Kimberley L. Berlin, LCSW

Alcohol and substance abuse disorders have baffled medical practitioners for centuries. Addiction is more than a neurological or physical disorder. It is a malady that eats at the soul. "Spiritual Recovery: A Healing Path for Addiction" merges ancient wisdom with modern-day neuroscience and introduces the powerful effects of spiritual practices to heal the overall damages of alcohol and substance use disorders to the brain, body, and soul. Much has been written about spirituality and healing the brain. Little has been written about how spirituality can heal the brain from addiction. Understanding the connection between science and the human spirit casts new light on what the experience of “recovery” can mean. ("Spiritual Recovery: The Healing Path for Addiction" is a forthcoming book published by Koehler Books with a release date of April 2024).

Worldwide, there are 5.8 billion users of the internet, representing 64.6% of the population. “Digital Use Disorder” (DUD) affects an estimated 44% of our youth, and 33.5% of the adult population and falls squarely into the category of impulse control disorder. Different names are used, but whether spending hours gaming or posting on Facebook and TikTok, losing control of our technology use has become a very real problem. This is particularly true of our youth. This presentation covers 20 years of research and concludes that Digital Use Disorder is very real. From the effects on our neurobiology to our deteriorating connection with others, it’s time to have an honest conversation about what is happening to our society, and our futures. Most importantly, how to unplug ourselves and reduce our dependency is featured.

If COVID taught us anything it is that the effects of isolation on the human population are directly correlated to increases in depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide. The antidote isn’t pacifying our beings with more medication. The answer lies in engaging in spiritual practices to heal our brains. Decades of modern neuroscience research point us toward ancient wisdom practices as a pathway to mending our disconnected selves. Further, we could heal the divide in our society by focusing on what is right about each other than what is wrong. Healing our brains from negativity bias is as easy as taking a focused breath. This presentation translates scientific concepts into easy-to-understand ideas that audiences can use in their daily lives. Experiential, philosophical, and always grounded in science, this engaging talk will leave audiences with much to contemplate.