Substance abuse impacts every aspect of your life. This includes your mental health and how your brain functions.
Substance abuse leads to dysfunction and dysregulation in the part of your brain called the limbic system. When this part of your brain isn’t functioning the way it is meant to, the ability of your prefrontal cortex (the executor, the part of your brain that is responsible for reason, logic, and so much more) to do its job is diminished. Before I start “nerding out” about the brain let me stop here to say, mindfulness directly targets healing in the regions of your brain that are impacted by substance abuse.
Let me say that again. Practicing mindfulness promotes healing in the specific part of your brain, the limbic system, that is negatively impacted by substance abuse.
Research has shown that practicing mindfulness helps rebuild healthy connections in your brain. Essentially, when you practice mindfulness, you are rewiring your brain! I don’t know about you, but to me, that is freaking amazing.
As you move through recovery, mindfulness can help you learn to be present in emotions that have maybe been numbed for a long time, to begin to love yourself, and to heal your mind.
As your counselor, I will help you better understand how substance abuse impacts your brain, and why that knowledge is so important. We will work together to find mindfulness practices that are effective for you so that we can begin to rebuild those healthy connections.