Drug and alcohol addiction can have a huge impact on all areas of your work-life, social interactions with family and friends, and your health and wellbeing. And the recovery process isn’t straightforward.
But there are a variety of different tools and techniques that can aid your recovery from addiction. Meditation, for example, has been proven to help patients manage their thoughts and emotions whilst on their road to recovery.
Meditation is a set of techniques that encourage a heightened state of awareness and focus. Promoting a sense of calm and relaxation in the body and mind, meditation has been shown to have a number of benefits for psychological well-being.
Meditation has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. In fact, it may date back as early as 5000BC.
There are four main types – concentrative meditation, breathing meditation, water meditation, and mindfulness meditation.
There are many benefits that come hand in hand with practising meditation. Research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce the consumption of alcohol and drugs. It can also help addicts cope with cravings, moments of relapse and any thoughts or feelings that will lead them back down the wrong track.
Meditation can offer benefits for both the body and mind including:
For addicts on the road to recovery, every day stresses can trigger a relapse. Meditation can help to relieve the stress of recovery and help deal with any potential triggers that could cause a relapse.
Multiple studies have shown that meditation can help reduce symptoms such as stress, anxiety, poor sleep, pain, depression, and cravings, as well as withdrawal symptoms.
For addicts, key benefits include:
As a result, meditation is a valuable holistic tool that often incorporated into addiction recovery programmes to support other areas of treatment.
When you’re in recovery, it’s worth speaking to your treatment provider to see if they can provide support through meditation.
There are also a number of steps you can take to start incorporating meditation into your routine, including:
Remember, start slow. Meditation isn’t easy, it takes time and practice, so don’t give up if you find it hard to focus and clear your mind at first.
Here at ANA Treatment Centres, we incorporate a range of health, well-being, and therapeutic practices into our recovery programmes. Get in touch to find out how we can help you on your journey to recovery.
