Nature has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on people, giving them clarity and making them feel refreshed. Therefore, it is no surprise that nature recreation therapy is highly recommended to people struggling with addiction. In fact, most rehabilitation facilities and addiction treatment centers include some form of nature therapy in their treatment program, usually in the form of outdoor recreation. This is because nature is so effective at realigning mental health in people that it is commonly referred to as the best kind of free therapy.
Nature has rejuvenating qualities that other forms of therapy cannot offer. Most people come away from nature feeling that their mental facilities have been reset and are starting afresh. For people struggling with addiction, this quality is largely beneficial. Addiction is a mental state that people get stuck in, but it is no one’s natural mental state. Spending some time in nature reminds addicts of this and makes them feel closer to a time when they were not addicted, inspiring them to return to that state.
Self reflection naturally occurs within nature, as there is an abundance of silence and freedom within nature. Spending time in it gives a person the resources they need to introspect and become meditative. This is largely important to a person struggling with addiction because reflection on personal choices is essential to recovery from addiction. The cognitive behavioral therapy that addiction treatment uses calls upon exactly this type of introspection in order to get the addict to think critically about their choices and reconsider them.
Nature’s pure tranquility is the all-encompassing reason it is so effective at easing addiction. The smell of growing vegetation invigorates our minds, the sounds of wind in the trees and water in the streams is music to our souls and the complex array of designs and colors that nature demonstrates leaves us in awe.
