One of my YouTube subscribers asked me the other day to create a video that shows how mindfulness can help address addiction.
I was delighted at the request, especially since it includes a topic so near and important to me: by this time next month, I’ll be 9 years clean and sober. ❤️
I also appreciate the request because mindfulness practices ABSOLUTELY help with overcoming addiction and I’m happy to explain how.
I posted a very in depth video on YouTube, and go into the broad strokes here on the ways mindfulness practices work with addiction:
1. Mindfulness practices train us to let go of the emotional grasping that is at the heart of addiction.
2. Mindfulness shifts the hierarchy of the dopamine reward system, which is REALLY what most addictions are all about. (As opposed to a physical, chemical addiction).
3. Most powerfully, mindfulness builds and strengthens connection to others.
This last point is most powerful because, contrary to popular belief, the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, and you need someone to talk to, please feel free to reach out to me.
