Links to other resources: Residential Treatment, Detox, Florida Springs Has MAT and Outpatient Services

In recent years, mindfulness has become a hot topic in addiction recovery and sober living. Mindfulness can be defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, often through meditation, and is used as a therapeutic technique in the mental health field. Within addiction recovery, there has been a push towards incorporating mindfulness-based techniques into treatment programs. A recent study conducted from August 2020 to June 2022 focused on the use of mindfulness in the treatment of opioid use disorder and pain. The results of the study showed promising outcomes, like reducing patients from returning to drug use and reducing the rate of patients dropping out of treatment. If you are currently suffering from opioid use disorder or other substance use disorders and are looking for a Panama City rehab, call us at 850-403-6204 or visit our website today. Florida Springs Wellness & Recovery Center can help you take that first step towards addiction recovery and sober living in the Florida Panhandle.

Does Mindfulness Help in Addiction Recovery?

The previously mentioned study on mindfulness in opioid use disorder recovery is titled “Telehealth Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement vs Usual Care in Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and Pain” and was published January 2024 in JAMA Psychiatry, a peer reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association (AMA). The study was a randomized clinical trial of 154 individuals with chronic pain who were currently enrolled in methadone treatment specifically for opioid use disorder. The main point of the study was to look at how Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) plus methadone treatment compared with methadone treatment only in individuals who were working to recover from opioid use disorder and chronic pain. The participants in the study engaged in eight weekly, two-hour telehealth group sessions. These telehealth group sessions were concurrently given to the participants along with methadone treatment for opioid use disorder. The mindfulness-based group sessions provided the participants with a variety of training in mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring. Reappraisal refers to an emotion regulation strategy that helps individuals reframe situations to alter their emotional impact. Savoring is the mental process of looking at positive experiences in the past, present, and future, and being able to enjoy the positive emotions that come from those experiences.

If you are looking for a Panama City rehab or a rehab in the Florida Panhandle and Crestview, Alabama area, you can find Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder at Florida Springs Wellness & Recovery Center. MAT can both assist with detox and help with maintaining long term recovery from opioid use disorder. We utilize buprenorphine or Suboxone, which helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and minimize cravings. That way you can begin a fulfilling and symptom-free life of recovery and return to sober living. Along with MAT, we also offer wellness and mindfulness-based treatments such as yoga, and much more.

Mindfulness Helped Decrease Drug Use, Pain, and Depression in Addiction Recovery

The study on using Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) in conjunction with methadone treatment for opioid use disorder had some successful results. The study authors ultimately found that methadone treatment on its own fails to address symptoms that go hand-in-hand with opioid use disorder, such as emotion dysregulation, pain, and reward processing deficits. By adding mindfulness techniques to the usual treatment program, the participants were able to build resiliency and new mental skills to assist in their recovery journey. The study found that MORE plus usual care showed success in decreasing drug use, pain, and depression, and increasing methadone treatment retention and adherence. There was less return to drug use in participants and less methadone treatment dropouts.

This is great news, as mindfulness based techniques are easy to incorporate into a treatment program for substance use disorders. The mental and emotional regulation skills that are learned through mindfulness can contribute positively to the usual treatments given for opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Through practices such as meditation, yoga, and therapy, mindfulness can contribute to your addiction recovery.

Remember, one of the most important steps you can take towards addiction recovery and sober living in Panama City, Florida is to seek out a Panama City rehab. Taking this initial step is the best thing you can do to start your recovery journey. Once you have started your treatment, incorporating mindfulness-based techniques into your program can help aid in your success in recovery from opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Florida Springs Wellness & Recovery Center, with our focus on wellness, can help you achieve your sober living goals.

by Florida Springs Staff

References

Cooperman NA, Lu S, Hanley AW, et al. Telehealth Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement vs Usual Care in Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder and Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2024;81(4):338–346. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.5138