2023 Conference Program Book

CLOSING PLENARY

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

We are all vulnerable to craving. Whether it’s a compulsion to constantly check social media, overeat, smoke, excessively drink, or any other behavior, we may find ourselves uncontrollably repeating. Why are bad habits so hard to overcome? Is willpower more myth than muscle? Can we learn how our minds work, and even tap into this very process to find a key to conquer the cravings we know are unhealthy for us and foster our natural capacities for awareness and kindness? Drawing on his clinical work, research studies and development of next-generation therapeutics for habit change, Dr. Brewer will discuss the underlying behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of why habits are formed and how mindfulness can paradoxically tap into these very processes to uproot them. He will also discuss how we can apply these insights to our own lives. Jud Brewer, MD, PhD, an addiction psychiatrist, and neuroscientist brings together over 20 years of experience of meditation practice and teaching, clinical work, and neuroscience research to develop novel treatments for behavior change. His in-person and app-based training are scientifically proven to help break bad habits, and fostering flourishing, including those for anxiety (Unwinding Anxiety), emotional and stress eating (Eat Right Now) and smoking cessation (Craving to Quit). He is the author of The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love, Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits. Harnessing Mindfulness to Combat Cravings, Anxiety, Addiction, and Habits Jud Brewer, MD, PhD Associate Professor & Director of Research and Innovation, Mindfulness Center

DAY 2

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