The Craving Mind: Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits

Summary

A leading neuroscientist’s internationally acclaimed account of how addiction works and can be overcome, now in a ten-year anniversary edition

In this landmark book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D. (“Dr. Jud”) reveals how and why people become addicted―to cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, food, technology, and more―and how they might break free of cycles of addiction. Weaving together patient stories, personal stories, and scientific findings from his lab, he

• shows how the same learning processes that once helped our species survive have hardened over time into bad habits;
• examines how craving, addiction, and habit loops have intensified due to smartphones, social media, and algorithm-driven environments;
• expands our understanding of addiction and anxiety, revealing how substances, technology, outrage, and worry all follow identical habit-forming learning mechanisms―and why willpower isn’t the solution;
• emphasizes curiosity and awareness as tools for breaking habits and reclaiming choice in a world designed to keep us stuck.

Now updated with a new preface, Brewer’s revolutionary book shows us how to move from a craving mind to one that is capable of being present, curious, and kind.