Physical health therapy
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June 19th, 2024
Whilst addiction can negatively impact your mental health, it often affects physical health too. At UKAT, we deliver a holistic therapy programme to treat both the mental and physical aspects of addiction. So, physical health therapy is a very important part of our rehab treatment programmes. Read on to learn more about physical health therapy, how it is used for addiction treatment and how you can keep developing your physical health after rehab.
What is physical health therapy?
Sadly, we often find that clients experience a deterioration in their physical health as a result of their addiction. Physical health therapy is a holistic therapy that aims to treat your body and mind. The medical teams at our UKAT clinics deliver by monitoring your vital signs and coaching you in healthy eating and exercise.
This treatment can significantly improve your physical well-being in the short term. Moreover, physical health therapy teaches you how to maintain your health in the long term after you complete your addiction rehab programme at one of our residential centres.
Treating addiction with physical health therapy
There have been many scientific studies into the use of physical health therapy as a treatment for addiction over the years. These studies reveal that forming new healthy eating and exercise habits can help clients by improving their confidence, discipline and self-esteem as well as their physical well-being. However, not all addiction treatment groups include physical health therapy as a part of their rehabilitation programmes.
Unfortunately, addictive substances and behaviours alike can weaken your body over time. Drug addiction and alcohol abuse can damage your immune system, leaving you susceptible to illnesses and causing dangerous weight loss. Eating disorders and behavioural addictions such as gambling addiction, gaming addiction and porn addiction might cause you to neglect healthy eating and exercise.
This is why we believe that physical health therapy is such a valuable tool for addiction treatment. Our dedicated and empathetic staff will provide constant support as physical health therapy starts to improve your:
Physical health therapy at rehab
We offer physical health therapy at our eight inpatient rehabilitation centres around England. This therapy serves as an important component of our rehab programme, which is delivered alongside detox, the 12-step programme, and psychological and holistic therapies. Our team members provide balanced rehab programmes for clients by assessing their individual needs and pre-existing health conditions before they enter treatment.
Continuing our holistic approach to addiction treatment, our physical health therapy focuses on all facets of your physical well-being. We split physical health therapy into three key sections:
Healthy eating
The kitchens in our rehabilitation centres provide nutritious meals throughout the day to improve your diet and mental health.
Healthy body
Here at UKAT, we integrate scheduled exercise into our physical health therapy. We encourage clients to participate in exercises and sports to keep their minds focused whilst building up their strength.
Healthy mind
Lastly, our physical health therapy teaches clients how to make healthy decisions regarding their physical well-being. This includes tackling some of the symptoms of withdrawal and cravings, such as insomnia, headaches and nausea. Our therapists can advise clients on how to practice good sleep hygiene and access treatment for physical health ailments through their local GP.
Keeping healthy after addiction rehab
Maintaining the healthy lifestyle you have learnt during physical health therapy can play a vital role in relapse prevention. If you continue to build your strength up through exercise and a healthy diet, you are less likely to fall back into addiction after you leave rehab.
When you abuse drugs and alcohol or engage in addictive behaviours, your brain releases the mood-enhancing dopamine hormone. Meanwhile, regular exercise releases endorphins, which can help you manage your cravings for an addictive substance or behaviour. Physical activity can combat cravings by releasing mood-enhancing hormones in a positive and healthy manner. Therefore, you will no longer feel as if your addiction is the only thing that can make you feel happy.
Of course, physical health therapy in rehab alone is not always enough to prevent a relapse. That is why we offer continued support through our one year’s free aftercare programme. You will be invited to attend regular group therapy sessions so that you can stay connected with your peers and addiction support workers. These sessions will help you to stay on track and to cope with any difficult times during your recovery journey.
Frequently asked questions
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