The Benefits of Massage for Stress During Addiction Treatment

The benefits of massage for stress are widely known for overworked professionals, but massage also offers benefits for addiction recovery. This low-tech holistic addiction treatment has been proven to be surprisingly effective. It’s been found that massage therapy helped patients reduce stress and anxiety. It also contributed to a more positive outlook. Holistic therapy is designed to address how clients are feeling emotionally and psychologically. Often, the best way to approach these issues is through therapy that reduces physical stress. Massage therapy reduces stress by helping individuals relax and view their issues in a healthy light. At Beaches Recovery, we use holistic approaches combined with evidence-based treatments to address the physical and mental aspects of substance use disorder.

The Benefits of Massage for Stress

Massage therapy can help patients who feel anxious or stressed, especially during drug or alcohol detox at our partner facility. Since stress hormones are linked directly to dopamine, they can cause patients to feel needy, deprived, or depressed. Massage helps to reduce stress, boost dopamine levels, and limit negative emotions.

At the same time, massage helps patients to become self-aware. Many people suffering from addiction use drugs to temporarily remove negative feelings, physical pain, or other problems. They are used not to feel their body, and massage reverses this. During the session, patients are encouraged to ignore distractions, slow down, and focus on just how they feel. With regular massage therapy, patients can learn how to recognize the symptoms of stress and anxiety.

The Physical Benefits of Massage for Stress

Other than reducing stress levels, massage can also help with detoxification. When someone is massaged, it loosens the muscles. As this happens, blood flow is stimulated in the massaged area. As the blood flows in, it nourishes the tissues and speeds up the drainage of the lymph nodes.

Individuals going through addiction treatment experience increased levels of anxiety, pain, sleep disorders, and agitation. Massage therapy reduces these symptoms of the recovery process.

Massage therapy also gives a feeling of human connection. That openness during a massage for stress will allow you to reconnect with a confusing jumble of emotions that were almost impossible to process when you were battling addiction alone. You also have the option to talk or listen to the provided music. This disconnect from the harmful isolation of addiction helps you reconnect to a healthy social life.

Stress Can Trigger an Addiction

During an addiction, many individuals use drugs or alcohol to cope with negative feelings. They learn new ways to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and negative emotions at the rehab facility. Instead of using drugs to cope, they learn how to use massage, nutritional counseling, music therapy, or art therapy to manage these feelings. No matter the substance an individual is dealing with, our team at Beaches Recovery can help. Some of the substance abuse treatment programs we offer include:

• Alcohol addiction
• Heroin addiction
• Opiate addiction
• Opioid addiction
• Benzo addiction
• Meth addiction
• Xanax addiction

In all of these addiction treatment programs, individuals can take advantage of our stress reduction holistic therapies. The benefits of massage for stress are widely known and can help individuals recover from their addiction. However, every individual is different, so some need more treatment options than basic talk therapy. Through programs like massage therapy, patients can get the individualized treatment that they need.

What Is Holistic Treatment?

Treating the whole person and not just the symptoms of addiction or stress provides lasting relief. The benefits of massage for stress expand to other areas of mental health, like addiction and anxiety disorders. All aspects of individuals are intricately connected, so any treatment must be designed to include different facets of their being.

Holistic treatment programs you may also benefit from include:

• Art therapy
• Yoga therapy
• Music appreciation therapy
• Acupuncture
• Exercise and recreational therapy
• Writing therapy

Benefits of Massage for Stress During Addiction Treatment at Beaches Recovery

Customized programs, therapeutic support groups, and dual diagnosis treatment are available for patients who need help. Once you or a loved one recognizes a problem, the first step is finding the right rehab facility. At Beaches Recovery, patients can get help that includes:

• Addiction recovery care
• Extended care
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Outpatient care
• Dual diagnosis treatment

With professional help, recovery is possible. We want to help you lessen your stress and gain sobriety. Contact us at 866.605.0532, or contact us online.