Meditations To Help With Alcohol Dependence

Meditation can help you along this journey by teaching you to reframe your thoughts, interrupt habits and increase mental clarity for better decision-making. While using a substance to cope with or numb complicated feelings leads to reliance on alcohol, meditation helps you to stop drinking by helping you access and manage emotions better without feeling like you have to numb them. Here are some breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques and apps to meditate your way out of alcohol dependence. 

How Does Meditation Help?

Meditation is a practice that invites you to slow down, be present in the moment and focus on your surroundings, your breathing or your environment. This can help you to increase self-awareness and teach you to identify and observe your thoughts and feelings in a non-judgemental way. As you become aware of repeated patterns of thinking and action, you can shift to healthier responses and habits to stressors and pain that may have led to the dependence. 

A study about mindfulness and it’s effects on alcohol relapse prevention shows that meditation and mindfulness help develop skills to cope with alcohol cravings and reduce stress. Mindfulness also Increases feelings of peace, acceptance and non-judgment.  

Meditations and Apps for Recovery 

Mindfulness and breathing are part of meditation. You may find that you can only meditate for five minutes in the beginning. It will increase with consistency and time. Some breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises can make the journey from alcohol dependence to abstinence easier. 

 Breathing, Headspace and Calm 

Here are some breathing techniques you can try as you meditate: 

• Diaphragmatic breathing

This deep breathing technique can reduce anxiety and tension by producing a calming effect on your nervous system. TC shallow breathing and anxiety?

To do this, sit or lie in a comfortable spot and place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Take slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. At the inhale, allow your belly to rise or expand as you fill your lungs with oxygen. At the exhale, pull your stomach towards your spine. 

• 2 to 1 breathing 

This simple breathing exercise activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and rest. 

Start at a seated position. Notice how your breath feels. Try to make your inhale and exhale of similar duration. You can count to three or five, whatever feels comfortable for you without causing strain. When you have achieved even breathing with equal inhales and exhales, start extending your exhaling until it’s twice as long as breathing in. So if you inhale for three counts, exhale for six. 

• Box Breathing 

Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four, then exhale for four. Pause for four seconds, then start the cycle again. If you want to focus more on breathing without counting, you can find a video online to tell you when to inhale, pause or exhale. 

• 4-7-8 Breathing

You can use this technique to ease tension and aid relaxation. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7, then exhale through your mouth for 8. Repeat for as long as you want, or use it as a meditation. 

Headspace

Headspace is an app that offers guided meditation for several purposes like improving sleep, reducing stress and increasing mindfulness. You can use the breathing techniques above as you listen to a meditation or find one with instructions for breathing. The app also has content on the blog with stories about recovery and managing cravings. 

Calm 

Calm uses soothing nature sounds that help ease anxiety and reduce stress. You can get anything from mindfulness exercises to relaxation tools. If you struggle to sleep, Calm also has sleep stories to help you ease into your rest.  

Affirmations and Youtube 

Affirmations use statements or self-talk to challenge negative beliefs and rebuild resilience and a positive mindset. You can use these as part of your meditation or repeat them to yourself when cleaning, walking your dog, or even before bed. 

Some positive affirmations for recovery you can use: 

1. I am improving every day. 
2. I forgive myself for my mistakes. 
3. I trust how my path is unfolding.
4. I honor my body and choose what is healthy for me.
5. I am stronger than I give myself credit for. 
6. I’m proud of the changes I’ve made. 

Sleep Addiction Recovery Affirmations

You can also find other helpful affirmations online that align with your goals to change negative thoughts or belief patterns. Several channels use different affirmations with different approaches, like repeating after the speaker or simply listening, so you can choose what works best for you. For example, you may prefer listening to affirmations with ‘you’ statements like ‘you are choosing your good’ or ‘you are worthy of your trust.’   

Bodyscan 

Bodyscan meditation helps you to increase awareness of any tension or physical discomfort in your body that you may have pushed aside and need attention. A body scan meditation also reveals the emotions you need to acknowledge and sit with that you may usually numb with alcohol. 

To do a Bodyscan: 

1. Lie comfortably on your bed or on a mat on the floor. 
2. Starting with your toes, notice if there is a tingling, tension or warmth. You may feel relaxed in some areas, which helps you see what needs attention. 
3. Gradually move up your body, noticing how each body part feels and noting what emotion correlates. For example, pain in your stomach could signal anxiety while tension in your lower back may be a sign of stress or strain. 

After a body scan, you may want to journal or seek care for any issues you have noticed. 

Things to Remember When You Meditate:  

Be patient with yourself.

While you meditate, you may notice that you still have thoughts running through your mind. This is okay. Meditation isn’t about absolute silence; it’s the practice of focusing on a particular moment while breathing. When the thoughts come, observe them and acknowledge them without getting swept away. 

Practice mindfulness as a lifestyle

Mindfulness can look like different things to different people. You can practice mindfulness when you meditate and practice it throughout the day while you’re washing the dishes or eating or even taking a walk. 

These activities, like washing dishes, focus on how the soap suds feel on your skin and the repetitive motion of washing, rinsing and wiping. Or you could walk in a park and practice grounding by walking barefoot on the grass. You need at least 30 minutes outside three to four times a week, and this is a great way to get your nature fix and practice mindfulness.   

Seek help if you begin to feel overwhelmed while you meditate. 

During a body scan or meditation, if you feel anxiety or depression come up, speak to a counselor. They can help you work through any trauma or underlying emotions you need to heal on your journey. 

More benefits of meditation:

You can also experience these physical and mental benefits from meditation with just a few minutes daily: 

1. Chronic pain relief 
2. Lower heart rate 
3. Immune system boost 
4. Increased cognitive functioning 
5. Better sleep 

Meditate to Cope and Recover

Recovery happens when you make the choice daily to put effort into healing an improving your well-being. With the options given, you can create your alcohol dependence recovery meditation, rewire your mind and develop healthy coping skills.