Addiction, PTSD, and the Many Benefits of Regular Sauna Exposure

My stepfather introduced the sauna to me at a young age when we were living on the Big Island of Hawai’i in the late 1980s. Some of my earliest memories are of me tagging along with him to the spa around the age of 4 or 5. At the spa he taught me to swim and he would also have me sit with him in a dry sauna to talk and to sweat. My stepfather seemed to enjoy the discomfort of the heat and the pushing out of toxins from his body. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict, so for him, the sauna served a very specific purpose: a reset for his body and a chance to get “clean” (even if only for a little while).

For me, it felt like a test. Could I outlast the grown men struggling in the heat of the sauna? They weren’t aware of the competition between us, but each time one of them “tapped out”, my boyish confidence grew as I learned to sit and to be uncomfortable through wave after wave of heat.

Driving to the spa to sauna and swimming laps in the pool are some of my fondest memories of my tumultuous relationship with my stepfather. Years later, I realized his need to sauna and swim laps had just as much to do with his physical health as it had to do with his mental health. He grew up in an abusive home with an alcoholic father and his time sitting in the sauna created space to not only sweat out toxins in his body, but to also work through stress and trauma in his life.

Health benefits of traditional sauna routine

The health benefits of a regular sauna routine are well documented in the scientific community. Dr. Gabriela Dogaru, a doctor and writer for the Balneo & PRM Research Journal, writes in her article, “Clinical Applications and Biological Effects of Sauna Bathing – a Narrative Review”:

Sauna use in veterans dealing with PTSD

In recent years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has begun to promote sauna and Native American Sweat Lodge to help treat veterans dealing with PTSD. In cases where a veteran has secured a prescription from a medical doctor, the VA will assist with paying for the installation of a sauna in a veteran’s home.

Veterans across the US are also finding treatment for PTSD and other ailments through Native American Sweat Lodge ceremonies. According to Taki Telonidis, an NPR news correspondent and a producer of the Western Folklife Center, “Over the years, these ceremonies, originally intended for Native American vets, have drawn more and more non-natives — men and women who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. And while the sweats aren't a good fit for every veteran who tries them, there's a core group who have added these ceremonies to their medical and psychological treatments” (Telonidis). The sweat lodge has the potential to treat veterans for positive health outcomes, social connections, and spiritual growth.

How effective a sauna routine and sweat lodge can be for veterans dealing with the wounds and traumas brought on by their military service is hard to measure. Jared Hooker, an Iraq War veteran who participates in VA-sponsored sweat lodge ceremonies says, “I'm hopeful that this will at least let me get in touch with who I really am, and not this monster I've become of being violent and wreaking havoc on other people because I'm hurting" (Telonidis). Hooker joins a growing number of veterans across the US seeking healing through sauna therapy.

A custom outdoor sauna for your home

Whether it’s veterans dealing with PTSD, my stepfather dealing with his addiction and childhood trauma, the sauna is a bastion for healing. However, the decision to add a custom sauna and cold plunge with Hälsa Nordic Saunas is one to consider carefully. All of the health benefits backed by scientific studies, personal testimonies, and hundreds of years of practice in cultures all over the world make its case, but there are a million different health “solutions” out there. So how do we navigate the health and wellness industry that constantly bombards us with the newest and most extreme health crazes? Incorporating a regular sauna and cold plunge routine into your life means entering a wellness practice that goes beyond popular health trends and the latest “breakthrough” in cheating death. A sauna and cold plunge routine means inviting centuries-old health practices into your home that brings with it the potential to connect with others, improve your physical and mental health, and to take real steps towards a better quality of life and longevity.

Otha Graham

Dogaru, Gabriela, et al. “Clinical Applications and Biological Effects of Sauna Bathing – a Narrative Review.” Balneo & PRM Research Journal, vol. 14, no. 2, June 2023, pp. 1–7. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.12680/balneo.2023.552. Telonidis, Taki. “In Sweat Lodge, Vets Find Healing ‘down to the Core.’” WRVO Public Media, WRVO, 27 June 2021, www.wrvo.org/2012-05-28/in-sweat-lodge-vets -find-healing-down-to-the-core.