Researchers and clinicians have begun to explore mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for intervening in SUDs and relapse prevention. Evidence supporting the efficacy of MBIs as an intervention for SUDs and for relapse prevention is growing. A recent systematic review from Sancho et al16 included 54 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) targeting either substance or behavioral addictions.

Becoming skilled in meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or runaway thoughts that often lead to insomnia. Through practice, people learn to extend this kindness and forgiveness externally, first to friends, then acquaintances, and ultimately enemies. Metta, a type of meditation also known as loving-kindness meditation, begins meditation for addiction with developing kind thoughts and feelings toward yourself. Improvements in attention and clarity of thinking may help keep your mind young. Several types of meditation may build your ability to redirect and maintain attention. One study found that meditating for just 13 minutes daily enhanced attention and memory after 8 weeks (25).

Is addiction recovery through meditation the result of brain changes?

Change relationship to discomfort, learn to recognize challenging emotional and physical experiences, and respond to them in skillful ways. While we have outlined one basic philosophy / form of meditation in the links below, if you already have a proven meditation technique — then we encourage you to combine & enhance it with our audio technology. EquiSync uses sound to deepen the meditative state no matter your chosen technique. Many addicts come into recovery with a history of relationships that they have damaged or that have damaged them. Meditation makes it easier for them to forgive the past and develop healthy relationships. In spiritual meditation, the focus is on using silence to find your connection with God or the universe.

The intervention was standardized (followed a traditional vipassana format), but its delivery was not monitored. Meditation is characterized by a crossed-legged seated posture, called the lotus pose, accompanied by deep, slow breathing. Similar to yoga, meditation can help reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and emotional triggers, while changing brainwaves. The mental clarity that comes from the practice of meditation makes it easier for addicts to make healthy choices that support their recovery. As cravings continue to arise, especially in early recovery, individuals can observe their thoughts and desires without having to act on them.

Meditation in Addiction Treatment

Meditation can also help you deal with protracted withdrawal, which involves symptoms like anxiety, difficulty making decisions and strong drug cravings that last for several months after drug use is stopped. SAMHSA recommends that people find ways to exercise their minds and bodies to prevent themselves from relapsing during the protracted withdrawal phase. In some cases, you and your loved one may both struggle with codependency, but also have your own issues with substance use. You may be aware of the need for getting your own treatment for a substance use disorder.

The best ways to help a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol may seem counterintuitive, especially for people who struggle with codependent relationships. Some of these methods may seem harsh, but they come from a loving approach with the ultimate goal to help the person overcome their addiction https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-long-does-fentanyl-stay-in-your-system/ and to help all parties heal. One of the primary concerns with using meditation to treat addiction is that it may be too difficult for some individuals to remain focused and committed to their practice, which can lead to frustration and a sense of failure when there are no tangible results.

Symptoms of Meth Use

The results, recently published in Substance Use and Misuse showed a significant difference in smoking cessation for people who completed the intervention, as compared to people who were given nicotine patches and counseling from the Tobacco Quit Line. According to Bowen, substance abuse is another example of that too-human automatic drive to move toward pleasure and away from pain—one that affects an estimated 24 million Americans, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Transcendental meditation allows you to transcend above their current state by repeating a unique phrase or mantra. Often, a meditation instructor selects a mantra to allow you to achieve mindfulness and spiritual experience. In guided meditation, you will work with a trained meditation or mental health professional. How much you need to meditate depends on the individual and is different for everyone.

Thus, there remains a need for more large-scale, robust RCTs to reveal the clinical outcomes and therapeutic mechanisms of MBIs for addiction. Consider the case of a man in partial remission from alcohol use disorder who has recently stopped drinking. After successfully abstaining from alcohol for over 2 months after realizing the negative impact his drinking had on his family and work, he attends a party with old friends, where he is overcome by craving and has a drinking lapse. He could interpret this lapse as the beginning of a downward spiral into his alcohol use habits, with attendant feelings of shame and hopelessness. Alternatively, he could use mindfulness to disengage from this negative emotional state, arrest the automatic impulse and concomitant experience of craving, and then re-commit himself to recovery by contacting his 12-Step fellowship sponsor. Thus, mindfulness may help to prevent relapse by increasing awareness of high-risk situations, supporting positive hedonic tone, and preventing a singular lapse from becoming a full-blown relapse.

Many people turn to sedative substances in order to calm anxiety or fall asleep, but this thirty minute meditation could be a more natural, safe, and healing alternative. Detox meditation refers to the practice of using meditation techniques during the detoxification process, which can help individuals manage withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and promote relaxation and mental clarity. It can support the overall detoxification journey by providing a calming and grounding practice to navigate the physical and emotional challenges that may arise. Scientific studies have demonstrated the positive impact of meditation on addiction recovery, highlighting its potential to minimize cravings, manage stress and anxiety, enhance self-regulation, and promote overall well-being.

• According to Bowen, substance abuse is another example of that too-human automatic drive to move toward pleasure and away from pain—one that affects an estimated 24 million Americans, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
• Also, one study found that 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation helped reduce anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, along with increasing positive self-statements and improving stress reactivity and coping (7).
• Future research should employ larger samples, longitudinal designs with follow-up periods of at least 1-year, manualized interventions with treatment fidelity assessment, intent-to-treat analyses, and probability sampling designs allowing generalizability to specific clinical and general populations.
• Although long-term MM practice patterns have not been assessed in the context of SUDs, its use in other clinical samples suggests that MM can have long-lasting effects.
• Giving us the advantage of time and simultaneously the opportunity to make a different decision, possibly even a healthier decision.