Those of us living with addiction know just how painful and overpowering addiction can be. We get caught in cycles of using, desperately wanting to quit, feeling remorseful and depressed about our substance use and our inability to stop, quitting for awhile, and then falling right back into using again. This cycle can repeat itself over and over again for years, robbing us of our health and happiness, destroying our lives, our relationships and our connection to our inner selves. How can we escape the cycle of addiction when we feel stuck in the middle of it, unable to make changes for ourselves?

The most important thing we’ll need to develop in order to escape any harmful cycle is mindfulness. Very often we’re operating on autopilot, going through the motions of our lives, repeating thoughts and behaviors by default, without really thinking about them. Most of our thoughts, feelings and actions are governed by our subconscious minds, meaning they are being directed without our conscious awareness. We need to start becoming more mindful of everything we’re thinking, feeling and doing. We have to apply mindfulness to our choices and decisions, from the smallest ones that are seemingly inconsequential to the big, life-altering ones. Everything we do, even the tiniest action or decision, contributes to our recurring cycles. We want to start being mindful of how we’re operating, what thoughts and feelings we’re giving energy to, what kinds of choices we’re making.

When we’re mindful, we’re better able to stop ourselves from doing things we regret. We’re able to think through the consequences and convince ourselves to make better choices for ourselves. We’re able to see the big picture of just how our actions and decisions are affecting us and the other people in our lives. Mindfulness helps us to withstand the addictive urges that come over us. We’re able to allow their energy to move through us without letting them overpower us. We see our urges for what they are, transient energy that can be changed and redirected, that doesn’t have to dominate our lives.

We can apply mindfulness to everything in our lives, from how we wake up in the morning to how we conduct ourselves in the outside world. The cycles of our addictions have only as much power over us as we allow them to. When we are mindful, we develop the clarity and insight to put a stop to all the self-destruction and self-harm. We start to regain our connection with our inner selves so that we can finally prioritize our healing.

Our mission at Bayview Recovery is to create a community of like-minded people focused on their healing and surrounded by support, compassion and understanding. Call 888-570-7154 today for more information on our treatment programs.