At the age of sixteen I found out the hard way that I had an addiction. My parents had stopped me dead in my tracks. I was confronted head on by family, about my addiction to booze and meth. I foolishly thought I was hiding it well. But that mistake comes with being young, dumb, and addicted to drugs. Fortunately I had parents who loved me enough to pay attention to my actions and who I was hanging around. My parents are also both recovering narcotic users who know the brain scrambling effects of abusing your body and mind for too many years. They did not want the same life for me.
They knew me well enough to know that a standard alcohol and drug rehab would not be enough to kill the devil I was facing. They had each been in and out of several programs with only short term results. After some research they had checked themselves into an alternative drug rehab center and since have never looked back. So when it came the soul shattering time in their lives to put their only son into a treatment center, they had no hesitation about what to do. They enrolled me in a form of nontraditional treatment that focused on holistic healing. In other words, this alternative rehab focused on me as a whole, as one with the earth and the universe. Sounds like silly hippy stuff right? Well it worked. And it’s been working for 20 plus years.
For anyone who has tried a standard twelve step program and gone into relapse, I highly recommend doing some research on an alternative drug rehab. After looking into a few of my own, I’ve uncovered many that may be suitable for all walks of life. There are centers strictly for men, women, GLBT, faith-based, and holistic. And since I’ve followed the holistic style of alternative drug rehab, please allow me to tell you a little about it and why it worked for me.
First of all they focus on your diet. They believe that improving the food you take into the body, the more it improves the mind and spirit. By removing additives and empty substances from the diet, the alternative drug rehab intends to move the brain to its highest levels of functioning.
Massage, meditation, and relaxation treatments are also key factors in the holistic approach to treating negative thoughts ofalcohol and drug addiction. We feel that taking away negative thinking and negative influences, will create a positive and addiction free path to follow. Tai Chi and Yoga also play a large role in healing the strength of mind and body in order for it to take care of itself and shut out any dependence on substances.
These are just a few of the things that the holistic approach to nontraditional treatment has to offer. After completing 5 short months in the program, I saw that my life had taken an entirely new direction. I I fell in love with the new way of life and decided that I was going to train to become a holistic drug counselor and help others just like me. Holistic healing had opened my eyes to a world of peace and whole achievement. I urge anyone who may have a problem to seek help. But I want to show that there are alternative treatment programs out there if a twelve step program isn’t cutting it.
