According to the American Holistic Health Association, the term “holistic” refers to treating the whole person – the body, mind and spirit – instead of focusing just on physical and psychological symptoms of the disease that traditional treatments emphasize. Some holistic treatment programs may use alternative medicines and techniques that are not scientifically proven to work.

However, not all holistic practices are unfavorable. In fact, many of them are positive and may yield results. For example, improving a person’s diet or participating in yoga may not be scientifically grounded practices that help teens recover from addiction – but these tactics may be just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. Activities and lifestyle changes that improve the young person’s mind and lift their spirits may help trigger their desire for recovery and a new life. This motivation is invaluable in the recovery process. While some holistic practices may not be grounded in science or medicine, the idea of helping a young addict through a rehab program that serves their complete individual needs shouldn’t be ignored by traditional treatment providers.

When choosing an alcohol or drug rehab, check to see if the establishment is recognized by industry experts, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. High-quality care and treatment is key to a successful recovery.

People across the nation are dying every single day from prescription drug abuse overdoses and illegal substance abuse. It’s a scary situation when addiction hits people in every community. To help our nation get some answers, today is Drug Facts Chat Day. Head on over to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s site to chat about drug abuse and its impact on your life and community. The chat lasts all day from 8 am to 6pm EST.

Also in the spirit of Drug Facts Chat Day, a recent Washington Post story featured one family’s struggle as they lost their daughter, Nicole, to a heroin addiction. Nicole’s mother and an addiction specialist were on hand for a live discussion on dealing with addiction. They answered questions on a wide range of topics – everything from how to treat someone in recovery and what to do to get help for someone you love who is addicted.

Becoming a resident at a long-term drug and alcohol treatment center is a life-changing process; but, at the same time, you don’t have to let drug rehab change your personality. Addiction treatment centers are realizing the importance of providing vegetarian and vegan food options. Showing their support, PETA has even ranked the top vegetarian-friendly drug rehab facilities in the USA. It’s just one more way treatment can be personalized to encourage successful addiction recovery.

Developing healthy habits, including eating habits and exercise habits, is an important part of the addiction recovery process. That’s not to say you have to become an athlete or a vegetarian to have a successful rehab experience. What’s important is learning how to make positive life choices. Choosing what to eat and drink, what activities to participate in, who to have fun with – all of these choices will have either a positive or a negative effect on your life. People suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction have to learn how to choose the positives and leave the negatives behind. It’s not easy to do, and it takes patience, dedication and time to see that change become a real part of their new life.

The nation’s best drug rehabilitation centers have programs in place that not only have high success rates, but more than that they empower people to make lifelong positive changes to regain control of their lives.

How does a drug rehab facility do that? How does a treatment program successfully show people how to change and inspire them to actually do it? There is no simple answer to those questions, but the top programs do have some noteworthy similarities.

1) Individual Attention – To really break an addiction, changes have to be made on a personal level. If the program isn’t personal, it doesn’t make sense to expect individual results.

2) Social Strength – For many people, social interaction is how they got involved with substance abuse. Making friends and building relationships with people who aren’t interested in binge drinking or getting high is essential to establishing a clean, sober life.

3) Clinical and Therapeutic Services – Addiction recovery requires some degree of medical attention and therapy at the different stages of the rehab process to ensure the best treatment options are being employed.

4) Residential Opportunities – A residential option gives those in recovery, especially for long term drug rehab, a chance to completely focus on their treatment without the temptations of old habits and behaviors.

5) Goal-Oriented, Life Skill Development – It’s always easier to accomplish a task when there’s a goal in mind. Building the life skills that are important in every facet of a person’s life is essential to not only breaking the alcohol and drug addiction, but also to ensuring the person is capable of meeting future challenges in their life. By cultivating personal goals and individual life skills, recovery should be life-long.

Gatehouse Academy is an extended care treatment center for young men and women in need of long term drug rehab or alcohol rehab. We offer the opportunity for young adults from the ages of 17-25 to learn life skills, continue formalized education, enhance physical well-being, and recover from the detrimental effects of chemical dependency.

If you have any questions please contact us.