A considerable proportion of the population is suffering from some type of addiction. Nicotine, alcohol, gambling, adult movies on the internet are the most common ones. A consequence of years of addictive behavior is a change in brain chemistry – which in turn also triggers new cravings and an even stronger addiction.

The distribution of dopamine, adrenaline and endorphins – the happiness hormones – is usually different than among people without addiction problems. Addicts need a high level of these substances in their blood and at the same time they need more and more of their drug in order to achieve a satisfactory distribution of endorphins. Whilst most of the elements of an addiction treatment target the behavior and experiences from earlier in life, relaxation techniques can aim at the brain chemistry. The brain needs to learn peace of mind again. Patients must get used to lower level of the previously mentioned substances in their blood.

Autogenic training, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation are techniques to provide feelings of happiness and balance without consuming the drug. Applying these techniques three times a day can reduce the feelings of craving significantly. With both autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation, patients can integrate images of the healing process and of a happy life without the drug into the exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation is particularly easy to learn as it involves only the contraction and subsequent relaxation of the main muscles in the body. It can be done almost anywhere, even in noisy surroundings. People don’t need to lie down to do progressive muscle relaxation and can also sit comfortably in a chair. Autogenic training and meditation require more involvement of the mind instead of muscles. Especially with meditation there are many different techniques and patients need to learn it with experts. The same is true with yoga which is best learned in dedicated courses.

Obviously, all these techniques can only be a part of an addiction treatment. Additionally, patients need to learn the reasons for their addictions and the triggers for craving. It is also important to be prepared for likely relapses and knowing how to manage them. New aims in life - in various areas of life – as well as taking more care of their bodies through physical activity can also be very helpful to patients. However, relaxation techniques can serve as a strong support to get the patients minds more focused on the healing process of an addiction therapy.