5c. Beyond Substance Abuse: Mindfulness for Mental Health, Chronic Pain & Grief
The practice of mindfulness can also help you, or someone you know, who is dealing with mental health disorders, chronic pain, or grief.
Mental Health
- Studies have shown that mindfulness-based approaches to treating anxiety and depression worked just as well as other forms of therapies
- More research is being conducted today to support mindfulness-based meditation as an alternative method to treat depression
- Two trials found that patients who participated in a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program, experienced a reduced rate of depression relapse
Chronic Pain
- Evidence suggests that mindfulness practices may help relieve some symptoms of fibromyalgia
- Mindfulness techniques, such as yoga and meditation, have been shown to relieve headaches and help with migraines
- Mindfulness-based approaches have been shown to reduce lower back pain
Grief
- Practicing mindfulness allows us to face life through each moment, without avoiding or stopping the process
- Mindful breathing lowers our heart rate, and reduces stress and anxiety
- During meditation, we sit with our thoughts and feelings; in grief, these are difficult and overwhelming, but meditation allows us to create a space for acceptance and healing