Rhode Island Equine Therapy Rehab Centers

Substance abuse harms an individual’s physical and emotional well-being, particularly when it combines with a serious mental health disorder. In the state of Rhode Island, roughly 8 percent of residents need treatment for alcohol abuse and another 3 percent need treatment for illicit drug abuse and do not seek professional treatment, reports the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Furthermore, about 15.61 percent of residents have a severe mental health disorder that requires treatment, says the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. By seeking professional treatment in an equine-assisted program, individuals improve their ability to focus on recovery goals and regain a sense of trust in loved ones.

What Is Equine Therapy?

Equine addiction therapy refers to the use of horses in a treatment program. According to Psych Central, the program helps by reducing psychological stress associated with mental health disorders, trauma or similar factors that contribute to substance abuse. Generally, an individual works with horses in an effort to build up trust and improve their ability to focus on healing during a treatment program.

Programs that offer equine therapy provide a chance for individuals to start working on realistic recovery goals by improving their perspective or outlook on the situation. Psych Central says that the therapy helps in trauma treatments or for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. It also provides comfort for individuals with severe anxiety disorders or related mental health conditions.

Benefits Of Equine Treatments

The primary benefits of equine-assisted therapy depend on an individual’s health and situation. In general, horses help with recovery by mirroring and reflecting the emotions of the individual. A horse reacts to the tension in an individual and shows when the person is nervous or uncomfortable.

Advantages of equine therapy include:

• Gaining comfort from working with an animal
• Building up trust due to the honest reactions of a horse
• Gaining perspective about personal feelings
• Talking about feelings in a safe environment
• Caring for the horses
• Improving physical health by riding a horse
• Developing a healthy hobby

Caring for an animal provides a sense of purpose and trust that helps if an individual faces traumatic experiences or anxiety disorders. The environment provides a calm and safe space with a gentle animal. By riding a horse, individuals improve their physical fitness and health, which also reduces the risk of a relapse and helps with the recovery process.

Recovering In Rhode Island

Addiction recovery takes time and often requires solutions for a co-occurring disorder. By entering a treatment facility that offers long-term residential care and equine-assisted therapy, an individual has a chance to start fresh and improve his or her health. To learn more about treatment options in Rhode Island, contact us at RehabCenter.net today.