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Meditation and Recovery

woman learning the connection between meditation and recovery

Meditation is a practice where you work on focusing your mind and thoughts on gaining greater awareness and inner calm. Meditation plays an essential role in recovery. Many teens experience a roller coaster of emotions during treatment as you uncover the roots of mental health and substance use disorders. Working through the past and thinking ahead to the future can be emotionally exhausting, particularly if you have been using substances to numb yourself. A meditation therapy program at Imagine Nampa provides you with the tools to manage these emotions in treatment and beyond.

At Imagine Nampa, we provide comprehensive mental health and co-occurring disorders treatment to teens ages 12-17 and their families as they recover. Learn more about our outpatient programs for adolescents and the benefits of meditation therapy by connecting with our team at 888.503.4604.

What Is a Meditation Therapy Program?

Meditation therapy is a practice that connects the body and mind. Through this practice, people increase calmness, relax, and enhance their physical and mental well-being. There are multiple types of meditation, which can be guided or unguided and focused on insight or tranquility. Types of meditation include:

  • Mindfulness mediation
  • Body-scan meditation
  • Zen meditation
  • Mantra meditation
  • Loving-kindness meditation
  • Moving meditations

Mindfulness meditation may include mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). It may also involve mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which can benefit mental health recovery.

Mindfulness meditation can target different mental health concerns, such as depression or anxiety. It can involve the practice of being aware of and engaged in the present moment, observing thoughts without reacting to them, and letting go without getting stuck in them. For those in recovery, getting stuck in negative thoughts is often a precursor for relapse.

The Benefits of Meditation for Teens

Today’s teens face more challenges than teens of the past, are more stressed than adults. Therefore, the pandemic has impacted their mental health in our nation and throughout the world. Research indicates that nearly half of all mental health disorders develop by age 14. One in three high school students reports symptoms of depression.

Learning how to regulate emotions and control impulsive behavior during the teen years helps make the transition into adulthood more manageable. A teen meditation therapy program arms your child with stress management techniques to help them in treatment and beyond. Some of the many benefits of meditation therapy for teens include:

  • Improved sleep habits – Meditation can help teens stop racing thoughts and get a better night’s sleep.
  • Reduced anxiety – Learning to manage negative thoughts helps reduce stress and anxiety.
  • Improved attention span – Regularly practicing meditation increases attention span, resulting in better school performance.
  • Better emotional regulation – Hormones and stress can make teens feel out of control. Practicing meditation fosters better control of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Reduced risk of substance use – Teens who have healthy ways to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression are less likely to seek relief from drugs or alcohol.

Because their brains are still developing, teenagers are vulnerable to extreme emotions, poor impulse control, and experimentation with drugs and alcohol. A teen meditation therapy program fosters emotional stability and better decision-making skills. The skills gained through meditation therapy are ones your teen can rely on throughout life. Best of all, meditation is free and accessible to all.

Discover Meditation Therapy for Teens at Imagine Nampa

Unfortunately, some mental health treatment programs focus solely on reducing or managing symptoms rather than considering the whole person, making treatment less effective. The result is that teens feel hopeless and frustrated. They may believe that mental health treatment does not work.

As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, holistic approaches to mental health treatment. It may include meditation, helping promote self-care, and strengthening the potential for lasting recovery. Significant benefits of holistic healing include the following:

  • Encourages a healthy diet and exercise
  • Can reduce the need for medications
  • No harmful side-effects
  • Fosters the development of coping skills
  • Easy to implement
  • Promotes relaxation and stress reduction
  • Cultivates patience and tolerance

Meditation therapy is just one part of integrative, compassionate care offered at Imagine Nampa. Call 888.503.4604 or use our online form to discover the benefits of meditation therapy for teens and learn more about our adolescent outpatient programs.