Does Meditation Really Help My Recovery?

Overcoming addiction is a personal journey. Having many therapeutic options available can be instrumental in empowering each person to find their own best approach to a sober life. The use of meditation as an addiction recovery tool is widespread and for a good reason. It offers a myriad of benefits for those overcoming the use of drugs or alcohol while navigating personal, emotional, and spiritual needs. However, it is still common for many to wonder whether the practice will be helpful through their own journey to overcoming substance use disorder (SUD). Understanding the benefits of meditation can help each person become more open to its transformative effects. 

Meditation involves practices that bring focus to an individual’s thoughts or feelings through a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual techniques. It is the practice of tuning a person’s awareness to the connection between their mind and body to promote a sense of calm, control, understanding, or peace.

However, this definition of meditation still leaves space for an individual to explore how to best incorporate the practice into their lives. There is no one “best” way of utilizing meditation. Determining the most effective form of meditation for each individual is part of its flexible and effective role in overcoming addiction. 

There are many ways to incorporate meditation in daily life and in recovery. For some, guided group meditation can be a great way to practice effective mindfulness strategies and growth but also locate a spiritual community. Others may prefer the serenity of a private environment and engage in meditation on their own, creating a healthy space at home to engage in the practice.

Likewise, the way meditation is used will also differ from person to person. Some may choose to focus on a particular object or stimuli to meditate, such as an image or smell. Others may utilize a quiet environment to process and navigate stress, allowing an individual to relinquish these stresses in a healthy way. Mantras, mindfulness strategies, resources, personal spiritual practices, and relaxation techniques can all be combined for effective exploration of meditation in daily life. 

Overcoming the use of drugs or alcohol is a complex journey. Likewise, there is no easy way to address the many emotional challenges, changes, and stress that come with addressing the effects of addiction. Feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, and more can all still be prevalent, even as an individual is navigating their recovery and sobriety. Coupled with any mental health disorders that may inform the use of these substances, overcoming addiction is complicated but always possible. 

Meditation provides an outlet for an individual to not just process difficult feelings in a safe environment but also learn to identify them, any problematic methods of thinking, or the way in which their thoughts may influence their behaviors or health. Using meditation as a way to connect a person’s body and mind can birth a new and deeper understanding of the effects of stress on a person’s health, all while creating a safe environment in which to address, acknowledge, and release these feelings without them further compiling and impacting a person’s daily life. 

Meditation can also help an individual throughout their recovery journey by:

Those overcoming addiction may also experience difficulty overcoming regular, daily stresses without the use of drugs or alcohol. Meditation can help those individuals better identify these stresses and their connection to substance use, informing an individual of potential triggers, stresses, and more that can be further addressed in professional treatment programs. 

Even with understanding the benefits of meditation, it can still be intimidating to jump into meditation practices. For those unsure or first exploring this option in their recovery, it can take a few sessions before an individual fully allows themselves to open up to its potential benefits. Continuing to commit to the practice over a few sessions can give each person the best indication of if it is the right approach for them rather than dismissing it after one attempt. 

Using guided meditation groups or working with professionals to better understand the approach in practice is necessary for an individual to begin exploring meditation for their own recovery journey. However, after engaging in these sessions, an individual can always adjust their own meditation practices to best resonate with them and create their unique approach to meditation in addiction recovery. Continuing to personalize each journey through our effective Hawaii rehabilitation can create the best mentality and strategy for the needs, challenges, stresses, and more across each individual journey to sobriety. 

Meditation can be a powerful part of an effective approach to sobriety and recovery, and we at Hawaii Island Recovery champion the opportunity to help you find your own best approach to recovery and sobriety. By combining proven practices like meditation and other therapeutic outlets with a trained and caring staff and supportive community of peers, we can guide you through our effective Hawaii rehabilitation to challenge addiction and mental health disorders in your life. We also offer an extensive support network to continue providing education and support at every step through your recovery. For more information on how we can help you or for questions about the various proven programs and opportunities we offer, call us at (866) 390-5070.