I participated in a continuing education online webinar today on addiction and “mindfulness”. Here are some definitions from some who practice and teach it:
Rick Hanson- “the practice of knowing what’s happening in the mind without getting
hijacked by it”
Shapiro and Carlson- “the awareness that arises out of intentionally paying attention in an open, kind, and discerning way…the nonjudgmental, moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and
surrounding environment”
Jon Kabat-Zinn- “resting in the moment…living your life as if it really matters, moment by moment by moment”
What has been practiced for millennia by spiritually inclined individuals of many faiths as “meditation” is now secularized to become “mindfulness”. It is still valid, nonetheless, in a secularized setting. It also works well with the cognitive behavioral approach to healing (“transformation of one’s mind”) that is often employed in addiction recovery. It is especially helpful in developing the cognitive skills that help with relapse prevention. Thinking through the natural consequences and improving decision making……
Meditation, e.g. “mindfulness” can help with:
“Monkey Mind”- thoughts that naturally jump from branch to branch which is made worse by addiction, ADHD, anxiety, and depression
- Sticky Thoughts- It’s like Velcro for negative thoughts (default to primitive brain) and Teflon for positive thoughts (adapt to rewards).
Retraining the mind away from these kinds of distorted thought habits can be difficult and take a long time of repetition, reward and reality training. Prayer, supportive community, personal relationship with Christ, and healing through the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance can make it happen. Doing it without those things is, in my opinion, much more difficult.