The Recovery Benefits of Gardening

Not everyone enjoys the feeling of soil between their fingers, and therefore, not everyone will enjoy having their own garden. But, for those who aren’t afraid to get some extra sun exposure. Fresh air and getting dirty while spending time gardening can have immeasurable physical and mental health benefits!

And that’s not even where gardening’s many benefits end!

Gardening Helps Improve Overall Well-Being

Additionally, researchers have found that gardening activities can help improve socialization skills. Above all, scientists have found that growing plants and doing rewarding physical activity can even help combat drug and alcohol addiction.

Thus, horticultural therapy, or gardening therapy, has started to make its way into various addiction recovery programs.

The Scope of Addiction on Mental Health and Physical Health in America

Alcohol and drug addiction are nasty mental health conditions. Recognized nationally as a form of mental illness, substance use disorders directly impact the brain to take over every aspect of daily life.

Conditions like these have severe effects on personal well-being. It is often found that a person who struggles with alcohol addiction or drug abuse will also wrestle with things like impaired heart health and depression. Addiction takes over a person’s brain, feelings, and actions, to the point where they are no longer in control of their impulses and behaviors. Even so, as much as it hurts a person to wrestle with addiction on a daily basis, they are not the only ones to experience the pain of substance abuse.

Close loved ones and friends also suffer at the hands of drug and alcohol dependence.

Today, over 20 million men, women, and children struggle with a drug, alcohol, or co-occurring substance use disorder.

Many of these people will struggle with the stress of addiction for their entire lives. Luckily though, there is hope!

Substance Abuse Isn’t Cureable, but with Gardening Therapy, Addiction Recovery is Possible

Unfortunately, there is no immediate remedy or “cure” that can get rid of substance use disorders.

Still, even though addiction is not a curable disease, it is a mental health condition that can be treated and managed. In time, individuals who undergo the recovery process can begin to see improvements in their physical health and mental well-being. And as their body’s circulation improves and their mind heals. They can start to truly enjoy spending time trying a new activity or stirring up old hobbies again.

Substance Abuse Wreaks Havoc on Human Health but Working with Gardens Can Help Us Heal

Today, substance abuse is responsible for costing great harm to individual and community health.

However, no one ever intends to become an addict and live a life filled with anxiety, stress, depression, and pain.

The good news is that rehab facilities can treat substance abuse no matter how severe it is. Individuals and family members can heal from chronic drug or alcohol abuse. And working outside in nature, planting flowers, and gardening can help propel the recovery process along.

Horticulture Therapy, An Alternative Treatment in The Recovery Process

Even though studies show more than ever that natural sunlight and getting regular exercise are a great holistic approach to recovering from a substance use disorder. Horticultural therapy still has a long way before being seen as a standard treatment practice.

Even so, individuals in rehab today can still spend time boosting their sense of self-worth, healing their immune system, and combating negative emotions by either working in a community garden or maintaining their own container garden. You don’t need acres of land and rows of planted fruits and vegetables to reap the benefits of gardening.

Working in a garden can be an easy, non-threatening therapy alternative that helps keep people busy. This allows them to heal better as they work through withdrawal symptoms or other chronic substance use side effects.

Gardens and Their Healing Benefit

Before we talk about all of a garden’s incredible health benefits, we must mention one other thing.

Not only is growing plants an excellent way to fight depression, stress, anxiety, and substance abuse. But, growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, or a plant of any kind is also a great way to give back to our community and fight climate change!

There are Many Benefits to Growing Our Own Food and Different Kinds of Plants

By caring for a plant, we give back to our planet. Yet, we also can give back to our community by providing locally grown foods or gardens of flowers to enjoy.

Besides all of these great, self-esteem-boosting benefits of gardening, the best thing about a garden is that it doesn’t have to be for anyone but you to provide value. Caring for a garden can give us an essential sense of self-confidence. It can also help us clear our minds, work through our feelings, and get great exercise.

In the end, the world of plant and fresh food growing is vast. And there are many more benefits to it!

Additional Benefits of Maintaining a Garden Through the Recovery Journey

Working outside in a garden can get you more of the essential vitamin D you need to live a healthy, well-balanced life and heal. Yet, gardening is a great hobby in and of itself. Many people maintain gardens across the world for a variety of reasons. However, when rehabs use nature to encourage healing, researchers call the art of gardening a form of therapy called green care.

Additionally, the benefits of gardening in addiction rehab are numerous. Some of the most significant benefits of gardening for recovery include:

• It reduces substance cravings
• Can help alleviate anxiety
• A great way to reduce stress
• Allows people to benefit from directly absorbing vitamin D (sun exposure)
• Boosts self-esteem
• Gives individuals something to feel proud of
• Maintaining a garden can boost self-confidence
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Helps people fight depression
• Fosters community with other gardeners and people who love plants
• Improves overall health
• Inspires creative connections
• Soothes the mind
• Strengthens the immune system
• Allows clients to learn new skills
• Opens new opportunities for learning

And so much more! It is even possible for working in a garden to help people who have trouble sleeping get better rest!

Addiction is a complex condition to live with, and it can prove challenging to treat. But, it is possible that with the help of our staff here at SJRP, you and your loved ones can fully recover from substance abuse and addiction.

The recovery benefits of gardening are many. Working with plants, water, and sunshine helps improve many individuals’ overall physical and mental health. Green care, a type of holistic occupational therapy, is not often used in addiction treatment but has proven helpful in healing. It even helps people on their relapse prevention journey.

General Approachs to Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment

The journey towards addiction recovery consists of many things. First, you or your loved one must decide that you genuinely have a problem with drug or alcohol use that you need professional assistance with.

Once you decide it is time to seek out recovery treatment, you can work on finding a rehab center that suits you and your needs. After you select a rehab center, you can begin your recovery treatments.

The Recovery Jounrey Can Be Long, but Healing is Worth the Work

The addiction recovery process in rehab typically consists of traditional treatment approaches and practices. These processes include working through medical detox, enrolling in inpatient rehab, navigating outpatient services, and eventually continuing with aftercare programs.

Each of these recovery stages allows you to engage in a wide range of therapy methods, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Neuro-integration therapy
• Support group
• Individual counseling
• Family counseling

And so much more. Your treatment horizons only expand when you decide to become a member of the rehab network here at St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP). We offer traditional treatment services and alternative and complementary therapy services as well.

Gardening, an Essential Ocupational Therapy

Traditionally, occupational therapy itself is not a type of alternative addiction treatment method. Still, some of the tools occupational therapies utilize can help improve a person’s recovery journey.

As a result, even though some of the occupations (like gardening) occupational therapy use is out of the ordinary for recovery programs, some rehab centers are working hard to integrate these healing methods into their generally offered programs. Gardening for health in recovery is an alternative, complementary variety of occupational therapy in addiction rehab.

Clients can either learn how to plant more flowers or grow their food in these therapeutic conventions. They can also learn to take care of the world around them as they get outdoors and allow their minds and bodies to heal.

Rehab at St. John’s Recovery Place in Florida

Gardening can help you too! And we here at St. John’s Recovery Place want to do all that we can to help support you to ensure you have a successful recovery process.

The addiction treatment journey and path to healing look different for everyone. But at SJRP, our team will be here to not only tailor your program to suit your needs and we will also cheer you on through every setback and victory along the way. Call us today at 1-833-397-3422 to learn how you can get started using gardening for recovery today!

SJRP Can Help You Heal and Live a Healthy Life Again

St. John’s Recovery Place is a drug and alcohol rehab facility located across Florida. Believing wholeheartedly in a holistic approach to addiction treatment, SJRP offers clients the opportunity to engage in alternative and traditional recovery practices. Even though maintaining a garden may not be the usual form of occupational therapy people choose to use. SJRP can help individuals discover new things they enjoy throughout their healing process.