Can mindfulness practice keep substance abuse at bay?

Any substance use disorder can be problematic to kick. And in an effort to reduce the relapse rates, researchers studied 57 people to determine if practices like regular meditation in mindfulness practice decreased the desire for an addictive substance.

Accepting the way, which universe offers us and being attuned with the universal frequency makes you more mindful, you can literally shift the paradigm, change your brain and augment the neural networks that are important in managing stress and anxiety.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present moment. When you are mindful, you become an observer of thoughts and feelings by being neutral rather than judging them. The mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) methods encourage nonjudgmental examination of the sometimes-unpleasant life situations or other behavioral triggers leading to craving and subsequent relapse. During the study, the person attempting to overcome substance abuse will analyze elements causing craving and potential relapse, then tap into the infinite potential of the brainpower and meditative coaching to manage remission. The meditative strategies were both formal and informal and had frequency and duration elements associated with each.

Mindfulness and meditation

 So how do you practice mindfulness?

 One simple method involves focusing on your breath

 Sit quietly, with an erect spine

 Close your eyes

 Make it your intention to be in this moment and to be open to what comes up, without judging your experience

 Bring your attention to your breath and simply notice as you slowly inhale and exhale. This is to observe what is naturally taking place

 If your mind chatters or wanders simply ignore and bring your attention back to your breath

 Another method is to focus on the heartbeat and also to count the number of breaths simultaneously. This would help you to have unwavering focus for longer time. Another easier option is to listen to calm and relaxing music especially solfeggio frequencies, which instills calm, serene and mindful feel.

Mindfulness and substance abuse

Off late a study was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence built upon existing research linking tobacco-cessation attempts, i.e. cigarette smoking, to a resumption of direct use. Their six-month research is a first-of- its-kind study, incorporating mindfulness practice as a method of disrupting established behavioral patterns linking craving to substance use during an eight-week therapy session.

Relapse prevention s a cognitive-behavioral skill approach that has been successfully used to treat and prevent substance abuse relapses. Mindfulness skills are now included as a technique for coping with urges to engage in substance use and relapse in addiction.

Marlatt's concept id urge surfing is used as a metaphor to assist a person to cope with the desire to use alcohol and drugs. Bowen et al. tested the Vipassana meditation, a famous Buddhist mindfulness-based technique and apparently found a noteworthy decrease in alcohol and drug-related problems.