As you read these words, think about you reading these words- then think about that. This may seem strange at first, but it is a general form of mindfulness. Mindfulness is where we take everything off of autopilot, as so many of us thrust in, and we start breaking down the mechanics of everything we do- as we’re doing them. Yes, that’s the tricky part. Mindfulness is will help us become aware of how we come off to others or ourselves.
You see, the human brain creates its own perception of everything while maintaining endless limitations. The original thoughts contrived in the depths of our gray matter are remarkable. However, the psyche is a fragile place. We are the bearers of our own bad news; often the cause of our own problems. Yet at the same time, we are the providers of our own destiny. For every action, there is a reaction as it is up to us to find a solution to the issues we come face to face with.
You see, the mind is a sneaky thing that loves to play tricks on its owner. This is the case for most normal people, and then there are addicts. We have a fond way of distorting reality while ignoring any sort of mindfulness trying to bloom. This is where Refuge Recovery comes in. This is where the teachings of Noah Levine have led many to happily dive into the prospects of thorough introspection.
Giving Up Buddha for Buddha
Addiction will do whatever it takes to drop it’s host to the ground- plain and simple. In a sense, it has a mind of its own since willpower can’t beat it and psychology struggles to understand it. Then in the literal sense, we know addiction to be a disease that only the person inflicted can treat. There is no cure, but there is a set of steps and actions that can be taken to put the muffle on the terrorizing disease.
Once we clean up we are reintroduced to a brand new world where the possibilities are infinite. Feelings of pleasantry will boot hopelessness to the side. We start looking up instead of down more without the weight of the chemicals and begin diving into the fellowship. We take a look at the 12 steps as we become more serious about this recovery thing- only to find that it is frightening beyond belief. Nobody had warned us that through all the grand work on ourselves that there would be a need for spirituality. Feeling kind of bamboozled discouragement then sinks in.
Bastion of Sobriety
One would be lying if they said that entering a 12 step program was simple, but the non-profit organization Refuge Recovery takes their own principles and adds a sober twist that’s grabbed the attention of many in Ohio. RR meetings(simply put) are recovery meetings just as Alcoholics Anonymous but employ Buddhist philosophy to the recovery process. It’s sobriety but with a different approach to mindfulness than that of any 12 step program.
Refuge Recovery meetings are more than just a meeting though. RR meetings are also:
- A Practice
- A Process
- A Set of Tools
- A Treatment
- A Path to Healing
They practice guided meditation, shared rhetoric, and readings while following the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama; later to become known as Buddha. The great philosopher, who lived a couple thousand years ago, did his best to understand the human experience. He sought to analyze that of which drew man from slumber every day despite whether their endeavors had been fruitless or golden laid. It was in these teachings that Buddha discovered the thirst in man to want always desire more positive while avoiding negative. These were forms of suffering thru external reasoning. This was a quality of life under hypnosis in his analytical perception- a concept that can thus be assimilated with the disease of addiction and its workings.
You’re the Hero
We consider allowing recovery to become the top priority in our lives because alcoholic thinking led us to a place of powerlessness and unmanageability. This is something we know, but finding the lifestyle we crave without substances takes time. Whether it be codependency, overeating, or gambling, alcoholic thinking of any sort is an obsessive compulsion that will only manifest mere lunacy unless dealt with. This is why there are all sorts of fellowships out there. Although the disease of addiction works in the same capacity with any harbored soul, the shoe of recovery is not the same fit for everybody. This is why brilliant concepts like Refuge Recovery exist.
This Buddhist laden foundation has helped thousands in their attempts to find spirituality in recovery. RR meetings have their own set of mindful principles and methods for how addiction is to be handled- so don’t expect a 12 step meeting upon first attendance. Alcoholic thinking and its obsessive behaviorisms are a form of suffering as Refuge Recovery sees it. Nobody should have to live with the torment substance dependency inflicts. Since we can’t just wake up one day deciding to be cured, we have to find some alternative route that makes life worth living. Refuge Recovery may have the non-cult like elements that some of us are looking for. Either way, dropping the substances on true addicts and alcoholics requires change. Religious beliefs or none, giving something like this a shot will prove more beneficial than not.
Take the Power Back
The greatest take away from this hopefully is that addiction takes action to keep at bay. Willpower won’t help it and money can’t cure it. It’s up for us to recognize the destruction caused by the disease. We must find a fellowship of any sort before alcoholic ways take us too far gone. If you or a loved one has been struggling with getting a firm grasp on sobriety and need detoxification, please call 1-800-481-8457 or visit oarcstaging.wpengine.com. Our teams of specialists are waiting to help figure out what options are best for sending your life is a comfortable direction that you can proudly stand behind.