Meditation in Recovery

What is Meditation?

Meditation is an ancient practice that may date back to as early as 5000 BCE. Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.Since 5000BCE  it has grown in popularity and form. It is now used for everything from spiritual discovery to addiction recovery.

Meditation For Recovery From Substance Abuse

At our New Jersey treatment center, we believe in a comprehensive approach to recovery from addiction and or alcoholism. While we commonly utilize evidence-based treatment modalities, we also incorporate holistic modalities into our curriculum. These practices are meant to enhance the recovery experience and aim to support a whole person centered approach to recovery.

In particular, meditation for addiction and or alcoholism recovery is a common practice because of the vast benefits it has been shown to offer. There are also several forms of meditation that focus on different areas and may have unique advantages.

Benefits of Meditation in Recovery

Addiction and or Alcoholism  is a disease that can impact various parts of an individual’s life. Someone who is recovering from years of drug or alcohol abuse needs healing in many areas, hence our whole person approach to recovery.. While everyone is different, there are benefits of meditation in recovery for many who practice it.

Reduce Stress

Whether you are still in substance abuse treatment or you have recently completed substance abuse treatment, early recovery is a stressful time. Cravings can be intense and there are always new challenges to face. Meditating in recovery allows you to set time aside to slow down and hopefully provide yourself some stress relief. Some research has even shown that meditation can help make people become less reactive to stress as well as recover from stress more easily.

Boost Mental Well-Being

Another one of the potential benefits of meditation in addiction and or alcoholism recovery is an improved sense of mental well being. While results vary depending on what study you are reading, there is evidence to suggest that mindfulness-based meditation can noticeably improve anxiety and mood disorder symptoms. Especially for individuals with a co-occuring mental health condition, Meditation can be extremely beneficial.

Physical Well-being

In addition to mental health benefits of meditation in addiction and or alcoholism recovery, some people may also experience physical health benefits from meditation. In some studies, meditation has been found to lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and may even boost the body’s immune system.After years of damage to the body from substance abuse meditation in recovery may help facilitate increased physical wellbeing.

Improved Sleep Quality

Many individuals in early recovery struggle to get a restful night’s sleep as their body adjusts to no longer having the substance in its system. Meditation may help speed up the process of restoring the sleep cycle. Studies have shown mediation can help reduce insomnia symptoms.

Pain Management

Some individuals who deal with chronic pain will misuse their medications and eventually become addicted to them. After becoming addicted, for many, pain medication is no longer a viable option. An alternative pain management technique may be found in meditation. Studies have shown mindfulness meditation has the potential to provide appreciable pain relief.

Spirituality

One of the less obvious benefits of meditation in recovery may be its ability to connect people with their spirituality. For some people, this spirituality can act as a catalyst in their recovery journey and propel them forward.

While there are many potential benefits of meditation in recovery, meditation alone is often not sufficient. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance misuse, it is recommended that professional help is sought.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse of any kind, we are here to help. Please call us at 855-698-3554 or directly at 201-663-2914 for a confidential consultation with one of our treatment specialists. If you prefer to communicate with us via email please click here or email us at outreach@harborwellnesscenter.org