According to most 12 step programs, individuals struggling with drug or alcohol addiction are not actually victims. Rather, they are suffering from a disease or mental health issue in process addictions like gambling or sex addiction. This makes individuals powerless over their obsessions. However, recovery and healing are possible. With the right support like that found at Harmony Hills, individuals can learn to overcome their addiction. One of the ways that individuals can do this is through exploring spirituality in recovery.
Spirituality in Recovery Can Involve Meditation
It can be a little bit tricky for beginners and even seasoned vets to learn or embrace spirituality in recovery. At its heart, this holistic therapy is all about quieting the mind and being present. This can be a challenge for individuals struggling with anxiety disorders, but it has been proven to help calm the mind and help individuals overcome their mental health issues at a mental health treatment program.
There are many different ways to practice meditation. Whether listening to guided videos on Youtube, going to meditation shalas, or just sitting alone with yourself to focus on breathing, there are simple ways to get started. It’s not going to be easy, but the sense of peace and spirituality will be a welcomed improvement to your sobriety.
Go Outside and Embrace the Natural World
Stopping to enjoy a beautiful sunset or the way the sun shines through the leaves of a hearty tree on a summer day can be a simple way to embrace spirituality in recovery. Whether it’s enjoying the smell of rain or the silence after a fresh snowfall, feeling connected to the earth and its creatures benefit many individuals struggling with substance use disorder and in the process of getting substance abuse treatment. Sometimes individuals need nothing more than to go outside and be in the middle of the natural world.
Bringing spiritual practices into your sobriety doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. Go down to the beach, put your toes in the sand, and listen to the waves or go on a walk through the park.
Changing Perspective Through Therapy
Have you ever had one of those moments or days when it seems like everything is connected? It could be that you hit every red light and then got stuck behind a school bus when you were running late to work. It could also be those moments when everything seems to go right.
These are often things that we ignore. We assume that when things are bad, the universe has it out for us that day. It is all about changing your perspective on these events in your life. One way to change one’s perspective is by engaging in cognitive-behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy. These two forms of talk therapy are focused on identifying negative self-image and negative thinking to change them and learn to understand one’s emotions more fully. This can be a good way to explore how spirituality can become involved in treatment.
Working With Others
It can be so easy for us to get wrapped up in all of the small trivialities of our day to day lives, and we often forget our primary purpose. Every spiritual practice in the world and even all religions promote goodwill towards men and unselfishness in helping others. They say that true enlightenment comes when we can drop our egos.
Whether it be in your 12 step work or volunteering at a homeless shelter or animal rescue, being of service to others is a crucial step in finding spirituality in sobriety. Not to mention, it is always a guaranteed mind to get your thoughts out of your own head for a little while and focused on something greater.
Go on a Social Media Ban
It sounds easy, but it is actually a lot easier said than done for many of us. Tell yourself a week or just a day if you are usually glued to your phone. Stay focused on your present activities, not the internet. Get connected with the real world, look at the stars and your friend’s faces. Bring a deck of cards or a fun game to a dinner date with friends, where everyone agrees to put their phone away.
Whether you’re meditating on the beach, playing an instrument, planting a garden, etc., the beauty of spirituality is that it is completely open to whatever makes you feel connected.
Discover How Harmony Hills Can Help
At Harmony Hills, we understand the importance of treating the whole person in recovery. This means not just addressing the physical aspects of addiction but the mental and emotional aspects as well. Therefore, we offer a wide range of therapeutic options to help individuals heal, such as:
- EMDR Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Relapse Prevention Therapy
- Trauma Therapy
These therapies are available across all our treatment programs. Learn more by calling us today at 855.494.0357.
