Arizona Equine Therapy Rehab Centers

Are you fighting to overcome alcohol and/or drug dependency in Arizona, with or without a co-occurring mental disorder that requires treatment? If so, you might be surprised to discover that equine therapy can help.

Serious Problems For Arizona Residents

Although Arizona is known for its brilliant sunshine, this section of the Old West has a dark side, too — namely, substance abuse and dependency among the general population. Use of illicit drugs (and deaths resulting from them) both range higher here than the national norm. Prescription drugs are, if anything, an even more serious threat, with Arizona ranking among the nation’s top states for abuse of these medications. Even so, 2,810 Arizona residents reported illicit drug dependence or abuse within the past 12 months, and 8,140 reported alcohol dependence or abuse in that same time period. The outstanding majority of these individuals did not receive the necessary treatment for these issues, including 2,530 drug users and 7,720 alcohol users.

Drug and alcohol abuse often co-exist with mental disorders. Therapists often deal with such cases via “dual diagnosis” programs that address both issues simultaneously. The correlation is largely due to self-medication as sufferers attempt to mute their emotional pain, uncontrolled anger, and feelings of guilt or inadequacy through chemical means. In Arizona, 4.24 percent of the state’s residents experienced severe mental illness in the past year. Since this segment of the population tends to abuse alcohol and drugs at an especially high rate, some of these individuals obviously need help on both fronts.

How Does Equine Therapy Help?

Feeding, saddling, and grooming a horse every day might sound like an unlikely rehab technique, but that’s exactly what equine therapy involves — and it works. Your equine therapy programs will be tailored to your individual situation as part of a larger holistic therapy and counseling regimen. You probably won’t ride the horse, as most of the animals used for equine therapy have seen their best riding days already, but that isn’t necessary. Simply by making friends with the horse and seeing to the horse’s needs, you not only begin re-learning how to trust care care for others, but you also develop a new sense of personal responsibility toward yourself and those in your care. If your self-esteem has been eroded by drug and alcohol abuse, you’ll return to feeling good about yourself and your capabilities once again.

Equine therapy is also a perfect technique for treatment for dual diagnosis patients. Individuals dealing with aggression problems or lack of empathy, for instance, learn how to govern their actions based on the horse’s reactions to their care. (This is one reason equine therapy is used in the treatment of autism.) In addition to behavior modification, the gentle demeanor of these horses offer great comfort and emotional support for patients with OCD, depression, and other disorders.

Find Your Equine Therapy Program Today

If you’re excited by the potential of equine therapy to help you kick your problems for good, the next step is to find a facility. Sometimes, equine therapy can be hard to find in your area but we are here to help. Contact us at RehabCenter.net for assistance!