Gardens of Hope provides therapeutic horticulture and education for people in need. We believe that every healing modality or situation can be aided with this incredible tool, including addiction recovery,
Therapeutic horticulture is a treatment approach that uses gardening and nature to enhance individuals' physical, mental, and emotional well-being in addiction recovery. The practice involves working with plants and soil to promote relaxation, mindfulness, and a sense of connection to the natural world. Here are some reasons why therapeutic horticulture is an effective tool in addiction recovery.
1. Increases Physical Exercise - Horticultural therapy is an excellent way for people to get moving and enjoy physical exercise. This can be particularly effective for people who have struggled with substance use disorders since exercise promotes endorphin release in the brain, which promotes feelings of happiness, a healthy substitute for the substance in question.
2. Nature as a Stress Reliever - Horticultural therapy often involves spending time outdoors surrounded by beautiful plants and green space, which can decrease stress levels that cause cravings.
3. Builds New Coping Skills - Gardening helps overcome stress from boredom, loneliness, or dysphoria by adding purposeful activities into daily routines. Even small accomplishments are noticed, and new, constructive patterns are more easily created.
4. Enhances Social Connections - Gardening can bring people together through shared experiences of nurturing plants which cultivates a strong sense of belonging. Positive community ties are widely recognized as a benefit to recovery.
5. Encourages Mindfulness - Therapeutic horticulture requires individuals to focus on details like plant texture or color, creating areas for mindful thinking to subdue intrusive thoughts.
Therapeutic horticulture is fast becoming a popular and cost-effective complementary approach in addiction recovery programs due to its high effectiveness when combined with other accepted treatments like medications or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It provides a natural form of healing that can soothe emotional wounds while encouraging individuals to create healthy coping mechanisms as they navigate life post-addiction treatment.
We're just getting started here at Gardens of Hope; I invite you to the project. Here's a link to our YouTube Channel; please stop by and see what all the commotion is about!
Happy Healing!
Joe
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