The ancient practice of mindfulness may be a powerful tool in fighting the modern-day epidemic of opioid addiction, new research suggests. The study suggests that mindfulness training can help to reverse the process by which opioid drugs hijack the brain’s reward and pleasure-seeking networks, making drug use the central focus of a person’s life. But for many, mindfulness training might be part of a powerful cocktail to fight addiction, said Westbrook, whose own work found that mindfulness can aid in smoking cessation. But those who got the mindfulness training exhibited a significant downward change in their LPP response to pictures of opioids. To Garland, treating addiction with mindfulness training holds the promise of making recovery stronger, more durable, and more meaningful.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 17, 2019 12:56 UTC