We’ve all had that “just one more” moment—just one more cookie, one more cup of coffee, one more scroll through social media. While some habits are harmless in moderation, others can snowball into patterns that steal our time, health, and peace of mind. Whether it’s sugar, soda, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, gaming, gambling, or even hours lost in the glow of your phone, the good news is this: you are not powerless.
Through a powerful blend of mindfulness practices, essential oils, and emotional energy work, you can reclaim control and create the freedom you crave.
Understanding the Pull of Addiction
Addiction—whether to substances or behaviors—alters brain chemistry, rewiring our reward system to crave the “hit” of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals (Volkow et al., 2016). While substance addictions like alcohol, nicotine, or sugar involve a physical dependence, behavioral addictions—such as gaming, gambling, or compulsive scrolling—can be just as consuming. The underlying mechanism is the same: repeated exposure to a stimulus that triggers pleasure leads to stronger cravings and weakened self-control (Pine Rest, 2023).
The encouraging news? Recovery isn’t always a straight road through clinical treatment alone. Many “natural recoverers” have kicked habits by building self-awareness, using supportive tools, and making intentional lifestyle changes (Harvard Health, 2012).
Mindfulness: The First Step Toward Freedom
Mindfulness helps you notice the urge before it turns into action. It strengthens the “pause button” between craving and choice. Simple practices like deep breathing, meditation, gratitude journaling, and mindful movement can regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and reframe your relationship with urges (Garland et al., 2014).
Pair mindfulness with intentional self-care, and you start to rewire the brain toward healthier rewards.
Essential Oils: Nature’s Support System for Recovery*
Aromatherapy works through the olfactory system to influence mood, memory, and emotion—areas of the brain directly connected to craving and habit loops (American Addiction Centers, 2021). Essential oils can help manage withdrawal symptoms, regulate mood, and reinforce emotional stability during recovery (Avenues Recovery, 2024).
2. Choose According to Your Challenge:
Tobacco / nicotine: Black pepper, angelica, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, sweet orange, Roman chamomile (Avenues Recovery, 2024).
Alcohol withdrawal: Ginger, lemon, lavender, black pepper, geranium, fennel, grapefruit, mandarin, rosemary, Roman chamomile (Avenues Recovery, 2024).
Appetite, sugar, food cravings: Grapefruit oil helps suppress appetite and reduce withdrawal-related stress (Avenues Recovery, 2024).
Anxiety, mood regulation: Bergamot, lavender, lemon—promoting calm and uplifting states (Avenues Recovery, 2024).
Behavioral addictions:
- To enhance self-control: Adaptiv, bergamot, Spanish sage, MetaPWR, pink pepper, manuka, Beautiful, HD Clear.
- To help with distraction: InTune, Thinker, Abode, lemon, rosemary, Northern Escape, guaiacwood, litsea, Balance, Harvest Spice.
- To enhance restful moments: Frankincense, myrrh, rose, Hawaiian sandalwood, cypress, Forgive, Frankincense, Integrity.
- To energize: Lemon, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, juniper, coffee, Fat-Free Body Oil, eucalyptus, inula, cinnamon, cedarwood, holy basil.
The Missing Link: Clearing the Root Cause with Emotional Healing
Many addictions—whether physical or behavioral—stem from trapped emotions, unresolved trauma, and limiting beliefs. This is where The Emotion Code®, The Body Code™, and The Belief Code® from Discover Healing come in.
- The Emotion Code® helps identify and release trapped emotions stored in the body that can drive addictive behaviors.
- The Body Code™ addresses imbalances in the body—physical, emotional, and energetic—that contribute to cravings or compulsive patterns.
- The Belief Code® targets and clears faulty beliefs that keep you feeling stuck, such as “I can’t change” or “I need this to cope” (Discover Healing, n.d.).
By combining these techniques with essential oils and mindfulness, you address the addiction from all angles—mind, body, and spirit.
Creating Your Victory Plan
- Identify your triggers. Keep a journal to notice when cravings strike.
- Choose your oils from the list above to match your biggest challenges.
- Practice mindfulness daily—even 5 minutes makes a difference.
- Release trapped emotions and limiting beliefs through Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code sessions.
- Celebrate small wins and track your progress.
Overcoming addictions—big or small—is not about willpower alone. It’s about creating an environment and internal state that supports your success. With the right tools, the right mindset, and the right support, victory is within reach.
Week-by-Week Structure
Week 1: Foundations & Embodiment
- Introductions & Goal Setting
- Guided diaphragmatic breathing or slow-paced breathwork (just 5 minutes/day).
- Evidence: Breathwork significantly reduces stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, improves heart-rate variability, and enhances parasympathetic activity. News-MedicalNature
- Opening discussion: Triggers, hopes, and current habits.
- Gentle movement: mindful walking or light yoga to start attuning to body-mind connection.
Week 2: Breath as Reset
- Teach cyclic sighing (focus on the exhale) and ultra-brief breath counting exercises.
- Evidence: These techniques improve mood, reduce anxiety, and promote faster recovery from stress-induced cravings. PMC+1
- Daily micro-practice: choose one—cyclic sighing or breath counting for 5 minutes.
Week 3: Mindfulness for Craving Resilience
- Practice mindful pauses and urge surfing—observing cravings without reacting.
- Evidence: Mindfulness-based interventions reduce substance misuse, cravings, and relapse by improving self-regulation. BioMed CentralHarvard HealthHealthJAMA NetworkU of U Health
- Short mindfulness audio exercise (~10 minutes) to help reduce alcohol or food intake. WIREDTIME
Week 4: Aromatherapy & Emotional Anchoring
- Introduce lavender (for anxiety/sleep), citrus oils, rosemary, cinnamon—used via inhalation or diluted application.
- Evidence: Lavender inhalation can reduce anxiety and improve sleep; other oils offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mood-regulating benefits. FrontiersPMC+1MDPIScienceDirect
- Create a personalized “craving support blend” ritual.
Week 5: Movement
- Gentle movement routines: yoga or mindful walking.
- Evidence: Yoga supports mood regulation, sleep, anxiety reduction, and helps those in addiction recovery. Verywell Mind
Week 6: Emotional Healing & Reflection
- Emotional check-in and journaling: exploring guilt, self-compassion, and recovery identity.
- Introduce breathwork for emotional release (e.g., guided holotropic or expressive breathing).
- Although preliminary, holotropic breathwork has shown potential in reducing anxiety and supporting addiction recovery. ResearchGate
Week 7: Integrative Daily Practices
- Build a daily toolkit integrating breathwork, mindfulness, aromatherapy, movement, and supplements.
- Small group sharing: which routines worked best and why.
- Dedicated “re-entry” breath + oil ritual to counter cravings or stress.
Week 8: Maintenance & Moving Forward
- Final reflections, personal recovery plans, community-sharing.
- Resources for continued growth: local mindfulness groups, online breathwork guides, certified aromatherapists.
- Emphasize ongoing support, whether through community, therapy, or peer groups.
Supporting Evidence Summary
| Practice | Benefits Explained by Research |
|---|---|
| Breathwork | Reduces stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms; improves mood and craving resilience. News-MedicalPMC+2PMC+2Nature |
| Mindfulness | Enhances emotional regulation, lowers craving and substance misuse risk. BioMed CentralHarvard HealthHealthWIREDJAMA NetworkU of U Health |
| Essential Oils | Alleviate anxiety, improve sleep, modulate mood; antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects. FrontiersScienceDirectPMC+1MDPI |
| Movement/Yoga | Reduces depression, anxiety and enhances mental health—beneficial in addiction context. Verywell Mind |
*⚠DISCLAIMER⚠ All media content created by Beyond Possibilities and the AromaVibe is intended for educational purposes only. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
American Addiction Centers. (2021). Aromatherapy and addiction recovery. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/aromatherapy-and-addiction-recovery
Avenues Recovery. (2024). Essential oils for addiction. https://www.avenuesrecovery.com/understanding-addiction/drug-rehab/essential-oils-for-addiction/
Discover Healing. (n.d.). The Emotion Code, The Body Code, and The Belief Code. https://discoverhealing.com/
Garland, E. L., Froeliger, B., & Howard, M. O. (2014). Mindfulness training targets neurocognitive mechanisms of addiction at the attention-appraisal-emotion interface. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4, 173. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00173
Harvard Health. (2012). Natural recoverers: Kick addiction without help. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/natural-recoverers-kick-addiction-without-help-201202134236
Pine Rest. (2023). Behavioral addictions: Why do I keep doing this?. https://www.pinerest.org/newsroom/articles/behavioral-addictions-why-do-i-keep-doing-this/
Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. T. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. The New England Journal of Medicine, 374(4), 363–371. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1511480
Breathwork
Nivethitha, L., Mooventhan, A., & Manjunath, N. K. (2016). Effects of various pranayama on cardiovascular and autonomic variables. Ancient Science of Life, 36(2), 72–77. https://doi.org/10.4103/asl.ASL_178_16
Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
Balban, M. Y., Morrissey, K., Cao, A., Arulpragasam, A. R., Prust, M. J., Krishnan, A., … & Spiegel, D. (2023). Breathing practices for affective regulation: Investigations into physiology, behavior, and mechanisms. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100897
Mindfulness
Bowen, S., Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2011). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for addictive behaviors: A clinician’s guide. Guilford Press.
Li, W., Howard, M. O., Garland, E. L., McGovern, P., & Lazar, M. (2017). Mindfulness treatment for substance misuse: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 75, 62–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.01.008
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
Essential Oils / Aromatherapy
Perry, N., & Perry, E. (2006). Aromatherapy in the management of psychiatric disorders: Clinical and neuropharmacological perspectives. Central Nervous System Drugs, 20(4), 257–280. https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-200620040-00001
Koulivand, P. H., Khaleghi Ghadiri, M., & Gorji, A. (2013). Lavender and the nervous system. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, 681304. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/681304
Lakhan, S. E., & Vieira, K. F. (2010). Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: Systematic review. Nutrition Journal, 9(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-42
Movement / Yoga
Field, T. (2016). Yoga research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24, 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.06.005
Sivaramakrishnan, D., Fitzsimons, C., Kelly, P., Ludwig, K., Mutrie, N., Saunders, D. H., & Baker, G. (2019). The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health-related quality of life in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16, 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0797-2
Holotropic / Expressive Breathwork
Brewerton, T. D., Eyerman, J. E., Cappetta, P., & Mithoefer, M. C. (2012). Long-term abstinence following holotropic breathwork as adjunctive treatment of substance use disorders and related psychiatric comorbidity. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(9), 795–802. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2011.0284
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