Addiction is a complex condition. Substance use disorder (SUD) may be caused by genetic makeup, exposure to trauma, mental health conditions, or distress. Addiction affects every aspect of a person’s life, and an integrated, whole-body approach to treatment is required. Addictions are complex and difficult to treat. The best addiction treatment programs take both physical urges and mental habits into account, as well as psychological needs and traumas that might prevent recovery. Meditation is one of the many modalities used at The Guest House to encourage personal growth and healing. Meditation can help us adopt positive coping skills, increase physical comfort, and improve resistance to relapse.
How Meditation Works
Meditation is gaining recognition as an effective treatment for SUD, and many mental health and addiction professionals now integrate it into the treatment they offer. As a result, many patients are being educated about and offered training in the practice. Studies have shown that meditation improves symptoms of trauma that can lead to SUD. In addition, meditation can ease the psychological challenges presented in recovery and everyday life.
Meditation rewires the brain for improved coping skills, better physical comfort, and higher resistance to relapse. The practice is about far more than just simple relaxation. Studies indicate that many regions of our brain can change as a result of meditation. Research has discovered the physical changes that occur in the brain and our immune system after consistent meditation.
Why Meditation Can Help
The advantages of meditation in combating the consequences of stress are significant. Re-entering the world as a person in recovery can be stressful at times. Mindfulness and meditation can help us convert that stress into positive energy. Not only that, meditation can be non-invasive, cost-effective, and practiced without medicine or chemicals.
Learning to practice meditation on our own is possible, but it is best learned through a therapist or meditation coach. A professional can help us better understand mindfulness and how it works. They can then further teach us how we can apply it to real life. The Guest House employs meditation and mindfulness regularly in its program and has the tools needed to teach us to carry these practices into our lives.
It may not be feasible to practice mindfulness and meditation every single day, but it is possible to try. Incorporating meditation into our hectic lives can guide us to a clearer path of recovery. Mental health and addiction professionals are teaching this skill more frequently because the effects of its practice are proven to be effective. Meditation can change anyone’s life for the better. All it takes is some guidance and a little practice.
Life is stressful all on its own. With the added stress of substance abuse, impulse control, or past trauma, life can feel altogether unmanageable and unenjoyable. In addition to professional treatment, learning to practice mindfulness and meditation from a professional therapist or coach can help us heal from the stresses and mental challenges that are weighing us down. If you or someone you care about struggles with unmanageable stress brought on by substance or behavioral addictions, please call (855) 483-7800 for help.