Now days, it seems there are new addictions springing up at every corner. There are the old school addictions like: food, gambling, alcohol, and drugs. And now there are all kinds of new addictions people face, like internet, gaming, texting and even work. People are quick to throw on a label for any type of compulsive behavior, but the bottom line of all of these “addictions” is one thing. People are having a hard time coping with life. So they look to escape their uncomfortable feelings through an activity that will momentarily distract them from their pain.
Consider this in your own life. How do you manage your stress? How often do you choose a positive activity- like going for a walk, meditating, or doing some exercise? And how often do you choose an activity that just drowns out your pain for a while like food, or substances, or mind numbing entertainment? We all deal with life. We all have a body that gets tired and craves an escape from the pressures of life. The key for us to not get stuck in addictions is to learn healthy ways to replace the negative behaviors.
Its so easy for us to look at someone stuck in their addictions and say to them: “Just stop it!”. But the solution is more complex than just stopping a compulsive behavior. This is the most effective way they know to shift their emotions. It helps them avoid pain, and experience pleasure in their life. And most likely, the behavior gives them an instant response. It shifts how they feel very quickly- so it becomes a reliable outlet for them.
They key to overcoming addictions is to fill your life with coping tools that actually meet your needs, and then there is less need to escape. The problem with healthy coping tools is that they work slowly. They don’t give us the instant escape. A piece of chocolate cake hits the spot right away, while a plate of spinach doesn’t have the same immediate effect. So, rather than focus our efforts on taking away all the chocolate, we should create the daily habit of eating the spinach first. Over time, we will feel better, and have less cravings for the thing that doesn’t serve us. There is less need for the intense behavior.
For addiction recovery to be effective, it must focus on the body, the mind, the spirit and habits of stress management. Learning new habits in these areas will give us a greater sense of well being and of self worth. When our body feels good, and our inner talk is positive and nurturing, and we know how to get quiet and experience stillness- life is an ok place to be. Then with positive habits of stress reduction, we can cope with life one day at a time. And the addictions become way less attractive, because we see the negative consequences they always bring.
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