Meditation for Addiction

Meditation is a powerful tool in the fight against addiction. It can alleviate addiction withdrawal symptoms as well as provide a means of self-exploration that can often reveal the root cause of the addiction. For more information, please read on to learn how meditation can help you combat substance use disorders.

What is Meditation?

Practising daily meditation calms the thinking mind and increases awareness by creating a sustained focus and insight through observation. It promotes a natural state of reflection in which the mind is then able to contemplate (looks around) what it is meditating on, separating the self from external factors and allowing a person to disengage from thoughts that are often negative and self-destructive.

Meditation can be a helpful tool for people struggling with addiction. Because it reduces stress and anxiety and promotes relaxation, it is used as an adjunctive therapy in various treatment programs to assist people in recovery. There are many different types of meditation, so it is important to find the one that is right for you.

Meditation Techniques to Help With Addiction

Whilst there are hundreds of meditation techniques available to practise, they all fit into one of the following categories:

• Concentration meditation, where the mind is focused on a specific object. When the mind wanders into old thought patterns, the individual’s focus is brought back to the selected object.
• Mindfulness meditation is where the mind is also focused on an object or a process such as the breath, a mantra or visualisation. Breathing meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation that is simple and easy to do, making it a great place to start for beginners. In this type of meditation, you focus on your breath and how it moves in and out of your body.
• Transcendental meditation, in which the individual experiences a shift in consciousness or physiology.

How Does Meditation Benefit Addiction?

Meditation and positive affirmations can be an important part of treating substance use disorders and other forms of addiction. Working on self-esteem through counselling and using reflection along with positive affirmations can improve confidence and reprogram a person’s thought patterns. Meditation can be used to help find the root cause of an addiction, which is an important part of the addiction recovery process. It can also help with the anger that many people with addictions feel and provide a new way of learning to cope with stress.

Powerful withdrawal symptoms experienced when fighting an addiction may be reduced and overcome by incorporating meditation into daily life. The excessive stream of thoughts triggered by the stress hormone cortisol may be quietened, allowing the addict to disengage, get off the addictive substance and stop the addictive behaviour once and for all. Meditation supports physical health in so many ways by shifting brain activity from the stress-prone, right-frontal cortex of the brain to the more calming left frontal cortex, resulting in an awareness, acceptance and mindfulness of one's addiction and their potential identification with it.

Unprocessed negative emotions, memories and hurts are often ignored and ‘stuffed down’ by addicts with their substance use behaviour. Meditation allows for reflection on all repressed, negative feelings and events, allowing them to rise to the surface and begin the healing process.

Sleeping can also be an issue for people trapped in the cycle of addiction, whether they are still hooked on a substance or working on recovery from addiction. Meditation assists with sleeping problems by clearing the mind before bedtime and by facilitating a healing process to take place which continues on in the individual's sleep.

Other benefits of meditation in the treatment of addiction include:

• Decreased feelings of anxiety
• Decreased feelings of sadness
• Decreased moodiness and irritability
• Heightened concentration levels
• Enhanced memory
• Increased feelings of happiness
• Increased emotional stability
• Increased feelings of wellbeing and vitality
• Increased self-awareness
• Improved stress response

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Physiologically, meditation may benefit an addict by:

• Reducing the heart rate, blood pressure, stress and physical anxiety experienced with withdrawal symptoms.
• Reducing excessive cortisol levels in the bloodstream that may be produced when withdrawing from an addictive substance.
• Increasing skin resistance and therefore supporting the immune system that can often be compromised when fighting an addiction.
• Increasing airflow to the lungs, alleviating breathing difficulties often experienced by those experiencing addiction-related depression, stress or anxiety.

How to Start a Regular Meditation Practice

If you are new to meditation, it is important to start slowly. Just sit quietly for five or 10 minutes each day and focus on your breath. As you become more comfortable with meditation, you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend meditating. It is also important to be patient and persistent with meditation, as it can take some time to see results. It's best to start with a certified meditation teacher until you're comfortable with this holistic approach to health.

It can be difficult to maintain a meditation practice when you are first starting out, but here are a few tips to help you stay motivated and deal with setbacks during a meditation session:

• Set realistic goals for your meditation practice and keep your eye on them as you practise meditation on a daily basis. Begin with baby steps, such as a few minutes per day, and gradually increase to an hour or two.
• Experiment with different forms of meditation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation.
• Keep a meditation journal to track your progress. You'll be surprised at how much motivation you can get from seeing what you have achieved so far, from improving your relaxation response to gaining a deeper insight into your core self.
• Find a meditation buddy who can help keep you accountable, or join a meditation group to meditate with others.
• Take breaks when you need them and don't be too hard on yourself if you miss a day of meditation.
• If you are struggling, talk to a meditation teacher or therapist. They can assist you in identifying the suitable meditation practice for you.

Tip

Recent scientific studies have shown that certain forms of addiction are best fought with regular meditation practices for extended periods of time. For best results, it is recommended to meditate daily for 10-20 minutes. When it comes to reaping the rewards of meditation, consistency is key. Look for a quiet place and a time in which you do not have to hurry when practising meditation, allowing you to take your time and for meditation to calm your mind and body.

Find out about other effective natural treatments for addiction.