5 Must-See TED Talks for Addiction Recovery

Inspiring TED Talks for People in Recovery 

Rebuilding your life in the wake of addiction takes time. Recovery, often referred to as a process, can stretch for months and, for some, even years. As you transform old negative patterns of thinking and behavior to embrace healthier ones, you’ll find that it helps draw inspiration from others, maybe other individuals recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, and your therapist or new experiences. As you go through your recovery journey, consider drawing inspiration from online resources too. Many TED talks about addiction recovery may help you or give you some insight into what you’re experiencing. 

 

Here are some great TED talks that may be meaningful to you if you’re recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction: 

Addiction Is a Disease: We Should Treat It Like One / Michael Botticelli

Michael Botticelli is a drug policy expert who advocates for people experiencing addiction. His work is focused on promoting national policies that are empathetic and designed to foster addiction recovery. During this TED Talk, Botticelli discusses what makes addiction a disease–and a health epidemic that affects roughly one in nine Americans. He discusses that to get the epidemic under control, it’s crucial to view substance addiction through the lens of healthcare to arrive at effective treatments. 

While today’s addiction treatment centers know that addiction is a disease, many people suffering from addiction don’t understand what makes it so. Listening to this TED Talk offers an expert perspective on addiction and the importance of recognizing it as a medical condition. He also makes a point to encourage those suffering from addiction to help end the stigma associated with this condition by “making their voices heard.”

How Isolation Fuels Opioid Addiction / Rachel Wurzman

Addiction can be a lonely experience; sometimes, recovery from powerful drugs like opioids can feel lonely too. In her TED Talk, Rachel Wurzman discusses how isolation fuels opioid addiction, but much of her discussion can also be applied to substance addiction in general. According to research, social isolation can impact the development and continuation of opioid addiction. Wurzman theorizes how human connection can enhance treatment. 

If you’re recovering from addiction, you may not always feel like attending peer group counseling sessions or your support group. Wurzman offers convincing evidence of why you shouldn’t skip these sessions and how refraining from isolating behaviors can support lasting recovery. 

A Simple Trick to Improve Positive Thinking / Alison Ledgerwood

Negative emotions are a significant trigger for relapse. During addiction treatment, clients spend a good deal of time with their therapist, trying to develop ways to cope with their negative emotions in a healthy way. They work on techniques for being mindful and learn strategies for thinking positively. Alison Ledgerwood’s Ted Talk features some unique advice for improving your ability to think positively. Maintaining positive thoughts can help you ward off relapse. Give Ledgerwood’s ‘trick’ a try and see if it enables you to dispel negative thought patterns. 

What Can You Do When You’re Flattened by Depression? Plan for It / Daryl Chen

Roughly a third of people addicted to alcohol or drugs also have a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. Emotions are often triggered for relapse. In fact, many people became addicted to alcohol or drugs because they self-medicated their mental health symptoms with alcohol and drugs. Anyone prone to depression or other mental health disorders is not only tasked with managing their addiction but also their mental health. During this TED Talk, Daryl Chen offers sound advice for planning for those seemingly inevitable downturns in the mood. Creating a ‘coping’ plan makes people more likely to be ready when their depression kicks in; they’ll have some clear, healthy coping strategies for seeing them through, which can help keep relapse at bay.

In the Opioid Crisis, Here’s What It Takes to Save a Life / Jan Rader

Jan Rader gives an informed perspective about what it’s like to be on the front lines when someone overdoses. She provides an account of her life-saving experiences, helping people overdosing on opioids like heroin manage to survive. People in recovery may find inspiring about this TED Talk because Rader emphasizes the importance of the community at large for helping people battling substance addiction and how simply listening can be the genesis for healing. 

Try these TED Talks and others when you’ve got some free time or could use some inspiration. They’re likely to provide you with both helpful information and reliable recovery coping tips.

To see how the legalization of marijuana has impacted addiction, check out our blow below:

https://whitesandstreatment.com/addiction-articles/legalization-marijuana-negative-impact/

The Legalization of Marijuana and the Negative Impact

Addiction Recovery Support at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab

When you need support during addiction recovery, WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab has many treatment centers around Florida with the help needed to overcome addiction. We offer all levels of care, from detox and inpatient treatment to outpatient and aftercare programs. Please give us a call today to learn about our resources for addiction recovery support.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.