Treatment for substance abuse issues will look different for every individual. Someone who is struggling with alcohol addiction will require a different treatment plan than someone in treatment for opioid addiction. At Westwind Recovery®, we offer a wide range of therapies for our clients. Every individual in our care receives a personalized treatment plan that incorporates therapies that help them understand and work through the underlying causes of addiction.
For some people, talk therapy is the best way to work through these issues. However, for others, an adventure therapy program, in which they can participate in activities and outings, is a helpful tool on the road to recovery. While adventure therapy activities can vary from program to program, at Westwind Recovery®, we provide a number of opportunities for our clients to try new things and develop new interests.
What Are Adventure Therapy Activities?
During recovery, some people heal best through rest and relaxation. Your body and mind might need time to heal, and being in a peaceful environment in an addiction recovery center can be helpful. However, others do best while they are active. They enjoy facing their fears by doing things that may frighten them. They like discovering new things, facing challenges they may never have faced before, and experiencing as many experiences as they can. Additionally, they also need to find activities to enjoy during sober living that can fill up the time they previously spent in unhealthy activities. Adventure therapy activities might include:
- Hiking
- Ziplining
- Camping
- Water sports
- Surfing
- Planetarium outings
These activities help provide mental challenges that come with solving a problem or learning new skills. Adventure therapies are designed to show an individual more depth to life. These activities may appear to have nothing to do with self-reflection like talk therapy at an addiction treatment therapy program, but what you learn about yourself in adventure therapy can be invaluable.
How Adventure Therapy Helps Clients Heal
Some of the things that are included in adventure therapy activities are less active, like visiting a planetarium to experience the vastness of space or hiking a trail to commune with nature. Other offer challenges that require learning new skills. Water sports and camping can help create those challenges and give the adventurer a sense of accomplishment as they master each skill or solve each problem. Water sports, such as surfing allow a person to experience the cleansing, soothing element of water.
Hiking and camping allow the individual to get out among the healing atmosphere of nature, to feel the grounding earth beneath their feet. Maybe you would love the feeling of flying as you travel down a zipline and experience the fear being released and becoming exhilaration.
Benefits of Adventure Therapy
Adventure therapies help in numerous ways. They give an alternative way to clear your mind so that you can find room for more productive thoughts. They offer a chance to increase self-esteem as you learn new skills or face your fears. You learn life skills like problem-solving and coping with emotions like frustration or fear.
When you are facing sober living programs for the first time in what has been a long time, you need a chance to learn how to have fun in a healthy manner. These adventures show you a world that you may have only seen on television or read about in books. With every adventure, you grow in mind, body, and spirit. You learn to relax and just experience the activity. You grow healthier physically. All of this helps you learn more about yourself and what you are capable of accomplishing.
Contact Westwind Recovery® Today
At Westwind Recovery®, we realize that not everyone can benefit from the same kind of activities. We offer traditional therapy but also offer options like adventure therapy. Contact us at 855.340.8832 and set up an appointment to speak with someone about the various types of therapies we have to choose from. It is very likely we will have one that will work for you, even if other therapies haven’t in the past. Don’t wait another day to start your new journey to recovery.
Dr. Deena is the Chief Clinical Officer of Westwind Recovery®, an award-winning outpatient treatment center in Los Angeles where she oversees the clinical and administrative program and treatment methods. Dr. Deena is a doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker since 1993. LCSW #20628. Originally from the East Coast, Dr. Deena has worked running treatment centers, worked as a therapist in psychiatric hospitals as well as school settings and currently has a thriving private practice in the LA area. Dr. Deena has appeared regularly on the Dr. Phil Show as an expert since 2003. She has also been featured on many other TV shows, podcasts and has contributed to written publications as well as podcasts.
