Tips for Staying Sober with Meditation

In 2017, 19.7 million people were suffering from addiction. People from every age and from every walk of life can face the battle of addiction.

Thankfully, once people decide to fight their addiction, they can learn steps to better themselves. One of the tools they can use on the path to recovery is meditation.

Meditation for addiction can be a very healthy practice. Read on to find out how meditation works in addiction recovery. 

Meditation: What is It?

First of all, let's define meditation. Meditation is practicing awareness and mindfulness of your surroundings and emotions.

In fact, meditation is backed by science. The prefrontal cortex of your brain is responsible for feelings of happiness and is over-stimulated during substance abuse. However, meditation is able to help your brain become more disciplined in feeling happy. 

Meditating also releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are chemicals responsible for feelings of pleasure. 

Meditation has been used for centuries in the ancient world and has continually trickled down to modern times. Many people today incorporate meditation into their day to regain peace and control over their lives. 

Meditation for Addiction: How Does it Work?

For those working towards sobriety, meditation can be helpful.  

While there are several ways to use meditation in your life, and everyone has a different way of doing so, there are plenty of benefits to it.

Strengthens the Body

Meditation is nowhere near a cardio workout, but surprisingly, meditation has an enormous effect on the body. You won't get bulging muscles, but you'll experience an energy boost and lower heart rate.

The deep breathing and relaxation promote a calmer mind and body. 

Brings Peace to The Mind

With addiction, people can experience persistent, anxious or lonely thoughts.  These thoughts, coupled with the desire to use, made recovery difficult. 

Practicing meditation can help overcome the urge to use, especially when the call is incredibly strong. Taking the time to relax and do some breathing can calm your mind and help bring awareness to the situation.

Provides Introspection 

It's not uncommon for those battling addiction to lose sight of who they are. They can often act like a completely different person once their addiction is in full swing.

Family and close friends also notice this extreme shift in behavior, as the person becomes more and more deeply involved in substance abuse. 

Meditation, when used in recovery, can help the person remember who they are or were before their struggles. It can be eye-opening to address some of the previous behaviors or feelings that started the addiction.

Knowing these things empowers the individual not just to face them, but understand their need to use drugs or other substances. 

Meditation for Addiction: Stronger, Calmer, More Aware

When you decide to try meditation for addiction, you might be surprised at how you feel afterward. Just 15-20 minutes of silence, relaxing, and breathing can do wonders for your body and mind.

Try adding the practice of meditation into your plan for recovery and see the benefits first hand.  

Check out our site for more information on staying sober and how you can get tokens!