When I was seventeen I learned a thing or two about life. My parents had staged an intervention. 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 cared enough to pay attention to me and who I was hanging around. My parents are also both recovering narcotic users who know the devastating 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 12 step program would not be enough to tame the demons 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 a rehab center that focused on alternative methods of treatment and have since never looked back. So when it came the sad 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 corny right? Well it worked. And it’s been working for two decades.
For anyone who has tried a standard 12 step program and swayed back to their old habits, I highly recommend checking out an alternative center for recovery. After looking into a few of my own, I’ve found many that may be suitable for all walks of life. There are centers strictly for men, women, gay/lesbian/bi/tran, 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 and what you take into your body. They believe that improving the things you take into the body, the more it improves the mind and spirit. By removing additives and empty substances from the diet, the treatment intends to move the brain to its highest levels of functioning.
The holistic approach also includes massage, meditation, and relaxation treatments, in order to cleanse the mind of all negative thought. 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 rebuilding the strength of mind and body in order for it to take care of itself and shut out any dependence on toxins.
These are just a few of the things that the holistic approach to nontraditional treatment has to offer. After completing 6 short months in the program, I saw that my life had turned a new leaf. I decided it was definitely for me and that I was going to train to become a holistic drug counselor and help others just like me. Holistic healing had changed my life and made a devotee out of me. I urge anyone who may have a problem to seek help. But I want to show that there are nontraditional treatment programs out there if a 12 step program isn’t cutting it.
