At Port St. Lucie Hospital, we offer a variety of evidence-based programs for people living with mental illness and substance abuse issues. Each of these programs offers specific treatment options to help patients regain control of their lives and enjoy successful recoveries. These include treatment modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, and other traditional treatment methods.
But those are not the only services that we offer. We also provide three important supplemental treatments: recreational, art, and music therapies. While these treatment options are less traditional, they are still supported by clinical evidence and help our patients accomplish their recovery goals.
Do you have questions about how these non-traditional therapies can help people living with mental health conditions and addiction? Keep reading for answers to your questions about our treatment options.
When you think of recreation, you might think of relaxing activities like spending time with friends or playing games. Our recreational therapy is based on a similar concept. We take fun, enjoyable activities and turn them into opportunities for our patients to work on their personal growth.
For example, one day a patient’s recreational therapy might be to play basketball with other people in their program. While it may look like a simple way to pass the time, this actually accomplishes several goals, like:
In this way, recreational therapy helps patients get ready for life after treatment. By working on these vital real-world skills, our patients will be better prepared for success as they reintegrate into everyday living.
Sometimes it’s tempting to think of art as something only for the wealthy or the highly educated, but art is a wonderful recovery tool that anyone can use. Whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, or any other medium, art can help people express themselves in ways they otherwise couldn’t.
For people living with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, self-expression may not feel natural. They might struggle to tell others how they feel, or even to identify in themselves what emotions they’re experiencing. This can worsen their mental health and exacerbate their worst symptoms.
But with art therapy, our patients gain new tools to help them communicate and identify their feelings. This supplements our other therapeutic treatments by helping them identify and address negative emotions, which is a vital skill for life after graduating from our programs.
Sometimes, our patients enjoy art therapy so much that it becomes a hobby or passion for them post-treatment. This gives them something healthy and constructive to focus on, which can do wonders both for mental wellness and addiction recovery.
Across all tastes, almost everybody enjoys some type of music. But while a lot of people like listening to music, comparatively few ever consider playing it themselves. We’re happy to show our patients in Port St. Lucie, Florida that music is for everyone, and it can make a big difference in meeting treatment goals.
Like art therapy, music therapy centers around learning to communicate. Our highly trained therapists lead patients through musical exercises, which give them a new avenue of self-expression. Where some people don’t respond as strongly to visual arts, music can provide them a way to get their feelings out.
In this calm and relaxing space, patients can address their feelings and improve their mental well-being. While it may not be as traditional as other treatment options, music therapy plays a supplementary role to our other recovery strategies.
So often, patients respond differently to different patients. What gives you a breakthrough might not be as impactful for someone else. That’s why we give each patient a wide variety of treatment options. By giving ample opportunities for growth and self-discovery, we empower patients to forge an individualized recovery experience.
Would you like to learn more about our programs and therapeutic treatments? Give us a call at (772) 335-0400 or fill out our online contact form to learn about our holistic, comprehensive treatment of mental health and addiction issues.
