"Self-addiction" theory and the use of meditation for addiction treatment

What is it about?

Ontological addiction is a new Buddhist concept of "addiction to self". It holds that many mental illnesses, including addiction, are due to the mistaken belief in an inherently existent self that operates independently of external phenomena. Ontological addiction theory (OAT) describes how different types of mindfulness/meditation-based practices can help to undermine such beliefs and allow a person to reconstruct their view of self and reality such that they are not excessively preoccupied by and attached to selfhood, and attachments relating to self. The paper examines OAT as it applies to addiction, shows how different mindfulness-based practices can be used to address addictive behaviors and suggests future research avenues for assessing and comparing MBIs in the treatment of addiction.

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Why is it important?

It is argued that Buddhism offers important insights into the nature of selfhood and reality that can be put to practical use in tackling a range of mental illnesses and addictions. There is still much work to do to in examining how different types of meditation techniques can help to overcome addiction and relapse, and it is argued that clinical psychology must also include a spiritual dimension to properly investigate and tackle the root causes of mental illness and addiction.