Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher
Addiction psychiatrist and bioethicist Carl Erik Fisher explores addiction and recovery from the widest possible diversity of perspectives: from science to spirituality, from philosophy to politics, and everything in between. He interviews leading experts in areas such as psychology, neurobiology, history, sociology, and more--as well as policy makers, advocates, and people with lived experience.
A core commitment of the show is we need more than medicine to truly understand addiction and recovery. The challenges and mysteries of this field run up against some of the central challenges of human life, like: what makes a life worth living, what are the limits of self control, and how can people and societies change for the better? These are enormous questions, and they need to be approached with humility, but there are also promising ways forward offered by refreshingly unexpected sources.
There are many paths to recovery, and there is tremendous hope for changing the narrative, injecting more nuance into these discussions, and making flourishing in recovery possible for all.
Please check out https://www.carlerikfisher.com to join the newsletter and stay in touch.
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher
The Zen Way of Recovery, with Laura Burges
Join me on Sunday, September 8th, at 12 PM Eastern Time (9 AM Pacific) for From Recovering to Flourishing: A Foundational Workshop.
Before spending three years in a Buddhist monastery and becoming a 3rd grade teacher, Laura Burges was exploring the world of alcohol and drugs, from opium dens in Afghanistan to a tent in Juneau, Alaska. After near-death experiences—such as blacking out and crawling through the snow—she realized she needed a spiritual solution to her addiction. This realization led her to deeply commit to Soto Zen practice. However, as she writes, "Buddhism did not cure my alcoholism." For her, something more was needed.
Now a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, Ryuko Laura Burges has a new book, The Zen Way of Recovery. In our interview, we discuss her journey, the challenges she faced, and Buddhist understandings of addiction. We explore working with the self, addressing everyday addictions like doomscrolling, and finding the balance between sticking with your path versus seeking other teachings. We also touch on the concepts of tanha (thirst/craving), shenpa (sticky, afflictive emotions), radical responsibility, and the paramitas, which are moral practices essential for recovery.
Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. Her latest book from Shambhala Publications is The Zen Way of Recovery, an Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. She lives in San Francisco.
In this episode:
- Meditation in Recovery program at San Francisco Zen Center (hybrid/online twice a month)
- that group’s very good, free publication: 9 Essays: Buddhism & The 12 Step Model of Recovery
Laura’s books:
- Buddhist Stories for Kids: Jataka Tales of Kindness, Friendship, and Forgiveness
- The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction
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