Beginning with the Symptom: Incorporating Mindfulness in the Treatment of Substance Misuse

Abstract

For many clients, emotional resources appear to narrow with time and there is an increasing reliance on external factors to serve self-soothing and self-regulatory functions. Over time, self-efficacy may decrease and there is less confidence in one's capacity to manage distress and adapt to circumstances without misusing substances or engaging in other maladaptive behaviors such as overeating. Consequently, interventions designed to increase one's ability to contain difficult emotions and reduce impulsive reactivity are very important. Mindfulness is one such intervention that can enhance the capacity to stay in the moment and build resources to better tolerate discomfort and distress, particularly when used within a harm reduction model. Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) will be discussed as an effective way to intervene with clients to address the many biopsychosocial factors contributing to substance misuse. A clinical illustration will demonstrate how this integration of mindfulness pragmatically translates into collaborative work with a woman with lifelong substance use issues and histories of multiple traumas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)