Drug abuse is a condition that impacts millions of people across the globe, while only a minority of its victims receive the medical attention they deserve. Substance abuse disorder is a complex condition, and the required treatments can be just as complicated.
To achieve success during the recovery process, one has to undergo several stages of treatment which include medication-assisted therapy (medical detox), support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, support groups and counseling sessions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is composed of several complementary activities that include art, music, physical fitness, and writing. Another important practice that has proven to be highly effective in substance addiction recovery is meditation.
Meditation has been reported as highly effective in addiction recovery, as it helps you gain mental focus and concentration while allowing for a more stable state of cognitive function. There are several myths pertinent to the addiction recovery process, and very little is actually known about the important types of practices that are carried out in rehab programs.
This blog post is dedicated to shedding light on meditation, one of the important practices of drug rehab programs that is highly effective in subjecting you to a better recovery and promoting sobriety.
Meditation: A Brief Description
Meditation is not a new concept. It is a practice that’s been around for ages to enhance enlightenment in individuals and promote mental and physical relaxation. It serves as a spiritual connection and helps improve the balance between the mind and the body. Meditation is usually carried out individually, but can also be conducted in a group session.
There are several forms of meditation. The most commonly practiced is mindful meditation. In this type of meditation, you allow yourself to look inward and examine your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a smooth and relaxing manner.
The process entails no judgments and no reactions. Instead, it focuses on self-understanding and accepting who you truly are without any negativity. Meditation requires minimal physical exertion, as the practice is mainly composed of deep and purposeful breathing.
Why Use Meditation in Substance Addiction Recovery?
The first step in drug or alcohol addiction recovery is to identify the root cause of the addiction. While you may have developed your habits unintentionally, there is always a significant reason behind any type of use that can go unnoticed. It could be stress, fear, anxiety, depression, or even negativity clouding your thoughts. You will realize that all of these causes stem from one’s own mind, which is why identifying the reason behind these emotions is so important.
The more stress you put your mind through, the more unhappy you will be. This will ultimately lead you toward finding relief in illicit substances.
Your mind will try to regain its hold on a situation that is already out of control. When you fail to get yourself back on track, your inclination toward using abusive substances and participating in unhealthy practices heightens. Mindful meditation helps you develop the capacity to have a clearer vision of what you should be inclined towards, and which practices you should stop indulging in. This makes meditation an effective way of preventing relapse in addiction recovery patients.
Mindful meditation is now incorporated in several addiction recovery programs, which generally execute the treatment in a holistic manner. It helps tremendously in addressing addictive behaviors, and helps patients make it through the program with a limited possibility of falling back into detrimental habits.
According to a study, only 8 percent of the rehab patients who went through a meditation program reported relapse after one year. Moreover, people who made a practice of meditation, for just 30 minutes a day, were found to have fewer symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.
Addiction is a physical disorder. What most people fail to realize is that aside from being a physical disorder, it is also a mental and spiritual illness. To treat addiction completely, it is important that these mental and spiritual aspects are taken into consideration.
Meditation can have incredible healing effects. Here are some of the ways in which meditation plays an important role in the process of attaining sobriety during the addiction recovery process:
Helps Clear Your Mind
When you are addicted to alcohol or any illicit substance, your brain’s chemical function become very altered. Your mind tends to grow numb, and your ability to sense emotions and feelings is heavily impacted. Meditating in silence can be an effective way of allowing your mind to process thoughts with a better sense of clarity.
It slowly helps your mind get back into the healthy practice of recognizing your body’s sensations and feelings. Meditation allows your mind to experience emotions in a non-threatening manner, which can be overwhelming for some when the reality sets in that they will no longer be able to use drugs or alcohol to conceal difficult thoughts.
During and after the recovery process, the temptation to fall back into the old habits is high. When you meditate, your mind is made aware of how harmful those practices are, and you are able to accept your shortcomings without any guilt and shame. Once you accept that you have dealt with the urge to use again, it becomes easier and easier to cope with these feelings moving forward.
Assists in Spiritual Connectivity
Meditation can be an effective form of spiritual practice. Considering the fact that meditation usually is an individual exercise, it serves as a self-directed activity which allows you to explore yourself. Meditation does not entail any judgments or reactions from anybody else.
There are no expectations to meet and no pressures to sustain. All it takes is silence, deep breathing, and your thoughts. As simple as the procedure is, it helps you battle against your own self-destructive behavior and practices.
Helps You Relax
Along with the emotional and spiritual gain that you can achieve through meditation, it also has its physical advantages. It can improve your heart rate and enhance energy levels in a natural way. When you work on your breathing during meditation, it helps reduce tension and stress while improving focus and concentration. This allows for mental peace and an overall sense of well-being.
People tend to form drug addictions because they find it difficult to deal with the stresses that stem from a particular situation or state of being. Meditation serves as an effective way of reducing negative emotions, relieving stress, and promoting cognitive function.
It can even produce effects similar to those of certain drugs. It can make you feel unworried, peaceful, whole; Your mind will feel much more at ease as it finds itself in a natural state of calmness that addresses the needs of your mind and your spirit.
Meditation brings about substantial physical and mental relief, especially during the times when a person is fighting off a long-term habit such as substance addiction. It helps patients endure any challenges effectively and improves the quality of the treatment process as a whole.
Scottsdale Recovery Center provides complimentary meditation therapies through our treatment programs. We believe in utilizing all opportunities for the benefit of our patients and their conditions, and meditation therapy has proven to be extremely effective. Contact us today 1.602.346.9142 (1.888.663.7874) for more information on how to proceed with getting treated at our location.
