Health and Me

Aarushi Bhadury

Mindfulness Over Medicine? Meditation Could Cut Opioid Urges By 50%

People believe that meditation is a simple and easy process that can help you feel peaceful and well. However, to achieve peacefulness through meditation one needs practice, and they also must understand the nuances of meditation. According to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health (<span>NCCIH</span>), meditation refers to a variety of practices that help you focus on your mind and body. It has a lot of benefits, according to a 2012 survey 1.9% of US citizens practiced meditation and NCCIH also explains that it helps not just with anxiety, stress, depression, pain but also with withdrawal symptoms of nicotine, alcohol or opioids.

These claims were also supported by a recent study done on opioid cravings which revealed that mindful meditation can actually help nullify these cravings.

MedlinePlus explains that opioid addiction is  a long-term illness where people feel a very strong, uncontrollable need to use opioid drugs, even if they don't need them for pain anymore. Opioids are a group of medicines that affect the body's nerves to make you feel good and less pain. Doctors sometimes prescribe these, like oxycodone or fentanyl, for really bad or ongoing pain. But some opioids, like heroin, are illegal and only used to get high.

When someone is addicted to opioids, they have a powerful urge to use them again and again. This can happen even if they were first prescribed the medicine by a doctor and took it as they were told. Many of these prescription opioids end up being misused or given to other people. People who become addicted might start to care more about getting and using the drugs than anything else in their life, which can cause big problems with their work and family. 

<h2>Meditation's Impact on Opioid Cravings</h2>

According to research published in the JAMA Psychiatry in April 2025 there is encouraging news for those battling opioid addiction. The research showed that practicing mindfulness meditation can have a significant impact on reducing the intense urges to use the drug. In fact, when compared to standard support groups, people who learned mindfulness techniques experienced a remarkable 50% decrease in their opioid cravings. This suggests that training the mind through meditation could be a powerful tool in helping individuals regain control over their desires and move towards recovery.

Opioid addiction diminishes the brain's capacity to experience natural rewards, fueling drug cravings. This research indicates that mindfulness training can help rebuild this ability, lessening cravings and potentially preventing opioid misuse by enhancing responses to positive stimuli. The study utilized Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), an eight-week program combining mindfulness meditation with cognitive behavioral therapy and positive psychology. This comprehensive approach targets addiction, emotional distress, and chronic pain, addressing the multifaceted challenges of opioid dependence.

<h2>Brain Changes and Emotional Regulation Through Mindfulness</h2>

Using brain imaging and other measures, researchers observed that at the beginning of the study, individuals with opioid addiction showed a weaker response in their brains when they looked at things that are typically joyful, like happy babies. This reduced ability to feel positive emotions was linked to stronger drug cravings. However, as participants engaged in the MORE program, their brains started to react more strongly to these positive cues.

The positive findings of this study are not isolated. Earlier research on the MORE program also demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing opioid misuse, with participants showing a substantial 45% decrease over a nine-month period. This impact was nearly three times greater than that of standard group therapy. Beyond the individual benefits, economic analyses suggest that investing in MORE therapy could lead to significant cost savings for society by preventing fatal overdoses, reducing the need for expensive healthcare interventions, lowering crime rates associated with addiction, and increasing productivity in the workforce.

<h2>Why More Studies Like This Should Be Encouraged?</h2>

While the results of this study and previous work on MORE are very encouraging, the researchers emphasize that this is an ongoing area of investigation. They highlight the need for more extensive studies involving larger groups of people over longer periods to fully understand how mindfulness-based treatments can help the brain heal and support long-term recovery from opioid addiction. 

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People believe that meditation is a simple and easy process that can help you feel peaceful and well. However, to achieve peacefulness through meditation one needs practice, and they also must understand the nuances of meditation. According to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), meditation refers to a variety of practices that help you focus on your mind and body. It has a lot of benefits, according to a 2012 survey 1.9% of US citizens practiced meditation and NCCIH also explains that it helps not just with anxiety, stress, depression, pain but also with withdrawal symptoms of nicotine, alcohol or opioids.These claims were also supported by a recent study done on opioid cravings which revealed that mindful meditation can actually help nullify these cravings.What is Opioid Addiction?MedlinePlus explains that opioid addiction is  a long-term illness where people feel a very strong, uncontrollable need to use opioid drugs, even if they don't need them for pain anymore. Opioids are a group of medicines that affect the body's nerves to make you feel good and less pain. Doctors sometimes prescribe these, like oxycodone or fentanyl, for really bad or ongoing pain. But some opioids, like heroin, are illegal and only used to get high.When someone is addicted to opioids, they have a powerful urge to use them again and again. This can happen even if they were first prescribed the medicine by a doctor and took it as they were told. Many of these prescription opioids end up being misused or given to other people. People who become addicted might start to care more about getting and using the drugs than anything else in their life, which can cause big problems with their work and family. Meditation's Impact on Opioid CravingsAccording to research published in the JAMA Psychiatry in April 2025 there is encouraging news for those battling opioid addiction. The research showed that practicing mindfulness meditation can have a significant impact on reducing the intense urges to use the drug. In fact, when compared to standard support groups, people who learned mindfulness techniques experienced a remarkable 50% decrease in their opioid cravings. This suggests that training the mind through meditation could be a powerful tool in helping individuals regain control over their desires and move towards recovery.Opioid addiction diminishes the brain's capacity to experience natural rewards, fueling drug cravings. This research indicates that mindfulness training can help rebuild this ability, lessening cravings and potentially preventing opioid misuse by enhancing responses to positive stimuli. The study utilized Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), an eight-week program combining mindfulness meditation with cognitive behavioral therapy and positive psychology. This comprehensive approach targets addiction, emotional distress, and chronic pain, addressing the multifaceted challenges of opioid dependence.Brain Changes and Emotional Regulation Through MindfulnessUsing brain imaging and other measures, researchers observed that at the beginning of the study, individuals with opioid addiction showed a weaker response in their brains when they looked at things that are typically joyful, like happy babies. This reduced ability to feel positive emotions was linked to stronger drug cravings. However, as participants engaged in the MORE program, their brains started to react more strongly to these positive cues.The positive findings of this study are not isolated. Earlier research on the MORE program also demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing opioid misuse, with participants showing a substantial 45% decrease over a nine-month period. This impact was nearly three times greater than that of standard group therapy. Beyond the individual benefits, economic analyses suggest that investing in MORE therapy could lead to significant cost savings for society by preventing fatal overdoses, reducing the need for expensive healthcare interventions, lowering crime rates associated with addiction, and increasing productivity in the workforce.Why More Studies Like This Should Be Encouraged?While the results of this study and previous work on MORE are very encouraging, the researchers emphasize that this is an ongoing area of investigation. They highlight the need for more extensive studies involving larger groups of people over longer periods to fully understand how mindfulness-based treatments can help the brain heal and support long-term recovery from opioid addiction. 