What Role Does Mindfulness Play in Recovering from Addiction?

Mindfulness is the human trait that lets you understand who you are and why you should act in specific ways. In addiction recovery, it’s the psychological buffer that allows you to cope with adversity and discomfort. If sobriety is the PhD level of addiction recovery, mindfulness is the academic performance that can take you to that level. Although it’s a deeply personal trait, mindfulness can be fostered, nurtured, developed, and fine-tuned through sober lifestyle coaching. Keep reading as the team from Sober Lifestyle Coaching, the Southern California specialists in addiction recovery Carlsbad residents trust to help them stay sober, explain the role of mindfulness in recovering from addiction.

How Does Mindfulness Work?

The study of mindfulness and its practices dates back to ancient Buddhist texts. The Satipatthana Sutta, for example, outlines the four foundations of mindful rationalization and action: body, emotion, consciousness, and thought processes. Let’s consider the modern definition used by the European Institute of Positive Psychology, which focuses on the “here and now” for acknowledgment, acceptance, and adequate reaction. An alcoholic politely turning down a cocktail at a social gathering and continuing to enjoy the evening would be an example of a mindful reaction. Mindfulness works by assessing the situation, focusing on immediacy, and reducing any stress that could prevent you from acting as you should.

Can Mindfulness Help with Addiction Recovery?

All individuals who heal from substance use disorders (SUDs) practice mindfulness at various points in their recovery journeys. In the Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship, the 12 Steps mention four fundamental mechanics of mindfulness, starting with the first step of admitting being powerless. Piercing the barrier of denial is a mindful act because it makes you acknowledge reality as it is right now. It may not be pretty, but you must accept it without distortion and blame. To work the fourth step and make a moral inventory of resentments, you must look within objectively. The tenth and eleventh steps involve continual self-awareness and meditation. It should be noted these four steps touch on the body, emotion, thought, and consciousness foundations that ancient Buddhism linked to mindfulness.

Does Sobriety Equal Mindfulness?

Pragmatically, yes. When someone in recovery deals with cravings by attending AA meetings and living under the “one day at a time” mantra, that’s mindfulness in action. We can say the same about people who arrive in court accompanied by their sober lifestyle coaches. Poetically, however, sobriety is the point in your life when you realize mindfulness helped you leave addiction far behind.

Is Mindfulness Easy to Achieve?

Buddhist scholars can’t answer this question with a simple yes or no. Under the loose principles of pop psychology, mindfulness should keep most people away from SUD. However, addiction is a complex condition that alters neural pathways, thus hindering the life skills required to be consistently mindful. Early recovery is uncomfortable for most SUD patients because many struggle quietly with cravings, guilt, anxiety, and depression. Under these circumstances, mindfulness isn’t easy to achieve without a structured framework. 

For strength-based support with addiction recovery or the help of a compassionate Carlsbad interventionist, reach out to the trained recovery coaches at Sober Lifestyle Coaching. Our goal is to offer our clients maximum recovery support, especially in the first fragile days or weeks of early recovery. If you’re looking for extra addiction recovery support so you don’t risk relapse when you head into the danger zones, we’ll work with you to put together a game plan to keep you safe and sober as you accomplish your goals. To learn more about how we can help you or someone you love, call us today.