Guest Post by Anoop Nain
The value of mindfulness meditation is better understood by those people who are suffering from drugs or alcohol addiction. But it’s specialty is that anyone can get benefit from this practice if he has a good level of concentration and a clear mind. However, those who depend on drugs or alcohol, lack concentration, and clear mind is found in those people definitely because these substances anesthetize their brain. As a result, they need to struggle a lot for the practice of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation needs to be done properly, then you can experience improvement in the consequences of addiction treatment. Moreover, it is believed that mindfulness practice works better than traditional therapy to reduce craving and protects the addict from relapse. Thus, for those who fight with craving in recovery, mindfulness practice is more valuable.
Well, the concept of mindfulness practice is easy that you can observe thoughts and feelings but let them leave without reaction.
Goals of the mindfulness meditation in overcoming the addiction
- Increasing relaxation
- Developing energy in the human body
- Promoting positive human qualities
- Spreading awareness to prevent the craving
- Interrupting in habitual behavior
- Strengthening tolerance so that it can pressurize even when the craving is high
Starting the mindfulness meditation practice
Many strategies based on meditation are being developed by experts to get rid of an addict from addiction such as Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, Sit-to-Quit Mindfulness Training, and Craving-to-Quit. Apart from this, the practice of mindfulness meditation can be done in many ways. That’s why there is the only teacher who can help you find the difference in all method. Gomez says that mindfulness meditation is started by slowing down breathing or you can start by listening to the surroundings for a few moments. Apart from this, we can start with simple things like listening because listening is also a tool that prevents the entry of external thoughts in your mind. Although, the addict struggles with many thoughts and longing leads to it all the time, therefore, it can be a bit difficult for an addict. But actually, recovery can be made successful by hard work and practice. So the more time you spend in the mindfülness meditation practice, the more you will be rewarded.
Mindfulness meditation in early recovery
According to the Marc Gomez (he is an acupuncturist and spiritual teacher at Promises in California who help the addicts through mindfulness meditation practice), however, many options are used in the treatment of addiction but mindfulness meditation has emerged as the most commonly used technique for addiction treatment. He believes that if the practice of mindfulness meditation is done in the initial recovery, then it plays an important role because it heals all the parts of the brain. As a result, people can overcome the craving. Meditation is a variety of things. If done properly, it is a discipline of not acting, letting the thoughts go without the reaction but also observing them. And definitely, staying in the present moment. That’s why this is an alternative treatment for early recovery that helps addicts to bear frustration and can make him aware of the sensations and thoughts of himself.
How mindfulness meditation helps to prevent craving and relapse
What happens at the neurobiological level especially when the addicts practice mindfulness meditation, is being studied by Carl Hart because he believed that craving is mainly responsible for relapse. Therefore, meditation-based recovery program was designed to address these negative thoughts. In addition to this, MBRP emphasizes the need to be aware of negative thoughts instead of reacting which is necessary to fight craving and to prevent relapse. According to the Carl Hart, it is often found that people who consume drugs or alcohol live on auto-pilot and these substances are used by addicts as a reaction to craving or stress. Still, mindfulness meditation makes the addicts aware of direct experience and provides the ability to ignore the craving. Hart says that it is true that mindfulness meditation can change brain because it affects specific areas of the brain which are related to your behavior, due to which there are some positive changes in your behavior such as improving attention, increasing awareness for current moments and reducing the misuse of substances.
Short and long-term benefits of mindfulness meditation practice
Short-term benefits are:
- Reduces heart rate and blood pressure
- Promotes relaxation.
- Addicts get spiritual peace
Long-term benefits are:
- Increases self-awareness and attention
- Addicts get relief from stress
- The increase in positive emotions
- Prevents depression
- Anxiety can be the main cause of addiction but anxiety can be eradicated through mindfulness meditation
- It provides the power to fight diseases
- Addict can assume craving easily
- Uncomfortable feelings can be erased
Not only this, despite the unpleasant experiences, anxiety is felt low by the addict. Thus, seeing all these benefits the addict can overcome his craving and reduce the risk of relapse with the help of continuous practice of mindfulness meditation. So, any addict can improve his life, no matter how old their addiction is. If addiction is very serious you can go to any the rehab center.
Disclaimer: The views offered in this guest post are the author’s own. Nandyz Soulshine does not claim any authority on the above topic. Nandyz Soulshine will not be responsible for any eventuality (good or otherwise) resulting from following the advice given in this article and advises following the suggestions at the reader’s own discretion.
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