On Addiction
I have been immersed in the world of holistic healing for over 2 decades, beginning in my early 20s with my own journey of unraveling from addictive and debilitating patterns of relating to myself. I have learned a lot along the way, not only about my own process, but the unique and individual processes of so many of my fellow humans doing their own work to unwind from addiction.
To be clear, yes, my journey has been around food addiction and subsequent other patterns that were causing my body and spirit grave harm, but what I have realized over these many years is that the world of addiction is vast and individual. Addiction can come in so many forms and can impact our lives in ways that we perhaps are unaware of.
Perhaps substances or food is not an addictive pattern for you but social media consumption is….or addiction to drama and conflict, or addiction to shopping and buying, or people, or suffering, or a particular imprint in a relationship, or the incessant need to fill a “hole” or “void” in our lives rather than allowing the space to be there….the list is endless.
Anything that we are doing habitually that may be interfering with our lives in way that consciously or unconsciously causes harm, absolutely falls into the category of addiction.
What I know for certain is that when we recover from any addictive pattern and really start to take a good look at ourselves, there is infinite medicine and wisdom available.
When we begin to see and feel exactly what we are numbing from, distracting from, harming ourselves with, and avoiding on the whole, we are gifting ourselves with incredible opportunities to unearth deeply embedded dysfunctional ways of living and being.
Addiction recovery is so personal...and, yet, there is a universal theme of disconnection. When we are engaging in our addictive patterns, we are not present in the moment. We are simply not there.
Understandably so.
Some of us who struggle with addiction have need to be numbed to the pain of the outer world if we have experienced high trauma. Numbing feels non-negotiable from the extreme circumstances of their lives.
Others simply did not know how to cope with some significant life events. Turning towards an array of addictions felt like the only viable option.
We absolutely do not need to re traumatize ourselves by taking ourselves back into those wounded and painful places in order to heal.
For some, the addictive patterns are habitual imprints in their ways of living and being. Whether or not they serve, they are engaging in these ways because that is what they are programmed to do. To interrupt these cycles and ways of engaging with ourselves and the world around us, is absolutely possible…with awareness, effort, practice, compassion, love, faith, acceptance, and an unwavering belief in ourselves.
To carry the flame of possibility throughout our days so as to continuously meet each moment with truth, with presence, with patience, and with a stream of connection that is unbreakable is essential in shifting these patterns.
When we are living from our truth, healing is inevitable. When we make the choice to stop hiding behind our addictive ways of living and being, anything is possible.
This truth may stir up fear and that is completely understandable. This is uncharted territory for many, many adults whom only know how to live from one addiction to another.
We heal when we choose to heal. It may sound overly simplified. In actuality it is, but making the choice to really do whatever it takes to heal is an essential step towards the recovery of our wholeness.
It is that unwavering choice that we keep coming back to over and over and over again as the path shifts, changes, hits speed bumps, knocks us down and, then, lifts us back up.
Each time we rise, we do so with more alignment, more integrity in the truth of who we are, more strength, and feeling more alive in our embodied existence.
Remember…
There is no perfection here. No end-point. The journey is a process, a work in progress, a moment-by-moment choice and every day there lies infinite opportunities to surrender, soften, love, accept, yield, receive, and accept our beautiful bodies, hearts, and souls.
Tuning into the greater flow of love and abundance and keeping our mind chatter out of the equation. Cultivating daily practices which support this state of being are essential -- meditation, yoga or other embodiment practices, mantras, and a commitment to our inherent wellbeing – must take precedence in the busyness of being a human.
Are you struggling to unwind from addictive ways of living and being with yourself and the world around you? Is there a pattern that is outdated, that you are DONE with, yet feel lost as to how to create these new imprints in yourself?
I am an expert in this realm and would be honored to be of support. Let’s connect! The best way to know if we are a good fit to work together and if you are ready to dive into this deeper level healing work is to schedule a free 20-minute clarity call. Please follow this link to schedule.
Wishing you all ease on this path of life that we are gifted to be living. These times are not easy for so many, yet I continue to hold the vision that we are all, as individuals and a collective, being propelled to ways of living that are more in alignment, truth, integrity, and guided by love.