Mindfulness Therapy Sets a Solid Foundation for Recovery from Addiction
About Mindfulness Therapy
Mindfulness, which can be learned through mindfulness therapy, is simply being aware of our emotions, including negative feelings, in a balanced way. Establishing healthy emotional awareness enables facing pain, worry, trauma or anxiety without exaggeration or unnecessary dramatic responses that can lead to harmful consequences. Mindfulness is a compromised skill during drug and alcohol addiction. Drug and alcohol abuse can begin for many reasons, but in the end the result is an addiction to numbing out the pain, worry, trauma or fear. Being able to intentionally bring one’s attention to both internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment strengthens conscientious decisions. Pain, failure and setbacks are a natural part of life experiences, no one is exempt. Having a better understanding of our own suffering and perceived shortcomings cultivates self-compassion rather than self-punishment.
Wasatch Crest strongly believes individual recovery success depends on deploying mindfulness in tandem with evidenced-based therapeutic modalities. In addition to our passion for studying the human condition we have both professionally witnessed and personally experienced the benefits of mindfulness therapy and practices. We know that mindfulness exercises the mind like a muscle.
Bolstering our mental muscles through mindfulness increases positive thinking, restores depleted cognitive executive functioning and improves mood stability; all traits and qualities that were sacrificed during years of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction.
A Few of the Ways You Will Be Able to Learn, Practice, and Use Your Mindfulness Skills Are:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Spiritual Practice
- Sweat lodge
- Hiking and other outdoor adventure
Our mission and number one goal at Wasatch Crest is to empower clients to create a new story. The core principle of mindfulness therapy is that by encouraging and teaching self-regulation through mindfulness, we essentially start boosting autonomy, willingness and acceptance and in turn clients become the author of an incredibly successful recovery for years to come.
Watch: Incorporating Spirituality Into Addition Treatment & Recovery
Wasatch Crest clinicians discuss how we introduce clients to non-denominational spiritual experiences.
Mindfulness Therapy FAQs:
How Long Does Mindfulness Therapy Last?
If you're enrolled in our program at Wasatch Crest, you'll have access to a range of mindfulness therapies. However, it's important to understand that mindfulness is not just a single approach but rather a way of living. The mindfulness techniques you learn here can be carried forward as you embark on a healthier lifestyle. Moreover, as you evolve into the person you aspire to be, you can also integrate new mindfulness practices. Since mindfulness has many benefits, it's worthwhile to view these practices as part of your lifestyle rather than just a form of therapy.
Does Mindfulness Help with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression?
Mindfulness is simply attuning to your feelings and thoughts. And yet, a simple practice of doing this is proven to boost both mental health and physical health. Research suggests that the many benefits of mindfulness stem from the "dialing down" of the body's natural stress responses. In a review of more than 200 studies on mindfulness, researchers found that mindfulness-based therapies were especially effective at stress reduction and marked decreases in anxiety and depression. People with depression showed very promising results when using mindfulness-based therapies like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. As a result of this modality, these people experienced far fewer relapses in major depressive episodes than they did before treatment.
How Long Does it Take for Mindfulness to Change the Brain?
Multiple studies indicate that the brain begins to change right around the eight-week mark of starting a mindfulness practice. Studies have gauged benchmarks like mood, emotional regulation, and memory, all of which have shown improvement with approximately 15 minutes a day of some type of mindfulness behavior. This could be a yoga practice, guided meditation, sitting in stillness, counting the breath, repeating a mantra, or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. More than the amount of time you spend in mindful practice or the type of practice you do, it's the consistency and purity of your practice that matters. If you have just 10 minutes but you spend that 10 minutes in dedicated stillness, not checking your phone or social media, you can receive benefits that continue for years.
What are Three Positive Effects or Benefits of Mindfulness?
According to the American Psychological Association, there are numerous benefits to gain by practicing mindfulness. The majority of research around this concept revolves around the two most common approaches, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. The first may entail something like yoga or breathwork, something that may be learned and practiced in a group setting. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that involves elements of the other. Both have shown remarkable results in people with depression and anxiety.
Through mindfulness practices, two of the primary stress pathways in the brain are affected. These areas are associated with emotional regulation and attention. Therefore, when these areas of the brain start to change, as soon as eight weeks after beginning a consistent mindfulness practice, cognitive functions related to attention and memory can improve. Additionally, studies indicate that people who routinely practice mindfulness experience fewer intrusive negative thoughts and demonstrate better emotional reactions in times of stress.
