Many times we avoid focusing by denying the addiction. Whether the addiction is to a substance (e.g. a drug, nicotine, alcohol, hemp, cannabis, ice, weed, painkillers, sugar, sleeping tablets, steroids etc), activity or experience (e.g sex, food, partying, gambling, shopping, hoarding, romance, housekeeping, exercise, illness etc), you will know you are addicted, because you feel good ONLY in the presence of the substance, activity or experience and you seek it out at all costs regardless of what/who is disrupted or destroyed.

For those whose addiction is sex, It could be seeking to always have sex or not having any sex at all. It is one thing to consciously abstain from sex as you work through some release, but if you just find yourself over time feeling low whenever you engage, you may be addicted to not having sex and need to work through the issues causing this.

The impact of addiction is that it reduces our freedom to experience life more fully and at its worst it is life threatening. Having an addiction could be an hormonal or physiological imbalance. It could also be about your diet and so it is worth getting this check out.

In most cases, emotional-somatic blocks are behind addictions. There are often triggers, trauma and beliefs causing us to seek the particular leverage outside of us. The feelings behind addiction could be low self worth, peer pressure, fear of abandonment, seeking love, loneliness, seeking escape, stress, feeling high work demands, or imbibing messages from social conditioning via films, videos etc. It is not unusual for a recovering smoker to reach for a smoke after watching a favored hero smoking. As one recovers, you may feel the craving, but you no longer act on it. The hold, the hook, the attachment of the trauma has been released. It is possible.

Addiction is a symptom of our inner world struggle. Recovery requires personal focus and realistic recovery goals. It may be more helpful to work at reduced access rather than to go for total abstinence straightaway. Each person is different. Recovery may require many failed attempts at your recovery goals before you know what will work for you. It can take some trails before reaching true zero tolerance.

Zero tolerance is the threshold point when you become completely internally motivated to reach your recovery goals.

I remember recovering from addiction to sugar and chocolates. It was a daily struggle. Sugar and chocolates started out being a simple solution to daily stress but they soon turned out to be a deadly vice. My blood sugar levels went sky high. I only felt good when eating chocolate or having very sweet tea/coffee. I could not cut down no matter how much advice I received. Or I would cut down and then start again weeks or months later. I avoided any focus to identify my triggers, memories, beliefs or emotional blocks causing the addiction. After many failed attempts at stopping, I realized that most of all, I did not feel safe.

I needed to create a safe space with a professional as there was no one person that could really hold this space around me.

I tried a number of different modalities including mindfulness, Trauma Informed coaching, counselling, energy healing, hypnosis, inner child work etc. I knew I needed help and took the steps I needed again and again to work through my inner issues. I am glad I did not give up. It took a couple of years but I tell this personal story so you know It is possible.

Recovery can be lonely. You find yourself having to create distance between you and those who still access the substance, activity or experience. But they may be your only circle, so having a safe space or group who understand what you are going through and are non-judgemental is critical.

Everyone has ego selfs with one vice or another. However some of these vices cause disruption, dis-ease or even significant pain and suffering in our lives.

Are you addicted to romance such that you break up relationships when they are no longer in the honeymoon stage?

Are you a parent, who is so attached to drinking/smoking/exercise/shopping, that you find yourself prioritizing drinking/smoking/gym/shopping over absolutely everything even your parenting responsibilities?

Do you seek them even when they are causing financial drain?

Do you seek experiences of worry and will always always find something to worry about, taking pleasure in pointing them out and rationalizing that you are doing the right thing?

Do you find yourself seeking the same types of personality in partners that are a serious mismatch, feeding your addiction to pain?

Are these vices causing turmoil in your life?

Are you ready to get help?

Are you ready to focus on the inner blocks that lie behind your addiction?

Are you ready to create the safe space within, which is absent?.

It is important to be aware of our ego self vices and to check them especially if we become addicted. Some addictions like drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, sugar etc can lead to ill health, disease and life threatening disorders.

You deserve a life free from addiction. You deserve to engage and embrace the power already within you to make healthy choices in your life. It is possible.

Take the steps you need with self compassion, love and care. You deserve it. I wish you a soulfull rich purpose driven abundant life.

NEXT STEPS

I am a Clarity and Emotional Freedom Coach. More about me here

If you are interested in experiencing a change in your outlook, outcomes ot experiences and want to work with me as your coach using this tool as part of my system of cultivating EmotIonal Intelligence, check out my SMITT Emotional Mastery program here

Access my free resources toolkit here

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