Addiction recovery typically includes a combination of evidence-based therapy and medication. However, there are several holistic approaches to addiction recovery that can empower individuals to remain strong, focused, and connected to their recovery, such as meditation.
What is Meditation?
For centuries, meditation has helped the likes of countless individuals worldwide. It is an extremely powerful resource that can be beneficial to anyone who utilizes it. It is a skill that is learned over time and developed with practice. Meditating is not designed to be conducted perfectly and without error, rather it is meant to foster deep awareness and clarity.
To meditate, there are just a few steps you need to take. To begin, find a comfortable place where you can sit or lay down and decide how long you want to spend meditating. Once you are comfortable and are ready to start, begin noticing your body. Take note of what areas of your body are tense, which areas are relaxed, and so on. Take deep breaths in through your nose and then out through your mouth. Focus on relaxing all areas of your body and mind while breathing. When the time is up, take a minute to gently ease back into the rest of your day.
These steps make meditation seem like a piece of cake, when in reality, it often takes time and effort to learn how to meditate effectively. As you begin meditating, know that your mind may wander, you may become uncomfortable in the place you chose to sit, or you still feel somewhat tensed up after completing your session. This is all a normal part of learning how to meditate. With continued practice and patience, meditating can quickly become one of the most effective skills you develop in your recovery. The many benefits of meditation for addiction recovery are endless when you focus on honing this particular skill set.
Benefits of Meditation for Addiction Recovery
Meditation for addiction recovery is extremely beneficial. And while not designed to be the sole contributor to a successful recovery, meditation can help improve several areas of your life. When combined with other therapies and skills, meditation for addiction recovery can benefit you in the following ways:
- Reduces blood pressure — The higher that your blood pressure is, the more likely you are to experience health problems such as heart disease, stroke, brain aneurysm, and even dementia. Actively meditating can help reduce emotions that increase your blood pressure, such as anger, frustration, or worry.
- Minimizes anxiety — Anxiety is the leading mental illness in the United States, with more than 40 million people affected. If you have clinical anxiety or even if you are experiencing something that is creating situational anxiety in your life, meditation can help. The focus you place on calming your thoughts can help calm your physical responses to anxiety, thus minimizing the presence of it.
- Helps treat depressive symptoms — Symptoms of depression can include loss of interest in activities, lower libido, and lack of energy. These are just a few of the symptoms that people commonly experience when dealing with depression. Meditation, however, can help quell some of these symptoms by promoting physical and mental wellness. As a result, you can begin seeing improvements in both your personal and professional life.
- Increases immune system — Your immune system works to keep you as healthy as possible. However, you need to work for your immune system so that it can be strong and fight off illness. That means you need to focus on doing things such as getting enough sleep, eating well, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, and finding ways to cope with upsetting feelings. Meditation can help you focus on keeping all of those points (plus others) in check, improving your immune system’s ability to keep you healthy. As a result, you may not get sick as often and if you do get sick, you can recover faster than if your immune system was not up to par.
- Alleviates physical pain — A large majority of people deal with some level of physical pain at some point in their lives. Physical pain is common among those in recovery, as lots of people have turned to the use of addictive substances to silence pain that has impeded on the quality of their lives. If you have chronic physical pain, or even if you experience physical pain for a short-lived amount of time, meditation can help. Quieting the mind, finding places that are comfortable to sit in, and striving to strengthen your mental reserve can help you better cope with physical pain in the event you are experiencing it.
- Improves sleep — One of the most common reasons people struggle to get enough sleep is because they are unable to shut off their minds at bedtime. If you practice meditation, though, you can utilize your skills to help quiet your mind when it is time to rest. Or, your regular participation in meditation practices can help prevent your mind from getting revved up to a point where it impacts your ability to sleep.
- Provides stress relief — There is no way to avoid stress entirely, which is why it is so important to learn how to manage it properly while you are in recovery. Meditation helps you sharpen vital skills that can keep you from letting stress overtake you. If you include meditation into your daily life, you can keep stress at a minimum, improving your ability to remain in recovery.
Do You Need Help Recovering From Addiction? Call Us Right Now.
If you are ready to make the change that will save your life, call us right now. We can help you stop your active addiction and show you how to begin building a strong foundation for recovery.
So, if you are struggling with this difficult disease and want out, do not hesitate to call us. We understand the challenges you have faced because of your addiction and can offer you a compassionate, productive environment to make the changes you need in order to live a happy life. Call us today. We can help.