7 Benefits of Meditation for Your Recovery Journey
Addiction and substance abuse might seem like a lonely, uphill battle. Even if you want to stop using drugs, the way they alter your brain’s function makes it incredibly difficult. Moreover, since addiction can occasionally have its roots in emotional trauma, fear, sadness, and anxiety, it’s tough to treat separately. You need to identify the underlying causes of your substance use if you want your recovery process to be effective.
One proven way to calm down and center your mind is through meditation. Research has shown the numerous benefits of meditation for your recovery journey, given how addiction affects the brain. So, if you’re asking yourself whether adding a few minutes of mindful meditation to your day increases your chances of making a full recovery – continue reading to find out.
#1: Reducing Stress
When you think of relaxing after a long day, you’re probably picturing yourself on the couch, binging the newest popular tv show. However, while this can feel relaxing at the moment, it’s not an actual productive way to reduce stress. Similarly, a warm bubbly bath may seem like a fantastic idea to reduce stress, but if you spend the whole bath thinking about the causes of your stress, it’s not as helpful.
One thing that can help reduce both the physical and mental effects of stress is meditation. Of course, meditation isn’t an easy thing to start unless you find a teacher to guide you. In the end, even imperfect meditation is better than no meditation.
#2: It Helps With Anxiety and Depression
As we said, meditation does wonders for reducing stress. However, its effects aren’t only limited to short-term mental health struggles. Instead, meditation can help you deal with and improve your general mental health, including reducing your anxiety and depression.
While you’re in recovery, meditation can be a great way to deal with your mental health issues. Some types of meditation are part of holistic addiction therapy, which is a great way to achieve your body-mind balance. It’s a much more direct approach to dealing with your problems and working towards full recovery.
#3: Increased Ability to Feel Pleasure
Dopamine is the hormone of pleasure. It’s what gives us that wonderful feeling we strive for. However, the ability of a person’s body to create dopamine decreases the longer they take drugs daily. After some time, you lose the ability to feel happy on your own the more drugs you consume.
On the other hand, dopamine is released naturally during meditation, as opposed to when we utilize drugs. Research shows that meditation raises dopamine levels in those who struggle with substance addiction. It’s one of the most significant benefits of meditation for your recovery journey. It’s also linked to lower chances of relapse and better mental health and motivation.
#4: Helps With Withdrawal Symptoms
Some drugs have more severe withdrawal symptoms than others and can be pretty painful. Inflicting pain and anguish might make you weaker mentally, physically, and emotionally. According to experts in addiction treatment, relapse may result if you don’t manage withdrawal properly.
During this stage, guided meditation can be pretty helpful in reducing withdrawal symptoms. The brain receives more oxygen while you meditate. That encourages you to resist the symptoms and desires more forcefully.
#5: Strengthened Self-Control
Better self-control is made possible by enhanced attention and awareness from meditation. That also applies to our capacity for impulse control and decision-making. The abilities acquired via various types of meditation also have the power to help people better handle triggers. It is much easier to respond when you feel in control, know how to relax, and have a clear head.
Improved emotional stability is another advantage of meditation that helps with addiction. When emotionally stable, a person is better equipped to make wise decisions and have more healthy and constructive emotions.
#6: Helps With Insomnia
People who frequently struggle with various mental health disorders and addiction also have insomnia. According to several studies, meditation can help alleviate insomnia symptoms and make you fall asleep faster.
That is not only great for your mental health but also your physical health. In the end, it’s much easier to progress in your recovery process when you’re feeling great and regularly sleep through the night.
#7: Better Focus
Everybody who knows about meditation knows that it can help focus and achieve clarity. You must stay focused on the present and be grateful for what you have during the recovery process. That is only possible if your mind is open to taking in everything around you and approaching every facet, positive or negative, logically.
You can do this through meditation. It motivates you to approach yourself and other people with more empathy. It aids in your ability to accept oneself, ups and downs included. In the end, this results in more calmness and relaxation of the body and mind. You are better equipped to deal with the past and the future because you are more present in the moment.
Feel the benefits of meditation for your recovery journey today
Because it’s so simple to learn and you can do it anywhere, meditation is often included in therapeutic programs at many top recovery facilities. All you need to start meditating today is enough willpower and some free time. Everything else will follow.
You will experience more extended periods when your complete attention is on your breathing as you continue to meditate consistently. You will also have the ability and desire to meditate for more significant amounts of time as time goes on.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of benefits of meditation for your recovery journey. Firstly, meditation can help you deal with and reduce your short-term and long-term mental health struggles. Moreover, it can help you feel happier without drugs, lowering your relapse chances. Finally, it can help you sleep better, think more clearly, and have generally better physical health.
Meta: Struggling with your mental health while going through recovery? Find out the benefits of meditation for your recovery journey.
