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Where Do I Begin?

 

If you are new to Recovery Dharma, you may be wondering what it’s all about and how it "works”. Recovery Dharma is a program for addiction recovery based on Buddhist tradition. Recovery Dharma adapts the principles of Buddhism, emphasizing the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, specifically to end the suffering of addiction. It works on the assumption that Buddhist ideas, which were developed to end human suffering in general, are also applicable to the specific suffering caused by addiction.

 

Although Recovery Dharma is based on Buddhist ideas, there is no need to become a Buddhist. Anyone from any faith or no faith is welcome to participate. It is more about applying specific ideas and tools to addiction recovery, rather than any kind of metaphysical belief system.

 

Although Recovery Dharma is a program of abstinence, it actually emphasizes a holistic approach to positive living. This includes understanding the causes of addiction, living in a way that minimizes harm to self and others, being of service whenever possible, and gaining a clearer understanding of your own existence.

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What happens at a Recovery Dharma meeting? 

 

Meetings all have some standard components. They all have a meditation, some reading from the Recovery Dharma or other Buddhist recovery books, and sharing. They range from an hour to an hour and a half. Sometimes people socialize afterwards. Some meetings have inquiry circles that meet before or afterwards where you can work on inquiry questions in the group.

 

Meetings provide a calm and safe environment which offers a lot of support and empathy. You do not have to share, or say why you are there. Meetings are there for all people with all kinds of addictions, including process addictions. Once you start to feel comfortable, try hanging out and talking to people after the meeting ends. Connect with someone whose share resonated with you.

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It is perfectly fine to combine Recovery Dharma with other recovery programs. It is not necessary to become a Buddhist to use Recovery Dharma as your recovery program. However, it can be helpful to join a meditation group or a Buddhist community. 

 

So… How do I establish a Buddhist-oriented recovery practice? 

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There are three main aspects to Buddhist-oriented recovery.

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  • Meditation

  • Learning the basics of living an ethical life

  • Becoming part of a recovery community.

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Meditation:

With a basis in Buddhist practice, Recovery Dharma emphasizes the effectiveness of mediation in overcoming addiction. The program includes both mindfulness meditation and concentration meditation.

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Mindfulness meditation is perhaps the best known and most studied form of meditation and it appears to be helpful in fighting addiction on several fronts. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT, for example, has been shown in studies to be effective in treating people who have had three or more episodes of major depression, which is a significant risk factor for addiction and a common dual-diagnosis. Mindfulness has also been shown to be helpful for riding out cravings, which is a significant challenge for most people early in recovery.

 

The concentration meditation practices used in Recovery Dharma focus mostly on compassion, loving-kindness, forgiveness, and other positive qualities. These are important for several reasons. They have been shown to improve social connection and positive affect in as little as eight weeks. Social connection is one of the main protective factors against relapse, and the positive feelings evoked in these meditations can reduce symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety. 

 

Leading an ethical life/dharma:

“Dharma” is our word for the teachings that help us to understand how to change our lives and meet our needs in ways that are no longer harmful to ourselves or to others. Start with the basics. The Recovery Dharma book has information about the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path, and how that affects us, both as human beings and as people in recovery. Reach out to members who attend your meeting and ask them about their experiences with understanding dharma as it applies to recovery from addiction

 

Community/Sangha:

We call our recovery community “sangha.”  Along with meditation, becoming part of a sangha is the most powerful tool for freeing your addict mind from the suffering that craving - wanting reality to be something else - causes. 

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Go to in-person meetings. Find meetings where you feel comfortable and go regularly so you get to know the people there. Get phone numbers and call/text some recovery friends every day. Some folks like to start a gratitude text thread and post to it every morning. If you need help, text several people. People will respond. There are multiple meetings in the Philadelphia area. 

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Finally…

Congratulations. You have chosen life! You have always had a compassionate heart. Now you have chosen to start on the path to uncovering your “Buddha nature”.

 

There are so many people waiting to help you. Welcome to the path!

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