r those struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), successfully completing an outpatient or residential treatment program is only the beginning of a lifelong journey. One common step on the road to recovery is relapse.
Some statistics suggest that over 60 percent of people with SUDs will experience relapse, or a return to substance use. Mental health professionals advise that relapse is not the end of recovery, but rather an important step towards it.
The question for many people with SUDs and those who love them and who treat them, what are the most effective methods for preventing relapse? How can we best help those working hard for healing to stay moving in the right direction, without the pain of substance use breaking in?
One answer that recent research suggests is highly effective at preventing relapse is mindfulness-based relapse prevention, or MBRP therapy.
How Does Mindfulness for Addiction Recovery Work?
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention is essentially a combination of ancient contemplative practices with modern neuroscience, aimed at strengthening long-term recovery.
The idea of mindfulness–of intentionally stepping back, observing, and accepting one’s emotions or thoughts in a given moment–is an important spiritual practice found in many of the world’s religions. It is often combined with the practice of meditation, being fully, purposefully present in a circumstance without being controlled or pre-occupied by it.
The effectiveness of combining these practices with relapse prevention strategies was first written about in the early 2000s. They found that traditional relapse prevention techniques–such as helping patients predict and prepare for high-relapse-risk situations with a cognitive-behavioral framework–were greatly enhanced when combined with mindfulness and meditation in recovery.
In other words, mentally preparing for situations in which a person may be tempted to use is greatly improved by mindfulness practices.
What do those practices look like? And how are they learned?
People in recovery are led through the practices by trained professionals as part of regularly-scheduled sessions. These sessions often include explicit instruction in certain practices, as well as experiential learning.
For example, when practicing mindfulness techniques for cravings, the counselor and the client may start by doing a body scan to raise awareness of what is going on physically. They may also try urge surfing, or picturing the urge to use as a wave they surf and then dismount without actually plunging beneath it.
Is Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Really Effective?
Though relatively new, initial research indicates that mindful sobriety is highly effective. One study showed that not only does mindfulness-based relapse prevention help people with SUDs fight cravings, but it may also decrease cravings over time.
But what about from those suffering from a dual diagnosis, such as addiction and anxiety? Or those with co-occurring trauma? The truth is that these contemplative techniques were not created as relapse prevention strategies, but as holistic ways of living. They were practiced to overcome anxiety about the weather and what it might do to the crops, to deal with difficult relationships, to celebrate the birth of a child, to overcome illness. Their application is universal.
The data is clear: mindfulness practiced regularly leads to reduced anxiety, greater inner peace, and improved emotional stability. All of these can help a person working through their substance use disorder.
Why Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Supports Long-Term Recovery
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention helps people in recovery develop a new relationship with cravings, thoughts, and emotional discomfort. Rather than trying to suppress urges or “power through” them, mindfulness teaches clients how to notice internal experiences without reacting automatically. This shift—from resistance to awareness—creates space for choice, which is essential for sustained recovery.
Over time, mindfulness strengthens emotional regulation and distress tolerance, two areas often compromised by substance use. By practicing present-moment awareness, clients learn to respond to triggers with curiosity instead of fear, reducing the intensity and frequency of relapse-driving impulses.
Key benefits of mindfulness-based relapse prevention include:
- Increased awareness of early relapse warning signs
- Reduced emotional reactivity to stress and cravings
- Greater ability to tolerate discomfort without using substances
- Improved impulse control and decision-making
- Enhanced self-compassion, reducing shame-based relapse cycles
- Tools that remain effective long after formal treatment ends
These skills don’t replace other relapse prevention strategies—they reinforce them, helping recovery feel more sustainable and less like a constant internal battle.
Practice Meditation for Addiction at Sana at Stowe
If you or a loved one want the best possible start to a lifetime of sobriety, consider a stay at Sana at Stowe in Vermont. Our premium facilities, which include detox and withdrawal management, give you all the options possible for health and wholeness, with trained professionals on staff to guide you through your decision making.
Our emphasis on holistic therapies incorporates the whole person into healing, from the physical to the spiritual to the emotional. We teach mindfulness techniques through present moment awareness recovery, and include meditation practices throughout our treatment programs.
Our team is well versed in helping patients with dual diagnoses, such as depression and addiction treatment. We help identify the root of the addiction, whether that be past trauma or mental illness, so that we can compassionately heal it.
Our mountain setting is naturally conducive to meditation—pristine nature, seasonal beauty, quiet stillness that supports contemplative practice.
In the words of one of our former patients, “The program offers a truly patient-centric care model, but does so in a way that feels respectful, shame-free, and almost luxurious.”
So do not hesitate to begin exploring your options at Sana today. We accept insurance from in-network providers. If you want perspective on your own or a loved one’s substance use, consider taking a drug use screening test. We are always ready to help no matter what the results. Give us a call today (802) 566-5906, to start your journey to wellness.
