Spirituality and spiritual practices are common components of addiction treatment programs. Perhaps it’s not so surprising due to recovery’s emphasis on mental wellness and caring for oneself. Although substance abuse mainly produces physical effects, the reasoning behind the use is often mental, like stress or trauma. Using spiritual practices while recovering from addiction allows you to get to the root of your addiction through mindful reflection and intentional actions.
Spirituality vs. Religion
Many people equate spirituality to religion, but this is not the case. Religion is organized and centers around a higher power. It involves traditions, strict beliefs and fellowship with like-minded individuals.
Spirituality is a personal journey that you can choose to share with others or not. It is unique to every person that practices it, and it may or may not relate to their religious beliefs. It seeks to help you discover who you are and how you want to connect to the world around you. It asks you to focus on how you can improve your life today and appreciate moments as they happen.
The Role of Spirituality in Recovery
Spiritual practices let you slow down and connect with how you’re feeling. They can make you mindful of your actions and emotions and help you to control them. Lots of people that take up spirituality report increased happiness or contentment, sometimes known as serenity. And since it lowers feelings of stress, spiritual practices can help you live longer!
Many spiritual practices are also coping skills you can use when you’re feeling down or triggered. They can help you calm down and focus on your reasons for staying sober. They’re also likely to elevate your mood, maybe even enough to take away your cravings for a time.
Spiritual Practices for Recovering Addicts
Whoever you are, there’s a spiritual practice out there that works for you. Some of the most common practices include:
- Meditation: Focuses on breathing and staying in the moment.
- Yoga: A great way to take care of your mental and physical health at the same time.
- Journaling or recording gratitude: Every day, there’s something to be thankful for. Recording them can help you remember during bad times.
- Prayer: Whether it’s to God, the universe or another deity, talking to a higher power is calming for some.
- Creating: Whether you dance, sing, write, draw or paint, the process of creating something new can bring a sense of meaning.
- Volunteering/service work: This is a great way to connect with others and get positively involved in your community.
Discover Your Spirituality at 7 Summit Pathways
Focused spirituality and sobriety are a perfect match. Both require you to look inward and make changes to cultivate a healthy, fulfilling life. That’s why 7 Summit Pathways incorporates it into our comprehensive rehabilitation treatment. To succeed in recovery, you need to manage your physical, mental and emotional health. Through spiritual practices, you can help all three of them at once.
Connect with us online or call 813-670-9430 today to discuss our personalized and extensive treatment program, including our Intensive Outpatient Program and our Partial Hospitalization Program.