One of the most common reasons for drug and alcohol abuse is an inability to manage stress and negative feelings in a healthy way. Some people simply have a more difficult time dealing with stressful emotions than others. If you have turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with stress at work, in your personal life, or in the world around you, consider mindfulness-based stress reduction to help you rebuild your life.
This approach to stress management can be incredibly effective in not only helping you during times of stress but in helping you work through the underlying causes of addiction. Reach out to a treatment center near you today to learn more about mindfulness-based stress reduction.
Mindfulness and Addiction
Some of those who struggle with addiction have experienced trauma in the past. Experiencing abuse, being in an accident, or living through a natural disaster are all traumatic experiences that can have long-lasting impacts. Past trauma can make it difficult to focus on the present moment. An individual that has lived through trauma may relive a past trauma or negative events. Instead of overcoming it, they bury painful memories in drug and alcohol abuse because they’re unable to move past it.
Others constantly worry about the future. This can cause a great deal of anxiety, especially when they believe that anything that happens will be negative.
Focusing on either the past or the present runs opposite to the ideas that you will learn in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
All of this is incredibly stressful. When you don’t have effective coping skills to deal with the stress, you may adopt unhealthy habits such as drug and alcohol abuse. While drinking or using seems to relieve the stress and anxiety, all it actually does is make your problems worse.
How Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Can Treat Addiction
Mindfulness-based stress reduction, or MBSR, was developed in the late 1970s as a way to help clients deal with stress and pain.
In addiction treatment, one of the things you’ll learn is how to focus on the present moment. Practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction allows you to stop for a moment and think about what you’re feeling. When you observe your emotions this way, you can identify the source of your stress. Instead of reacting to it negatively, you can begin to calm yourself and cope effectively.
The types of mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques you may learn in treatment include meditation and yoga. One of the benefits of these practices is that you can continue them after leaving treatment and for the remainder of your recovery. They’re lifelong practices that promote serenity and peace.
Reach Out to Serenity Light Recovery Today
If you are looking for addiction therapy services to help you overcome a dependency on drugs and alcohol, Serenity Light Recovery can help. Our addiction treatment center in Angleton, Texas offers a variety of programs to help people overcome substance abuse. In addition to mindfulness-based stress reduction, we offer:
- Medical detox – Receive support during the challenging early days of recovery
- Residential treatment – Round-the-clock care can help clients build a strong foundation for sobriety
- Intensive outpatient program – We help our clients learn healthy coping skills through both group and individual therapy sessions
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy – An evidence-based therapy that helps clients reframe their thoughts and change their behaviors
- Family therapy programs – Rebuild relationships with the help of trained therapists
Our compassionate team wants to be a beacon of light and hope for all of our clients. To that end, we provide a tranquil, relaxing setting on ten beautifully landscaped acres. In our rehab center, we’ll guide you to an addiction-free life and a peaceful future. Call us today at (281) 431-6700 to learn more about mindfulness-based stress reduction.
As our CEO, Heather’s main calling is to stay true to the vision of the organization, which is saving lives and striving to redefine statistics by raising the standard of care with evolving treatment methods. Heather studied psychology at LSU and both the main and Clear Lake campuses of the University of Houston, and she is a certified IASIS provider and CPI instructor. She’s been helping people in recovery since 2011. Heather’s motto to live by is “I am not what I’ve done; I am what I’ve overcome.”