Mindfulness | Benefits and How it is Used

Stress, anxiety and other forms of emotional distress can be some of the most difficult challenges on your recovery journey. Stress can trigger substance abuse, which may offer a temporary solution for unwinding but ultimately makes things worse. Mindfulness therapy can help reduce your stress levels and, in turn, your cravings for addictive substances. At Linwood House, we incorporate mindfulness therapy into our rehab programmes to help equip you with every tool you need for long-term recovery.

Mindfulness - meditation 1

What Is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice that has been used for thousands of years. It’s an evidence-based relaxation and stress-release method that promotes overall wellbeing. At Linwood House, we offer mindfulness alongside other treatment options as part of our holistic recovery experience.

Mindfulness meditation involves being fully present and attentive to the moment. It helps you focus on your senses and emotions without judgement or interpretation.

How Is mindfulness therapy used in addiction treatment?

Mindfulness therapy can play an important role in recovery, helping individuals overcome addiction and prevent relapse. Addiction treatment programmes usually offer complementary treatment alongside behavioural therapies and group programming.

Addictive behaviours often occur as a response to triggers – stresses, emotions, or environmental cues that produce strong urges (cravings) to use a substance or engage in a behaviour. Mindful therapy may be able to interfere with this process, preventing triggers from leading to drug use. For example, it may:

  • Help you to cope with emotional distress so you do not turn to drugs or alcohol to escape
  • Decrease responsiveness to environmental cues and help you to control cravings
  • Help to make your reward systems function healthily so you seek rewards from other activities like eating or seeing friends
  • Prevent you from falling into negative thought patterns and projecting feelings of anxiety onto future concerns
  • Help you to overcome feelings of shame and move on from past mistakes

Mindfulness - meditation 2

Mindfulness therapy at Linwood House

At Linwood House, we offer mindfulness therapy as part of our treatment plans for alcohol and drug rehab. Your therapist will show you many different mindfulness techniques to help you focus on the present. Some involve focusing on breathing, while others concentrate on your senses and surroundings.

Our recovery programmes combine various treatment approaches to provide a holistic healing experience that treats your entire person. We aim to address the underlying causes of addiction to promote meaningful and long-lasting change.

Deep Breathing – Breathing exercises are a core tool in mindfulness practice. Deep breathing can lower your heart rate and help you to relax while helping you to focus on group work or any triggering subjects that come up in rehab sessions.

Sensory Awareness – Paying attention to your five senses can help to ground you in the present moment and appreciate the world around you.

Our recovery programmes combine various treatment approaches to provide a holistic healing experience that treats your entire person. We aim to address the underlying causes of addiction to promote meaningful and long-lasting change.

Our other addiction treatment therapies include:

Letting go

In our private rehab clinic, you can fully focus on and engage in mindfulness therapy and other recovery sessions, helping you to get the most out of treatment. Many thoughts and feelings may enter your mind as you perform these exercises. You might think about stresses outside rehab or experience cravings. Mindfulness will help you recognise these thoughts and then let them go, returning your focus to the exercise. This may be difficult initially, but it will become easier as you build your mental discipline through repeated practice.

Other uses for mindfulness in rehab

Research shows that mindfulness can effectively treat conditions like anxiety or depression, helping to break the destructive cycle and promote overall well-being. Mindfulness can even offer benefits for physical conditions like chronic pain, another potential cause of drug abuse. Our minds and bodies are intrinsically and deeply connected through our central nervous system and other vital functions. Studies show that mindfulness breathing can significantly reduce self-reported pain in clinical and experiential settings, reducing the need for prescription painkillers like opioids.

Make the change today

If you or a loved one is living with addiction, we’re here to help. With our proven holistic treatment programme, you can overcome the underlying causes of addiction and achieve life-long recovery. Contact us today to make the change.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be somewhere quiet to practise mindfulness?
While being somewhere peaceful and calm can help you practise mindfulness, it certainly isn’t necessary. One of the great things about mindfulness is that you can do it almost anywhere. Whenever you feel cravings or stress, you can pause and focus on something like the sound and feeling of your breath or the feeling of your feet as you walk away from a potentially triggering situation.
What are the three C’s of mindfulness?
The three C’s of mindfulness are:

  1. Curiosity: Approaching experiences with an open mind and a desire to learn.
  2. Compassion: Treating yourself and others with kindness and understanding.
  3. Courage: Facing uncomfortable emotions and situations with bravery and acceptance.
What are the four main skills of mindfulness?
The four main skills of mindfulness include:

  1. Observation: Noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement.
  2. Description: Articulating experiences and observations without interpreting or evaluating them.
  3. Participation: Engaging fully in the present moment and experiences.
  4. Non-judgement: Accepting experiences as they are without labelling them as good or bad.

Disclaimer:

The availability of therapies may vary across UKAT centres. The specific therapies provided will be determined based on your treatment plan and the programme offered at your chosen facility. All treatments are subject to clinical assessment and programme availability at the time of admission. For further details on the therapies included in your treatment plan, please contact our admissions team.