Using the Teachings of Buddhism in Addiction Recovery

Many people who come to addiction recovery from secular backgrounds may struggle with the traditional 12-step philosophy. Even though the 12-step program welcomes anyone who would like to participate, regardless of beliefs, several of the steps explicitly mention accepting the existence of a higher power.

A faith-based program or one that has religious overtones might not speak to you if you are among the rising number of Americans with no religious affiliation. Fortunately, there are many alternative options to pursue lifelong sobriety, and one of those is to incorporate the teachings of Buddhism.

What Is Buddhism?

Buddhism is more of a philosophy or way of life than it is a religion – at least, in the traditional Western sense of the word. The practice of Buddhism does not involve praying to any gods or acknowledging the presence of a higher power in your life. Because of the nature of Buddhism, you can be a Christian, an atheist or anything in between and still benefit from the teachings of this ancient practice.

The Buddha taught his followers how to achieve enlightenment by liberating themselves from suffering, and that is the goal people still aim for today. The core of Buddhism, also called the Three Universal Truths, means accepting the following.

1. Everything changes; nothing in this world is permanent.
2. Desire causes suffering.
3. We should be selfless. People shouldn’t try to own things or envy what they haven’t got.

Applying Buddhist Ideas to Your Recovery

Buddhism teaches us that we suffer when we don’t get what we want, which has parallels with the cycle of addiction. Addicted people crave their substances of use when they try to stop using them, which causes them to return to their unhealthy behaviors time and again.

Meditation, which is part of the foundation of practicing Buddhism, teaches practitioners to recognize, accept and let go of their difficult thoughts and feelings. When you establish a regular practice, meditation can help release the attachment you feel towards substances or behaviors, and can ease feelings of stress and anxiety about no longer using.

As many recovering addicts can attest, shame only intensifies the addictive behavior. In a form of meditation called loving-kindness meditation, you focus your attention on someone who loves you and allow those feelings of love to permeate your heart. You can bring your breath into this by inhaling love and exhaling guilt. This type of meditation can help you become more enlightened by learning to forgive yourself.

Find Your Healing Pathway Here

While many people have found the healing they needed through 12-step treatment, it isn’t the right fit for everyone. At Complete Harmony, we offer non-12-step, holistic addiction recovery for adults who are seeking an alternative to the faith-based approach. If you prefer to pursue a more natural, balanced approach to regaining your mental and physical well-being, reach out to us today to speak to one of our recovery advisors about what we offer.

The Advantages of Holistic Rehab Programs

When you are seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, you will quickly discover not all rehab centers are the same. While they share the common goal of helping you get to the root of your addiction and learning how to live a healthy life without relying on these dangerous substances, there are many paths to achieve that objective. Choosing the right rehab involves understanding your unique needs and your mindset.

What Is Holistic Rehabilitation?

Holistic treatment is an approach that addresses the mind, body and spirit. In other words, the treatment you receive at a holistic rehab center will address your physical health alongside your mental health and your spirituality.

Holistic rehab serves as an alternative to traditional 12-step addiction recovery. Because of its versatility, this approach allows you to receive a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. Many people who have not achieved long-term sobriety after undergoing conventional rehab discover success in a holistic program that allows them to find balance in all areas of their lives.

What Are the Benefits of Holistic Rehab?

There are several things that set the holistic addiction treatment approach apart, including the following.

• It supports both physical and mental wellness.
• You can undergo customized treatment based on your lifestyle.
• By incorporating physical activity and a variety of holistic treatments, you may notice your symptoms of anxiety or depression reduced significantly.
• Focusing on the spiritual aspect of recovery can teach you more about yourself, your relationships with others and the value you bring to the world.

Does Holistic Addiction Treatment Replace Traditional Therapy?

You can think of holistic rehab as a supplement to traditional approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and relapse prevention strategies. Incorporating methods like the following into your treatment can complement standard treatment methods and enhance their effectiveness.

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care
• Massage
• Meditation and mindfulness practices
• Yoga

Becoming the Best Version of Yourself

Your goal in addiction recovery is to discover what you’re truly capable of. Don’t confuse that with the idea of seeking perfection or other unrealistic expectations. Therapy will help you discover the underlying reasons for your addiction and teach you how to address them constructively. You may discover that continuing to pursue holistic treatments once you transition out of inpatient treatment can help you manage stress, cravings and triggers, thus making you less likely to experience a relapse.

Because of the many advantages of holistic treatments, they are a central focus of our recovery programs at Complete Harmony. We have seen firsthand how many people’s lives become richer and more fulfilling after completing our customized drug and alcohol rehab. When you are ready to rediscover and realign yourself physically, mentally and spiritually, contact our compassionate team of addiction specialists today. A full recovery is within your power to achieve.

Rediscover Your Health With Alternative Therapies

If you’re working on overcoming an addiction, your primary focus is to reclaim your health. Long-term drug and alcohol misuse has left you physically, mentally and spiritually imbalanced, and now you have turned your attention to the quest for wellness. Alternative therapies, including the field of holistic medicine, can be the asset you’ve been looking for.

What Is Holistic Medicine?

Holistic healing is based on the idea that treating the whole person is essential to better health. All living beings are a system of interdependent parts, and if one of those parts is not working properly, it will cause all the other components to suffer.

While traditional Western medicine relies heavily on prescription medications to “cure” illnesses, holistic doctors rely on all forms of available health care to treat their patients. Giving you medication will not be a holistic healer’s first and only recourse. To begin with, they will take into account all the other factors that may be contributing to your imbalance, including sleep habits, stress, diet and exercise. A holistic treatment plan will include lifestyle modifications to realign your overall well-being, rather than addressing only one symptom.

Guiding Principles Behind Alternative Therapies

Holistic medicine draws its effectiveness from the concept that all people are born with self-healing abilities. A physician who specializes in holistic healing takes a person-centered approach. Instead of focusing solely on your ailment, they will address the underlying causes of the condition using a variety of treatment options.

Your practitioner’s goal will be to help you take responsibility for your health and well-being. Depending on their training, they may recommend specific lifestyle changes to help you achieve a better physical, mental and spiritual state of being. These changes may include nutrition, counseling, exercise or modifying your sleeping habits, among others. Some alternative wellness providers also offer therapies such as massage, acupuncture, homeopathy and naturopathy.

How to Find a Holistic Healer

If you are interested in working with a holistic practitioner near you, you can use the search feature on the American Holistic Health Association’s website to connect you with healers in your area. When choosing a doctor, be sure to research their training, experience and background, and make sure the provider is board-certified.

In holistic medicine, you and your health care provider work as a team to heal you physically, mentally and emotionally, so you should be sure to look for a doctor whose treatment philosophy and ideals align with yours. You also want to find someone who makes you feel at ease and respects your goals and beliefs.

Above all else, when researching potential alternative therapies, make sure the treatment options go beyond pills. You want to rediscover whole-person wellness that also takes your unique needs as a recovering addict into account. A doctor whose foremost approach is to send you home with one or more prescriptions is understandably someone you might be wary of working with.

An Alternative Approach to Addiction Recovery

Are you ready to rediscover the joy and confidence in your life? At Complete Harmony, our caring team of specialists is dedicated to helping you conquer your addiction and heal you with our state-of-the-art, non-12-step programs. We will develop an individualized treatment plan that respects your beliefs and boundaries, and you will realize the best in yourself along the way. Call our California addiction treatment center at 866-930-4673, or reach out to our recovery advisors online.

The Healing Benefits of Aromatherapy

As you work on rebuilding your physical, mental and spiritual health through your recovery journey, there are many alternative therapies you can try, including aromatherapy, which relies upon the therapeutic use of essential oils from plant extracts. You can use aromatherapy on its own, or in conjunction with other holistic treatments like yoga and massage, as part of your well-rounded self-care routine. Here’s everything you need to know to get started with your practice.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

The use of aromatherapy dates back centuries, and today, aromatherapy is one of the fastest-growing areas of complementary medicine in the United States.

Practitioners of natural medicines believe aromatherapy works by stimulating the smell receptors in your nose, which then send messages into the limbic system — the part of your brain that regulates emotions.

You can inhale the highly concentrated oils directly or indirectly through an essential oil diffuser, or apply them to your skin through massage, lotions or bath gel. A word to the wise, however: You can’t use all essential oils topically in their undiluted form. Most need to be added to carrier oils such as olive, grapeseed or sweet almond. If you aren’t sure how to mix your own essential oils, many companies offer essential oils that are pre-blended with a carrier.

How to Choose and Use Essential Oils for Better Well-Being

Unsurprisingly, essential oils derived from different plants have a wide range of benefits. Some, like peppermint, help create a more alert, uplifted mood, while others, like lavender, are deeply soothing and can relieve anxiety and insomnia. Try different oils on different days to see what works best for you.

• Bergamot: Bergamot can be a way to treat stress, depression, anxiety and skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It can help stimulate your internal organs and provide an overall mood boost on days when you’re feeling low.
• Cedarwood: Cedarwood oil has calming properties that many users say help alleviate stress and anxiety. It’s an excellent way to improve mood, and plays a role in aiding respiratory problems, skin problems and urinary tract infections.
• Chamomile: Chamomile is a potent calming agent, as well as an antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant and all-around mood improver. It has analgesic properties and can also help fight inflammation.
• Lavender: In addition to providing some users with rapid relief from anxiety and stress, lavender users say it serves as an antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, deodorant, diuretic and sedative.
• Peppermint: Peppermint oil has a wide range of therapeutic properties in alternative medicine. It is a cooling agent that may enhances mood, sharpens focus, combats irritation and redness, alleviates symptoms of congestion and aids in digestion.
• Tea tree: Proponents of this versatile essential oil say it has abundant healing properties. Not only is it a natural immune booster, but it may also help the body fight off infection. It works to heal skin conditions, burns and cuts and is an insecticide. In addition, it can help soothe and treat cold sores, respiratory conditions, muscle aches, the flu and dandruff.

Holistic Addiction Treatment on a Continuum of Care

At Complete Harmony, we take a whole-person approach to healing the disease of addiction. When you need California drug and alcohol recovery for yourself or a loved one, explore our innovative, non-12-step treatment options, then contact our rehab team.

3 Ways to Carve Out Quiet Time

As the holiday season comes to a close and the New Year begins, it’s the perfect time to concentrate on some quiet, reflective time. Taking a mere five minutes a day – away from phones, electronics, social obligations, etc. – can go a long way in helping your recovery. 

This is because quiet time can help give your brain the breathing room it needs to relax and process what you’ve learned, heard or done in recovery. It will also help give you the time to brainstorm and reflect on your immediate and long-term sobriety goals. 

Here are a few simple steps you can try today to create some stillness among the chaos of daily life. 

• Make your walk more mindful. While a heart-pumping walk is great for your body and mind, so is slowing down a bit and taking time to focus on nature.  As you become more conscious of the flowers, trees, sounds of birds, you’ll automatically quiet your mind in order to reach a more reflective state.
• Make journaling a daily habit. Pick up a pen or turn on your tablet and begin letting go of those feelings and thought cluttering your brain. And be careful not to censor yourself. The goal is to let it all out so you can clear, quiet and focus your mind. 
• Make time to meditate. Whether you choose to mediate when you first wake or before bedtime, this calming practice can help to reduce stress and quiet your mind from constant chatter. The result: a calmer state-of-mind and more space for reflection. 

Holistic Healing at Complete Harmony

At Complete Harmony, our holistic relapse prevention plans provide the tools that you or someone you love needs for lifelong sobriety. After recovery, our staff encourages you to continue holistic therapies and find groups and community resources that support your commitment to sobriety. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.