There are several health benefits.
Can mindfulness meditation effectively treat both mental and physical ailments? According to Eric Garland, director of the University of Utah’s Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, the answer is yes. Garland explains that mindfulness, particularly when focused on pleasure, can be as effective as a low dose of narcotics for pain relief and can surpass traditional psychotherapy for substance abuse treatment.
This meditation practice isn’t limited to addressing chronic pain and addiction. Garland points out that mindfulness techniques are also likely effective for treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and for boosting resilience in individuals without any diagnosable mental health conditions.
Mindfulness works as a form of mental training, enhancing awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in real-time. The goal is to observe one’s experiences with detachment, cultivating wakefulness to understand how the mind operates and to gain insight into one’s life actions.
Research conducted by Garland and his team demonstrated that just 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation could reduce pain by nearly 30%, comparable to the pain relief from a starting dose of 5 milligrams of oxycodone. Mindfulness helps people with chronic pain differentiate between their emotional and physical reactions, treating pain as a mere physical sensation and altering how the brain processes pain, thereby reducing its intensity.
In treating addiction, mindfulness enhances self-awareness and self-control, enabling individuals to recognize their triggers and habits around substance use and make more conscious choices. Garland’s research shows that an eight-week mindfulness program can significantly reduce addictive behaviors and pain, with these benefits persisting for at least nine months.
However, mindfulness meditation may not be suitable for everyone. Garland highlights that the effectiveness of mindfulness can vary and cautions that the quality of mindfulness training depends on the instructor’s expertise. Additionally, individuals with trauma or PTSD may experience flashbacks during meditation and should seek guidance from experienced, licensed psychotherapists to practice safely.
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