Love, Patience and Understanding: The Wholistic Path to Healing and Recovery – FNHA
May 03, 2023
People going through withdrawal are extremely vulnerable. Not only is their body going through physical detox, but their mental health and wellness is also facing challenges due to withdrawal. Supporting people who are beginning their healing journey wholistically is the best way to help them succeed.
“People are at their most vulnerable when starting their healing journey,” said Colleen Salter, Clinical Mental Health Services Director at the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) during her presentation at the First Nations Health & Wellness Summit. “We need to provide them with safety, culture, ceremony and most importantly, love, patience and understanding.”
Colleen’s presentation during the First Nations Health & Wellness Summit emphasized that detox is more than just a physical process; she also highlighted the importance of engaging the four wholistic dimensions of health – the heart, body, mind and spirit.
She explained that detox is the process of when a person stops using a substance while withdrawal management is about caring for the person experiencing symptoms as they move through that detox process. Those symptoms can range from mild to severe and even become life-threatening.
