Mindfulness approaches in the treatment of eating disorders, substance use disorders, and addictions

Abstract

Clinicians and researchers alike struggle to find ways to ameliorate or support current effective treatments for patients suffering from eating disorders (ED), substance use disorders (SUD), or the comorbid occurrence of both. Although mindfulness has been around for hundreds of years, its application to the field of ED and SUD is relatively new. The current chapter describes several ED and SUD interventions that use mindfulness as a core therapeutic strategy, treatments that add mindfulness to established Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments, as well as interventions that include a mindfulness component (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy) within an existing paradigm. Finally, the authors will consider the mechanisms by which mindfulness may aid in the treatment of these disorders.