Mindfulness is a term many people can hear in addiction recovery. The meaning of it may not be well known though. If you have heard of mindfulness as a tool to help you in your addiction recovery but are not sure what exactly it entails, you are not alone. Many different methods can be utilized for men in addiction recovery and getting familiar with mindfulness as one of these methods could be helpful to you.
Defining Mindfulness for Men In Addiction Recovery
Mindfulness can include a wide variety of different practices and according to the Harvard Review of Psychiatry:
“[Mindfulness] is commonly defined as the awareness that arises when paying attention to the present moment nonjudgementally.”
We want to reiterate the word “nonjudgmentally” because this can be a crucial piece to men in addiction recovery. At Renaissance Ranch, we can help any man who’s ready to recover from their addiction with a 12-Step approach. We know the importance of a judgment-free and comfortable environment to help you heal. With this in mind, we can individualize your treatment plan specific to your needs, which could include the utilization of mindfulness in addition to your therapy.
Utilizing Mindfulness and Therapy In Addiction Recovery
The combination of mindfulness and therapy that can be made available to you in addiction recovery can help you heal. We believe at Renaissance Ranch that everyone has the ability to fully recover from addiction. The importance of participating in your program fully is crucial. Learning new coping skills such as mindfulness can be part of your recovery process.
We will not judge you and can offer you support to help you recover. We believe you deserve to learn how to integrate a judgment-free philosophy into your life for yourself too. Mindfulness can be one way you do this. It can benefit you in addiction recovery in many other ways other than teaching you to accept the present moment. Mindfulness can also teach you more about your emotions and how to manage them.
Managing your emotions and knowing how to cope in healthy ways can be key to addiction recovery. We understand addictions can occur for some men due to uncomfortable emotions and the inability to cope in healthy ways. Mindfulness practices can allow you to safely explore your emotions. When you explore how you feel, you can come to understand what you need in recovery in order to stay sober. The following mindfulness practices in combination with continued therapy could be beneficial to you.
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Breathwork
Mindfulness Used as Relapse Prevention
The journal Substance Abuse provides information from an article, “Mindfulness-Based Therapies for Substance Use Disorders: Part 1 (Editorial)” published on February 9, 2010, which states the following:
“The link between stress and addiction is well-known. Stress increases the likelihood of alcohol and drug use, and can precipitate relapses following treatment.”
One way you can lower your stress levels and thus prevent relapses can be through mindfulness. As previously mentioned, mindfulness can include a variety of practices so it can be important to find which ones work best for you.
For some, mindfulness could include practices that involve taking in your surroundings. Something as simple as taking a few minutes to pay attention to your senses and breathe could have a positive effect on your recovery. For example, taking time to stop and notice where you are and how you feel, is like a quick check-in. This practice could allow you to make sure you are in line with your recovery and, if not, could give you the opportunity to reach out for additional support.
Other Benefits of Mindfulness to Men in Addiction Recovery
We know addiction is complex, but simple mindfulness practices can provide crucial benefits. One of these benefits could involve allowing space for you to learn about your triggers. One specific example could include setting a timer when feeling triggered and writing about what you experience in a period of a few minutes. This could include your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and/or your five senses. You could even take this kind of information to your therapist who could walk through the experience with you and offer advice for steps you could try in the case that a similar trigger comes up again.
Learning how to navigate triggers can be a huge part of addiction recovery and utilizing new skills like mindfulness could be of tremendous help. Another example of a mindfulness practice could include setting a designated time in your day to meditate. Mediation can be different from person to person but the gist of meditation is that it brings relaxation. Meditating could also give you the ability to hit the reset button when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Mindfulness does not have to look like a huge lifestyle change. It can include seemingly simple or small changes that add up and help you on your addiction recovery journey.
Mindfulness may be a term you have heard before. Mindfulness is used often, but you may not have an understanding of it. Mindfulness is essentially learning awareness without judgment. In addiction recovery, mindfulness in combination with therapy can be extremely beneficial to any man who is ready to recover. Mindfulness can include making small and simple changes to your everyday life. Deciding to try something potentially new to you like mindfulness in combination with therapy could prove to have a big impact on your recovery. We want to help and believe you deserve to recover. Please call (801) 308-8898 for additional information on how we can help you start your recovery journey today.