Breathwork

Breathwork is an umbrella term referring to a wide range of different disciplines and traditions which utilize rhythmic breathing patterns and meditation to achieve higher states of consciousness, detoxification, self-exploration, and healing. There are many different forms of breathwork including Holotropic, Pranayama, and the Wim Hof Method. and it is a foundational component of traditions like Kundalini Yoga, Tantra, Tai Chi, Qigong, and other Eastern spiritual practices and mystical traditions.

Breathwork is believed to have a number of powerful health and spiritual benefits. Specific to addiction, it is a powerful form of detoxification and can provide catharsis for releasing emotional and physical pain and trauma. It is an effective tool for improving mental clarity, relaxation, and sleep habits, and for coping with stress, anger, anxiety, and depression. At its core, Breathwork is a spiritual practice intended to facilitate expanded self-awareness, consciousness, and ultimately enlightenment.

Research is now showing that Breathwork may be especially helpful for recovering addicts. In a study by the Center for Transpersonal Studies and Development, “the effects of Holotropic Breathwork were examined in twenty adults recovering from alcoholism or other chemical addictions.

Results indicate that Holotropic Breathwork is an effective therapeutic tool for treating alcoholism and drug addiction. The results of this particular sample also suggest that Holotropic Breathwork could prove very beneficial in the area of relapse prevention. Each area examined indicated improvement or a positive eventual outcome. The highest improvements were in the areas of depression and anxiety, feelings and emotions; family, relationships and intimacy; stress reduction; self-esteem and spirituality.” (Metcalf, 1995)

A later study concluded that “[Holotropic Beathing] offers the addict many opportunities that may enhance addiction treatment, including entering non-ordinary states of consciousness to seek healing and wisdom via a natural, non-addictive method, a direct experience of one’s Higher Power, and for physical and emotional catharsis associated with stress and prior trauma. We report the successful use of HB in 4 cases in which complete abstinence was obtained and maintained for extended periods of time (2–19 years). (Brewerton, 2011)

Breathwork may be a helpful tool for addicts for another reason. Quite simply, it can get you really high, without the need for drugs or alcohol.

A study by MAPS documented 482 consecutive psychiatric patients at a community hospital that participated in Holotropic Breathwork. The hospital had 11,000 participants over 12 years. 82% of them reported a “transpersonal” or “mythopoetic” experience, such as an out-of-body experience, vision, or psychedelic state. The study concluded that Holotropic Breathwork is an effective non-drug alternative to achieve psychedelic states. (Eyerman, 2013)

Tai Chi

Sensory Deprivation

Massage and Bodywork

Sound Healing

Fundamental frequencies, harmonics, rhythms, and sounds transcend ego identification.

Hypnotherapy

Community and Support Groups

Volunteering

Animal-Assisted Therapy

Plant Medicine and Shamanism

The use of psychedelic or entheogenic plant medicines for addiction recovery is a controversial subject in the recovery community but is one that is gaining a lot of attention and notoriety recently and warrants further exploration as a legitimate addiction recovery treatment. The author does not recommend for or against the use of these medicines but encourages the reader to do additional research and see if it resonates for them.

Entheogenic (from Greek for “generating the divine within”) medicines such as Ayahuasca, Peyote, Iboga, MDMA, Mushrooms, LSD, Kambo, and various forms of DMT have been showing tremendous benefits for addiction recovery. Currently, most of these medicines are illegal in the United States. Peyote is protected for use by the Native American Church and certain tribes for sacramental purposes. To experience medicines legally, seekers will need to travel internationally. There are medically supervised Iboga clinics in Canada and Mexico that provide treatment specifically for addiction. Many people are traveling to Brazil and Peru and other South American countries to work with ayahuasqueros, shamans who lead healing ceremonies using Ayahuasca. Many practitioners offer treatment discretely domestically as well, although it comes with significant legal risk.

It is essential that treatments be supervised by an experienced practitioner or shaman. Safety is of the utmost importance, as are the energy and dynamics of the group, the setting, and the specifics of the ceremony or experience. If you do elect to investigate these plant medicines further, I encourage you to do your homework and make sure it is the right situation before moving forward.

The effects of these medicines can range widely, but collectively they may offer a wide range of effects and potential benefits that may aid addiction recovery.

These include:

Sense of higher purpose, spiritual connection
Feeling a sense of interconnectedness with others and everything
Greater connection to nature
Detoxification of mind, body, and spirit
Healing a wide range of physical, mental, emotional, and psychological illness
Healing of depression and anxiety
Elimination of parasites, viruses, and harmful bacteria
Release of ego identification, judgment, shame, guilt
The more expansive and flexible belief system
Boost to the immune system
Healing of past traumas
Greater self-awareness and self-love
Insights, inspiration, clarity, creativity
Healthier diet and lifestyle
Reduction of withdrawal and detox symptoms
Balancing of Neurochemistry, Neurogenesis
Chronic pain relief
Greater sense of service, gratitude, empathy, and humility
Connection to a lineage and “medicine family”

From a spiritual/metaphysical perspective, there are some more “out there” benefits that could potentially aid addiction recovery. These include clearing of karma and past lives, healing ancestral patterns, expelling negative spirits or entities, enlisting spiritual allies and healing, communicating with spiritual guides, clearing chakras and energetic channels, stepping outside of time and space, precognition and telepathy, and expanding consciousness. The shaman himself or herself acts as an instrument for the healing power of the medicine and may perform rituals or healing modalities that can provide healing, visionary states, and spiritual expansion.

The experience of non-ordinary reality can have a powerful impact on an addict because it allows them to experience a place beyond their addiction and daily life. They can touch an aspect of themselves that is beyond the control of the drug and remember their innate potential to change and heal. Addiction can be a very isolated, selfish disease. Psychedelics can create a sense of being a part of something bigger, to look outside of oneself as well as within, to remember that we are interconnected and that our lives and choices matter. This in itself may be a powerful motivator to recover.

Scientific research is now coming around to support the efficacy of these medicines for addiction recovery. A recent study in Brazil provides evidence that Iboga is an effective treatment for drug addiction for a number of substances including cocaine, heroin and opiates, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. After undergoing an Iboga treatment protocol, 61% of the patients were still completely abstinent after 8 months. Multiple Iboga treatments resulted in longer average periods of abstinence. This is compared to a 26% abstinence rate with psychotherapy alone. The vast majority of patients had tried non-psychedelic treatments with no success, and most said that Iboga was essential to their recovery.

A study by MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) looked at the effect of ayahuasca retreat on addiction recovery. “Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements were demonstrated for scales assessing hopefulness, empowerment, mindfulness, and quality of life meaning and outlook subscales. Self-reported alcohol, tobacco and cocaine use declined, although cannabis and opiate use did not; reported reductions in problematic cocaine use were statistically significant. All study participants reported positive and lasting changes from participating in the retreats.” (Thomas, 2013)

Another study by MAPS is provided evidence that MDMA has therapeutic benefits that may aid addiction recovery. “MDMA may also help treat substance abuse based on shared features with psychedelic compounds and recent reports indicating that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can reduce symptoms of PTSD. Narrative reports and data from early investigations found that some people reduced or eliminated their substance use after receiving MDMA, especially in a therapeutic setting. MDMA could either directly treat neuropharmacological abnormalities associated with addiction, or it could indirectly assist with the therapeutic process or reduce symptoms of comorbid psychiatric conditions, providing a greater opportunity to address problematic substance use.” (Jerome, 2013)

MAPS and other organizations are taking the lead in scientific psychedelic research, and the possible use in addiction treatment. Results have been exceptional thus far, but a great deal of additional research is needed to validate psychedelic-assisted therapies and plant medicine ceremonies as legitimate treatment options.

Spirituality

Spiritual practice and a sense of being connected to a higher power and purpose can be important factors to addiction recovery.

The following spiritual principles have supported me in my own healing process and awakening to higher consciousness and may be beneficial to addiction recovery. They are derived primarily from Eastern traditions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, and Sikhism, shamanic traditions and indigenous cultures, as well as Spiritual Psychology and Quantum Physics. With that said, I have found great wisdom and insights in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and a number of other traditions and integrated those as well. I offer these principles humbly for consideration and am in no way advocating for any particular religious or spiritual practice. These are tools that work for me, see if they resonate with you or not. However, whatever your unique connection with a higher power is, whether you identify with a particular religion or not, developing and practicing that connection can be powerful for addiction recovery and healing.

Some spiritual principles that may support addiction recovery and healing:

There is a higher power. Life has meaning and purpose. My addiction and recovery have meaning and purpose. Everything is happening according to divine will and perfection.
We are expressions of a higher power. Everything, including ourselves, our lives, and our bodies, is sacred because it is a manifestation of a higher power. When we use drugs and alcohol or mistreat ourselves or others, we are doing so to God itself. Conversely, when we take care of ourselves and others, are doing that to God itself.
We are all one. We are all manifestations or creations of the same God, Spirit, Higher Consciousness. We are interconnected and interdependent. We are in this together. When we use, when we succumb to addiction, when we don’t get better, we hurt all those we are connected to as well, and in some way, we hurt everything that is. On the flip side, when we recover and heal and thrive, we do so for all our relations and all of existence.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience. We come to this earth school, this existence thing, for the evolution of our souls and consciousness. It’s ok to make mistakes. Everything that happens to us is for the evolution of our souls and consciousness. Nothing is inherently right or wrong, good or bad. We experience whatever meaning we ascribe.
We create our reality. Our experience of reality, of the quality of our lives, is a reflection of our thoughts, words, and actions, our beliefs and judgments, and perceptions. By shifting our perspectives and taking control of our healing and recovery consciously, we can powerfully change our experience of the world and ourselves and change the underlying factors that lead to addiction and relapse. Sure, there may be biological, chemical, or circumstantial factors outside of our direct control that may influence our desire to use, but
Attachment or desire is the root of suffering. The Second Noble Truth of Buddhism reminds us that our addiction (our desire) is the root of our suffering. The Fourth Noble Truth reminds us that liberation (Nirvana) is possible through freedom from desire, by living a balanced life and following the Eightfold Path: right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. I see a lot of similarities between the Eightfold Path to liberation and the 12 Step path to addiction recovery.
The universe is infinite. We are very, very small.
Love is our essential nature. We are made of love. The universe is made of love. God is love. Our purpose is to love and to return to remembrance and union with the universal, unconditional love that created us. Even our suffering and struggles are a form of love beyond our comprehension. We can let go of shame, guilt, and suffering because God loves us unconditionally. Ultimately, we heal by finding the love for ourselves, life, and Spirit, and through the shared love between our friends, families, partners, and communities.

Scientific research supports the idea that a sense of spiritual connection or spiritual practice may be important factors in recovery.

“Individuals recovering from addictions frequently cite spirituality as a helpful influence.In the present study, focus groups were conducted with 25 methadone-maintained outpatients to examine beliefs about the role of spirituality in recovery and its appropriateness in formal treatment. Groups also discussed the relationship between spirituality and behavior during active addiction. Thematic analyses suggested that spirituality and religious practices suffered in complex ways during active addiction, but went “hand in hand” with recovery. Nearly all participants agreed that integration of a voluntary spiritual discussion group into formal treatment would be preferable to currently available alternatives.” (Heinz, 2010)

Research also supports the power of prayer to help addiction recovery.

A research study at NYU Langone Medical Center studied the brain activity of 20 Alcoholics Anonymous members using an MRI, to evaluate the effectiveness of reciting the AA prayer in response to a craving. “AA members’ prayer was associated with a relative reduction in self-reported craving and with the concomitant engagement of neural mechanisms that reflect control of attention and emotion. These findings suggest neural processes underlying the apparent effectiveness of AA prayer.” (Galanter, 2016)

Prayer and asking for support from a higher power are essential components of Alcoholics Anonymous. Many recovery programs are faith-based. It seems that framing one’s recovery in a spiritual context seems to aid recovery. It provides a higher set of principles and greater purpose, faith and hope for healing and redemption, and a belief in a divine plan that is guiding one’s life. All of these may be powerful motivators in recovery.

Conclusions

Science has verified what the ancients have known for thousands of years. Holistic healing modalities, nutrition, and spirituality all play a powerful role in healing and achieving optimal health of mind, body, and spirit. While an inpatient program or 12 step program may be essential to quitting use and maintaining sobriety, a holistic healing practice can be used to dramatically improve results. This includes lessening withdrawal symptoms, shortening detox, and maintaining sobriety. These practices can have tremendous health benefits including reduced depression, anxiety, anger, stress, fatigue, better sleep habits, and overall better physical, psychological and emotional health.

The qualities cultivated through practice can add discipline, patience, serenity, and focus and help keep us on the path. No longer can the skeptic say it’s all a bunch of new-age hippie crap. The verdict is in. Holistic healing and wellness practices help addiction recovery. Period. Whether you are recovering from addiction or just looking to improve your health and life, try one (or a lot of) holistic modalities and see how it feels and what difference it makes. Every person is different. Luckily, we have so many exciting holistic modalities to explore that we can find something that truly speaks to us.

Do you need support with your addiction recovery?

Whether seeking substance abuse treatment for yourself or a loved one, Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness understands how overwhelming this time can be. It can be frustrating and scary. The good news is, there are proven steps one can take to help ensure their success.

Since addiction often affects every area of one’s life, including relationships, jobs, etc., overcoming it can be an overwhelming idea. At Bodhi Addiction we have the ability and willingness to help all levels of addiction through the following services, depending on what’s needed to help each individual find success and their own path.

Looking for drug rehab in Santa Cruz or a sober living environment (SLE)? We hope to launch our own Santa Cruz residential recovery center in the future. In the meantime, we offer outpatient drug recovery programs, counseling, and wellness programs, and can connect you with other Northern California rehab centers or make referrals nationwide.

All Treatment Consultations and Program Referrals are Always 100% FREE. You will never be charged, no gimmicks, no fine print.

About the Author

Adam Douglas Heyes, M.A.

Adam Douglas Heyes, M.A., is a multidisciplinary holistic practitioner, spiritual counselor, and sound and energy healer. He is also a ceremonial musician, singer, and teacher of Chi Kung and Tai Chi. Additionally, Adam holds a black belt in Shaolin and Wutang Kung Fu. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor’s in Psychology from UCLA. He also earned a Master’s in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

Adam, a student of various healing modalities, spiritual lineages, and shamanic traditions, has helped countless people worldwide heal their mind, body, and spirit.

Adam is an entrepreneur specializing in heart-centered business development, marketing, social media, and web development. His expertise also includes graphic design, crowdfunding, event production, writing, blogging, film production, and creative development. He has worked on diverse projects across various industries, including television, documentaries, and film crowdfunding. Adam has experience in biotechnology, environmentalism, holistic health, politics, and spiritual counseling. Currently, he’s developing a documentary about holistic healing for Veterans, titled Born to Heal: Holistic Veterans Worldwide.

The film deals with issues like addiction and trauma and explores the role of holistic healing practices in veteran rehabilitation and addiction recovery. Adam also works as Marketing and Events Manager for an award-winning documentary called Ground Operations: Battlefields to Farmfields, about returning veterans finding healing and sustainable lives through sustainable farming. He currently serves as Webmaster and Director of Development for Bodhi Addiction Treatment and Wellness Center and is dedicated to helping addicts recover by finding the support they need, and through holistic health practices. Adam is dedicated to the greater healing and evolution of consciousness on the planet, and to supporting others to heal and transform their lives.

Jonathan Beazley – CADC-CAS, RAS II

Founder Jonathan Beazley formed Bodhi Addiction out of one simple desire: to help everyone, no matter what the circumstances, with love and compassion. Jonathan started at age 15 to walk down the unhealthy path of addiction and to turn his life upside down. He found help through the support of his family and carved out a new path for himself in sobriety.

Jonathan began his career in the field of rehabilitation. He has since has helped and advised well over 30,000 individuals and families in finding their right path. Jonathan is a Registered Addiction Specialist Level 2 and a Certified Addiction Specialist. He is dedicated to helping people struggling with drugs and alcohol to achieve lasting sobriety. Heal mind, body, and spirit, and reconnect with their purpose.

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Disclaimer

The information presented in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider in regards to a medical condition.

April 19, 2017/by Jonathan Beazley, CADC-CAS, M-RAS, CCMI-i