The Truth About Addiction
Today I want to talk about addiction. I think that everyone is addicted to something. It can be alcohol, drugs, another person, sugar, power, job, etc. We all have something and that is why we should never judge anybody for being addicted.
I want to point out that addiction itself has no harm. It is a biological reality, this is just the way our body and brain work. Does it mean that you just can accept it and live with it? Almost :) The problem is not addiction itself but the way you act on it. Let's look at addiction to sugar as an example. You like sweets, your body developed receptors for sugar in its cells. And you need more and more of it. When you don't get enough, your body sends the signal to your brain: "Hey, we are running out of sugar, my receptors need more, do something". And your brain comes up with action plan on how it can satisfy your body's needs. So if you don't want to be hurt by your addiction you just shouldn't act on it. In this case when you get a signal from your body that you need more sugar, you just need to admit it, but not to eat sugar.
The key is to stay conscious and be aware of your addictions! You can say to yourself: "Yes, I have this problem, my body needs sugar (or alcohol, or a woman, etc) but I am in control here and I know that for me it would be better to do nothing about it".
The problem is that it is hard to be strong and conscious when you are stressed or tired. I noticed that if I don't have enough sleep for example, I most likely will be affected by my cravings. When you feel bad physically or emotionally you are trying to escape your discomfort. That is why it is so important to take care of your body and mind constantly. Of course we cannot always be perfect. That is why sometimes you just need to be mindful, just know about your weaknesses, that you can have some type of issues. But stay strong and don't react as much as you can.
What helps me - is the idea that nothing lasts forever. I know that even if at some point I experience pain, in a while it will go away. And if I sit through it, it will make me a little bit stronger and I will feel better in future. Sitting through the discomfort is a good investment in yourself. And addiction is nothing more than discomfort.
Remember the simple truth: when your mind is disturbed by any type of pain it cannot come up with a good solution! It will pretend that it knows what to do, but in reality all its ideas will be useless in a long run. So if you want to be free from addiction, when you get signal from your body to your brain to act on something, you need to sit through the discomfort and patiently wait until it goes away. And believe me, it will go away! I love saying "IT WILL PASS". It relates to absolutely everything in life. Good things, bad things, everything will pass.
If you think about it, your cravings or addictions are like weights in gym. You lift them and you become stronger. And I am not saying it is easy, but it is doable!
One more important thing I want to say: NEVER EVER JUDGE PEOPLE FOR THEIR ADDICTIONS!!! We all have them, so how can we judge others? We are just addicted to different things. In our society they say that if you are addicted to cocaine, you are a weak person with no future, but at the same time it is normal to say that behind any successful man there is a strong woman. I honestly don't see any difference between someone addicted to alcohol or drugs and someone addicted to the kids or husband/wife. We just have different life experiences and different karma. Please respect other people and care more about your problems than judge others for their difficulties which are not permanent and have nothing to do with their soul.
You can only solve your problem if you admit it. Take a moment and think about your life. What type of things can damage your happiness? What brings you troubles? Be honest with yourself but don't be judgemental!
My main message here is not how to get rid of addiction, but more how to be understanding to yourself and to others. WE ALL HAVE ADDICTIONS!!! This is the truth. Accept yourself the way you are and try your best to take care of yourself!
Be Strong And Love Yourself!
Love Wins!
From Dasha With Love!
PS: there is video on my YouTube Channel "Be Strong And Love Yourself" about power within, where I share my ideas about the strength that we all have. If you need some inspiration I recommend you to watch it - "Find The Power Within".