Stress and cravings are common causes of relapse during treatment and aftercare. You can avoid relapse by learning to manage stress and cravings effectively. Bright Mission Recovery encourages clients to use complementary therapies to address any mental health issues affecting their sobriety and overall health. Biofeedback and other therapeutic modalities allow you to regain control of your stress responses. 

What Is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback is an innovative treatment used to help clients control their physiological responses to stress triggers. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), “Biofeedback is a process that uses your body’s signals like heart rate and body temperature to bring about healthy changes [. . .]. Clinical biofeedback involves interaction between a provider, a client, and a machine/device providing feedback from body-derived signals.” Bright Mission Recovery uses biofeedback and other forms of treatment to help clients effectively reduce and manage stress responses. 

Biofeedback and other technological treatment options, including neurofeedback, involve the following: 

• Sensors for monitoring body signals, including heart rate or brain waves 
• Guided mindfulness-based exercises to control breathing, heart rate, and various body systems 
• Psychoeducation to explain the connections between stress triggers and physiological responses 

Biofeedback therapy uses technology to help you learn more about yourself and control various aspects of your internal and external experiences. Managing stress responses reduces the risk of relapse by increasing self-awareness and resilience. During biofeedback sessions, clinicians guide you through identifying and managing physiological reactions to triggers.

Controlling the Reactions Caused By Stress and Cravings

Managing the body’s natural response to physical or emotional stressors requires practice. Individuals recovering from substance use disorder (SUD) or dual diagnosis benefit from learning how to effectively control thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and automatic reactions within the body. Studies have shown that “biofeedback training requires a great deal of motivation and participation” and “is essentially a form of operant conditioning with positive feedback for performing the desired action or behavior and negative feedback for not doing so.” 

You can use biofeedback to learn practical methods for building healthy coping skills. Some of the primary benefits of controlling reactions caused by stress include:

• Fewer or less severe cravings related to SUD
• Decreased anxiety, depression, and other symptoms associated with co-occurring mental health disorders
• Greater control over breathing, muscle tension, heart rate, and other factors affecting psychological and physical health 

The clinical team at Bright Mission Recovery tailors biofeedback and other therapies to your unique needs and goals. During rehabilitation, you can use technology to monitor your progress and create positive habits for managing your condition. 

How Does Biofeedback Reduce Stress and Cravings?

Biofeedback reduces stress and cravings by doing the following: 

• Increasing self-awareness by allowing you to connect triggers to physical responses, including increased heart rate or muscle tension
• Enhancing emotion regulation 
• Promoting mindfulness through relaxation and deep breathing techniques 
• Improving focus and concentration 
• Reinforcing positive coping skills to replace maladaptive behaviors 
• Supporting long-term behavioral changes to maintain long-term sobriety 

The skills you learn in biofeedback can be used to cope with daily stressors and unexpected situations. Skills are transferrable to different situations and goals. You can use the techniques you learn in biofeedback sessions to achieve positivity and emotional stability. Focusing on strengthening the mind-body connection can help you manage stress more effectively and reduce side effects related to SUD or co-occurring mental health disorders.

Learning to Control Automatic Body Processes

Many body responses can be consciously controlled if you know how to monitor them and what techniques to apply. Biofeedback gives you the tools you need to control automatic response by providing the following: 

• Visualization exercises 
• Training to relax muscles
• Learning to control heart rate variability 
• Using mindfulness techniques to achieve a sense of calm
• Receiving real-time feedback 

Everyone has the potential to control their body’s automatic processes. However, some people find it easier than others. You can collaborate with the clinical team to determine if biofeedback or other technology-based therapies may improve your self-awareness, decrease symptoms, and reduce your risk of relapse. 

How Does Bright Mission Recovery Help People Address Stress and Cravings?

Participating in biofeedback therapy can improve stress and craving management. Most people quickly progress with biofeedback and do not require follow-up sessions during continuing care. Knowing how to manipulate your body’s responses will help you avoid falling back into maladaptive habits and routines. Bright Mission Recovery helps clients address stress and cravings through a combination of psychotherapy, prescription medications, and alternative holistic therapies. You can combine skills learned in treatment and during biofeedback sessions to regain control of your life and build a solid foundation for the future. Biofeedback promotes overall wellness and positive mental health by providing essential insights and giving you the skills to manage how you react to various thoughts, feelings, or circumstances. 

Biofeedback and other technological tools can help you successfully manage cravings and other symptoms of SUD. Learning to control various automatic bodily responses allows you to effectively manipulate the body’s reactions to stimuli. Clinicians use technology to monitor heart rate and other responses to stress, allowing you to gradually learn how to consciously control your body’s responses to triggers. The therapy sessions build confidence and self-awareness by giving you the tools to identify how to successfully control aspects of your autonomic system. Bright Mission Recovery uses biofeedback and other technology-based therapies to support clients and give them the skills to achieve lasting sobriety. To learn more about our programs and services, call us today at (747) 444-3284.