Mindfulness: Implications for Substance Abuse and Addiction

Mindfulness is a concept that has taken quite a hold on the therapeutic world in recent years. Techniques that induce “mindfulness” are increasingly being employed in Western psychology and psychotherapy to help alleviate a variety of conditions. So while mindfulness has its conceptual roots in Buddhism it has been translated into a Western non-religious context. Mindfulness skills are now included as a technique for coping with urges to engage in substance use and relapse in addiction. The research at this date has not revealed the ultimate effectiveness of mindfulness for substance abuse and addiction. It might be that mindfulness is a helpful, but not a sufficient factor as a means to address substance abuse. The relationship between spirituality and mindfulness should be explored further.