Life
is experience. Substance dependence overtakes a person?s ability to
make her own decisions to experience life, and life is no longer
actively participated in. Therefore, in overcoming addiction, it is
vital to learn to re-experience life. This lesson helps a treatment
center resident reintegrate into the world after therapy is through.
Experiential therapy is this bridge to leaving a life of substance
dependency and commencing a life of health, both physical and mental.
Experiential therapy is a necessary component in the steps towards a
complete therapy. In addition to counseling and more traditional
therapies, experiential is the door to the world - it forces the
patient to test herself, to get up when she falls, to learn that giving
up is not an option. This is a vital lesson to learn when overcoming
addiction, as when problems arise after therapy, the former patient
will remember that there are other means of dealing with problems than
turning back to addiction.
Experiential therapy includes many various forms, and can be
divided into two main categories: outdoor experiential therapy and
indoor experiential therapy. Both aim at physical and mental challenges
in order to succeed. Equine therapy, which falls within the category of
outdoor experiential therapy, is worth reviewing on its own due to its
uniqueness and successful results. Research supports the use of
experiential therapy, as motivation increases and social integration is
easier through the experience of such therapy.
The great outdoors is well known for its healing abilities, and
exercise in itself releases the same good-feeling endorphins as a high
does. There we have it: the high that is healthy. Outdoor experiential
therapy utilizes nature to help residents work through their problems
and free themselves from dependency through the physical challenges
offered in nature. Activities can include winter sports like
snowshoeing, and summer sports like hiking. More radical activities,
like a heli-experience, are also possible. The heli-experience takes
people to literally previously unknown heights. In opening new worlds,
these experiences reconnect residences to their world, which is so
important to eventually helping them reconnect with the people who live
in this world. While outdoor activities are beneficial for the social
aspect of interacting with other residents, their main achievement is
to make the resident introspect and put a perspective on the resident?s
own life in the context of the towering natural world.
Indoor experiential therapy can be based on an indoor ropes and
challenge course. While also containing the aspect of physical
challenge, indoor experiential therapy is a greater internal challenge.
The resident must mentally prepare herself for the challenges that come
at such heights. Also, trust is an invaluable lesson learned in indoor
therapy. Partners rely on each other to succeed in these activities,
thus learning to communicate effectively and learning to trust another.
This can be an especially difficult aspect of healing from addiction,
as for so many, trust is not a part of a life of addiction. Learning to
rebuild personal self-confidence and trust in others is vital for a
successful recovery from substance dependence. Reintegrating into
society after therapy is one of the most difficult aspects of recovery,
so having a treatment program that rebuilds the elements of trust and
confidence, needed for a successful life in our society, is especially
beneficial.
Equine therapy, a certain highlight of the outdoor experiential
therapy, combines aspects used both in outdoor and indoor therapy. From
the aspect of the outdoors, equine therapy offers the chance to be
with, in and beyond nature, with a living being that sees us only for
who we are. Horses are extremely intelligent creatures, having a
special history with the human race. So vital in the development of the
modern world, horses were the first vehicles for transporting
messengers and mail efficiently, as the Pony Express reminds us, and
were man?s trusted guides in exploration and on battlefields. And,
while a horse does not judge mankind, it certainly can read a character
and will cleverly use a human?s personality to its advantage. Trust is
an essential element of equine therapy, and it is a relationship with a
creature that will not lie about its feelings. When a genuine
friendship is formed between horse and man, it is a lifelong bond.
Equine therapy combines the power of nature and a physical challenge
with the need to build a trusting relationship with a fellow living
creature and increase self-confidence. In this manner, equine therapy
is especially helpful for residents of treatment centers, as it
combines all elements so beneficial to recovery in one activity.
Experiential therapy teaches lessons of confidence in the self
as well as in others, and teaches facing challenges and overcoming
them. Motivation is of prime importance in overcoming an addiction, and
what better place to find motivation than where we naturally seek it:
in situations that encourage us to aim higher than we imagine is
possible. Through the motivation that appears in the physical
activities, treatment center residents learn to carry it over to their
own lives, and find the necessary motivation to deal with personal
issues. Simultaneously building confidence and trust in themselves and
others only strengthens the desire for motivation. The added health
benefits of partaking in physical exercise show themselves both on the
bodies and minds of patients. Getting the body into shape helps
stabilize the mind, and helps lead a generally healthier life. There is
never an easy cure to addiction, and many paths and steps must be
followed to guide to a better life. The step of experiential therapy is
one of the most rewarding steps in treatment, as the treatment resident
is aware first-hand of its results. This personal feeling of
achievement in overcoming challenges makes great headway in the
recovery process from addiction.
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About The Author
This article was written by Marina Petroni, sponsored by http://www.cirquelodge.com/.
Cirque Lodge, located in Sundance, Utah, is a world-class residential
drug rehab facility providinga private, effective and serene pathway to
sobriety. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include
a link pointing back to http://www.cirquelodge.com/.
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