We may assume that having an addiction is linked to major drugs, crime and serious behavioural problems. However an addiction is a dependency on a substance, person, object or behaviour pattern. People become addicted to various things including alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, work and shopping. Many people these days are addicted to wi-fi, social media and their mobile phones. While some addictions such as exercise can be considered “good”, all addictions over time have negative consequences like health and financial issues.
Ask yourself can I live without…(coffee, chocolate, wi-fi, exercise, wine etc…)? Is this behaviour or substance in control of me? Do I need a break from this behaviour or substance? Would I benefit financially or health-wise if I had less of this or none of this behaviour or substance in my life? Am I willing to give it up?
Whatever you are addicted too and believe you can’t live without, reflects a deep inner dissatisfaction that you are attempting to cover up by distracting yourself. Getting sober, not running into the casino or putting your phone down, means facing reality and the people/emotions/issues in it. This may feel overwhelming and threatening at first, so you need to learn to trust that the world is a friendly safe place and that you can face and deal with your emotions another way.
Kinesiology
Luckily Kinesiology has many tools to support people with addictions such as positive affirmations! Try repeating the following sentences to yourself:
- I am able to say “NO!”
- I invite only those I like into my sacred space.
- I choose to believe in my ability to change my vibration.
- The world is a safe, friendly place.
- I choose to deal with my emotions without becoming overwhelmed.
- I release the need for ……insert addiction………..to make me feel good.
Dietary support can come from protein rich foods, which can help to stabilise your blood sugar and help you feel less up and down. Meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, quinoa and dairy products will provide protein.
Avoiding sugary foods, alcohol and caffeine which can also trigger cravings for all sorts of addictive behaviours, so cut these out altogether.
Ultimately you will need support and time to heal your addiction. Expert professional help should be sought – a process of unpacking your issues with a trained health professional will give you tools to deal with your life without the need for addictions.
CASE STUDY FROM MY CLINIC
Dave owned a real estate agency and had a busy, stressful life. He used cocaine to help him feel awake, topped up with shots of espresso and cigarettes during the day. He then used alcohol and marijuana at night to help him relax.
Testing his adrenals revealed how weak, stressed and dehydrated Dave was. I knew that simply getting him to drink water would make a huge difference to Dave’s energy levels. Beginning his detox journey, we agreed that he would firstly stop the cocaine and marijuana.
Dave’s body communicated that a source of stress for him was his father. He explained that his father had walked out on him, his mother and his little sister when he was seven. He had grown up over night becoming the man of the house and was left in charge of his sister while his mother cooked and cleaned. Dave explained that he felt he would never be taken care of. His relationships with women were short-lived as he would end them as soon as the girl got too close to him emotionally.
Dave began to realise that he was frightened that the girl would reject him and leave him. He didn’t believe that she would stay and take care of him forever, so he would end the relationship before he could get hurt.
We used the flower essence Chestnut Bud for helping him to learn from his mistakes and appreciate that the world is a friendly place where he didn’t need to keep defending himself.
I prescribed a chromium supplement to help stabilise his blood sugar and reduce cravings. We worked on Dave’s confidence in his ability to change, using the affirmation “I choose to believe in my ability to change my vibration”.
By focusing on other strategies when you have a craving, you can help refocus your attention and begin to break your habit.