Few places in the United States offer the rehab hiking opportunities of Fairview, North Carolina. Massive national forests on three sides, nature preserves, forests, lakes and game lands surround The Willows of Fairview. This provides the perfect setting for starting recovery. As part of your rehab at The Willows, you gain exposure to hiking therapy and a range of other therapies included in your individual treatment plan.
Why Is Hiking Therapy Part of Your Treatment Plan?
Hiking therapy and walking therapy both provide fresh air, sunshine and physical activity you need for healthy recovery. In these therapies, you also gain a greater understanding of yourself and your substance use disorder. You form positive habits on your hikes or walks, habits proving good for you throughout your lifetime.
Florence Nightingale first used recreational therapy like hiking for the treatment of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War in 1854. She noted how the soldiers’ health improved more quickly and completely with recreation in their lives. Soon, other hospitals and treatment centers picked up on Nightingale’s methods. Recreation therapies like hiking and walking therapy still play a major role in many peoples’ lives today.
Benefits of Hiking Therapy
Hiking therapy and walking therapy help you build self-esteem and self-awareness after your long period of substance abuse. You benefit from the hike’s peaceful surroundings, fresh air, and the absence of distractions. While engaging in these physical activities, you do not need to concentrate on anything but your thoughts. You gain clarity, a better perspective on your life and motivation for healthy changes.
Some of the best things about hiking include how the activity suits people of many ages and physical capabilities. You build better health and endurance with each hike, so you see your own physical progress over time. Hiking therapy from rehab translates well to enjoying your own hikes after rehab in your home community. You do not need special equipment or attire, all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes.
Your therapist organizes hikes with specific treatment goals in mind. This leads to experiencing some personal breakthroughs on your hike and even after you return to your treatment center. Therapy oriented hiking helps you grow and change in ways that other addiction therapy services cannot. So hiking bridges this gap between healthy recovery and limitations of talk therapy.
For people with dual diagnosis conditions like anxiety, depression or PTSD, hiking relieves many symptoms. You feel less anxious, gain a more positive perspective and feel healthier. The natural high after hiking replaces your drug or alcohol-induced high. This helps you naturally emerge from the darkness of depression or early sobriety.
Other benefits of hiking or walking therapy include building skills for teamwork, self-control and personal accountability. You understand consequences better after recreation therapy among peers, including consequences of your actions for others around you. Together, all of these benefits help you remain focused and calm for a healthy recovery.
Hiking Therapy and Other Therapies in Fairview, NC
In Fairview, North Carolina, The Willows provides the therapies, treatment methods and programs you need for strong recovery from drug or alcohol abuse. If you suffer a dual diagnosis condition, The Willows provides the help and healing you need for both of your diagnoses at once.
Addiction treatment services of The Willows include:
- Programs for women ages 18 to 30
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Experiential therapies, including hiking, ropes courses, horseback riding, and gardening
- Psychotherapy, trauma and relationship building therapies
- Acupuncture, meditation, and yoga
Start forging your path into healthy recovery and happiness, by calling The Willows at 855.773.0614 now. Join your female peers in recovery for hiking therapy and other activities in Fairview, NC.
