Addiction is a disease of the brain. However, you cannot separate the brain from the whole person—mind, body, and spirit are all intertwined and share in the effects of addiction. Addiction treatment, to be successful, must include all aspects of a person. Mindfulness for addiction recovery includes everything from meditation to certain therapies. For example, a dialectical behavior therapy program aligns with the principles of mindfulness-based recovery and is considered very effective in addiction treatment.
If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness for addiction recovery, Northpoint Recovery can help. Reach out to us to answer all your questions about mindful recovery and what opportunities are available to you at Northpoint Recovery.
Mindfulness for Addiction Recovery
Mindfulness practices provide countless physical and mental health benefits, such as meditation and yoga. These practices produce measurable changes in the mind and the cardiovascular and nervous systems of the body. Using breath, stillness, and mindful attention can reduce:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Fearful thinking
At the same time, participating in a meditative therapy program can improve:
- Mood
- Attention
- Confidence
- Motivation
Mindfulness-based therapies learned in our meditative therapy program heal you from the inside out. These practices can healthfully address so many of the challenges of those in recovery from addiction. When you can see clearly, you can accept the truth and understand what is needed with honesty. When you accept the “now” with humility, finding a way forward is possible. And when you release what does not serve you, you can let go of the substance that held you back. That does not mean it is easy, but it makes sense and feels like a step forward instead of an obstacle.
A clinical treatment that aligns with the principles of mindfulness is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It is effective and works in conjunction with other therapies and mindfulness practices.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been proven effective in treating addiction. You can access DBT in individual therapy, group therapy, or combination. Using principles of mindfulness, DBT targets underlying issues of addiction such as negative self-image, false beliefs, and trauma. Below are some fundamentals of DBT.
- Mindful practices. DBT uses mindfulness to counteract the anti-mindfulness of addiction. Substance abuse prevents you from being mindful, aware, and present. The mindfulness emphasized in DBT allows you to reclaim your ability to live in the moment and learn to cope with inner turmoil, overwhelming emotion, and fear so you can slow down and find the hope of a forward path.
- Behavioral shifts. In DBT, your recovery stays focused on positive changes in your behaviors. It enables you to stop engaging in behaviors that increase your pain and unhappiness and begin behaving in healthy, empowering new ways.
- Cognitive shifts. It isn’t easy to imagine changing your thoughts because they seem to come unbidden and quickly take over. But in DBT therapy, you gain mastery over your thoughts. Once you realize how your thinking affects your beliefs, which drive your actions, you understand how harmful. Toxic thoughts create poor outcomes. The behavioral change will come more easily once you learn how to create those shifts in your thoughts using the principles of DBT.
- Reframing for distress tolerance. When you realign your thinking to the current reality, you can put aside defense mechanisms that have seemed to serve you in the past. Though they have protected you, they have also created unhealthy habits and played directly into your addiction. Substance use may take the edge off for a short while, but it does not make unhappiness, stress, or bad situations go away. Through the process of DBT, you learn to soothe yourself without drugs or alcohol and reframe situations that formerly triggered you.
Learn More About the Meditative Therapy Program at Northpoint Recovery
At Northpoint Recovery, our team of skilled clinicians can help you access mindfulness through dialectical behavior therapy and other modalities so that you can confidently walk the path of recovery. Mindfulness or meditative therapy has been proven successful in nurturing sobriety and can be learned and embraced by everyone. To learn more about how Northpoint Recovery can help you or a loved one with addiction recovery, reach out today.
A compassionate staff member is waiting to talk to you. Just fill out our online form or call us directly by dialing 888.296.8976.