Did You Know? 90% of people with substance abuse or dependence disorders started using under the age of 18, and 12.6% of Native American youth 12 years and older have experimented with illicit drugs. Furthermore, alcohol or drug misuse plays a role in 70% of suicides in adolescents, and suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the Native American community – twice the national average.
Research suggests that humans need a certain amount of pleasure and stimulation from daily life in order to stay away from depression, anxiety and poor performance, which are often precursors to substance abuse. The Healing Lodge helps residents consciously find and experience healthy pleasures to essentially redirect pathways in their brains to natural opiates, rather than drugs or alcohol.
When a youth begins abusing drugs or alcohol, their brain is forever changed – the neurological structure physically alters, disrupting and reconfiguring the previous, natural neural pathways. Addicted youth cannot just quit. This is why the only way we can truly help youth take steps down the path to recovery is by taking a holistic approach to the whole health needs of each resident, not just his or her addiction. At The Healing Lodge, we believe that the biology, behavior and social context of an individual’s addiction are all essential pieces to addressing the whole person and helping youth heal on all levels, which leads to successful treatment and low chances for relapse.
Our treatment programs use an integrated model of care that focuses on providing residents with a permanent positive home, a supportive network of peers, a healthy lifestyle entirely free of chemicals (including caffeine), and most importantly – a purpose.
The Healing Lodge recognizes that to successfully treat youth, you must provide a full continuum of care including prevention, outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, and on-going long-term support to include alumni. We must build a path to recovery.
