On the other hand, proper meditation can be a way to relieve stress and help you cope with triggers. It often involves techniques such as focused attention, deep breathing, and visualization to achieve a state of calm and clarity and prevent relapse. Meditation has emerged as a promising complementary therapy for the treatment of substance use disorders. Due to its effectiveness, meditation has become increasingly popular in recent years. According to a 2017 U.S. survey, the percentage of adults who practiced some form of meditation tripled between 2012 and 2017, from 4.1% to 14.2%. The 2017 study by Pascoe et al. examined the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on physiological markers of stress in a meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials.
Other Proven Addiction Therapy Methods
By developing trait mindfulness over the course of participating in an MBI, an individual with a SUD may become more aware of how automatic substance use responses operate in daily life. The individual may then evoke the state of mindfulness through focused attention or open monitoring mindfulness practice and choose to respond with a more adaptive coping strategy. Over time, the individual may develop the motivation to reduce substance use or abstain entirely, at which point mindfulness may be useful for preventing relapse. A 2009 study in Substance Abuse found that a mantra-based meditation program significantly reduced opioid cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse rates compared to a control group in individuals with opioid use disorder (Brewer et al., 2009).
Mindfulness Meditation
Studies have shown that when we feel emotionally connected, we thrive mentally and physically. Meditation has been around for thousands of years, and you may have practiced it without even realizing—many religions use some form of meditation to become closer to or communicate with their Higher Power. Acknowledging the addiction you’re recovering from is also not easy in general, so many people tend to avoid thinking about it altogether. However, know it’s important to identify what caused it in the first place and how you can internally heal from and make peace with it. Identifying certain habits and trains of thought can make it easier to pinpoint when you’re starting to crave or feel down.
Ways to Start Practicing Mindfulness Techniques
In mantra meditation, you would select a particular word or phrase and repeat it. You can repeat the mantra loudly or quietly, and the repetition allows you to focus on the environment around you. Fostering a nonjudgmental, compassionate approach toward yourself is essential to maintain sobriety.
Researchers and clinicians have begun to explore mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for intervening in SUDs and relapse prevention. Evidence supporting the efficacy of MBIs as an intervention for SUDs and for relapse prevention is growing. A recent systematic review from Sancho et al16 included 54 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) targeting either substance or behavioral addictions. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a pervasive public health problem with deleterious consequences for individuals, families, and society. Furthermore, SUD intervention is complicated by the continuous possibility of relapse.
- Mindfulness and meditation in recovery offer a deeper understanding of yourself and help regulate emotions.
- Consider the case of a man in partial remission from alcohol use disorder who has recently stopped drinking.
- The challenge to altering addictions is the fear that you can’t change which can push you into denial and cause you to minimize the consequences of your unproductive behaviors.
- However, new research shows that we can alter the structure of the brain and reap the benefits well into adulthood.
Introduced by the Buddha as a path to spiritual enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago, mindfulness is the art of being present in your own life. It’s a gentle way of opening your mind to greater awareness; to a truer, deeper understanding of yourself and your world. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and keeping yourself from dwelling on past or future problems.
How Do You Begin Incorporating Meditation into Your Journey of Recovery?
A 2014 study in Substance Abuse showed that a breath-focused meditation intervention significantly reduced opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms compared to a control group in individuals with opioid use disorder (Garland et al., 2014). A 2009 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Substance Abuse looked at 22 studies on mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders. The researchers found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced substance use, cravings, and relapse rates compared to control conditions (Zgierska et al., 2009). Given that SUDs are chronically-relapsing conditions,50,58 any intervention for substance use should acknowledge the risk of relapse and take steps for prevention.
Oxycodone Addiction (K 56 Pink Pill/ Oxycontin) Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors, and Treatment
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- Additionally, these techniques may not be for everyone due to previously mentioned challenges.
- Given that SUDs are chronically-relapsing conditions,50,58 any intervention for substance use should acknowledge the risk of relapse and take steps for prevention.
- By integrating this ancient practice into recovery programs, individuals battling addiction can access new avenues for healing and resilience.
- In this review, we first briefly discuss the etiology of addiction and neurocognitive processes related to the development and maintenance of SUDs.
- Identifying certain habits and trains of thought can make it easier to pinpoint when you’re starting to crave or feel down.
- If I have a patient who is using drugs or even food to manipulate their moods I first refer them to a nutritionist; a psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist; or a holistic doctor, such as an integrative medical doctor, to break this habit.
- Meditation offers several health benefits that can support people in recovery.
Meditation for addiction is a practice that involves focused attention, mindfulness, and deep breathing techniques to help individuals struggling with addiction become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Recovery addiction meditation from addiction is a process; it’s not just about stopping abusing a substance. To stay clean and sober addicts have to examine their past, recognize their mistakes, look into their character, and lead a better life. Changing one’s life is not easy, often painful, even though the changes are for the better. By training the mind to focus in one place and stay in the moment, meditation helps the recovering person relax and move forward. The challenges of using meditation for addiction treatment include initial resistance, difficulty maintaining regular practice, and individual differences in response.