The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery by Lawrence Peltz - Essay Example

The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery College: The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery The Mindful Path to Addiction recovery by Lawrence Peltz is one of the popular books that provide a psychological path to the exit from addiction. Peltz recognize addiction as the process through which many people in society try to escape situations or to acquire some sort of feeling. The impact is that such people lose their intelligence, economic stability and become dependent on unhealthy substances. The author provides a comprehensive path to treatment of addicts by teaching them to be mindful. Being a credible writer, the author provides a practical framework through which a medical psychologist can help the addicts discover how to understand life and the best path to resolving problems that come along their life. In brief, Peltz work provides an integrative approach through which an addict and their doctor can work together to prevent addiction and heal those who already in the habit. Peltz (2013, P. 1) begins by explaining the major reason why people get into addition. First, people get addicted to get a particular desirable feeling that they deem satisfactory. For instance, alcohol provides a calming feeling while opium provides a relaxation, which makes these drugs attractive (P.24). Besides, people use drugs to get rid of particular feelings that they may find undesirable in their life. For instance, smoking can help reduce anxiety and fatigue, and hence smokers will use this route to escape such feelings. Lastly, Peltz identifies that there are those who use drugs to escape harsh realities such as stress within their lives. Identifying the factors that contribute to addiction in the world provides the author with a good ground to launch a treatment plan. Like other authors, he recognizes that addiction is a psychological disorder that results when people fear to face life as it is, and prefer to use drugs as an escape path. However minor the reason for substance abuse may be, the consequences are severe and have psychological, economic and social repercussions. Peltz (2013,Pp. 21-24 ) gives the example of Roger who drinks and visits the Casino often to gamble. His drinking habit emanates from the urge to gain pleasure and escape stress. He uses gambling as strategy to find money and escape the financial distress. However, he loses his intelligence and ability to reason as soon as he gets drunk. Besides, he has become broke after losing in the Casino gambling, a habit now he cannot control. Peltz uses this example to show the consequences of addiction and the negative impacts it has a person’s life. This argument is similar to what previous authors have stated regarding substance dependence and addiction in the life of an individual (McLellan, Lewis, OBrien & Kleber, 2000). When one becomes dependent on drugs, controlling the habit is problematic and is likely that the individual ends up becoming an addict who cannot live without such substances. The book provides a distinct approach through which addiction can be treatment. Peltz (2013) refers to mindfulness as the best path to treatment of addiction of substances and habits. Mindfulness refers to the ability of an individual to accept life and tackle it the way it is rather than finding an escape through substance abuse (Brown & Ryan, 2003). The author seems to admit the main motivation for substance abuse is escaping the challenges in life of seeking unnecessary pleasure in life. Therefore, mindfulness requires individuals accept life and admit that challenges are inevitable in life. Secondly, attitude becomes an important pivot through which an individual changes their way of reasoning. Therefore, a psychologist’s priority is to change an addict’s attitude to ensure they have the power to reason and solve problems that they encounter in their life. In his work, the author seems to criticize various medical procedures that are used to treat addiction within hospitals. While he recognizes that the medical treatment is essential in reducing the impacts of addiction, he feels that a psychological perspective is more important. A good example of medical treatment is where the addicts are provided with drugs and prohibited from taking other substances. While he feels that this is an important part of the procedure of treating the patients, he identifies that changing the state of mind of the people is more crucial. First, he concedes that simple tasks simple tasks such as walking helps the people to meditate and get back to their senses. Counseling and guidance helps to induce the right form of thinking am the patients and to facilitate lasting effects among the addicts (Peltz, 2013). Therefore, a psychological perspective has lasting effects and provides the best approach to solve the problems of confusion and conflict that are common among such individuals. The book identifies the challenges to handling addiction problems and possible solution to these limitations. He terms “Cravings and Urges” as one of the biggest problems during the healing process (Peltz, 2013, P. 155). During the process of healing, the addicts will often suffer from the urge to use substances that had become part of their life. This becomes a source of stress for the patients and they may find all means through which they can revert to these habits. Therefore, the psychologists have a role to ensure that the patient has an alternative habit to keep off the urge (Weisner, Mertens, Parthasarathy, Moore & Lu, 2001). For instance, providing television programs and other hobbies will help in promoting sobriety and relieving the patients from stress. Therefore, as the author suggests, treating addiction is a challenging task and the doctors must be prepared to face challenges that come along this process. In conclusion, Peltz ideas on treatment of addiction are well grounded and provide a strategy through which medical personnel can resolve the crisis of addiction within their environment. Unlike other medical procedures that have failed to achieve long-term results, the psychological procedures are slow but have transforming and can change the life of addicts permanently. He suggests that teaching addicts to be mindful helps to support their decision making process and induces positive attitudes that is essential in overcoming the problems that lead to substance abuse. Identifying the challenges of the process and providing solutions makes this work practical and workable. Through the psychological process, the process of addiction can be treated and controlled within the society. References Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(4), 822. McLellan, A. T., Lewis, D. C., OBrien, C. P., & Kleber, H. D. (2000). Drug dependence, a chronic medical illness: implications for treatment, insurance, and outcomes evaluation. Jama, 284(13), 1689-1695. Peltz, L. A. (2013). The mindful path to addiction recovery: A practical guide to regaining control over your life. Boston: Shambhala. Weisner, C., Mertens, J., Parthasarathy, S., Moore, C., & Lu, Y. (2001). Integrating primary medical care with addiction treatment: a randomized controlled trial. Jama, 286(14), 1715-1723. Read More