Mindfulness‐oriented recovery: How to fight cravings in OUD
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly September 22, 2023 DOI: 10.1002/adaw.33891 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | News report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Garland argues that mindfulness can be used to fight cravings for opioids, whether related to addiction or pain relief. The text reports that this message was well received by treatment professionals at the conference who were seeking non-medication options for patients. |
Abstract
It is possible to fight cravings — whether for opioids due to addiction or opioids for pain relief — with mindfulness, according to Eric L. Garland, Ph.D., associate dean for research and a professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, who presented to a packed plenary at the Cape Cod Symposium for Addictive Disorders on Sept. 9. The annual meeting of treatment professionals is an important gathering spot, and now, sponsored by HMP, included a lounge for the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP). The former sponsor, C4, used to be a direct competitor of NAATP for the conference space. “Mindfulness,” in terms of avoiding use of all substances including methadone and buprenorphine, played well into the notions of many of the attendees, who were looking for help for their patients beyond taking a pill.