The definition of spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Many people find it in religion but it can also be found in music, art, nature, and others find it in principles and values. People use it to find hope, comfort and inner peace. We use spirituality in recovery and addiction treatment as a tool to assist in healing. There is some connection between mind, body, and spirit and that is why we use a holistic approach to recovery. There has been many studies about stress and the effect that it has on the body, as well as the correlation between mental health and addiction. So instead of just focusing on one aspect we focus on the entire person so that there is a greater chance of recovery and a life long healthiness.
Mindfulness, Meditation & Spirituality in Recovery
Many people use meditation and mindfulness as a way to connect with their spirituality in recovery. Yale University did a study and found that those who meditate decrease the activity in the default mode network (DMN) in the brain. This network is responsible for mind-wandering, when we aren’t thinking about anything in particular which is associated with worrying about the past and future and making people less happy. So decreasing the use of this network is beneficial. Practicing mindfulness even for just a few weeks also helps boost the immune system, self-compassion, and empathy. John Hopkins concluded a study that found a relation between meditation and less depression, anxiety, and pain. Harvard did a study that found correlations between meditation and decreases in the size of the amygdala, which is responsible for stress, anxiety, and fear. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can help people with addiction and preventing relapse.
Meditation can help you to take a break from the hecticness and stress for everyday life and also during treatment. Learning how to handle things without out your substance can be hard and during treatment you learn a lot about your addiction and yourself. Taking the time to relax and focus your mind. Meditation can help you understand more things about yourself`and find an inner peace that will help you overcome your addiction. Meditation can help you focus on things with a more positive outlook and allow you to find happiness even during difficult times. Meditating helps you find balance instead of swinging between extremes. Practicing meditation can lead to less discomfort and feel more appreciative. Meditation allows you the chance to dig deeper into your thoughts and feelings and understand what caused them and the effect they have. Meditation can be for just a couple minutes or for longer and it can be a once a day thing or something less often. Meditation is one of the many ways that spirituality in recovery is useful.
Utilizing Spirituality in Recovery
For those who find spirituality within their religion or even just being out in nature both are components of our addiction treatment. Patients are given time to participate in a religion and recreational therapy. Recreational Therapy is where a nationally certified and state licensed Recreation Therapist uses recreation activities of all kinds to bring about a positive change socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and/or spiritually. They use all kinds of activities to allow patients to discover and re-create themselves while practicing skills in a safe supportive environment. The Recreation Therapy process prepares patients in their recovery to initiate their leisure time with constructive activities, which may increase their self-efficacy, competence, and autonomy. It is a purposeful intervention designed to improve patient’s overall quality of life. One of the biggest struggles recovering addicts say they have when they are out of treatment and boredom. Through recreational therapy they can find a new activity or hobby that they can continue if they get bored instead of using again. It will also help them meet new friends and stay physically healthy. Some people even find peace and some sort of spirituality being out in nature.
Sometimes people just need an escape from the mundane or from the hecticness of life. Sometimes they may want to find a new hobby or try something they’ve never done before. With the vast landscape and ever changing weather of Utah. Not many places offer all four seasons, high snow capped mountains, a desert, and large bodies of water all in one place. Utah does offer all of these things that allow patients and recovering patients a chance to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Sometimes just being in nature can make people feel humbled, grateful, and at ease. A hike through the trees on a warm summer day up to Doughnut Falls, kayaking in Lake Powell, fishing on Utah Lake, or four-wheeling at Bonneville Salt Flats, there is something to do for everyone.
Alternatives to Spirituality in Recovery
Using physical fitness as a new way of healing yourself, treating yourself better, and coping with everyday stressors offers a new way of looking at yourself and your life. Instead of putting yourself in danger or harming yourself you can take control of your life, of your pain, your anger, your stress, your boredom and use it for something to better yourself. Using physical fitness throughout treatment and after will help patients recover and find their true selves and even others who enjoy doing the same things. There are many fitness groups online and in every gym, even those who take it to the next level with bodybuilding. There are also groups for every other recreational activity but there are also those people who prefer to enjoy these things by themselves to find their peace of mind.
Finding Treatment with Spirituality in Recovery
Using all these therapies and the holistic approach to recovery, patients are allowed a chance to find their own spirituality, their own inner peace, and their own strength to get through recovery and maintain their sobriety after leaving treatment. Having the sense of peace that comes with spirituality can make all the difference in recovery. If you or a loved one is in need of addiction treatment and want to live a life in recovery, please call 1-888-986-7848.
