Addiction Recovery - A Crisis Of The Mind And Spirit

“We are what we think.” ~ Buddha

“No one’s happiness but my own, is in my power to achieve or to destroy.”

~ Ayn Rand

Who or what pierced a hole in my heart, my mind, and my spirit with fear? Who or what blocked the truth of my ability to trust my intuitive (heart-gut) instincts and protect myself? How did I come to the point where I believe I have no choices? When and where did these fears begin? Was it them? Was it me?

These questions are magical. They are magical because all obsessive-addictive behaviors have a

source – a story hidden behind them – the story of the ghosts of suppressed emotions and experiences, misguided beliefs, attitudes and judgments that through repeated conditioning, are carried forth in our lives, like a perpetual backpack.

But it’s only out of a deep sincerity that we ask these potent questions. It is out of the desire to take the hero’s journey inside ourselves rather than only blaming external sources for our malaise, where we can truly go to heal. And that of course, comes after we’ve snapped out of denying that we have no ability to control ourselves.

Usually, we didn’t learn strong positive communication, coping, and conflict resolution skills growing up – a form of stunted emotional and spiritual growth. So when difficult life experiences and disappointments happen, as they do to everyone, those of us who have a weakened link in our emotional/mental and spiritual foundation become the easiest to fall prey to addiction impulses.

We’ve witnessed people close to us use addiction as a form of blocking life’s issues instead of facing them and taking action to resolution. Our dysfunctional coping behaviors that are inherent in addictions/obsessions are also passed down from generation to generation, a part of what I term negative evolved fear.

No matter what the addiction of choice is, there is one thing all addictive-obsessive behaviors have in common. They maneuver from an impulsive fear-based state of mind. Addicts of all kinds struggle quietly, some violently, living in moments of false mental highs and perpetual variations of fight or flight mode – fears from true original experiences that didn’t get resolved, but instead evolved and metastasize into ongoing negative fear behaviors.. Fears migrate into everyday anxiety and worry, breaking down self-confidence and trust.

Many people accept generational addiction as a form of “physical genetic predisposition” and use it as an excuse of fate that cannot be changed. I never believed it.

I see and have experienced that instead, we pass the energy of learned emotional thought form responses on to others, rather like an emotional/mental and spiritual dis-ease that becomes a cellular memory stored in our body and our mind of beliefs, attitudes, and judgments about ourselves and the world. The truth that we are powerfully creative spiritual beings who have choices becomes blocked.

My experience has been that the greatest illusion that humanity clings to is the belief in limitation.

Our fast-paced society supports marketing quick fix drugs of all kinds to suppress problems from the moment we wake up, relate to others and progress through the day, to the moment we go to sleep at night – a form of mass blinding psychosis that does not heal, but perpetuates the root of our troubles.

This path of spiritual growth isn’t easy. It is however, the most courageous and permanently rewarding journey we’ll ever take. To be addicted is to block open communication with Spirit. As spiritual beings, our untapped gifts and talents can only wait to make conscious contact and expression in the world. Emotional freedom allows spiritual energy to flow openly. Emotional freedom is the permanent remedy and the mainline to Spirit.

In order to permanently recover from addiction/obsession behavior we must take on the challenge of healing from our dysfunctional coping skills. Then we can stop repeating that we’re a recovering alcoholic, smoker, or obsessive shopper. We can stop carrying around a perpetual label. We can say we’re healed and tell our stories on occasion to help support others in their permanently healing process!

The following list of conditions can be reasons why we find ourselves in a continual cycle of stop and start again addiction/obsession behaviors:

• We traded a “bad” addiction for a “less bad” addiction, i.e., drinking to smoking to sugar, because we feel we have to have something in order to “survive” the day

• We still engage closely with friends/family who are addictive-obsessive. No positive support base to set new and better patterns of living. We lack the confidence and trust in protecting ourselves and set no boundaries that others cannot use/do their addiction around us or in our home

• We attend a support group where a “less bad” form of addiction is enabled as a way to not go back to the “bad” addiction. i.e., smoking on premise at an AA meeting

• We attend a support group where the energy tends to run negatively by people’s complaining and blaming without an equal balance of uplifting, supportive energy.

• We’ve been taking anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety drugs long term so we don’t have to feel bad about the past or present

• The past continues to haunt us. We’re still hurting and haven’t resolved it.

• We have fears and phobias that have absolutely no basis in our present life, i.e., a fear of drowning near water. (Learning to work with our nightly dreams often reveal past life situations that were carried over into the present. Past life regression therapy with a reputable therapist can reveal and heal those particular fears)

• We participate in negative, hurtful behaviors with family and friends, such as arguing/fighting, jealousy/revenge, resentments – emotional and/or physical abuse

• We have not engaged any professional counseling therapy for a minimum of 6 months to begin emotional healing and learn positive patterns of coping and behaving (Holistic counseling encompasses mind-body-spirit wholeness.)

• We have not addressed the needs of our spirit – asking and exploring the purpose and meaning of our life. “Why am I here? What are my gifts, talents, and abilities? What can I do to share my gifts with others? What would I like to do to be of service to my community?”

• We indulge our fears and allow fear to overcome us as an excuse to DO or NOT do something.

The way to permanently end addiction behavior is to find our way back to the holes in our hearts and call back our splintered spirits. We gently, lovingly, and forgivingly journey back in time and space to gather the fragments of our true identity with the help of positive supportive people. When we heal ourselves, we are also healing the world!

Resources

Book: “Emotional Freedom” by by Judith Orloff, M.D.
Book: “The Fear Standard” by Triza Schultz
Book: “Looking Beyond – A Teen’s Guide To The Spiritual World” by James Van Praagh (Adults too!)

Books by Peter A. Levine:

“Trauma Through A Child’s Eyes –Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing”
“In an Unspoken Voice – How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness”

The Meditation Regression Series – Audio CD’s by Brian Weiss, M.D.

“Regression To Times And Places”
“Spiritual Progress Through Regression”
“Regression Through The Mirrors of Time”

Affirmation for this month – Freedom

Today, I am liberated from false fears, doubts, and worries. I remain focused in the present moment of my journey as I carry out the choices and actions true to my spirit.

Live in beauty and be well - Triza Schultz

Copyright © 2010 – All rights reserved. Permission by author to copy articles in their entirety only