Addiction is mostly about running away from feelings. Some of the most sensitive people become addicts. So we need to learn how to sit with sensations like craving and restlessness, rather than trying to quell those feelings with drugs, alcohol, or whatever the addiction may be.

When you’re looking for a fix, you’re agitated and tight. You might feel like a pressure cooker with no way to let off steam. When we suffer in this way, we often use crutches like food, exercise, shopping, and sex to feel better. Addiction is when the...