If you or a loved one is seeking addiction treatment and questioning how holistic components may help, you’re not alone. Many people wonder how treatments like meditative therapy work, and at Ray Recovery, we’ll always strive to provide answers and quality programming. Call 888.598.6299 for information about meditation therapy treatment and other services at our Ohio center.
What Is Meditative Therapy and How Does it Work?
Meditative therapy is a holistic treatment that can support rehab for any number of substance use disorders. From alcohol to opioid addiction treatment, substance use recovery is broadly augmented when mindfulness training joins the care regimen. What is mindfulness? Simply put, it refers to the practice of being fully present in the here and now. This runs in direct opposition to mental states like depression, which tends to involve dwelling on the past. It also counters anxiety, which tends to center worries about the future.
While meditative therapy takes many forms, all foster the ability to repeatedly return to the immediate experience of being alive. As many Eastern cultures have long understood, the simple practice of gratitude for life can be powerfully regulated. One great way into this focus is through the body’s natural rhythms, such as breathing and heartbeat. Another is attention to the information constantly arriving through the five senses.
Mindfulness practices are available everywhere. Simply attending fully to mundane tasks like folding laundry without letting the mind wander can be an expression of mindfulness. In the formal therapeutic context, meditative therapy appears as guided meditation, breath work, yoga, and many other offerings. Wherever it’s found, the primary intentions are relaxation, presence, and simple being. The primary benefits are physical and emotional regulation, improved sleep, and increased capacity to manage stress.
How Does Meditative Therapy Fit into a Larger Addiction Treatment Program?
In a full-scale treatment program, clients are likely to engage with components such as:
- Detox, in which they go through withdrawal and receive essential services like fluids and nutrition monitoring, and supervision
- Individual talk therapy in which clients work to shift negative self-talk and understand the root causes of their addiction
- Dual diagnosis care in which providers simultaneously treat substance use and any underlying mental illness that may be present
- Group therapy, where clients engage in mediated sessions with peers for support, relational development, and solidarity
- Holistic treatments, which can include animal-assisted therapy, art therapy, and mindfulness activities like meditation
While some consider meditative therapy an optional “add-on” portion within rehab, the offering is increasingly mainstream. This means it’s increasingly incorporated into the primary aspects of recovery. Individual counseling, for instance, now often features a mindfulness component whether through guided imagery, breath work, or another method. This helps give clients the tools to allow painful thoughts and emotions to pass more quickly.
Similarly, in group therapy, mindfulness can help clients remain present with one another when challenging interpersonal dynamics arise. One of the greatest gifts one human being can give another is to simply listen with full, non-judgemental attention. Mindfulness practices such as checking in about emotions before diving into conversation can powerfully support this communal healing aspect of group therapy.
Ray Recovery: Learn More About Meditative Therapy Treatment for Addiction Today
Get the answers and services you need by contacting Ray Recovery today. Our Hudson, Ohio, team is eager to assist you with information, enrollment, and referrals. Our goal is always to be a ray of light in the addiction treatment community, and we’re excited to learn about your unique needs. Reach us at 888.598.6299 or send us a message via our confidential online form to begin the process.
