Scientists at the University of California San Diego have discovered something amazing about fighting opioid addiction. They found that a special type of therapy called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, or MORE for short, can actually help fix the brain so people can feel happy and enjoy life again without needing drugs.
The study was published in a famous medical journal called JAMA on April 30, 2025. This research gives us new hope in the fight against opioid addiction, which has become a huge problem across America.
What Happens When Someone Gets Addicted to Opioids
Many people start taking opioid pain medicines because a doctor gave them the pills to help with pain. About 50 million Americans deal with chronic pain every year. But sometimes, people who take these medicines for a long time start to need more and more of them to feel okay.
When this happens, something bad occurs in their brain. The brain stops being able to feel joy from normal, everyday things that used to make them happy. Things like seeing a beautiful sunset, playing with a puppy, or watching a baby smile don’t make them feel good anymore. This makes them want to take more opioid drugs just to feel a little bit normal.
It’s like the brain forgets how to be happy naturally. This creates a dangerous cycle where people need higher and higher doses of opioids, which can lead to serious addiction problems.
What is MORE Therapy?
Dr. Eric Garland, a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, created the MORE therapy program. Dr. Garland also works at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, where he studies how to help people feel better.
MORE stands for Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement. It combines three different ways of helping people get better. First, it teaches mindfulness, which means learning how to pay attention to the present moment and stay calm. Second, it uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people change negative thoughts and behaviors. Third, it includes positive psychology techniques, which focus on building happiness and meaning in life.
The goal of MORE is to help people with addiction, emotional problems, and chronic pain all at the same time. It teaches special skills to control drug cravings, manage pain better, and most importantly, learn how to feel joy and happiness from normal life again.
How the Scientists Studied MORE
The researchers wanted to see if MORE really works, so they did a careful study with 160 people. All of these people had chronic pain, and some of them also had problems with opioid addiction.
The scientists had the people do a special task where they looked at pictures of things that should make them feel good, like cute animals, beautiful nature scenes, and happy families. While they looked at these pictures, the scientists used special machines to see what was happening in their brains.
Some of the people who were at risk for opioid problems were put into two different groups. One group got eight weeks of MORE therapy with a counselor working with them one-on-one. The other group got regular group therapy sessions. Then the scientists checked to see how well each type of therapy worked.
What the Scientists Discovered
The results were really exciting. The people with opioid addiction had a big problem in their brains. When they tried to enjoy looking at happy pictures, their brains barely responded. It was like their brains had forgotten how to feel good about normal, healthy things.
This brain problem was directly connected to how much they craved opioids. The less their brains could feel good naturally, the more they wanted drugs.
But here’s the amazing part: MORE therapy actually helped fix this brain problem. After eight weeks of MORE therapy, people’s brains started responding better to positive images. They could feel happiness and joy from normal things again. And when their brains got better at feeling good naturally, their cravings for opioids went down by 50 percent compared to people who got regular group therapy.
This means MORE therapy doesn’t just help people resist drugs – it actually helps heal their brains so they can be happy without drugs.
MORE Therapy Has Been Tested Many Times
Dr. Garland and his team have been working on MORE therapy for 20 years. They’ve tested it in more than 10 different studies with over 1,000 people total. The National Institutes of Health, which is the government agency that funds medical research, has supported this work.
In the biggest study, which included 250 patients, MORE therapy reduced opioid misuse by 45 percent after nine months. That’s almost three times better than regular group therapy. Even more impressive, half of the people who got MORE therapy had much less chronic pain.
Another study published in 2023 showed that when MORE therapy was added to regular addiction treatment, people were 42 percent less likely to start using drugs again. They were also 59 percent more likely to stick with their treatment instead of dropping out.
MORE Therapy Saves Money Too
The research shows that MORE therapy doesn’t just help people – it also saves society a lot of money. For every dollar spent on MORE therapy, there are $798 in savings. These savings come from preventing deadly overdoses, reducing healthcare costs, keeping people out of jail, and helping them be productive at work.
Over a person’s lifetime, MORE therapy is estimated to save $320,216 per person treated. That’s a huge benefit for everyone.
Getting Help for Opioid Addiction
Dr. Garland explains that opioid addiction makes it hard for the brain to experience natural, healthy pleasure. This drives people to crave drugs more and more. But MORE therapy helps restore the brain’s ability to feel good naturally, which reduces cravings and can prevent opioid misuse.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, it’s important to know that help is available. Places like Apex Recovery provide professional treatment and support for people dealing with addiction. They understand that addiction is a medical condition that affects the brain, and they offer evidence-based treatments to help people recover.
Treatment centers like Apex Recovery often use therapies similar to MORE, combining different approaches to help heal both the mind and body. They provide a safe, supportive environment where people can learn new skills and strategies for living without drugs.
What This Means for the Future
Dr. Garland says this study is an important step forward, but more research is still needed. Scientists want to do bigger, longer studies to fully understand how treatments like MORE can help heal the brain and support recovery from opioid addiction.
The good news is that MORE therapy has already been proven to work in many rigorous studies. Dr. Garland believes it’s time to work with government officials, healthcare organizations, and groups managing money from opioid lawsuit settlements to make this treatment available across the country.
The Brain Can Heal
One of the most hopeful things about this research is that it shows the brain can heal from addiction. For a long time, people thought addiction permanently damaged the brain. But this study proves that with the right treatment, the brain can learn to feel joy and happiness naturally again.
MORE therapy teaches people mindfulness skills to stay calm and focused. It helps them change negative thought patterns that contribute to addiction. And it specifically works to restore the brain’s ability to feel pleasure from healthy, natural experiences.
This is different from just trying to avoid drugs. Instead of only focusing on what not to do, MORE therapy helps people rediscover what makes life worth living. It helps them find meaning, joy, and satisfaction in everyday experiences that don’t involve drugs.
Hope for Recovery
The opioid crisis has affected millions of families across America. Many people feel hopeless when they or their loved ones struggle with addiction. But research like this shows that recovery is possible, and that science is finding better ways to help people heal.
MORE therapy represents a new understanding of addiction treatment. Instead of just trying to stop drug use, it focuses on healing the underlying brain changes that drive addiction. By restoring the brain’s natural ability to feel good, people can find lasting recovery and build meaningful, satisfying lives.
Treatment centers like Apex Recovery are at the forefront of providing these kinds of comprehensive, science-based treatments. They understand that beating addiction requires more than just willpower – it requires healing the brain and learning new ways to cope with life’s challenges.
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery
This groundbreaking research from UC San Diego shows that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement therapy can actually rewire the brain to help people recover from opioid addiction. By restoring the brain’s ability to feel joy and pleasure from natural, healthy experiences, MORE therapy reduces drug cravings and helps people build lasting recovery.
The study proves that addiction doesn’t have to be permanent. With the right treatment, the brain can heal and people can rediscover happiness in everyday life. This gives hope to the millions of Americans affected by the opioid crisis.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with opioid addiction, remember that help is available. Professional treatment centers like Apex Recovery offer evidence-based therapies that can help heal both the brain and the spirit. Recovery is possible, and with treatments like MORE therapy, people can not only overcome addiction but also rediscover the joy and meaning that makes life worth living.
The fight against opioid addiction is far from over, but research like this shows we’re making real progress. By understanding how addiction affects the brain and developing treatments that can heal those changes, we’re giving people the tools they need to build healthy, happy lives in recovery.
