Healing the Addiction

Addictions themselves are an abandonment of self, in that they are not a healthy and loving way of dealing with painful feelings. And it is self-abandonment that causes the most fear, anxiety, and depression.

There is a wonderful anachronism for FEAR:

• False • Evidence • Appearing • Real

Much of the fear in our lives is based on false evidence. Our bodies are designed to respond with the fight or flight mechanism to real and present danger - such as being physically attacked. In the face of the real and present danger, the adrenaline flows and the blood drains out of our organs and brain and into our limbs to prepare us for fight or flight. Yet many people spend much of their time in the anxiety and stress of fight or flight when there is no real and present danger.

This is because the body responds the same way to imagined danger as it does to real danger. The body thinks that the false evidence coming from our thoughts is real. This constant state of fear and anxiety often leads to various addictions in the hope of numbing out the difficult feelings. Food, alcohol, drugs, nicotine, gambling, sex, TV, shopping, approval, attention, work, anger, rage, violence to self and others – all can be used in attempts to block out painful feelings.