The Craving Mind (why We Get Hooked And How We Can Break Bad Habits)

By (author) Brewer, Judson; Foreword by Kabat-Zinn, Jon
Description:

A leading neuroscientist’s internationally acclaimed account of how addiction works and can be overcome, now in a ten-year anniversary edition

In this landmark book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D. (“Dr. Jud”) reveals how and why people become addicted—to cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, food, technology, and more—and how they might break free of cycles of addiction. Weaving together patient stories, personal stories, and scientific findings from his lab, he

• shows how the same learning processes that once helped our species survive have hardened over time into bad habits;
• examines how craving, addiction, and habit loops have intensified due to smartphones, social media, and algorithm-driven environments;
• expands our understanding of addiction and anxiety, revealing how substances, technology, outrage, and worry all follow identical habit-forming learning mechanisms—and why willpower isn’t the solution;
• emphasizes curiosity and awareness as tools for breaking habits and reclaiming choice in a world designed to keep us stuck.

Now updated with a new preface, Brewer’s revolutionary book shows us how to move from a craving mind to one that is capable of being present, curious, and kind.

Table of contents:

Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Preface to the Tenth Anniversary Edition
Preface

Introduction

Part One: The Dopamine Hit
1. Addiction, Straight Up
2. Addicted to Technology
3. Addicted to Ourselves
4. Addicted to Distraction
5. Addicted to Thinking
6. Addicted to Love

Part Two: Hitting Up Dopamine
7. Why Is It So Hard to Concentrate—or Is It?
8. Learning to Be Mean—and Nice
9. On Flow
10. Training Resilience
Epilogue: The Future Is Now

Appendix. What Is Your Mindfulness Personality Type?
Notes
Acknowledgements
Index

Review quote:
“Accessible and enjoyable, The Craving Mind brilliantly combines the latest science with universal real-life experiences—from falling in love to spending too much time with our phones.”—Arianna Huffington

“This masterful, personal, friendly, compelling, humorous, and erudite book offers us a radically new perspective on learning, on breaking habits of mind not by force or through the application of will power or the desire for a reward, but by truly inhabiting the domain of being.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn, from the Foreword

“The core perception that ‘something is missing’ drives us to addiction and deprives us of the chance to live fully. By bringing together cutting-edge Western science, the radical insights of Buddhist psychology, and mindfulness practices, Judson Brewer offers a direct pathway to freeing our minds from the domination of craving.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“The Craving Mind is a remarkable book, one that will help free us from the powerful habits of craving and addiction. Brewer lays out a practical and empirically based pathway to greater freedom and ease in our lives. For many readers, this book will be life-transforming.”—Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening


Biographical note:

Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., is director of research and innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center and professor in behavioral and social sciences and psychiatry. He is the author of The Hunger Habit and the New York Times bestseller Unwinding Anxiety.