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The Broken Thoughts Addiction Tells You: Part Two

Nature Rx: Why Doctors are Turning to Alternative Prescriptions

California is a nature lover’s playland. Orange County is one of the most highly sought after places of residence for people seeking the California lifestyle. From our world famous beaches and surf to our beautiful mountains and access to all of California’s wonder, living in Orange County is an adventure. We chose Orange County as the location for Tree House to give men a treatment experience they will never forget, full of fun, hard work, adventure, and plenty of nature. Nature as part of a treatment program for addiction is more than a novelty. Adventure and nature ‘therapy’ are not a new invention. Men have been escaping to the wilderness to find themselves, renew themselves, and learn how to be better men, for centuries. Men are born of the earth and our species have evolved on this planet out of an interdependency on the earth. Spending time in nature is a return to the self. When men come to treatment to recover from addiction, they come to embark on a quest to finding the self they lost to addiction. As well, they begin a journey to discovering a new man entirely, the man of recovery they want to be. Or as we model it: a Tree House man.

Increasing amounts of research indicate that the health and wellness of our microbiome dictate our holistic health and wellness. Mindbodygreen interviews Dr. Douglas Toal who explains that “…the presence of soil and vegetation can have a significant impact and on the composition of colonizing microbiota.” Being in the dirt and leaves helps the gut create the healthy environment it needs for a microbiome that’s happy. Happy gut equals happy brain. Both the brain and gut are happier outside.

Doctors are prescribing time outdoors because there are a number of benefits better received outside than through synthetically created or naturally derived medications or substances. Vitamin D, for example, is an essential vitamin for our body to function and regulate hormones, our sleep, our immune system, and much more. Vitamin D supplements are great, but getting outside is better. Regular doses of sunshine are more effective than medications. Doctors recommend spending time in nature as a lifestyle change as much as a treatment. Medications can enable a sedentary, adventure-less lifestyle lacking in richness. Excursions to nature encourages people to get up, get out, and see the world. The more they see and experience, the more they want to, and the healthier they become.

Recovery for men needs to be mind, body, and spirit. At Tree House Recovery we are building men from the ground up with sustainable changes to create a sustainable recovery. Call us today for information on our treatment programs and how we can help you find freedom from addiction:  (855) 202-2138

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