| Can the secret to successfully recovering from | | | | Health, Natural Medicine,' pg. 135. 'Addiction is NOTa |
| addictive illnesses like alcoholism and drug addiction | | | | psychological or pharmacological problem, and |
| involve ancient, timeless practices that have literally | | | | CANNOT be solved by the methods of psychology or |
| been sitting under our very noses all this time? | | | | pharmacology. It is, at root, a SPIRITUAL concern, |
| It looks like it ... | | | | because it represents a misdirected attempt to |
| Recent scientific evidence suggest that age old | | | | achieve wholeness, to experience inner completeness |
| practices like meditation can have the effect of | | | | and satisfaction.' |
| reversing imbalances in the brain that actually cause | | | | That's in essence what I've been trying to teach those |
| things like addiction. | | | | I've been helping overcome their own addictions, but |
| I'm not going to go into the science of it here (for the | | | | more importantly I realize how accurate that statement |
| full article visit my blog), but to me it again highlights the | | | | is through my own growth and recovery from |
| fact that general western mainstream medicine often | | | | addictions. |
| gets it wrong when treating things like addiction. | | | | And the MOST POWERFUL method in addressing |
| Disease, of which addiction is now generally accepted | | | | the 'spiritual concern' as he puts it, is meditation. |
| a part of, is still too commonly treated on a | | | | Now I know meditation is listed as one of the Steps in |
| symptomatic basis. You've got a problem - and your | | | | most 12 Step recovery programs, but in my |
| Doctor simply treats the symptoms by providing you | | | | experience from having been around the rooms, there |
| with a bunch of drugs. | | | | are very few people who understand this practice, let |
| What happened to really trying to diagnose the cause, | | | | alone know how to do it properly. |
| which is often deeply buried in the psyche of the | | | | In my experience, there is no more powerful practice |
| individual? Far easier to administer drugs. Or better yet | | | | than meditation available, not only to help combat and |
| to proper preventative medicine where individuals are | | | | aid in the recovery of addictions, but to living a more |
| taught the fundamentals of healthy living. That wouldn't | | | | centered, peaceful, compassionate and meaningful life. |
| work either because there are too many powerful role | | | | I don't think it's any co-incidence that the most |
| players in the food and pharmaceutical industries that | | | | enlightened cultures on our planet, e.g. Tibetans, are |
| would never allow that to happen. | | | | regular and proficient meditators. |
| Before I diverge too far from the point here, back to | | | | I firmly believe that anyone, not just alcoholics and |
| meditation and addiction ... | | | | addicts, who desires a more fulfilling life should make |
| Andrew Weil, MD, sums it up perfectly in 'Natural | | | | meditation a compulsory practice in their lives. |