Benefits of Camping on Addiction Recovery

Camping is not only a great adventure for people who want to have a good time away from everyday struggles, but it is also a great getaway for people struggling with addiction. Be it alcohol, drug abuse or any other sort of addiction, getting ample time at the camp-away from daily exposure to the contributing environment really helps.

A group of 13 men and women in substance abuse treatment participated in a 3-day residential program experience based on integrated principles from adventure therapy, therapeutic camping, and relapse prevention. The experimental group is compared to a group of 18 men and women who received the usual and customary relapse prevention program. Both groups completed pre- and post-inter-vention questionnaires.

 There were no differences in drinking-related locus of control, stress, or problem-solving between groups at post interview, but there were significant improvements in autonomic arousal, frequency of negative thoughts, and alcohol craving. Participants in both groups were interviewed 10months after the 3-day intervention. Considering individuals who were unreachable as relapsed, the10-month follow-up relapse rate was 31% for the experimental group and 58% for the comparison group.

The application of adventure therapy programs as an adjunct in the treatment of adults and adolescents who abuse drugs and alcohol has received limited empirical attention. Adventure therapy and related activities such as wilderness therapy, therapeutic camping, experiential education, and stress-challenge programs have an intuitive appeal when it comes to children and adolescents with problems.

Sourced From: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13534953_Effects_of_a_Therapeutic_Camping_Program_on_Addiction_Recovery

There is always something special about camping, a good camp experience for a recovering addict should provide relatively difficult conditions which should train the addicts on how to live on without such lifestyles. These enable the addicts to get over their former dependence on substances.

Camping & Experiencing Nature – Often in a wilderness setting clients will go out on camping excursions. Some of the activities on these types of trips include working with a group to set up and tear down camp tents and other items.

 Groups will also learn nature survival skills like finding, preparing and cooking food in the wilderness, learning how to stay hydrated and dry and how to survive in nature. These experiences teach former addicts about difficulties with survival and finding solutions to these without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Many wilderness programs use time each day for clients to meet one on one with counselors and discuss issues that lead up to their addiction. Often clients are able to trace down underlying problems that caused the addiction in the first place and learn tools to handle these types of problems in the future.

Sourced From: http://www.drugrehab.org/wilderness-drug-rehab/

A recovery camping site should provide the basics that addicts need to aid them overcome their situation. These should include treatment approaches, staff, good location and any other important aspect that should be featured in a camp.

Holistic Addiction Treatment

The Camp is renowned for our holistic treatment approach, emphasizing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual transformation of the individual.

Location

At The Camp, nature creates the backdrop for a new beginning. The Camp is a place where people can get away from their busy lives and focus on the work of recovery, knowing that their privacy is well-protected.

Breadth of Drug Treatment Options

The Camp is equipped to meet all of your substance abuse treatment needs, whether you require detoxification, residential care, day treatment or intensive outpatient treatment. We offer a full spectrum of addiction treatments to help adults and adolescents gain the recovery skills they need to break the cycle of addiction.

Sourced From: http://www.camprecovery.com/about/why-the-camp/