At some point in life, most of us find ourselves addicted to one thing or another. Work, relationships, smart phone, food, sex, shopping.
Addictions usually start off as a defense against something we’re afraid to confront. A painful emotion. A harsh reality. We reach out for something, someone, or act out a behaviour to make us feel better immediately so we can avoid the unsettling feelings inside us.
Even for those addicted to drugs and alcohol, your path to addiction probably began long before you decided to consume drugs or alcohol excessively. You or those around you might have noticed an imbalance in your lifestyle:
- Spending more and more time at home by yourself;
- Getting obsessed about the way you look;
- Inability to move on from a relationship that has ended;
- A messy, chaotic lifestyle filled with stress, dramas and anxiety;
- Struggling to cope with a life transition.
These kinds of behaviours are often precursors to addiction. Even if you don’t end up doing drugs or alcohol, staying stuck in these behaviours can cause substantial damage and make you very unhappy.
As long as you’re obsessed with getting some kind of validation from the outside world, you’re operating under the same internal dynamics as those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Addiction is a symptom of a greater unease within ourselves. This unease, if un’treated’, can lead us into full-blown addiction that can destroy our career, relationships, self-esteem and stability.
If your addiction has cost you many things you value in life, you probably look back and regret choosing the path of avoidance. Yet, most likely, no one has ever told you the Truth: