What is an addiction? An addiction is any habitual way of being over which we have no active control. That can be an addiction to any substance, a behavior, a way of being, even, another person. And what is so clear about addictions is, at the root of any addiction is an unmet emotion driven by a deep longing for human connection.

Emotions are the most natural experience in the human body, yet we all learned at an early age that there were ’good’ emotions and ‘bad’ emotions. We learned that ’bad’ emotions weren’t welcome and that only ‘good’ ones were allowed. If we felt fearful, shameful, hurt, angry, disconnected or unloved , we were told to ‘Be a man’ or ‘That’s not lady-like”. Pretty soon, any strong emotion arising caused an instantaneous ‘shut down’ inside. As we tried to choke it down, to turn it into something more acceptable we found it easier to turn to some thing to distract us, to help us cover up the feelings we did not want to feel. Even in the privacy of being alone, we would often fight back the tears, try to talk ourselves out of what we were feeling, denying or diminish its importance. It is this deep avoidance that leads to addictions as a way to cover up the part of our self we learned was not acceptable and kept us from the deep human connections we so desperately wanted .

Emotions became our invitation to go to war.  The instant anything arose that we or those around us felt was too emotional, all our strategies to annihilate, deny, or cover it up arose.  We fought it, resisted it, tried to explain it away; we argued with it, projected it and blamed others for it and then blamed ourselves for feeling it.  Eventually we stared to develop more long-term strategies for suppression and avoidance.  We reached for a cigarette, a drink of alcohol, a comforting food, senseless television watching, mind numbing computer gaming, shopping, sex; anything in an effort to narcotize, to put to sleep any and all so-called unacceptable emotions that might dare to raise their heads.  It’s no wonder we got caught.  We are fighting a war against an enemy that won’t give us any peace.  It’s exhausting.

If your experience of life sounds anything like this …the invitation is to finally lay down your arms and stop the war. Through this work we have seen alcoholics leave behind their need to drink; drug addicts move into deep healing and live drug-free; a young boy now clean and clear of prescription drugs and living a full and happy childhood; a man now reunited with his wife after overcoming a decades-long sex addiction.

It may be that this is your time to let your self be your authentic self, emotions and all.  Yes there is a healthy, wholesome welcoming of truth where you are able to finally let go of the chains of addiction.  If you are ready to change your experience from addiction to freedom we’re here to help…contact us now.