Inspirational Mind-Body Techniques in Healing Process~by Sophia Smith {Guest Post}

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Once, Hippocrates said that “The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.”

This is exactly what mind-body medicine is all about. Unlike Western traditional medicine that separates bodily and mental functions, this practice is based on the holistic approach. Parallel with their regular medical treatments, people have started resorting to numerous mind-body techniques in order to improve their well-being, regain confidence and boost healing process. However, it is believed that one of the most prominent uses of this holistic approach is in treating addiction.

How Mind-Body Techniques Improve Addiction Treatment?

The studies have already shown that negative emotions strongly affect one’s health. For example, a person exposed to a continuous stress is more likely to have some health problems, such as high blood pressure or high heart rate. And, how exactly is this related to treating addiction? Well, when it comes to it, finding the balance between emotions and bodily functions is the key factor that determines the success of the entire treatment.

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In other words, one’s mental strength to cope with negative emotions and bodily weakness during the healing process is the priority. With the purpose to get both the body and the mind relaxed, these practices are supposed to reduce the level of stress hormones in one’s body and prepare their immune system to endure throughout all phases of the treatment, regardless of how exhausting they might be.

Of course, it is crucial that each and every of these treatments is combined with an adequate medical therapy and, most importantly, that it is guided by a qualified expert in this field. Luckily, getting professional help is today pretty simple. Namely, the majority of modern age rehabilitation centers offer a wide range of courses for young practitioners, from addiction counseling and treatment to aged care courses and physiotherapy.

Brainwave Biofeedback Helps Patients Control Involuntary Activities

Biofeedback is one of the most popular mind-body techniques used in treating numerous health issues. During this process, people are taught to control some physical processes that usually happen automatically, such as blood pressure, skin temperature, sweating, muscle contractions and heart rate. During the process of healing from addiction, this method is combined with other medical procedures in order to help addicts regain control over their mind and body .

Employing exercises such as muscle relaxation and guided imagery, biofeedback helps patients relax, as well as treat common symptoms of drug or alcohol withdrawal, such as anxiety, depression, chronic muscle pain and restlessness. One of the most common types of this therapy is neurofeedback, aiming to soothe brain activity that usually gets disrupted due to the continued use of a particular substance.

Behavioral Therapy for Identifying and Coping with Harmful Behavior

Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on improving patients’ self-control by encouraging them to develop effective coping strategies. When it comes to the addiction treatment, there are numerous specific practices that include exploring negative consequences of continued drug use, as well as self-monitoring that helps recognize cravings and determine situations that might put one at risk for use. The major benefit of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it is a process in which both a doctor and a patient work actively in order to identify harmful thoughts and actions and replace them with positive ones.

Relaxation Approach for Reducing Stress

For patients going through drug withdrawal, stress levels constantly increase, actively endangering the entire process of recovery. As a countermeasure, many rehabilitation centers incorporate a wide range of relaxation techniques into the recovery process. The main aim of these techniques is to train patients how to use their mind to control their physical weakness.

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All in all, it is undeniable that each of these mind-body techniques has improved healing success rates dramatically. This only proves that there is a strong, unbreakable bond between one’s body and mind. It doesn’t matter how physically strong one is, only by balancing their mental power will they manage to endure throughout the whole drug or alcohol withdrawal procedure.

Author BIO:

Sophia Smith is Australian based beauty, health and lifestyle blogger. She is very passionate about organic food and healthy lifestyle. Sophia writes mostly in beauty, health and lifestyle related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is regular contributor at High Style Life.

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