My life was full of delight and happiness until a few years back; I got into the trap of addiction. This might sound familiar to you also, I was busy with my everyday routine, but slowly, I started dangling out with my friends and started to enjoy their company a lot. Since we all were close to each other, we spent the entire day together. We roam in the city, enjoyed clubbing, and used to have a chilled-out attitude, We had become total party animals; we used to go clubbing, and slowly we started drinking alcohol. But it was too slow when I realized I have got addicted to it.
Since then, I used to open a packet of chips and a bottle of alcohol, watching my favourite series when I lived at home. And when I went out with my friends, we used to drink all night in the club. However, it was not too late for one of my cousins to realize that I am walking speedily over the road of addiction where I will find a dead-end one day. My cousin knew I am going to spoil my life because of my addiction. She spoke to me and tried to convince me I should leave this way, but like other people, I was deeply connected with my alcohol addiction and was not ready to go through it.
However, slowly somehow, I thought about it and decided to get out of the world of addiction. Undoubtedly my cousin helped me a lot. She was with me, and she convinced me to follow mindfulness practice. She explained to me how mindfulness practice could help me with addiction treatment and other medications, drug and alcohol detox programs. I am here to share my story of how Mindfulness helped me to recover. Any of those reading my blog who are struggling with addiction must follow mindfulness practice.
For me struggling with addiction was not the only challenge on the road to recovery. While going through rehab for addiction, I healed on every level to achieve long-term sobriety, including the healing of mind, soul, and body.
My Definition of Mediation:
Meditation is a technique of being relaxed when the mind is free from thoughts. When I meditate, I can concentrate on one single activity. Whether I am focusing on my breathing or listening to the birds or what each body part feels, I don’t have other distractions in my mind.
What Components does Mindfulness Involve?
Mindfulness practice includes the following three components which I employed in my recovery process-
- Intentional-
Mindfulness is an intentional thought process to confess the particular thoughts running in the present moment. And there is no other way to change the beliefs that come to mind at any moment, but I had the power to take control and intentionally be aware. Mindfulness means all thoughts should be handled within present moments, and putting them off for later or suppressing their existence is not healthy.
- Accepting-
Through Mindfulness, I admit to myself that there is no getting around having these thoughts. Accepting means knowing that they are there and knowing that suppressing them can only lead to anxiety, guilt, and shame. Reminding myself that it is natural and can bring a sense of peace that can make me more receptive to treatments and therapies that keep me on the path of healing.
- Non-judgemental-
During my recovery, I have many thoughts that were not positive, and sometimes I miss the highs of alcohol dependency. Moreover, I have felt emotional failure and experience intense regret hurting my loved ones. However, while confronting these issues is an essential part of recovery, and one must not be non-judgemental while having these thoughts.
Ultimately, Mindfulness means accepting those thoughts and emotions without criticizing myself for having them or telling myself that I am weak. Repeated blame is the opposite of being mindful.
How does Mindfulness help in My Recovery?
Mindfulness boosts recovery from alcohol addiction by helping me to become more conscious of my thoughts. While practicing meditation, I turn my focus inward, targeting the moment to become more aware of my studies. Similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, Mindfulness slows down negative thoughts and interrupts the desire to escape reality.
Below-mentioned is some of the ways that can define how
Mindfulness helps in my recovery:
- Mindfulness helps me to recognize addictive behavior-
It was easy for my cousin to identify addiction symptoms in me but recognizing addiction in myself was far more complex. I often have little reasons to question whether I am in control of my actions till I face negative consequences. However, by turning into my physical and mental state at a given point, I can easily identify the signs of physical or emotional dependence before it becomes too late.
- Mindfulness lets me make peace with the present-
This might also happen to you that you might have planned for the future and not lived in the present. The situation can be disturbing while suffering from addiction. When the current feels unsatisfying or discouraging, then addiction acts as an escape. Here, Mindfulness sustains self-recovery by targeting the body’s state with judgment. And this can be achieved through breathing exercises, yoga, and other meditation techniques.
- Mindfulness slows down my thoughts-
One of the significant reasons Mindfulness helps me therapeutically by slowing my mind’s activity. Mindfulness practice teaches me the importance of living intentionally and draining thoughts without judgment. Generally, thoughts tend to run uncontrolled when left unchecked, while mindfulness practice needs an inward reflection to sort things to mess day-to-day thoughts and emotions.
- Mindfulness heightens my senses-
Mindfulness provides me the same sensory experience that users seek in addiction, Mindfulness techniques promote intentional, inward reflection, prone away all the other thoughts that do not relate to the present. This helps me regain an appreciation for the world by grounding myself through my senses instead of addiction.
- Mindfulness helps me to regulate my mood-
People get addicted to drugs and alcohol to manipulate their moods. but mindfulness can help me with my mood regulation I found peace by addressing emotions and feelings without judgment but became physically healthier by lowering stress hormones. This eventually leads to a decrease in anxiety and an increase in better sleep.
Mindfulness and Addiction:
Although mindfulness techniques have helped me get away with my alcohol addiction, I would like to bring attention to the fact that it does not replace medical treatment. Consulting professionals is necessary to learn the safe and effective way to detox, manage emotional dependence, and develop a healthy habit that results in lifelong recovery from addiction.
Read more about health news