Dr. Judson Brewer, Using Mindfulness to Beat Addiction

Smoking Cessation

Mindfulness has shown remarkable success in aiding smoking cessation, surpassing traditional methods. Judson Brewer explains that smoking, often a deeply ingrained habit, can be effectively addressed through mindfulness techniques, which proved to be twice as effective as the gold standard treatment in their studies 1. The approach involves teaching individuals to pay attention to their smoking habits, leading to a realization of the negative aspects of smoking 2.

We were just looking for it to be as good as and we found at the end of treatment, it was twice as good. And four months later, twice as good. Five times better.

--- Judson Brewer

Brewer's app, Craving to Quit, offers these mindfulness practices in a convenient format, allowing users to integrate them into their daily lives and contexts where they typically smoke 1.

   

Sugar Addiction

Mindfulness can also be a powerful tool in managing sugar cravings and overeating. Dan Harris shares his personal struggles with sugar addiction, highlighting the challenge of maintaining awareness during indulgence 3. Judson Brewer emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the act of eating, which can disrupt the habitual loop of craving and consumption 4.

When you're about to do an action reflect on it before, but if you can't reflect on it during. But if you can't reflect on it afterwards and basically you're good at reflecting on this afterwards.

--- Judson Brewer

By reflecting on the consequences of indulgence, individuals can develop greater self-awareness and potentially reduce their reliance on sugar 3.

   

Mindfulness & Recovery

The application of mindfulness in addiction recovery is rooted in both modern psychology and ancient Buddhist teachings. Judson Brewer notes the alignment between Buddhist concepts of craving and modern psychological theories like operant conditioning 5. This understanding has informed his research, which demonstrates that mindfulness can effectively reduce stress and improve outcomes for those recovering from addiction 6.

These guys figured it out. They didn't have rats, they didn't have graduate students to torture. They didn't have computers. Just by investigating their own experiences, they figured all of this out 2500 years ago.

--- Judson Brewer

Brewer's work highlights the potential of mindfulness to address the root causes of addiction, offering a promising alternative to traditional treatments 5.