What Is Refuge Recovery?

Refuge Recovery is an abstinence-based support program that exists to help people recover from drug and alcohol addiction or compulsive behaviors. The peer-led program is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, recognized worldwide as the Buddha and the founder of Buddhism. The structure of the program is also inspired by other peer support groups in the addiction recovery space.

Members are not required to practice Buddhism or belong to any faith, nor are they asked to believe in a god or higher power. Members attend regular meetings and engage in service work and mentorship. The fellowship follows the text Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction, by Refuge Recovery’s founder, Noah Levine. Some members attend Refuge Recovery as an alternative to faith-based peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or in addition to these programs.

Learn more about Refuge Recovery, including its roots, its guiding principles, its founding story, and more.

The Founding Of Refuge Recovery

Refuge Recovery was founded by Noah Levine, a Buddhist teacher and author, and a person in long-term recovery for substance use disorder. Levine first founded Against the Stream Meditation Society (ATS) in Los Angeles in 2008 for people interested in learning more about Buddhism. As ATS developed, Levine learned that many attendees also had histories of substance abuse and vocalized feelings of disconnect with traditional 12-step programs. As a result, Levine started Refuge Recovery, combining Buddhist principles with elements of peer support groups for addiction recovery.

The Roots Of Refuge Recovery

Refuge Recovery is inspired by 2,600 years of Buddhist teachings as well as 80 years of addiction recovery peer support groups. Through Refuge Recovery, members follow the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to learn and practice accountability, develop healthy coping skills, guide other members who are new and/or struggling, participate in fellowship, and more.

Members are encouraged to regularly attend meetings, read Refuge Recovery literature, and find a sponsor to guide them through the program. Refuge Recovery groups operate independently but are supported by Refuge Recovery World Services, a nonprofit organization that supports the program as a whole.

The Four Noble Truths And The Eightfold Path

The Refuge Recovery program is guided by Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path. The notion that the human experience is synonymous with suffering is a fundamental part of the Buddha’s teachings, known as Dharma.

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path function as a guide to liberation from suffering and the ability to move towards freedom and enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths are as follows:

1. There is suffering.
2. There is a cause of suffering.
3. There is an end to suffering.
4. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering.

The Noble Truths are read aloud at the beginning of every Refuge Recovery meeting. These truths acknowledge that addiction exists, there is a cause and an end, and there is a pathway toward recovery and liberation.

In the meeting text, the Four Noble Truths are introduced as follows:

1. We take stock of all suffering we have experienced and caused as addicts.
2. We investigate the cause and conditions that lead to addiction and begin the process of letting go.
3. We come to understand that recovery is possible and take refuge in the path that leads to the end of addiction.
4. We engage in the process of the Eightfold Path that leads to recovery.

The Eightfold Path

While the Four Noble Truths acknowledge there is a way out of addiction, the Eightfold Path outlines how to start and continue on that pathway. By following these practices, Refuge Recovery members believe it is possible to recover from addiction and foster a deeper understanding of oneself, each other, and life overall. Refuge Recovery members are guided to continuously work on all facets of the Eightfold Path to find and maintain freedom from addiction.

The Eightfold Path is made up of the following practices:

• understanding: one must understand that abstinence from all addictive substances, behaviors, and habits is necessary to remain free of distraction
• intention: one must take steps to change negative thought and behavioral patterns and habits associated with their addiction, and set forth to meet their pain with compassion
• communication and community: one must turn to their recovery program and fellows as a source of guidance, support, and reprieve
• action and engagement: one must continue to abstain from substances, behaviors, and habits that can lead to suffering, and use meditative training to practice forgiveness to people who have harmed them as a result of addiction, and make amends to those they have harmed
• right livelihood and service: one must offer support to other people in the form of time, care, and resources, and must consider whether their source of income causes harm to others
• effort and energy: one must commit to daily yoga, meditation, and rightful action
• mindfulness meditations: one must practice mindfulness meditations to understand the root cause of their addiction and remain present in their lives
• concentration meditation: one must practice concentration meditations to refrain from succumbing to impulses and remain focused during times of high stress

Refuge Recovery Meetings And Retreats

Refuge Recovery members can participate in regular in-person and virtual meetings, as well as attend retreats. Meetings begin with a simple introduction to the program, followed by a reading about the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. To open the meeting, the group participates in a 20-minute meditation. Afterward, a speaker discusses a topic as it relates to recovery, or a chairperson introduces a reading from the literature. Members who wish to speak on the reading or topic are invited to do so for three to five minutes. The meeting closes with a request for donations, standard announcements, and a reminder of confidentiality.

Refuge Recovery retreats are held throughout the year to help members strengthen their relationship with themselves, each other, and the program. Members are encouraged to attend silent meditation retreats each year, though doing so is not required. These retreats offer the opportunity to be mindful of one’s activities and experience freedom from distractions.

Differences Between Refuge Recovery And Other Peer Support Groups

While Refuge Recovery is similar in scope to peer groups like AA and NA, there are a few key differences.

Some of the main differences between Refuge Recovery and 12-step programs include:

• Refuge Recovery does not follow a 12-step program but is guided by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These Buddhist teachings maintain that suffering is part of the human experience, but specific efforts can reduce or eliminate suffering.
• Refuge Recovery does not support the disease model of addiction, like AA and NA do. Rather, it follows the teachings of Buddhism, which perceive attachment and craving as the main causes of suffering. In this view, addiction is a severe form of attachment that results from the desire to use pleasure to avoid pain.
• Refuge Recovery does not require members to surrender to a higher power. Instead, members may have a religious affiliation or no affiliation at all.
• Refuge Recovery is not restricted to drug and alcohol addiction. Members may seek freedom from all forms of addictions and compulsive behaviors, including substance abuse, gambling, shopping, sex, technology use, work, and more.

The Effectiveness Of Peer Support Groups

Although more research is needed into the effectiveness of peer support groups, studies examined by the Recovery Research Institute and published in scientific journals indicate that they provide many positive benefits, including improved relationships with treatment providers and social supports, reduced rates of relapse, and more.

Find Freedom From Addiction

Although traditional 12-step peer support groups like AA and NA are more widely known, other peer-led programs like Refuge Recovery exist to accommodate different beliefs, values, and lifestyles. Some people experience benefits from participating in both traditional peer support groups and Refuge Recovery, while others prefer one over the other.

Here at Bedrock Recovery Center, we offer AA, NA, Refuge Recovery, SMART Recovery, and other peer support groups in order to meet a wide variety of client needs and preferences. Call us today if you’re interested in learning more.