Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction

In one word: Brilliant. I work as a therapist in a treatment center. We treat 400-500 alcoholics and addicts each year. Many people resist the Judeo-Christian themes in 12 step work. For those people, there are few viable alternative recovery roads. Noah has illuminated for all suffering addicts the Buddhist path as a road to sustained recovery from addictions. He does an excellent job highlighting the truth of addiction, solid and deep inventory to explore, the necessity of abstinence in order to recover, the actions and practices (the path) one can take to contented long term sobriety, and the joy of fellowship and mentorship to sustain us as we travel the recovery and dharma road. Refuge Recovery can serve the purpose of helping newcomers get on the road to recovery, as well as benefit those who have been in recovery for some time but who may have gotten a bad case of so-dryety over the years, and now can re-discover contented sobriety through this powerful pathway. Refuge Recovery seems well suited to those who want to do 12 step programs AND Buddhist recovery/Refuge Recovery - as well as those seeking a different path to recovery than currently dominate the recovery world. There are many wonderful books that create a bridge between meditation, Buddhism and the 12 steps. What has lacked to date is the equivalent of a `Big Book' for recovering people open to Buddhist philosophy and teachings. This book is a great 'Big Book' for the 21st century - keeping the best of what is offered in 12 step philosophy - while removing antiquated aspects and language. Refuge Recovery is a complete recovery program, which if followed, can and has brought about complete recovery from addictions of all kinds. This path laid out in this book provides a way of living that will be compatible for those seeking a non-theistic way of walking the spiritual road of recovery. As an addiction treatment professional, I have extreme gratitude for Noah's efforts, as well as for those who share their stories in the back of this wonderful book. I hope the treatment community embraces this powerful movement. May Refuge Recovery grow and flourish, for the benefit of all beings.

Excellent book, 100% recommend.

I tried to "have more faith" and "trust god" to heal me from addiction for 30+ years to no avail. Refuge Recovery was incredibly empowering for me. It game ME all the tools that I needed to put in the work and start recovering. 18 months sober from my addiction thanks to the four foundations of mindfulness and the heart practices of loving-kindness, campassion, appreciation, and equanimity. You can do this.

Great book. Interesting to read the scope of the reviews. Is the book perfect? No, but it's very good. Would I have done things in a different order? Yes, probably. Is it the 12 steps reworked? Definitely not, but the Dharma and the 12 Steps naturally share some core principles. Is it better than the Big Book? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. It's clearly filled a void for a lot of people, myself included, and I'm grateful for it. The fellowship is spreading, and later this month we're starting a meeting in our area. If you have any interest in meditation and/or Buddhist principles being integrated into your or a loved one's recovery, this is simply a must read. Get involved. Create the community you seek. If your're reading this and you're stuck in hell, there is a way out my friend, but you have to take a step in the right direction. This can be that. Be well.

Awesome product

Simply put it's a great book. I do not have a substance addiction but a family member has been in and out of recovery and has a marginal appreciation for the 12 steps. I've dabbled in Eastern philosophy for years and enjoyed reading this book for that alone. It seems very clearly written and gives a basic understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, etc. as they could apply to recovery. I can see this as another possible approach to recovery for my family member. In addition, there are now Refuge Recovery meetings across the US. I will be attending one with my family member very soon. It will be our first and I'm hoping and "praying" that this approach will touch something in him that will lead to a lasting recovery and appreciation of his unique essence. I picked up a copy of Dharma Punx and am a third of the way through it. Not sure how I like it but Refuge Recovery has a whole different feel to it. All I'm trying to say is Refuge Recovery stands alone on its merits and should not be just another book to read or avoid because it's written by Noah Levine.

Everyone should read this book. It’s a great way to keep you balanced in your life. And to heal from past events by giving your tools you might not have learned before. Life will have ups and downs. That just life. It’s how we accept that and deal with both that makes the difference. We will be get out of sorts at time. And we have to deal with an imperfect world with imperfect people. How we get through that has more to do with us and our own house then expecting them to change. See if you can find a local meeting we’re people read discus and mediate together. If there isn’t one you can take the initiative to start one yourself. Four agreements is another great book to check yourself in any situation. If we all put in a little more work on cleaning our own houses. There will be more clean houses to share with each other.

Brought this book on recommendation.we like the structure of the recovery model we are starting our first meeting in Oxford UK. I have been involved in 12 step groups for years, I feel this compliments the 12 steps. But also give people an alternative.

Enlightening, prophetic, amazing, example of my favourite quote from this book, "we are born into a world that is out of touch with reality" - WOW, and this is true for me, and this book allows/ allowed me to find my reality/ my truth.

A very good approach to address addiction and recovery from a Buddhist perspective. Simple and down to earth, yet powerful advise

Noah is a damn tool but this book is great anyway. It was written by a group of people and was supposed to be released without attribution to a particular author (as Noah himself has said in the past) but the publisher demanded Noah attach his star power. The wisdom inside is mostly just ancient Buddhist philosophy and not the work of any one person. The design of the Buddhist wisdom into a modern addiction program was done by a group of people who worked together to o vent their meeting format and their simplifications of the four noble truths and eightfold path into a treatment program. If you are trapped with addiction this book can really help you, as can the Refuge Recovery meetings that happen all over North America as well as the online meetings every day.

Bought for a friend he is made up with it