It is a fact of life that at some point most people will experience some form of addiction. Whether it be food, alcohol, drugs, a particular person and the list goes on. Consider for a moment what your addiction or addictions may be? Is this addiction serving you? What is the impact it is having on your life and those around you?
This is simply a point of view and it is imperative that you seek help if you are experiencing an addiction. "A problem well stated, is a problem half solved".
This relates very much to the previous post on this blog called Behavioural Patterns that states "it's like hitting your head against a brick wall, knowing it will hurt yet you continue to do it over and over again and have no idea why. Then you beat yourself up for continuing to do it".
The biggest thing that perpetuates an addiction is unresolved past issues and the guilt and remorse associated with not being able to take charge of the situation and feeling like a failure at times when you are not able to stick to your decision to change. Therefore it becomes easier to continue with the addiction becasue of the dopamine (feel good hormone) and it becomes easier to not tell people you will change or make the effort to change to avoid the overwhelming sense of failure and embarrassment for not being able to shake it. It is also a common approach in behavioural science that "what resists persists" or "what you repress you express". This relates directly to the concept that when you try to push something away, pretend it's not there or cover it with over posititive thinking, it will often be the very thing that haunts you and keeps coming back over and over again.
The thing about addictions is initially it can be a psychological thing where you find solace in an activity, certain behaviour or self medication with toxcic substances (including foods). Then it becomes a physical thing causing an addiction to dopamine, spikes in blood sugar, an adrenaline rush and all up, on every level (at the time) makes you feel good when you may think your life is not good at all. So then the process of breaking the addiction becomes what seems a mammoth, overwhelming task because your psychological and physical cravings are running our life.
What most people will try to do is get rid of things or a certain behaviour. Getting rid of a behaviour would leave a gaping hole that would most likely leave room for regression and falling back into old patterns. Always consider that it is imperative to reframe (create an empowering new thought pattern) your thinking and replace the old behaviour with a new empowering behaviour. This can be a challenging task and be gentle with yourself as it will take gradual steps and new habits will be forged over time.
Ovecoming an addiction is a process and the day you begin to stop making it wrong, bad or mean you are a failure is the day you can focus that energy and attention on looking forward, creating what you want instead of that addiction and begin to pave a new pattern of behaviour toward the life you really want. Do not feel pressure from others to change because a change made purely for you will be the change that is lasting and sustainable, but also remember that destructive behaviour does affect others, especially those who care about you.
In society, the word "addiction" tends to carry a negative stigma to it when in reality, everyone is dealing with one form of addiction or another. If you have what is labelled an addictive personality, then maybe you could shift the form of your addiction to soemthing that gives you the same dopamine hit while making you fit, healthy, occupied and happy??
Please ensure that if you feel you have an addiction, you seek professional help to deal with it and ensure you don't do the bandaid approach... ensure you deal with the deeper core past hurt, pain, decisions and thoughts that cause you to do what you do!
Love thy self!!!
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