Among the several holistic therapy options that we offer at California Prime, we have found that mindfulness therapy is very effective in supporting patients with addiction issues. Mindfulness therapy is especially helpful in addressing mental issues such as stress and anxiety, teaching our clients to recognize mental awareness that they may not have had access to before.

What is Mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply the process of becoming aware of the present moment. When we notice that our attention has drifted off, we simply bring it back again. This repetitive process helps to train the brain to focus on something, rather than letting it wander off into its own thoughts and directions.

Once a person learns about the practice of mindfulness, they can apply it in every area of their life, such as mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful yoga, and here at California Prime, mindful habits.

Benefits of Mindfulness in Addiction Recovery

Why Mindfulness is Effective in Addiction Treatments

The mindfulness program we offer at California Prime incorporates specific techniques that have been found most useful for our addiction patients. Most addiction patients resort to substance abuse because they do not know how to cope with stress triggering thoughts or anxiety inducing actions. In order to escape their uncomfortable and unpleasant experiences and emotions, alcohol and drugs are what they reach for.

Mindfulness is very effective in bringing our attention to those addictive behaviors and patterns, and overlaying them with better patterns and behaviors that can evoke peace and calm. Our brains are learning and expanding with each new experience we encounter, such that when we introduce a new behavior, and repeat it over and over again, we can help our neural pathways to rewire themselves into creating new, better patterns and decisions.

How the Mindfulness Process Works

Here is a high level overview of how the process of mindfulness therapy works:

• Awareness : Becoming aware of our own thoughts, internal reactions, and external behaviors is the first step
• Recognition : Once we learn to become aware of our thoughts and feelings, we start noticing patterns that we unconsciously resort to
• Inner work : Learning to manage old patterns when they come up and ensuring that we don’t automatically gravitate to them is a substantial part of this process
• New habits : Creating new habits that will effectively replace the old addictive ones, so that we learn to reduce stress and increase inner calm is a crucial part of recovery

At California Prime we integrate various therapy modalities to create a comprehensive treatment plan that works for each of our patients. To learn more about our recovery approaches, call us at 866-208-2390