How Mindfulness Aids Recovery from Addiction
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,”
This quote is one that anyone in recovery has heard so many times they probably could say it backwards.The latter, or changing what we can, is the primary focus of recovery.
But what about putting up with the things we can’t change?
How can we maintain sobriety while still finding peace and contentment in life?
The majority of this is accomplished by calming the internal storm.We can slowly begin to rewire our brain after addiction when we allow ourselves to live in the present rather than dwelling on the past or longing for the future.
There are many different kinds of inner work that can be done with mindfulness techniques, such as overcoming depression, recovering from trauma, or simply improving one’s overall health.
Let’s talk about a few ways that practicing mindfulness can help you overcome your addiction over time.
How Do Mindfulness Techniques Work?
The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something is the definition of mindfulness.Therefore, the goal of mindfulness practices is to assist a person in becoming more in tune with the present moment, their inner selves, as well as their thoughts and feelings.
We live a lot of our lives on autopilot.Even though we grow out of everything else, many of our worst behaviors and most difficult emotions begin in early childhood, and little is done to help us get past them.
This is due to the fact that they manage the show from behind the scenes.When we engage in mindfulness practices, we shift our focus from other things to how our minds and bodies feel right now.
There are a few different ways to practice mindfulness techniques:
Meditation:
The practice of meditation, which focuses on strengthening the connection between the mind and body, has been around for centuries.Despite its simplicity, it is one of the most effective strategies for overcoming addiction.
As an addict, you may have used drugs or alcohol to deal with hidden emotions you didn’t even know you had because you were so far below the surface.Meditation does nothing of the sort.
Meditation helps bring up any forgotten memories, feelings, or thoughts that are otherwise lurking in the back of your mind tugging at all the strings of the puppet.
A few pointers for mindfulness meditation practice:
Relax all of your muscles as you sit up straight and tall, extending your spine as far as it can go. Close your eyes. Allow your thoughts or emotions to come. Sit with them for as long as you can. Don’t label your emotions as “good” or “bad.” Instead, focus on your breath or how your body is feeling. You can practice meditation this way or incorporate breathing techniques:
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale as deeply as you can until you get that “full” feeling in your lungs. Exhale further than usual.On a variety of platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora, you can find hundreds of meditations. As you inhale, expend as much as you can. Hold your breath for a few seconds before exhaling.When used for healing, these are known as guided meditations and are extremely effective.You will be guided by professionals through audio or imagery prompts that bring out hidden emotions.
How can I benefit from my recovery from meditation?
Even if this is your first time participating in the 12-step program, you may feel as though you are simply “going through the motions.”Given that only 10% of our daily actions are influenced by our conscious brain, this is extremely common.
This is far from the truth, as meditation was once thought to be a “hippie remedy” only used by social outcasts.Thankfully, our society’s perception of alternative healing methods has evolved significantly.
Meditation has been shown to activate the “happiness” area of the brain, which was previously stimulated by drugs or alcohol, while still allowing an addict to maintain sobriety, according to a recent study.This part of the brain is very active during active addiction, but in recovery, it is much less active.Restoring normal brain function can be accomplished through meditation.
Journaling:
Journaling can be helpful if your emotions are so overwhelming that you can’t control them with drugs or alcohol.When you write in a journal, you can express all of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without worrying about receiving unwanted feedback or criticism from other people.
In addition, journaling assists in bringing anything that is buried deep within to the surface.You might even begin to answer your own questions as you write!
Is the key to a long-lasting recovery mindfulness?
You might have been ready to deal with the agonizing withdrawals, overwhelming triggers, and crippling fear of change when you decided to get help for addiction from Drug Addiction Rehab centre. However, the powerful emotions that would begin to surface after your mind had cleared were something you might not have anticipated.
You are confronted with past trauma, old wounds, and negative thinking patterns as the fog begins to lift, which may appear to hit you harder than your drug of choice ever did.
This is because you used substances to mask those feelings for months or years.You are forced to confront the substances if you remove them.
Comments are closed.