Sweat Lodges and Healing in Addiction Treatment for Native Americans

seat lodges for addiction

Addiction, in and of itself, is a destructive disease. Watching someone lose their loved ones, their livelihoods, and even their lives to drugs is heartbreaking. Addiction may seem even more maddening when it affects entire communities at a higher rate. Researchers have that a higher percentage of Native Americans struggle with addiction, and still, few programs exist that address the unique needs of Native Americans. At 10 Acre Ranch, we acknowledge the impact of generational trauma and understand that you cannot separate your culture from your recovery. Our program includes sweat lodges and healing practices rooted in Native American wellness practices.

Substance Abuse Statistics Amongst the Native American Community

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Native Americans were more likely to report substance dependence or abuse than any other population group. Not only are Native Americans more likely to report substance abuse, but their substance abuse typically starts at a younger age. Researchers have found that Native American children report regular alcohol and drug use as early as 8th grade at a much higher rate than national averages. While there are many theories about the causes, it is clear that the roots of substance use among Native Americans can be found in history. Unfortunately, modern day history isn’t entirely accurate on how America was founded. Christopher Columbus is often painted as a hero and the colonization of the United States is glamorized. Knowing the history has not yet stemmed this disparity. Substance abuse contributes to earlier mortality, poverty, and other socioeconomic problems within the Native American community. 

How Sweat Lodges Help Heal Addiction

By understanding the history of substance abuse in the Native American community, we can address the generational trauma and make culture an integral part of treatment. Western medicine is not congruent with Native American wellness practices. As a result, traditional treatment programs will likely be ineffective. Native American traditions take a more holistic approach to balancing the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual parts of life. Treatment programs aimed at assisting Native Americans must incorporate this balance while utilizing evidence-based substance abuse treatment modalities. Sweat lodges offer healing by offering a way to return to traditional methods while ridding yourself of drugs and alcohol. Elements in a sweat lodge ceremony are communication with the spiritual realm, moral and/or physical purification, humbling oneself, and more. Each sweat lodge ceremony may differ slightly depending on the goal, tribal basis, and ceremony location. The sweat lodge ceremony and other traditional practices such as a talking circle, smudging, and cultural art therapy serve to bridge the gap between Western medicine and Native American wellness practices. By blending these practices, treatment professionals can provide you with the support that you need to heal and begin your recovery journey in a way that honors all of you. Addiction is a disease of mind, body, and spirit that can only be healed by addressing all three. Recovery without your culture is not recovery.

Benefits of Going to 10 Acre Ranch for Rehab

At 10 Acre Ranch, we’ve been providing Southern California with expert and caring addiction treatment for over 25 years. Our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. As one of the leading rehab facilities in California, we have the proven methods to help you achieve a lifetime of sobriety. Our Sacred Grounds program was created to help our Native American and Alaskan Native brothers and sisters explore culturally informed strategies to examine substance abuse and start life in recovery. Committed to helping you break free from active addiction, we provide a warm and welcoming environment. Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!

Drug Addiction Withdrawal Signs to Look Out For

Drug Addiction Withdrawal Signs

When you’re worried that someone you love is addicted to drugs, you are often looking for signs of intoxication. And while that is important to look for those signs, you also want to be on the lookout for drug addiction withdrawal signs. Drug withdrawal, particularly alcohol withdrawal, can cause serious health issues and can even be fatal. Knowing what drugs are involved can help you recognize the withdrawal signs. Conversely, if you see the withdrawal signs, you can often figure out what drugs are being used.  At 10 Acre Ranch, we can help you understand the withdrawal symptoms and safely help you or your loved one detox. 

Why Do Drugs Cause Withdrawals?

Drugs usually cause withdrawal symptoms when the body has become accustomed to having the drugs. Drug addiction involves tolerance and dependence.  Tolerance occurs when the body gets used to having a drug regularly and then needs more to feel normal. Dependence, while related to tolerance, is a bit different. When the body gets used to having a substance regularly, it begins to function differently.  When you remove the substance, the body cannot instantly return to how it worked without the drug, and it rebels. Regular drug use rewires the brain’s circuits so that when you remove the drug, the brain does not know how to function in the same way anymore. Many of the drug withdrawal symptoms are the opposite of the effects the drugs used created. For example, many people take benzodiazepines to relax or address anxiety. However, withdrawing from these drugs has the opposite effect and can result in anxiety attacks and insomnia. 

What Are Common Drug Addiction Withdrawal Signs?

Most drug addiction withdrawal signs vary according to the drugs that were used. The one symptom that is common regardless of the drug is irritability, and this makes sense because the body is rebelling against the drugs being withheld. What is interesting is that one of the most dangerous drugs to withdraw from is alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can be as harmless as irritability, nausea, sweating, trouble sleeping, and anxiety.  However, alcohol withdrawal can also include hallucinations, tremors, seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and even death. Detoxing from alcohol without medical supervision can be quite dangerous and is even more dangerous if the person has been through alcohol withdrawal in the past. 

Withdrawal symptoms for opioids include muscle pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, goosebumps, and restlessness.  Sedatives and tranquilizers such as Xanax or Valium, can be extremely dangerous during withdrawal. If you have been abusing these drugs, you will want to detox under supervision. Withdrawing from sedatives can cause shakiness, seizures, insomnia, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, elevated body temperature, hallucinations, seizures, and overactive reflexes. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms include decreased appetite, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. Conversely, withdrawing from stimulants has the opposite effect and can cause depression and tiredness. Using drugs messes with the body’s biology, and once you stop using, it takes the body some time to function normally without them.  

Benefits of Going to 10 Acre Ranch for Rehab

At 10 Acre Ranch, we’ve been providing Southern California with expert addiction treatment for nearly three decades.  Our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. We are one of the leading rehab facilities in California and offer a wide range of programs that will meet your needs.  We are experts in helping people safely detox from drugs and do the work to stop using drugs.  We provide a warm and welcoming environment where we integrate the treatment to heal the whole person. We are committed to helping you break free from active addiction.  Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!