Active Therapy for Addiction & Mental Illness

Activity-based therapy, or active therapy, has become an increasingly popular form of treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. Unlike traditional talk therapy, activity-based therapies incorporate physical and creative activities into the therapeutic process, allowing patients to express themselves in a fun and nonverbal way. This type of therapy is based on the idea that engaging in purposeful and enjoyable activities can help people build their self-esteem, develop healthy coping skills, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our addiction recovery center offers activity therapy for addiction and mental illness that focuses on experiential learning, allowing patients to heal uniquely. 

What Is Activity Therapy?

Also referred to as rec or recreational therapy, activity therapy is a form of therapy in which patients participate in various activities to improve their physical, emotional, and mental health. These activities may include sports, games, art, music, drama, dance, and other creative pursuits. Active therapy is often used as a part of inpatient drug rehab or mental health care. 

It’s designed to help patients develop new skills, build confidence, and engage in fun activities that promote both physical and emotional healing. We believe that by incorporating enjoyable activities into our clients’ addiction or mental health treatment, their attitude toward recovery and their overall quality of life will improve. 

Benefits of Recreational Therapy

Recreation therapy activities can provide numerous benefits for individuals who are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness. Some key benefits of recreational therapy include: 

  • Building social skills: Group therapy activities for adults can provide opportunities to interact with others in the recovery community while building social skills. These can be particularly helpful for individuals who struggle with social isolation as a result of addiction or mental illness. 
  • Developing healthy coping skills: Active therapy can help individuals develop healthy coping skills, such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and creative expression, all of which can help them overcome challenges outside of rehabilitation.
  • Improving self-esteem and self-confidence: Participating in challenging but achievable activities can contribute to participants’ self-esteem and self-confidence.
  • Increasing motivation for recovery: Engaging in enjoyable and meaningful activities can motivate participants of activity-based therapy to continue their recovery journey.
  • Providing a healthy outlet for emotions: Activities like art, music, and dance can provide a healthy outlet for emotions and help individuals process and express difficult feelings in a nonverbal way.
  • Reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety: Engaging in fun and purposeful activities can contribute to a positive mindset and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Active therapy can provide a fun, engaging, and effective way for people to work through substance abuse or mental health challenges and improve their overall well-being. 

Active and Rec Therapy in Florida

At Affordable Addiction Treatment, we offer a variety of activity-based therapies to support our clients in their recovery from substance abuse and mental illness. Our activities include the following: 

Art Therapy 

Art is a universal language that frees patients to be uninhibited in their expression and be 100% honest. It’s also a great way to unlock some issues that the patient themselves may not have realized they were dealing with. When using art as therapy, patients express their thoughts and feelings through activities such as painting, sculpting, or sketching. Not only does this help patients discover or rediscover talents and former passions, but it also grants them a private and safe space where they can process difficult emotions. Our therapists examine artwork created by patients and make assessments of their mood, mental health, and other personality traits. From this, our patients can better understand their mental health, behaviors, and the world around them. 

Cooking Therapy

Our addiction care philosophy is to treat individuals and not just their addictions. The cooking therapy program at our center for addiction treatment takes steps to prepare patients for a sober future. Under the supervision of a master chef and recreational therapist, patients will learn to cook their gourmet meals and make healthier versions of their favorite dishes while also learning about nutrition and planning. 

The program allows patients to gain greater independence, raise their confidence, and pursue a new passion. The overall goal of the therapeutic cooking program is to promote positive health and well-being. Many of our patients enter treatment with severely diminished health and extreme nutritional imbalances. 

While our therapists can guide patients back to optimal health during residential treatment, therapeutic cooking gives patients the ability to continue living a healthier lifestyle following rehab. We will focus on providing patients with basic cooking skills to assist in developing essential skills for daily living:

  • Creativity
  • Get comfortable in the kitchen
  • Patience hygiene safety
  • Self-confidence
  • Self-esteem
  • Teamwork

Therapeutic cooking has become increasingly prevalent in the treatment of mental illnesses as well as addiction. Cooking allows patients to have something to look forward to in rehab and helps them focus on something else besides their symptoms. Our cooking lessons are held during the week and will run anywhere from one to two hours, depending on the meal being prepared. Patients will have the ability to ask questions, learn valuable life skills, gain independence, pursue a new hobby, or improve their existing talents with the support of our active therapy specialists.

Expressive Writing Therapy

Writing has been regarded as a therapeutic exercise for a long time. Whether one is keeping a diary of their thoughts and experiences, crafting poetic verse, or writing prose, writing can bring catharsis, closure, and internal understanding. Our center for drug and alcohol treatment offers writing therapy to help patients achieve healing through written expression. Led by an expressive writing specialist, the program has been incredibly beneficial, particularly to patients with no background or previous interest in writing. 

Patients in this program are assigned a series of writing tasks by the group facilitator to build a collection of works. Doing this allows the patient to accomplish two things. First, it helps guide the patient in opening up so they can freely express themselves. Secondly, it assists patients as they learn to articulate their emotions and create works they can share with their family and primary therapist. 

The goal of the writing exercise is to get patients to successfully process their underlying trauma and honestly convey their feelings. All in all, writing therapy provides various benefits, including: 

  • Assistance with goal establishment and maintenance 
  • Increased expressive coping skills 
  • Introduction of writing as a meditative practice 
  • Preparation for 12-step written assignments 
  • Recognition of patterns in personal choices 
  • Strength of insight 
  • The teaching of post-treatment tools for everyday mindfulness 

Very often, patients leave the program with a new passion for writing and incorporate the habit of writing down their feelings and experiences in post-treatment recovery. 

Exercise Therapy

The fitness therapy offered at our facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art fitness facility, including a swimming pool and tennis courts. The mixture of our intensive rehab therapies combined with regular exercise will contribute to patients’ recovery both physically and mentally. When a person exercises, their body naturally produces endorphins – the same chemical released into your system following the use of drugs or alcohol. 

Consistent physical activity can therefore give recovering addicts a similar high to the one they feel while abusing substances. As a result, exercise therapy can be a catalyst for positive life change. We feel that giving our patients something else to focus on besides their addiction or mental health problems inspires them through rehab and empowers them after treatment completion. 

While exercise therapy is extremely helpful in rehab, we hope that patients will see the benefits of improved nutrition and exercise and decide to make it a permanent part of their lives. Patients are often stunned at the health they develop while in rehab and desire to maintain and build upon it after reentering their lives at home. This newfound dedication to fitness can easily take the place of drug and alcohol abuse, allowing patients to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Music Therapy

Anyone who has ever had a favorite song or felt moved by a musical performance can attest first-hand to the therapeutic properties of music. A song has the power to take you from happy to sad and back to happy again in a matter of minutes. At our facility, we leverage this natural therapy technique to help our patients gain power over addiction and mental illness. 

Music therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety, alleviate pain, lower blood pressure, and increase a person’s motivation. Patients in our music therapy program have the opportunity to experiment with various instruments. For instance, a session in this program may include patients beating steadily on a drum to promote emotional cleansing and awaken dormant feelings. 

An exclusive feature of Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches’ music therapy is our music production program, which allows participants of all skill and experience levels to write, produce, perform, and record their music tracks. This innovative therapy tactic immerses patients in the creative process and helps them focus on something else besides their symptoms. In addition to creating an extra outlet for unrestricted communication, our music therapy program can help our patients uncover any hidden musical passions or talents and will arm them with a tool they can use post-treatment.

Learn More About Our Active Therapy Activities

The primary goal of any effective drug or alcohol rehabilitation program should not only be to break the cycle of addiction but also to prepare patients for long-term success. The same applies to mental health care. Failing to account for the challenges patients may face in their post-rehab lives increases the chances of a relapse. 

For more information about our substance abuse counseling center or treatment programs, contact Affordable Addiction Treatment today.

For more information call us at 866-559-2228