Addiction Recovery Enhanced by Buddhist Principles

by Jeff Anderson CAS

(Palm Springs, CA, USA)

I am a substance abuse counselor in California and work daily with addicts and alcoholics. I have the great fortune to work with an innovative ataff that believes in Buddhist principles.

Together, we have developed a program of recovery that integrates traditional forms of therapy (CBT, MI and Solution Based Therapy to name a few) with Eastern Mindfulness practices. Our program is somewhat like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in many aspects, however, we incorporate more Eastern Practices in our program.

The results that we have witnessed are nothing short of incredible. We are taking hardened criminals, repeat offenders with long prison histories, and helping them to transform their lives. Individuals with addiction histories spanning over 20 years are now leading productive lives in the community.

In addition to being a counselor, I am also a recovering addict. I remained in my active addiction to cocaine, alcohol, methamphetamine and many other substances, and activities, for 27 years. As a direct result of adopting Buddhist Principles and Eastern Philosophy into my life I am now over 4 years into my personal journey of recovery.

I hope that more people in the field of recovery begin to appreciate the healing powers of Buddhist Principles and include them into their recovery programs.