Holistic Behavioral Health care is part of our mission at Appleseed.
Being mentally healthy requires us to take a holistic approach. As Mr. Miyagi said in the 1st karate kid movie, “our whole life is a balance”. We need to make sure that we are taking care of our mind, body and spirit. We do that through activities and exercises that connect us to those domains of our life.
For instance, reading strengthens and relaxes our mind. Hiking strengthens our body. And faith-practices strengthen our spirit. A holistic approach helps handle life- and-its stresses much more effectively.
Often addiction to drugs or alcohol occurs as a reaction to what has happened to us. Going deeper…Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, or chronic invalidation more times than not, lie at the heart of many behavioral health issues.
Addiction represents the unhealthy coping skills we've adopted to manage the previous trauma. Recovering from addiction is a journey of self-discovery, relationship healing, and replacing maladaptive coping skills with adaptive ones. Working with a professional who takes a holistic trauma-informed approach can make all the difference in your recovery.
The opposite of addiction is connection. What brings value to our lives isn't the things we have but the people we are connected to. Addiction to drugs or alcohol places that substance above all other relationships in a person's life. If you are trying to overcome an addiction one of the most important things you can do is work on healing broken relationships and restoring your loved ones to the central place of value in your life. Family therapy can be a crucial part of recovery.
-Jerry Strausbaugh, EdD, LPCCS, Executive Director
