Mindfulness Can Help Addiction Recovery

No matter who is suffering from addiction, friends and loved-ones share in that suffering. Mindfulness is one of the best ways to help everyone. Almost every recovery program has a mindfulness or meditation component because these skills can help ease struggles during recovery and prevent relapse.

First, it helps to understand the difference between meditation and mindfulness. Simply put, meditation can be mindfulness but there are many more ways to practice mindfulness than just meditation. Below are five mindfulness techniques which address addiction as related to thoughts, emotions, and physical symptoms. You can practice these techniques whether you are suffering from addiction or want to support someone who is. The most important thing is to experiment with a variety of methods until you find one that is right for you.

1. Be mindful that thoughts are just that – thoughts

   Anyone can become addicted to thinking a certain way. Substance addiction strengthens those tendencies and can make it even harder to get out of the negativity spiral. However, this area is where mindfulness shines. Practices teach us to pay attention in new ways, which can then alter how we think about a situation. To get started, try the mindful breathing technique. Whenever you notice that you’re ruminating or overthinking, stop to take one, deep breath in and out. Continue breathing, lengthening your inhale and exhale. One way to do this is by counting. Count from one to four as you inhale, then count backwards from four to one as you exhale. Focusing on your breath and thinking about numbers can soften thoughts, making room to shift how we view a situation.

2. Modulate emotional swings with mindfulness

   Again, everyone has emotional swings from time to time. Chemical addiction can exaggerate the intensity of
   these feelings and make it difficult to get off the emotional rollercoaster. Mindfulness can transform a reaction into intentional action, thereby returning control. Try the RAIN practice to begin working with intense emotions. 1) Recognize: notice the feeling without trying to stuff or push it away; 2) Acknowledge: give the feeling permission to be there, rather than jumping right away to how you should feel instead; 3) Investigate: become curious about the emotion. Do you feel it in your body? Are there other, more specific, words to describe it? Becoming curious creates just enough of a slice of space so that you can then begin detaching from the reaction. 4) Non-Identify: that slight moment of pause can be just enough to separate us from intense emotions. Then, we can begin to identify with a bigger version of ourselves. Step by step, you can use this mindful meditation to move from reactions that feel out of control to intentional decisions.

3. Retrain the brain with mindful eating

   Addiction can hijack the brain’s natural reward system by rewiring how the brain processes pleasure. Mindfulness can retrain the cognitive control networks in the brain to accept non-addictive sensations as rewards. As an example, try the chocolate exercise (or a raisin, if you’re not a fan of chocolate). Begin by placing a piece of chocolate on your tongue. Notice how the temperature, texture, or shape of the piece feels on your tongue and in your mouth. As the urge to swallow arises, intentionally focus on keeping the chocolate in your mouth. Now, expand your investigation. Is the flavor changing – maybe from sweet to salty or bitter? Is there a particular smell drifting into your nose? Each of these sensory observations work to strengthen the natural reward centers of your brain and reconnect your brain with your body in healthier ways.

4. Combine mindfulness with meditation

   Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not all about keeping your mind blank. In fact, losing focus is an important part of meditation. Healing happens when you notice that you've lost your train of thought then choose to come back to your focus. That's the real work. With each of the mindfulness exercises above, you will lose focus from time to time. The important thing is to not judge yourself for it. In fact, you’ve just given yourself another chance to heal. Every time you choose to come back, you score a win.

5. Magnify the effectiveness of mindfulness by joining a support group

   You don’t have to practice meditation or mindfulness alone. These techniques always begin with where you are at, in the moment. Connecting with others can validate where you are at in your recovery and give you a sense of belonging.

Whether you are healing from addiction or want to support someone who is addicted, mindfulness – practiced over time – can make a difference. Relapse can happen at any stage of recovery. The good news is that mindfulness, reinforced with meditation and the support of a group, can strengthen that sense of control and bring more happiness into your life.

Source: National Library of Medicine