The concept of mindfulness has existed for centuries, yet it is only within the past few years that the implications of practicing mindfulness during addiction recovery have started to hit mainstream culture. Mindfulness involves a mindset of awareness and presence, helping those who practice it to enjoy life to the fullest while remaining grounded and in control of their thoughts and feelings.
While practicing mindfulness can enhance anyone’s life, it is particularly effective in the personal struggle against addiction.
Mindfulness During Addiction Recovery Reveals Underlying Issues
People suffering from addiction often overlook the importance of the origins of their substance abuse. Any type of addiction, whether behavioral or substance related, stems at least in part from underlying issues that have not been successfully addressed in other ways. Practicing mindfulness during addiction recovery can help those in recovery to understand that their addiction arose partly as a coping mechanism to cope with stress or to numb unpleasant emotions from difficult experiences or painful memories.1
Mindfulness Allows a New Level of Self Control
One of the most destructive aspects of addiction is that it largely robs a person of their ability to control their actions, even though their actions may endanger their job, their relationships and their very life. Once a person engages in therapy and begins to identify the root causes of their initial substance abuse—that it was a method of dealing with a problem such as past trauma or to dull the symptoms of a mental health disorder—they can begin to perceive their own ability to take an active role in the matter.2
While this perception is such a subtle and seemingly small victory over addiction, for many, it is the breaking point that allows them to open up and begin to unravel the deepest origins of their addiction.
Mindfulness Opens Up a Variety of Coping Mechanisms
Since one of the root causes of the development of an addiction is almost always a limited toolkit of skills to handle daily stressors, mindfulness during addiction recovery can help teach a wide range of coping skills that empower those in recovery to feel more in control of their own lives. From meditation to visualization skills, some of the most effective coping mechanisms are based on the concept of mindfulness. Once learned, these skills can be used for the rest of a person’s life.
Mindfulness during addiction recovery can be a crucial component to the success of an addiction treatment program. Coupled with ongoing talk therapy and a supportive environment, mindfulness brings self-awareness, increased understanding of underlying issues and newfound coping skills that can help even the most severely addicted to live full, healthy and enjoyable lives long after treatment is finished.
At Casa Nuevo Vida, we place a high emphasis on mindfulness and self-awareness as key components of a successful recovery program. Contact us to learn more about our holistic approach to recovery and sober living, and to find out how to get help for yourself or a loved one today.