A major part of recovery requires making a series of life-changing decisions that revolve around choices and habits. Addiction or substance use disorders are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, in addition to life experiences. In particular, trauma can increase the chances of developing addiction or substance use disorder (SUD). The inability to healthily cope with this trauma can cause individuals to turn to substance use. What starts as an unhealthy coping habit can lead to a long-term struggle with addiction.
While addiction is a complex disorder that we can’t control, there are certain habits and behaviors we can adopt that will help maintain recovery in the long term. These include holistic and mindfulness-based practices, and healthy life choices surrounding fitness and nutrition. You can begin fostering habits of personal well-being during your treatment program. Treatment at The Ohana Addiction Treatment Center is focused on a whole-person approach to recovery. These holistic practices help our residents create a path to wellness that’s maintainable long after leaving the facility. A life of recovery is a life of wellness. You can’t have one without the other.
What Is Wellness?
The concept of wellness is frequently misconstrued among people. Some people think wellness is about being free of illness, ailments, or vices. The embodiment of wellness is quite the opposite though. Wellness is simply a state of being in good health according to your personal goals and achievements. These goals look different for everyone, which means that we all have different ideas of what being well looks like.
Generally, a path to wellness involves making healthier life choices surrounding your physical and mental health. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are eight dimensions of wellness. These dimensions include:
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emotional
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spiritual
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intellectual
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physical
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environmental
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financial
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occupational
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social
Essentially, wellness is about finding a balance between the eight dimensions. It is possible to map out ways to achieve balance within all these dimensions in a way that’s best for you and your recovery. The beauty of a path to wellness is that there is no right or wrong way to go about it, as long as you are focusing on improving yourself and your sobriety.
Practicing Wellness
Although there are eight dimensions of wellness, there are a few that are particularly important for maintaining long-term recovery. That includes emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. Finding a balance between these three areas of wellness typically begins during treatment.
For example, at The Ohana, our treatment program focuses on the mind-body-spirit connection, or reconnection, as upon entering treatment many are often in a state of dissociation from prolonged substance use. All eight dimensions are interconnected, but these, in particular, go hand-in-hand. For example, yoga is not only a form of exercise, but it’s a mindfulness-based meditation practice as well. By practicing yoga, you’re focusing on physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness all in one practice.
All dimensions of wellness are important. When we are emotionally and spiritually balanced, we begin finding balance in all other areas of our lives. It’s all about finding the right practices. Some of the holistic modalities we implement at The Ohana include ecopsychology, yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and art therapy. You can implement what you learn during your time here into your daily regimen post-treatment. Here at The Ohana, we can help connect you with resources for improving your wellness, but it’s also essential to educate yourself on the choices you have and to decide what practices are best for your long-term sobriety.
Methods of Wellness You Can Practice
There are different methods of wellness for each dimension of wellness. To achieve physical wellness, you can focus on mindful eating, regular exercise, and getting enough quality sleep. This will help your body continue functioning at optimal levels and give you the energy to focus on recovery. You can practice emotional wellness by continually attending individual and group therapy for addiction and co-occurring disorders. You may journal or take up an artistic hobby to achieve emotional wellness as well.
The methods are endless, but keep in mind, that by focusing on these areas of wellness, you’ll begin finding a balance between all dimensions. The first steps start with you. Wellness is all about making the time for self-care and making decisions that will aid in your physical and mental well-being. Without this overall wellness, maintaining recovery will be even more difficult. The best way to help yourself is to make time for yourself. If you are struggling to implement habits of personal well-being post-treatment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to The Ohana. We offer continued support throughout your recovery because we’re so much more than a treatment facility. We’re a family.
