Drug abuse and addiction are complex disorders that affect millions of people. Those who want to recover need all-inclusive treatment programs that use various types of therapy. This includes therapies that complement traditional methods, such as mindfulness meditation therapy. Learn more about this type of addiction therapy service to see if it could benefit your addiction treatment.

woman practicing mindfulness meditation mindfulness therapy by the lake

Drug abuse and addiction are complex disorders that affect millions of people. Mindfulness training has been proven to help people recovering from mental health disorders, including substance use disorder. If you are interested in learning more about how mindfulness can help you, contact Crestview Recovery in Portland at 866.262.0531 to learn about this remarkable concept as well as our addiction therapy programs.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfullness meditation therapy in PortlandThe term mindfulness refers to the awareness of experiences, feelings, and thoughts as they occur. It also means accepting those aspects without judgment. Rather than automatically reacting, mindfulness helps people be accepting, compassionate, and nonjudgmental. It’s often a challenge to learn, but it helps keep you calm so that you can deal with distress in a healthy way. A mindful person is able to detach from the behavior of others in order to stay centered and grounded.

Therapies and treatments based on mindfulness are becoming more popular in substance use and addiction programs. Most of them integrate elements of regular therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy along with meditation.

What is Meditation?

For thousands of years, people have used the practice of meditation to achieve enlightenment. It mostly involves calming the mind to concentrate on a certain idea or thought. To practice meditation properly, you need a quiet place. However, you can do it either alone or with others.

During meditation, you can focus on your breath, a mantra, or an object. You can also do walking meditation, which is a type of mindfulness meditation. This means that you focus on the sensations in your body as you walk.

The main goal of meditation is to focus and quiet your mind, eventually leading to a state of increased awareness and inner calm. When your mind is quiet, you are better able to focus and be in the present moment.

Benefits of Meditation

There are many benefits to meditation, including psychological, physical, and emotional.

Psychological Benefits:

  • Reduces stress
  • Controls anxiety
  • Promotes healthy sleep habits
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improves heart health

Physical Benefits:

  • Boosts immunity
  • Lowers pain levels
  • Increases energy levels
  • Improves circulation
  • Aids in digestion

Emotional Benefits:

  • Increases self-awareness
  • Improves emotional stability and balance
  • Reduces negative emotions
  • Increases feelings of well-being
  • Improves relationships

You don’t have to set a time or amount of time for meditation therapy. You can do it at any point in the day and for just a few minutes or hours at a time. However, most people who meditate try to do it at the same time every day. This makes it easy for people in recovery to practice even after they complete an addiction treatment program.

Combining Mindfulness and Meditation Therapy For Mental Health

At Crestview Recovery, we combine mindfulness and meditation to teach control over thoughts. This helps those in treatment learn how to keep their thoughts from controlling them. Mindfulness meditation teaches them how to live in the moment rather than in the past or future. It also teaches how to avoid harmful patterns of thought.

Problems That Mindfulness Can Address

Mindfulness meditation is beneficial for people who have one or more mental health issues to address. We also offer mental health disorder treatment programs such as:

  • Anxiety treatment program
  • Depression treatment program
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment
  • Dual diagnosis treatment

How Effective is Mindfulness Meditation?

More and more research supports mindfulness meditation as an effective technique for addiction recovery. Studies show that many people consider meditation therapy to be one of the best methods to beat addiction. Combining it with mindfulness only increases its benefits and the potential to help people achieve lasting recovery.

In one study, researchers found that mindfulness meditation could help people recovering from substance use disorders. The study showed that those who practiced mindfulness were less likely to relapse than those who didn’t.

Mindfulness meditation is a promising tool for addiction recovery as well as other mental health disorders. It can help people in early recovery by teaching them how to focus on the present moment and be more aware of their thoughts and feelings. It can also help people manage cravings and triggers, as well as stress and other emotions that can lead to relapse.

Mindfulness Meditation for Mental Health in Portland

If you think that mindfulness meditation therapy could work for you, talk to the expert therapists or counselors at Crestview Recovery. We use both moving and seated meditation practices. With our guidance, you can learn how to respond rather than react to distressing situations. Our therapy methods can also help you:

  • Accept kindness and love to increase your self-esteem
  • Let go of addictive thought patterns
  • Take in the nourishment of the moment

When mindfulness meditation is paired with traditional therapies such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group therapy, it’s even more effective. Don’t let substance use or addiction ruin your life any longer. With our help, you can take control. Contact Crestview Recovery in Portland today at 866.262.0531 to start a treatment program that meets your personal needs.