Meditation and Addiction
When you have decided to get help for an addiction, and are taking the first steps towards beginning treatment at an inpatient recovery programme, you may be invited to partake in meditation sessions.
Part of recovery will require you to heal on all levels; thereby, enabling you to achieve a healthy, long term sobriety. This means you will need to heal your physical body, but also your mind and spirit. For thousands of years, people all around the world, have turned to meditation to bring for the relaxation and calmness. When you meditate, you will learn to find a balance and sense of peace that assists you in that present moment, but also throughout the day. Practising meditation for addiction can provide you with a broad range of benefits which is why many inpatient rehabilitation centres, such as Siam Rehab, include sessions in their programmes.
An Unusual Opportunity for Addicts
Men and women living with an addiction have an unusual opportunity to explore and create a sense of wellbeing, happiness, and focus as a result of the chronic nature of their condition. To elaborate in further detail, even when a person has begun a rehab programme in Thailand, or elsewhere, their addiction will lurk in the neural circuits of the brain. This can result in cravings, urges, and a feeling of deprivation. When such feelings arise, they can act as a reminder to channel them towards positive behaviours so as to avoid a relapse. For many people, meditation for addiction recovery acts as a pivotal motivator to help them stay in the present moment. Mediation teaches focus and clarity; both of which help a person to remain sober.
According to ongoing research and studies, mindfulness meditation can reduce the risk of relapse. Even 15 minutes a day can produce positive changes in areas of the brain, including the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. These changes are responsible for mood, stress and anxiety levels, attention span, and memory. At the same time, meditation for addiction can expand the capacity of the brain; thereby, leading to a heightened state of consciousness.
Understanding “Consciousness”
For most people, regardless of whether or not they have an addiction, they will go through their life in a normal, waking conscious state. Some scholars would describe this state similar to sleepwalking. In other words, they may go through their day, interacting with others, taking care of tasks, but yet never focusing on what they are doing at any given time. They lack observation or intimate connection with themselves and their day to day living.
People with an addiction may have less awareness of themselves, their life, environment, and the current moment. Many describe themselves as being on autopilot and preoccupied by getting the next drink, high, or fix.
Meditation for addiction helps recovering men and women, as well as anyone else, to tap into the present moment and experience and expansive-like state that is open, clear, and honest. Practising meditation each day will lead to deliberate engagement that is driven less by negative self talk or unexamined emotions, but rather, clear determination. It also helps people to take control of their actions and emotions and respond less to surrounding stimuli.
Meditation for addiction, and at an inpatient recovery programme, can improve a person’s ability to self-regulate. You will have learned how to control your behaviour, thoughts, actions, and attention – even when you are not engaging in mediation. Essentially, meditation rewires your brain for the better.
The Benefits of Meditation During Rehab
Meditation during rehab can decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. At the same time, it can increase your self awareness and introspection. This ability can lead to many benefits, including:
- You will learn how to assess past, current, and future situations in your life.
- You will understand how to react appropriately when faced with a tough situation.
- Meditation lowers stress levels; thereby, your risk of a relapse.
- A reduction in stress can lead to re-centring and focus; thereby, leading to a removal of negative feelings and thoughts.
How to Meditation
A number of the best addiction rehabs will utilise meditation into their programmes. This is because it works, it’s easy to learn, and it can be done anywhere, at anytime. The following are simple steps to start meditating:
- Find a quiet, comfortable space without any distractions.
- Choose a time, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes for the session and set a time to help you monitor it.
- Sit in a cross legged position, in a chair with your feet on the floor, or in another position that feels right for you.
- Once seated, close your eyes or focus on a point, such as a flame, at just pay attention to your breathing.
- Naturally, thoughts will enter your mind. When this happens, don’t judge or think about them. Rather, let them go and focus back on your breathing.
As you practice meditation on a regular basis, you will find it to be easier. Eventually, it will come naturally. You may even want to spend more time in a meditative state.
If you would like to know more about our inpatient recovery programme, or how meditation for addiction has helped many of our previous clients, call Siam Rehab today.
Source:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144007.htm
