A leading neuroscientist and pioneer in the study of mindfulness explains why addictions are so tenacious and how we can learn to conquer them We are all vulnerable to addiction. Whether it’s a compulsion to constantly check social media, binge eating, smoking, excessive drinking, or any other behaviors, we may find ourselves uncontrollably repeating. Why are bad habits so hard to overcome? Is there a key to conquering the cravings we know are unhealthy for us? This book provides groundbreaking answers to the most important questions about addiction. Dr. Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has studied the science of addictions for twenty years, reveals how we can tap into the very processes that encourage addictive behaviors in order to step out of them. He describes the mechanisms of habit and addiction formation, then explains how the practice of mindfulness can interrupt these habits. Weaving together patient stories, his own experience with mindfulness practice, and current scientific findings from his own lab and others, Dr. Brewer offers a path for moving beyond our cravings, reducing stress, and ultimately living a fuller life.

New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller A step-by-step plan clinically proven to break the cycle of worry and fear that drives anxiety and addictive habits We are living through one of the most anxious periods any of us can remember. Whether facing issues as public as a pandemic or as personal as having kids at home and fighting the urge to reach for the wine bottle every night, we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. But in this timely book, Judson Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone. We think of anxiety as everything from mild unease to full-blown panic. But it's also what drives the addictive behaviors and bad habits we use to cope (e.g. stress eating, procrastination, doom scrolling and social media). Plus, anxiety lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought. So we get stuck in anxiety habit loops that we can't think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. Dr. Brewer teaches us to map our brains to discover our triggers, defuse them with the simple but powerful practice of curiosity, and to train our brains using mindfulness and other practices that his lab has proven can work. Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches, and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer has created a clear, solution-oriented program that anyone can use to feel better - no matter how anxious they feel.

Where do the roots of addictive behavior lie -- in our genes or in our environment, in our chemistry or in our character? In the Craving Brain, Dr. Ronald Ruden asserts that the roots of addiction most defintetly do not lie in our character. Rather, they lie in a complex chain reaction that originates in an ancient survival mechanism in the brain. When this system is inappropriately activated, it drives the body to crave, sometimes with addictive behavior as the end result. In clear, straightforward language, Dr. Ruden outlines his remarkable successful treatment program which he believes can cure this problem. The Craving Brain offers crucial insights into the world of addiction. This revolutionary book will bring hope to millions of people who suffer from a wide range of addictions, from gambling and alcohol to drugs and food.

"Drop addictive sweets and starches--and stop weight gain--in 24 hours"--Dust jacket.

Craving

A doctor and a recovering addict join forces to examine the science and spirituality of addiction.

"Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts."—David Perlmutter, MD, Author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker The New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease. While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover. Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction. Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression. Ideally, both are in optimal supply. Yet dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin—because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated—with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction. In the last forty years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease. And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape. With his customary wit and incisiveness, Lustig not only reveals the science that drives these states of mind, he points his finger directly at the corporations that helped create this mess, and the government actors who facilitated it, and he offers solutions we can all use in the pursuit of happiness, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. Always fearless and provocative, Lustig marshals a call to action, with seminal implications for our health, our well-being, and our culture.

By establishing a dialogue in which the meditative practices of Buddhism and Christianity speak to the theories of modern philosophy and science, B. Alan Wallace reveals the theoretical similarities underlying these disparate disciplines and their unified approach to making sense of the objective world. Wallace begins by exploring the relationship between Christian and Buddhist meditative practices. He outlines a sequence of meditations the reader can undertake, showing that, though Buddhism and Christianity differ in their belief systems, their methods of cognitive inquiry provide similar insight into the nature and origins of consciousness. From this convergence Wallace then connects the approaches of contemporary cognitive science, quantum mechanics, and the philosophy of the mind. He links Buddhist and Christian views to the provocative philosophical theories of Hilary Putnam, Charles Taylor, and Bas van Fraassen, and he seamlessly incorporates the work of such physicists as Anton Zeilinger, John Wheeler, and Stephen Hawking. Combining a concrete analysis of conceptions of consciousness with a guide to cultivating mindfulness and profound contemplative practice, Wallace takes the scientific and intellectual mapping of the mind in exciting new directions.

"Gotta have it" is the thought process of an addicted person. A drink, a drag, a hit, a line, a pill, another piece of chocolate. "Gotta have it." What drives this powerful need known as addiction? The problem isn't with the abused substance or activity, contends Dr. Ruden. The problem lies in the brain. As a result of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors, dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain are altered, and this sets the stage for the craving response. "Gotta have it!" The Craving Brain explains why some individuals are susceptible to addiction to alcohol, gambling or food, while others remain unaffected. It also shows why 12-step programs work, and why we need Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Describing a new, revolutionary treatment to prevent the craving response, this book will forever alter our thinking and our approach to this devastating -- but treatable -- condition.

A Mind Without Craving is a deep dive into the principles and practices of early Buddhist meditation. It offers a collection of instruction and dialogue sessions transcribed from a ten-day meditation retreat led by Delson Armstrong. It is a practical guide to understand the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path for the attainment of awakening and the experience of Nibbāna (Nirvāna). A selection of discourses by the Buddha is presented with detailed commentary about its meaning and purpose. Each provides practical application for daily life and in meditation practice to support the progress of insight. Instruction in loving-kindness meditation is laid out with detailed methodology for all levels of meditative experience. A Mind Without Craving explores consciousness, karma, rebirth, and the liberated mind along with explanations about behavioral reprogramming, intention, and free will. It includes descriptions of Jhāna states (sublime realities) as a means to understand the true nature of reality. A Mind Without Craving is an ideal compendium for self-guided meditation. It offers explicit instruction of a course in tranquil wisdom insight meditation with detailed answers to a broad range of frequently asked questions. Supplemental links to online videos complement the text to further elucidate meaning. Taken together, the book and videos provide clarity and guidance for beginners and a master class to accelerate progress for experienced meditators.