Mindfulness Meditation In Addiction Counseling (SUD)

The prolific success rates of mindfulness-based therapeutic techniques among the body of evidence only highlights how we can further incorporate mindfulness into not only psychological treatments, but also into our daily lives as preventative measures against unnecessary distress. The cognitive perceptual and interpretive control afforded via mindfulness practices seems to influence the appraisal of the situation at hand affects our reaction and response to it. The advantageous ability to objectively reflect on an issue before responding is not confined only to the realm of treating psychological symptoms.

Carl Rogers stated, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change (see http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/carl_rogers.html). Many modern approaches to addiction recovery utilize a dialectical model to examine the change process. Third wave behavioral therapies such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), along with mindfulness meditation (MM), and the 12 Step Recovery model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) use a dialectic based on acceptance of what is and change to what can be. These modern methods make use of the practices of Buddhism that may be effective treatments for addiction recovery. Moreover, when regarding addiction as a form of attachment as

In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown through out the text as it shows addiction from a whole person view. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points in then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem. This is then

Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are difficult to treat due to the high prevalence of relapse, with an average of 50% relapsing within the first year (Bowen et al., 2014). Research has shown that current relapse prevention therapy is ineffective and other techniques are needed for effective treatment. To decrease the incidence of relapse, Bowen et al. (2014) set out to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) compared with standard relapse prevention (RP) and treatment as usual (TAU) in a randomized clinical trial during a 12-month follow-up period. Bowen et al. (2014) hypothesized that MBRP would significantly decrease the risk of relapse and participants would stay sober longer compared with RP and TAU. The study included 286 participants between the ages of 18 and 70, which were selected from a SUD treatment facility and randomly assigned to into the MBRP, RP, or TAU group. The MBRP group included eight weekly 2-hour group sessions with two therapists. The RP intervention, followed the same format, but instead utilized cognitive behavioral therapy. The TAU program was formatted around Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-step program and included 1.5-hour groups 1 to 2 times per week. All participants were assessed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the interventions. The study found that MBRP and RP significantly lowered the risk of relapsing and decreased the days of substance use compared with the TAU.

Not only do they get incarcerated but they are consisntly being reincarceated. A study was done approved by The Washington State University Institutional Review Board, 105 women at a treatment center that previously were involved in illegal activities wanted to successfully finish treatment and maintain the ability to be safe and sober back in society. The women were not just previously involved in illegal activities but also have hide variety of history involving substance use and mental health issues. The programs main objective was to treat each individual for addiction and criminal behavior. Each individual was required to complete baseline assessment after a certain amount of weeks, in addition to collecting medical record. Soon they started the “Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention which wanted to help each individual realize they are in “automatic pilot” when it comes to relapse. Being an automatic pilot means being able to recognize cravings and what triggers the relapse. They taught each women in the study how to handle the want of relapsing in real life situations. The outcome showed that the the most helpful part of treatment was sober space taught at the end of treatment. The outcome showed that only approximately 11% of the women reported to relapse. The study showed that substance abuse for criminal offenders is an effective way to reduce reduce relapse rates. More treatments should look into the Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention study because it showed to have been more effective that usual treatment. It shows that active treatment in addition to after treatment care can be effective. This study shows various techniques that can be used for criminals to lower the relapse rate but can be used for treatment among individuals who are not criminals as

Mindfulness training teaches the teen with a mood disorder, how to use their own natural ability to consciously bring balance to their emotions. It gives them a choice, by teaching them to pause and process the emotion, and it gives them back sense of control. Evidence supports that mindfulness is an effective tool in treating mood disorder symptoms. Professor Filip Raes conducted one of the first studies to examine mindfulness in a large sample in a school-based setting. The study included 400 students ages 13-20, using a randomized controlled design. The results suggest that mindfulness decreased symptoms in students and possible protects against recurrence of symptoms later (Reas, Griffith, Gucht, & Williams, 2013). A similar study was done by Luis Carlos Delgado Pastor at the University of Granada. The study established that mindfulness training is effective in improving rates of anxiety, depression, complaints about health and emotional regulation (2009). According to Dr. William R Marchand, extensive reviews are showing convincing evidence that mindfulness-based practices combined with conventional interventions are effective in treatment in psychiatric symptoms and states that MBSR and MBCT have "broad-spectrum" effects against depression and anxiety (2012).

Being able to identify these stressors, and high-risk situations, serves to provide needed insight that guards against potential relapse. Relapse prevention programs go further, equipping the patient with the needed tools and skills that they can use to disarm the stressors and resulting triggers that cause emotional and mental disturbance. Relapse prevention programs also contain aspects of improving physical health, as overall health, mind and body, is indicative of a greater chance of long-term recovery. This is why supplemental therapies such as yoga, art, and music are important. These participatory therapies help the patient to express themselves, have an outlet for their thoughts and energy, and get practical experience in the ways to calm themselves, and head-off

Since I have not yet implemented this intervention technique I have not yet evaluated the effectiveness of meditation as an intervention. When evaluating the technique I will need to evaluate the outcome evaluation as well as the process evaluation. In regard to outcome evaluation I would like to see if meditation decreases substance abuse in the patients, which is a group of women. I am going to measure the amount substance abuse by each individual by conducting urine screens twice a month and breathalyzers once a week. I will also record observations in every group session and save them into the computer system. Open-ended questions during the group sessions will also be asked about how the individual is doing, especially in regards to her drug use. These open-ended questions will be asked every session and again recorded into the computer system. These multiple methods of assessments will be conducted over eight weeks. All of

It is said that pain is the touchstone of spiritual growth. Oftentimes it takes intense emotional trauma to cause a person to discover a spirituality of rare depth. Many past and present recovering alcoholics and junkies can attest that they first had to be reduced to a state of hopelessness by their addiction, forced to look into the maw of the Beast, before becoming desperately willing to latch onto a spiritual way of life that solved their problems. Even after abstinence is achieved, periodic episodes of emotional suffering met by renewed faith in a Higher Power is necessary to fuel spiritual progress. Following here is a discussion of how substance-use disorder (SUD) can serve as the spiritual crisis that precipitates recovery, including

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse 2014, the disease model addiction is considered a brain disease that can affect multiple circuits in the brain, which involve motivation, learning, memory and inhibitory control over one’s behavior. Because drug addiction and abuse have so many dimensions and disrupts aspects of one’s life, treatment is just not that simple. Addiction treatment must be able to stop an individual from using drugs and continuously maintain a drug free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in working, family and society. Because a person’s addiction is typically considered a chronic disease, those who have the disease cannot simply stop using drugs in a few days and totally be cured. Some require long-term and repeated episodes of care to be able to achieve one’s ultimate goal of sustaining abstinence and recovery of their lives. A report conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the

In regards to Melanie’s road to recovery there was several suggests to help her get back on track. The first was to seek professional help for and assessment of a physical, mental, and emotional state. While exploring these avenues, I also suggested mediation. I discussed mediation with her because it has been beneficially to me and I thought it would be something she could try when she began to feel that things were overwhelming. Also, meditation is free and it can be practiced in the comfort of your home or anywhere you feel comfortable.

and mindfulness as promising complementary therapies for treating and preventing addictive behaviors. Moreover, this article discussed three current exemplary clinical research programs which integrate theory-driven models of addiction and science, with real-world practice implications for meditation and yoga as potential complementary therapies. These included: Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MRBP) for alcohol and illicit substance abuse, Mindfulness Training for Smoking Cessation, and Mindfulness Orientated Recovery Enhancement (MORE).

Today’s topic was focused in Dim 4. and Dim 5. Group members learned how triggers can lead to relapse and how to use ‘thought-stopping’ as a way to stop the relapse process.

This essay is about the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in the treatment of depression. The purpose of this essay is to address the question, how mindfulness works to improve mental health when used as part of psychological treatment? Firstly, a brief overview is given about what depression is and what the symptoms are, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Secondly, It will discuss mindfulness, as it is defined in mental health treatments. The main body of this essay will cover a description of what MBTC is, where it comes from, how it works, and how this treatment is activated in mindfulness based therapies. The final section will review three studies that have used MBCT in the treatment of depression.

Terms discussed in paper: CBT: Cognitive-behavioural therapy; HEP: Health enhancement program; TAU: Treatment as usual; TRD: Treatment-resistant depression; Mediators: Measurable changes during a treatment; MBCT: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy;