Mindfulness Therapy in Asheville, NC

Practicing mindfulness has never been more difficult or more vital in our fast-paced world with so much stimulation and stress. Although ancient mindful therapy methods like yoga and meditation have been utilized across the world for centuries, new research data is frequently released about the positive outcomes and benefits of mindfulness techniques in dealing with addiction and cravings, substance abuse, mental health problems, and brain function and health.

What is Mindfulness Therapy?

Being mindful means paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and environment in the present moment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. We also accept our thoughts and feelings when we practice mindfulness, meaning that we pay attention to them without judging them—for example, we don’t believe that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel at any given moment. When we practice mindfulness, we tune in to what we are sensing in the present moment rather than replaying the past or imagining the future.

Every human being already possesses the fundamental ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is happening around us. You just have to learn how to access it. Mindfulness is not something you have to conjure up; it is a quality that you already have.

What is Mindfulness Therapy?

Mindfulness therapy is a method of psychotherapy or talk therapy. A mental health professional employs this therapy to diagnose and treat mental issues such as unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. In addition to becoming aware of their thoughts, feelings, emotions, surroundings, and situations, mindfulness therapy teaches clients to be mindful of themselves. By talking with professionals, patients improve their understanding of themselves and their environment, avoiding destructive or automatic responses.

Download Our Free E-book!

How Does Mindfulness Therapy Work in Treating Addiction?

Your brain is the only organ that becomes larger and stronger through practice and experience in the same way that a muscle does. Your subconscious mind unintentionally shaped your brain in ways that were detrimental to you and prevented you from being mindful in the past when you repeatedly engaged in specific thoughts and behaviors that drove your addiction. With mindfulness therapy, you can reshape your brain in a way that improves your awareness, control, and well-being.

A substance use disorder can cause problems in the brain regions involved in attention, emotion, and behavioral regulation. Mindfulness practices, in general, focus on three things: awareness, disengagement, and perception. First, mindfulness helps a person become more aware of everything that happens in their present moment: thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, everything. That’s awareness. Next, mindfulness helps a person disengage from the thoughts, emotions, and sensations they experience. That’s disengagement. Finally, mindfulness helps a person perceive the world as it is rather than as colored by thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that may or may not be habitual. That’s perception. When the three elements of mindfulness come together, a person gains the ability to control their reactions, manage their emotions, and make logical choices.

Examples of Mindfulness-Based Therapies

A variety of techniques may be used to practice mindfulness when being treated for an addiction. They include:

Mindfulness Meditation

During mindfulness meditation, the individual in therapy is guided to focus on the present moment. Participants are educated to focus on a specific issue. If they sense that they are losing track of the present moment as a result of their thoughts wandering away from it, they are advised to notice where they are and what they are doing before returning their attention to the present moment without responding or judging themselves. Therapists may assist patients in addressing their emotions and bodily sensations in addition to their thoughts.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

MBCT is a sort of cognitive therapy that combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy, also known as CT, is a type of cognitive therapy that identifies destructive thoughts and educates people in choosing positive ones instead, known as cognitive restructuring. MBCT may include cognitive restructuring in addition to mindfulness meditation or other mindfulness practices.

Mindful Breathing Exercises

A simple technique accessible to all, mindful breathing is an excellent method to decrease stress, stimulate peace and clarity, and promote contentment. Mindful breathing is closely related to deep breathing exercises and takes the process and techniques of mindfulness a step further by linking the benefits of deep breathing with them.

Yoga

There are also many emotional benefits to practicing yoga. According to research, practicing yoga may help balance certain areas of the brain and body that are negatively impacted by substance abuse in a natural way. Along with its physical aspects, yoga offers a number of mental benefits. When people practice yoga, they become aware of their bodies, learn how to regulate their breathing, and pay close attention to their needs. This approach allows people to become more self-aware of how they feel and how they may be treated.

Benefits of Mindful Therapy for Addiction

Impulsiveness is one of the key components of addiction that mindfulness helps to combat. When people are addicted to drugs or alcohol, they often consume without thinking about how much or how often they are using them. Mindfulness combats the overly critical mindset that may cause you to consume too much alcohol or use drugs excessively by replacing it with intentionality. The following are the benefits of mindfulness therapy in treating addiction:

Reduce Avoidance

Using drugs or alcohol as a method of avoiding painful emotions, obsessive thoughts, social anxiety, or physical discomfort is often a slippery slope to addiction. By learning to accept the present rather than avoiding future pain, you may avoid addiction. Through accepting the present moment, you will come to understand that painful experiences, feelings, and thoughts are temporary and that you may tolerate them without alcohol or drugs.

Restore Peace

Substance abuse can create significant mental distress, resulting in a lack of mental and emotional equilibrium. Instead of using natural methods to alleviate their discomfort, they turn to drugs or alcohol. Mindfulness may help you feel better by enabling you to find and maintain inner peace. Body scans, mindful walking, and outdoor exercise, in addition to mindful breathing and yoga, are all mindfulness techniques that may improve your mental serenity.

Increase Emotional Intelligence

Poor emotional regulation may result from using drugs and alcohol. You might become angry and irritable one moment then sad, sorrowful, anxious, and paranoid the next. Mindfulness can help you better understand and manage your emotions without becoming attached to them. Fortunately, you can also increase your emotional intelligence by understanding and managing your emotions.

Promotes Relaxation

If you want to remain sober for the long term, you must learn how to relax properly. Since stress can make you more vulnerable to cravings, which can lead to relapse, it’s crucial to learn how to intentionally relax using mindfulness. Mindfulness can help you become aware of any tension you feel by encouraging you to slow down and sit quietly. Slowing down may also prevent you from acting impulsively and compulsively. By taking a moment to relax, you may become aware of any tension you have.

Reduces Stress

In addition to lowering your levels of higher thinking, addictive substances significantly impair your brain’s reasoning abilities. You will discover how to meditate in order to become free of judgement in your life. Meditation helps you to become less anxious about situations, circumstances, thoughts, and feelings by calming your amygdala, the brain’s alarm system that triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response. By removing your stress, you can contemplate scenarios rationally instead of reacting to them in a destructive way. This may assist you in challenging, fighting, and ignoring harmful ideas and feelings that may lead to relapse.

Renews Compassion

When you’re addicted, you often become disconnected from the people who love and care for you. Fortunately, you can use mindfulness to develop a loving-kindness mindset toward yourself and others. Having a strong support system and a feeling of belonging are two of the most important factors in successful recovery. You’ll be able to move beyond any guilt or shame you feel as a result of your addiction challenges if you develop compassion for yourself. Being less self-critical and judgmental can help you reduce the negative emotions that contribute to depression and anxiety. Compassion also encourages you to relate to other people.

Why is Mindfulness Important in Addiction Treatment

Individuals can use mindful meditation to self-monitor symptoms, address cravings, and learn how to positively adapt to the need to consume drugs or alcohol. When triggered or dealing with cravings, mindfulness is especially critical. In recovery, rumination is reduced, stress is reduced, working memory is enhanced, focus is enhanced, less emotional reactivity is achieved, cognitive flexibility improves, and relationship satisfaction improves, all of which are benefits of mindfulness.

Mindfulness Therapy at Asheville Recovery Center

Asheville Recovery Center is the foremost substance abuse treatment program in Asheville, North Carolina. If you want to learn about mindfulness healing for addiction, we offer individualized recovery programs to help clients achieve permanent recovery.

Recovery is a chronic condition that requires the assistance of medical, psychological, and clinical experts as well as the client’s commitment. Our compassionate and dedicated team is here to help you start your recovery process today. If you’d like to know more or get started, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. You don’t have to struggle alone.