Nobody sets out in life and decides that they’re going to be an addict. It’s a well known fact that addiction is a lifestyle that is unhealthy and very costly to an individual, as well as everyone involved in that individual’s life.
The first thing people generally think about when the world ‘addict’ comes up is drugs. Though this is a correct thought, being an addict doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re addicted to drugs. Anyone can be an addict, and there are many different compartments into which an addict can fall.
The nine most popular addictions in the world are alcohol, smoking, drugs, food, internet, video games, work, shopping, and sex. That’s quite a broad list. Though many people are pretty dependant on a substance, what qualifies as an addiction?
The real definition gets complicated, but an addiction is a brain disease that affects the reward portion of your brain. Addiction changes the brain and tricks your body into thinking you need more of whatever it is that makes you feel good. This is why with substances, you can have too much of the thing that makes you feel good, so that it eventually makes you feel bad. And an addiction is never healthy for your body, those who have substance addictions like drugs or alcohol usually need to visit local treatment centers located in BC or wherever they are located, to help them get back to their normal life.
But it doesn’t always go this far – you may be able to sort it out on your own. Seeing as anybody can become addicted to about anything, here are some things you can be doing to ensure you live an addiction free lifestyle.
Learn to Deal With Pain in a Healthy Way
It’s a well known fact that people who are susceptible to addiction are generally people who are seeking an outlet to help them deal with, or mask their pain. The person usually doesn’t have a healthy way of dealing with their pain and emotions so they turn to an addictive substance to make them feel better.
At first, this way to mask the pain might not be so bad, but when the person returns to it time after time, it becomes a problem and an addiction, and will actually wreak further havoc on their lives. The secret for the individual who seeks to live an addiction free life is to learn to forgive and work out their emotions instead of stuffing them or masking them.
Seek Out Inner Healing
It might sound crazy, and it might sound difficult, but the way to truly live an addiction free lifestyle is to seek out an avenue that will bring inner healing. Everybody goes through traumatic things in their lives. Sometimes the simplest of things will deeply scar a heart.
A person must understand that through receiving inner healing, they will no longer have the same destructive thought patterns that lead them to a substance in the first place. This is done through things like forgiveness and repentance.
If it sounds pretty spiritual, that’s because it is. People turn to spiritual things to help them cope with life. If this isn’t your cup of tea, stick to general forgiveness of those who have hurt you. Forgiveness is a big step to finding inner healing and living out an addiction free life.
If you ever come to a point where addiction has made itself a regular presence in your life, there are traditional avenues you can take to find freedom. Best wishes in your quest for a healthy life.