Depression and anxiety are common symptoms of addiction that are often treated as problems, instead of the symptoms that they are.
Like depression and anxiety, there are a number of “diagnosable” illnesses that are often nothing more than a result of our addiction. This is one of the reasons that here at Tree House Recovery, we champion a medicine-free philosophy. We believe that it’s hard to get down to the root of what may cause our addiction symptoms when we’re under the influence of prescription drugs which have the potential to dull the senses, so we encourage a medicine free lifestyle unless there is a history of demonstrated, diagnosable mental health issues.
The answer to many of the ailments and symptoms that often accompany addiction comes down to treating the mind and body instead of the symptoms.
Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, for example, is a phase which can last up to two years with intermittent reoccurrence of problematic and disruptive withdrawal symptoms. In this case, medicine can be administered to help provide some emotional relief for a man in the early stages of recovery. Alternatively, however, fitness based interventions like yoga, intense weight lifting circuits, and sea training can help mitigate some of the same effects of early symptoms, while also helping build important skills like team building and problem solving. Training the body can train the mind to help us get through the PAWS phase, instead of relying on medicine.
Both depression and anxiety are also two common symptoms that are focused on so much, they can sometimes be diagnosed as their own problems in and of themselves. Focusing on the symptoms themselves can completely take away from the important part: figuring out why they came to be in the first place. With process group therapy and one-on-one therapy, however, we can get to the roots of our depression and anxiety, and develop ways to cope with or completely get rid of both without ever having to resort to another mind altering substance.
Tree House Recovery of Costa Mesa, California is a men’s addiction treatment center that takes a holistic approach to treatment. We believe the key to long lasting recovery is to focus on treating the mind and body, instead of purely focusing on the symptoms of our addiction. Learning mind and body strategies to deal with the symptoms of addiction helps us take an active part in our own recovery, and presents a much more sustainable treatment model than other methods. Call us at (855) 202-2138 to see how we can help you today.