Meditation has been around for more than 7,000 years. In fact, we can link it to several ancient cultures, including in China and Egypt as well as wide-ranging religious systems such as Judaism, Hinduism, Jainsim, and Buddhism. In the 20th century, meditation began to be appreciated and understood outside of a religious belief system and its value to mental and physical health became abundantly clear. For those dealing with mental health and substance use disorders, a meditative therapy program has many profound benefits. At Roaring Brook Recovery, we offer meditation therapy for drug addiction, including alcohol use disorders (AUDs). To learn more about the benefits of meditation addiction treatment, call us at 855.590.9944. One of our staff can answer your questions about a meditative therapy program specifically, and also about addiction recovery overall.
More About Meditation Therapy
The health benefits of meditation have a great deal to do with stress reduction. The body and mind respond to meditation by becoming less activated, with slower breaths and heart rate. Meditation entails:
- Reconnection – for example, with your own body and the world
- Being in the moment – by detaching from the past (and regret) and the future (fears and uncertainty)
- Making relaxation and inner calm a priority (which people rarely do in day-to-day life)
- Leaving judgment behind – whether of others or yourself
- Deactivation of your central nervous system – and resetting your trigger points
The interconnectedness of the body’s systems and the way the mind feels is very evident to those who meditate. Does the breathing and destressing of yoga lower heart rate or do people lower their heart rate through yoga, which makes them feel less stress? It doesn’t matter, because the benefits are plain.
It’s possible to view addiction as a failure of connection between mind and body. The body suffers through addiction and yet it also convinces the mind to continue abusing drugs or alcohol. Synchronizing the mind and body through meditation helps those with a substance use disorder (SUD) improve mental and physical wellness, including awareness and feelings of connection.
Meditation Therapy for Addiction
In recovery, people often learn that self-judgment is harmful and unnecessary and to reconnect with their body and care for it. Meditation helps defeat negative self-talk and is a way to be centered in and aware of the body in ways that support recovery.
As part of a solid wrap-around recovery program, meditation prioritizes the whole person, not just your symptoms. It helps you create routines, can be done anywhere, has no drug interactions, and complements every addiction therapy modality that there is.
Meditation therapy benefits for alcohol and drug addiction recovery include the following:
Mood Elevation
The improved mood that meditation brings about can help you even out mood swings and have the positive, hopeful attitude that strengthens you in recovery.
Stress Reduction
Not only stress but full-blown anxiety is affected by meditation. Anxiety disorders co-occur with SUDs in about one-fifth of cases. Beginning recovery can add challenges to those who already feel anxious. The substance they were abusing temporarily masked feelings of stress and anxiety, so they are afraid to stop. With meditation, a soothed and quieted mind is more able to manage cravings and recognize triggers.
Getting out of your head
In meditation, the more you practice it, the more you can leave spiraling thoughts and overly analytical rabbit holes behind. You will gain perspective on yourself, your emotions, and your relationships while learning to have compassion for yourself.
Better sleep
People use meditation as a strategy for better sleep and then realize all the other benefits of the practice. In recovery, a practical benefit of meditation is better sleep. This is due in part to stress reduction and also to a more quiet mind, as opposed to one that keeps you awake and worrying.
Call Roaring Brook Recovery for Meditation Addiction Treatment Today
If you’re an adult with a substance use disorder, Roaring Brook can help you. With or without a co-occurring mental health challenge, you are on the right path if you are reading this and considering a significant change in your life—one that involves recovery and a return to health and wellness.
Let Roaring Brook support you on your quest. Use our convenient online contact form or call 855.590.9944 to learn about meditation therapy for addiction and our other evidence-based treatments.