Recovery from addiction is not simply about breaking free from substance use—it’s about building a stable emotional foundation that supports long-term wellness. For many individuals, addiction is deeply connected to underlying mental health struggles, past trauma, and relational challenges. At Sana at Stowe, we believe that healing both the mind and body through mental health and support is essential for achieving true recovery.
Sana explores how mental health and family support—delivered through a trauma-informed lens—create the conditions for sustainable recovery. Through personalized care, holistic therapies, and supportive relationships, individuals can find their footing and reclaim their lives.
The Deep Connection Between Mental Health and Addiction
Substance use disorders rarely exist without emotional underpinnings. Many individuals turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to self-soothe symptoms of anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, or overwhelming life stress. Over time, these coping mechanisms often evolve into dependency, leaving the underlying mental health conditions unaddressed.
As clients enter treatment at Sana at Stowe’s luxury addiction treatment center, we frequently uncover how deeply intertwined their mental health symptoms and substance use behaviors have become. The effect of drugs on mental health can worsen pre-existing mood disorders, impair emotional regulation, and amplify symptoms like panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, or hopelessness.
When individuals receive comprehensive care that addresses both substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns, their recovery is significantly more sustainable. Our trauma-informed approach ensures that clients are not simply treated for substance misuse, but fully supported in understanding and healing the emotional wounds that contributed to it.
The Trauma-Informed Framework
Central to mental health and support recovery at Sana at Stowe is trauma-informed care, which recognizes that many individuals living with addiction carry a history of unresolved trauma. This approach shifts the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
By creating emotional safety, promoting collaboration, and empowering clients to participate actively in their healing, we help individuals develop resilience and agency. Therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Enhancement (ME) are integrated into every client’s care plan, alongside experiential and expressive therapies that support holistic healing.
Our clinical team also incorporates assessments like the ACEs assessment (Adverse Childhood Experiences), which provides important insight into how early-life trauma may continue to shape emotional patterns and substance use behaviors into adulthood.
How Family Support Strengthens Recovery
Addiction does not occur in isolation—it impacts the entire family system. While substance misuse can create fractures in relationships, trust, and communication, family involvement in treatment can serve as one of the most powerful tools for healing.
At Sana at Stowe, we believe that mental health and family support are inseparable. Family involved treatment provides education, counseling, and therapeutic coaching that help loved ones understand the nature of addiction as a mental health condition. Families learn how to communicate with empathy, support without enabling, and rebuild trust gradually.
As family members participate in therapy sessions and support programs, they often gain a deeper understanding of how addiction affects relationships. The healing process becomes collaborative, allowing the entire family to participate in the individual’s long-term success.
The Power of Peer Support in Mental Health and Support Recovery
Isolation is one of the most dangerous components of addiction. Many individuals struggling with substance use experience profound loneliness, shame, and disconnection. This is where peer mental health and support services can be life-changing.
Support groups and mental health programming at Sana at Stowe allow clients to connect with others who understand their experience. In these peer-led spaces, individuals share stories, offer encouragement, and hold each other accountable. These connections not only reduce isolation but build confidence, trust, and self-compassion.
Support groups also create opportunities for clients to develop skills that extend beyond treatment, including managing triggers, processing emotional setbacks, and fostering long-term relationships with others in recovery.
Personalized, Holistic Treatment That Addresses the Whole Person
Every individual who enters treatment brings a unique history, set of needs, and vision for their future. At Sana at Stowe, we develop customized recovery plans that combine evidence-based therapies with holistic and wellness-focused services. Our comprehensive treatment model includes:
- medically supervised alcohol detox, providing clinical care during the earliest stages of withdrawal.
- Individual and group therapy led by trauma-informed clinicians.
- Family therapy designed to rebuild communication and trust.
- Nutritional counseling and integrative wellness planning.
- Somatic and expressive therapies including yoga, meditation, and acupuncture.
- Outdoor and nature-based experiences unique to Vermont’s healing landscape.
Our wellness and holistic services are designed to support clients emotionally, physically, and spiritually, helping them regulate their nervous systems and engage in deeper therapeutic work.
Coping with Withdrawal and Early Recovery Symptoms
Detoxification is often the first and most physically demanding step of recovery. Our medically supervised alcohol detox ensures that clients experience withdrawal safely, with 24-hour medical supervision and emotional support.
We also address other withdrawal symptoms, including those related to cannabis use. Many clients arrive at Sana at Stowe with questions about how long does it take to detox from weed and how to manage weed detox symptoms. Our clinicians guide clients through this process, providing individualized care and stabilization to support their early recovery journey.
By offering comprehensive detox management alongside trauma-informed care, clients are better equipped to focus on the deeper emotional and psychological work that follows.
Healing Family Dynamics and Emotional Wounds
How does addiction affect relationships? Relationships often carry the greatest weight of addiction’s collateral damage. Whether between partners, parents, siblings, or children, addiction can create cycles of mistrust, resentment, and emotional distance.
In treatment, we explore how family dynamics may have been impacted and provide education on how addiction affects relationships. Through guided family therapy sessions, clients and their loved ones learn how to establish healthy boundaries, rebuild emotional intimacy, and repair ruptures created by substance use.
Family therapy is not just about supporting the individual in treatment—it’s about creating long-term change that allows the entire family system to thrive.
A Tranquil Setting for Healing
Sana at Stowe offers a uniquely serene environment for recovery, located in the picturesque town of Stowe, Vermont. As a leading mental health wellness retreat, our campus provides the natural beauty, privacy, and tranquility necessary for focused emotional healing. Just a short drive from Burlington, we offer easy accessibility for clients traveling from New England and beyond.
Clients have access to private accommodations, luxury amenities, and a high staff-to-client ratio that allows for truly personalized attention throughout their stay.
A Client’s Words: Finding Peace and Stability
“When I arrived at Sana, I felt like I was at my breaking point. The team treated me like a person, not just a patient. They helped me understand my trauma, rebuild my relationships, and gave me the tools to finally feel safe and hopeful again.”
Stories like this reflect the compassionate, whole-person care that defines the Sana at Stowe experience.
Why Choose Sana at Stowe
Choosing the right addiction treatment center is one of the most important decisions a person can make. Sana at Stowe combines clinical expertise and trauma-informed care in an exclusive setting that supports deep and lasting transformation. We proudly accept insurance through in-network providers, including TRICARE, and offer specialized care for veterans, active-duty military members, and their families.
In addition to addressing substance use, we treat co-occurring conditions such as depression and addiction treatment, anxiety, PTSD, and unresolved trauma. Our clients leave with not only sobriety but also the skills and confidence to navigate life’s challenges with strength and resilience.
Take the Next Step Toward Healing
Lasting recovery begins by healing both mind and body. If you or a loved one is ready to find your footing, Sana at Stowe is here to help. Call us today at (802) 566-5906 to learn more about our trauma-informed, holistic programs and luxury residential care.
