Some of the most desirable rehabilitation programs are located in natural settings. Beautiful custom homes, such as cabins and cottages, or entire resort size facilities, are converted into or built specifically for rehabilitation programs. One of the most well known natural rehabilitation centers is Cirque Lodge high in the mountains of Utah. The setting and the outdoor recreational opportunities that are made available to clients are as much a part of the treatment program as the counseling and workbook exercises. People choose these programs for the appeal of recovering from addiction within nature; an environment that many people consider therapeutic and healing.
Like every other type of rehab, people often choose a rehab environment located within nature because they associate nature with comfort and healing. For many people, nature was the setting of their best adolescent memories and adventures, and they feel relaxed and invigorated to spend time in nature. This setting, coupled by the comfort of a safe, secure custom home or lodge facility, can make for the perfect conditions to recover from addiction in. The wind in the trees, the smell of the forest and the surroundings of greenery and mountains and wilderness is exactly the type of setting some people need to get in touch with their original selves.
There is plenty of research that supports the idea of nature being beneficial and even necessary to mental health. In fact, the term “nature deficit disorder,” coined by Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods, has been embraced by mental health professionals as a legitimate part of the present human condition. Though not an actual medical or mental health illness, it is considered to be a contributing factor to many medical and mental health conditions. Our intrinsic need for nature is connected directly to our evolutionary biology. It is wise for those who are struggling with addictions and disorders to seek retreat into nature. It is statistically the place where a person is most able to center themselves and put real reflection into their life choices.