- Emily Syphas
- November 12, 2024
Exploring the 8 Step Recovery Program: A Path to Healing
As I move deeper into my hangover-free journey, I remain open to exploring new practices and approaches to empower my journey. A few months ago, I began diving into Buddhist teachings and reading more about the 8 Step Recovery Program. This experience has been incredibly insightful, inspiring, and transformative. I wanted to share some of what I’ve learned from this journey, offering a fresh perspective for those navigating their own paths to recovery.
Unlike the traditional 12-step program, the 8 Step Recovery Program is rooted in Buddhist principles. It emphasizes mindfulness, self-awareness, and the impermanence of suffering, which I find deeply relatable and easier to digest.
The 8 Steps to Recovery
- Accepting that this human life will bring suffering.
- Seeing how we create extra suffering in our lives.
- Embracing impermanence to show us that our suffering can end.
- Being willing to step onto the path of recovery and discover freedom.
- Transforming our speech, actions, and livelihood.
- Placing positive values at the center of our lives.
- Making every effort to stay on the path of recovery.
- Helping others by sharing the benefits we have gained.
What resonates most with me is the program’s universal application. These steps are not limited to overcoming addiction to alcohol or drugs; they can be applied to anything that no longer serves us—social media, food, shopping, or even our thought patterns. This adaptability makes the 8 Step Recovery Program a powerful tool for creating a more positive and intentional life.
Addiction is part of the human condition. For some, it leads to destructive behaviors, but all of us can struggle with compulsions that distract us from pain or suffering. Whether it’s food, alcohol, work, or social media, these behaviors often serve as self-medication to cope with life’s hardships.
The Buddha understood the human mind’s tendency to chase pleasure and avoid pain, often leading to harmful cycles. His core teaching of the Four Noble Truths provides a framework for breaking free:
- There is suffering.Life inevitably involves suffering—birth, aging, illness, death, and the pain of separation or unfulfilled desires.
- Suffering is caused by craving.Our desires and attachments create a vicious cycle of craving, leading to more suffering.
- The end of craving can end suffering. Liberation comes when we relinquish addictions and let go of our cravings.
- There is a path leading away from suffering.The Noble Eightfold Path (understanding, motivation, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration) provides a way to live free from suffering.
In my journey, the 8-Step Recovery Program has helped me better understand my tendencies and cultivate a healthier, more intentional way of life. It’s not just about abstaining from harmful habits—it’s about replacing them with values, connections, and practices that nourish the mind and spirit.
If you’re curious to learn more, I highly recommend reading Eight Step Recovery by Valerie Mason-John. Recovery isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about showing up for yourself every day, even when it’s difficult, and discovering the freedom and peace that comes from living in alignment with your true self.