It’s a challenge to overcome a mental illness such as addiction. While traditional therapy is always a good approach, people can use other services alongside it. One example is dance therapy, which is a holistic approach to treatment. However, how can dancing help people overcome addiction healthily?

What Is Dance Therapy?

A man with a beard and mustache wearing a tie.First, it’s important to take a look at what a dance therapy program is. The more that people understand, the easier that it is for them to see the benefits. It’s a form of music and art therapy program, and it involves using dance to improve people’s mental well-being.

While there isn’t much research on therapy involving dance, doctors agree that it has benefits. For example, dancing is an excellent form of exercise. When people exercise, their brains release endorphins that make them feel good. As a result, dance is beneficial physically and mentally.

Studies also show that dance is great at reducing stress and improving self-confidence. It’s known to improve overall muscle coordination, too. For these reasons, doctors use dance therapy to help people with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

In recent years, dance programs have made their way into rehab centers across the nation. Therapists have learned more about how dancing can help people who struggle with addiction. For instance, it addresses many of the underlying issues that often cause addiction.

Dance Gives People the Ability to Express Emotions

For many people, it’s hard to express emotions. As a result, they keep how they feel bottled up and refuse to share with others. Over time, they develop significant stress, which may lead them to drugs and alcohol for relief.

In rehab, a dance therapy program can help people express their emotions in a nonverbal manner. During dance therapy, people dance to a variety of music types. Then, therapists analyze the movements that they make to detect certain emotions.

Even people with limited mobility can participate in a dance therapy program. The amount of emotion that they can convey even with limited mobility can amaze others. For that reason, dance is a holistic treatment from which everyone can benefit.

Increasing Self-confidence and Imagination

It’s pretty apparent how dance therapy can help people improve physically. After all, there’s a lot of moment during dance. However, how does it help people improve mentally? While there are many ways, the main ones are by boosting self-confidence and imagination.

During dance, people can improve their social and communication skills. The effects go a long way in helping them increase their overall confidence. While most people start off dancing in front of just a therapist, they eventually start dancing with others. Group dances go a long way in helping them feel good about themselves.

Dance also improves people’s imaginations. Developing an urge to create helps them better understand themselves. Dancing isn’t just about the dance itself. It’s about expressing one’s self in an imaginative way.

Memphis Recovery Offers Holistic Treatment Options

At Memphis Recovery Centers, we know that traditional and holistic treatments are both important. Because of that, we strive to offer both of these treatment approaches. We feel that providing them gives you the best chance at recovery. Some of the programs that we offer include:

Memphis Recovery likes to use a step-down approach to treating addiction. We prefer that you start with a residential rehab program and move on to outpatient treatment. We also offer an aftercare program that lasts for six months after you finish rehab.

Don’t settle for a rehab center that only offers traditional therapy. Find out if dance therapy is the right option for you. Contact Memphis Recovery today at 901-272-7751 for more details about our programs.