Substance abuse recovery can be a long and sometimes challenging process. Healing souls are often encouraged to incorporate any type of productive and positive activity into their therapeutic regiment. One such concept many addiction specialists encourage improving subjects to follow is a practice called spirituality.
Spirituality Overview
Spirituality is a broad concept. Many people equate the practice with a deep belief in God and organized religion. While such opinions are not necessarily incorrect, others share different beliefs.
There is a significant percentage of people who suggest the term refers to their inner beliefs in non-religious spirits that help them find their worth, emotional balance, and happiness.
Spirituality’s Impact Upon The Recovery Process
Healthcare providers and rehab industry professionals maintain that spirituality often proves vital to a recovering addict’s ultimate sobriety in numerous ways such as:
Healing
Many dependents grew hooked on a specific illicit substance to escape significant underlying feelings of pain, emotional anguish, and other negative experiences.
When going through rehab, said subjects are not merely attempting to conquer the physical and mental dependencies addictive substances often precipitate but the underlying issues that led to such behavior.
Spirituality allows believers to closely examine their inner selves and emotions. Such actions might help said individuals identify and address the deep-seeded, addiction-inducing feelings.
Relating To The Surrounding World
A major tenet of spirituality is to embrace the beauty and wonderment of the surrounding world. Tranquil, natural locations provide optimal atmospheres for healing.
Providing A Sense Of Purpose
Addiction often results from a belief of not knowing what one’s true purpose is. Even rich and famous individuals who have achieved major success sometimes struggle to identify why they are here exist and how they should manage said existence. Such feelings often create a void that is filled by reckless behaviors including substance abuse.
Fortunately, however, spirituality encourages adherents to dig deep, search for, and ultimately identify what their true purpose is and pursue said aim.
Fostering Connections With Other People
A discernible percentage of addicts turn towards drugs or alcohol out of loneliness. Spiritual persons stress the importance of connecting with others. Moreover, the practice places serious emphasis on respect, compassion and empathy. These attributes enable healing subjects to develop a greater concern for their fellow man and a yearning to help said individuals.
Promoting Optimal Health
Scientific research has concluded that spiritual persons often enjoy better health than non-adherents. Said benefit can prove especially critical to recovering addicts because of the major adverse impacts chronic substance abuse can have on their bodies.
That said, studies have shown that spiritual persons:
- Enjoy longer, ,ore restful periods of sleep
- Experience better overall moods and fewer mood swings
- Blood pressure readings in the normal range
- Increased longevity rates
Additionally, spiritual souls are more likely to hold longer, lasting, and meaningful relationships, heightened self-esteem, and harbor less need to engage in reckless behaviors or get stuck on potentially detrimental crutches like cigarette smoking, gambling, overeating, and substance usage.
Furthermore, those practicing spirituality are also often better equipped to handle life stressors and render more rational and informed decisions.
Five Spiritually Based Group Activities
In light of the many benefits, spirituality can precipitate, it is not surprising that many inpatient treatment centers attempt to encourage adherence. Fortunately, group spirituality can be practiced through the following endeavors:
Devotional Activities
Devotional activities are any engagement at which adherent beings display their gratitude and devotion to the spiritual world. One common effort includes attending some type of religious ceremony. Those who follow an established faith might opt to attend services at said entity’s particular house of worship.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that is often synonymous with spirituality. This collection of stretches and breathing techniques helps the follower gain a strong mental, physical, and emotional balance. In fact, studies have shown that those who routinely partake in said activity experience a plethora of psychological and biological health benefits.
Meditation
Those who meditate gradually learn to remain still and clear their mind to the point where their concentration levels are razor sharp. Achieving such a state helps impacted subjects relax and get in touch with their feelings.
Creative Arts
Participation in an artistic endeavor, such as writing, painting, drawing, and authoring or playing music are spiritual endeavors often proving especially therapeutic for healing subjects. These activities enable individuals to tap their creativity and release deep-seated emotions in a productive and creative way.
Nature Exploration
Natural environments like forests, trails, and locations adjacent to water provide a spiritual serenity for many. Ergo, these are ideal places that often serve as comfortable safe havens for recovering dependents.
Reaching Out To Us
Our Jersey shore-situated establishment understands the importance of spirituality and embraces its foundations. Therefore, individuals looking to attain sobriety in an environment that embraces such practices are encouraged to reach out to us at 833-610-1174.