An Overview of Mindfulness-Oriented Addiction and Pain Recovery

There is evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are effective as stress-reduction techniques in people with various stressor-related disorders. Research also shows overall improvement in mental health well-being in practitioners of mindfulness. However, there is limited literature probing the potential negative impacts of mindfulness practice. Relapse is a major challenge in substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly for people with chronic pain. There is an overlap between SUDs and chronic pain, which share common pathophysiological pathways that could contribute to poor pain control and mental instability. In this report, we discuss the possible effects of mindfulness on specified aspects of substance craving and chronic pain perception. We propose future directions for research in mindfulness practices to maximize the potential for relapse prevention and pain control.