It’s well known that meditation has positive effects on the body and mind, but did you also know that it can aid those who are battling substance use disorders? In this blog post, we’ll talk about the benefits of meditation for people who are struggling with addiction and offer some advice on how to get started.
The Advantages of Meditation for Substance Use Disorder Patients
People with drug use problems have been proven to benefit from meditation in a variety of ways. For instance, meditation can aid in stress reduction and self-awareness promotion. People can use these advantages to stay clean and committed to their recovery goals.
The following advantages of meditation can be added to those mentioned above:
Anxiety can be reduced thanks to the relaxation response brought on by meditation.
- Meditation reduces insomnia, which enhances sleep quality.
- Self-esteem may rise as a result of mood improvements brought about by meditation.
- Regular practice can encourage a healthy lifestyle and improve focus.
How Do You Begin Meditating?
Meditating is easy! No specialized tools or prior experience are required to begin straight away. Just carry out these simple measures.
Locate a calm area where you can relax in a chair or on the floor, then close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose while counting to four. Then, hold that breath for an additional four counts before letting it out through your pursed lips (like blowing air into a balloon). Five times in a row.
If you have trouble concentrating on your breathing, consider focusing on a mantra, which is a word or phrase you repeat to yourself over and again. You can also concentrate on a particular mental image, such as a serene setting.
We strongly advise seeking professional advice if you want to attempt meditation but are dealing with a substance use disorder. Although there are many good books and online resources on meditation, it can be great to have someone personally teach you the fundamentals.
Long-term meditation practice has many advantages, particularly for those recovering from substance use problems. As you begin to practice meditation, don’t worry about starting a lengthy session. You can start by investing just a few minutes every day to improve your mental health and support you as you work toward recovery.
Confidence, skill, and a sense of belonging are a few components that make up self-esteem. The level of each one may influence a person’s propensity to abuse alcohol and/or drugs. It’s important to look into the connection between substance use disorders and self-esteem. You can discover via the process some significant areas in your life that require additional attention.
For a variety of causes, substance use problems in women can be exacerbated by low self-esteem. She might start abusing drugs in order to feel accepted in social situations where she is often reserved and introverted. She might continue to be in toxic relationships where drug abuse is frequent. When a woman has low self-esteem, she may turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the physical signs of her trauma, anxiety, or melancholy.
A woman may have depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition long before she starts abusing drugs or alcohol. She may use drugs or alcohol to mask some of her bodily symptoms, such as headaches and exhaustion. She might start using drugs on a regular basis if she doesn’t look for other answers. When someone starts abusing narcotics to deal with emotions at home, they run the risk of losing their job if they use them during work hours or if they arrive impaired.
The sensation may also strike suddenly. A woman who thinks the shame, remorse, or anxiety associated with a traumatic experience has diminished her sense of self-worth may start abusing drugs or alcohol as an escape.