Addiction

What does the face of a person with an addiction look like? How do we know for sure if we have an addiction? What are some of the visible signs that can tell us someone is suffering with an addiction? If we find ourselves asking this question, then there must be a reason, unless you are a hypochondriac. However, even a hypochondriac wouldn't want to label themselves in this way. Addiction is a disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide. Do you feel there is a lot going on in your life? Do you often find yourself feeling lost and confused about your place in the world? What do you do to cope? Remember, not everyone has an addiction. If you've experimented a few times and moved then you are probably ok, but if you keep running back to it, then I'd say, please keep reading.

One of the many fears people with an addiction have besides the idea they have to stop, is thinking what their peers will think of them, when it is discovered they might have a problem. I couldn't hide my addiction to alcohol even if I tried. Yet I was more embarrassed and humiliated by the label of being an alcoholic that I refused to even acknowledge I had a problem. We live in a society that labels everything and we feel defined by it. We don't realize there are sensitive people who don't know how to cope with their hurt. Maybe they didn't have good role models or they can't let go of a trauma or experience that happened. This doesn't change the fact we are still good people trapped inside a tormented mind. Sometimes we become good at hiding our addiction, we can become self righteous and judgmental. At some point the truth will reveal itself one way or another. Believe me, deep down inside the people who know you the best can sense when things don't feel right. Just remember, at the end of the day this is your life. There is nothing anyone but you who can do something to change that. We have to learn to become our biggest supporters.

If we repeatedly wake up after a night of heavy partying feeling nauseous, tired, cranky and dehydrated, does that mean we have a problem? Let's exam this honestly before we go running to the nearest meeting. What habits or behaviors do you feel you are exhibiting when you are under stress or pressure at work, home or just life in general? Addiction is a disease caused by our inability to cope with our own hurts. The only way to treat this is by working to get to the root of the pain. This is why it is so important we learn to express and feel our emotions and not keep them bottled up inside. When we no longer have control over our unhealthy habits, then we have developed an addiction. I thought I had control. I thought if I only drank on the weekends I didn't have a problem. However, I eventually I found myself drinking almost every day. Does any of this resonate? I find addiction has many faces. People with an addiction often don't just have one vice, they can have multiple vices to cope with their pain.

Do you understand what I mean? Are you finding there is negative pattern of behavior that is out of your control in your life? Do you find yourself constantly waking up feeling guilty about the night before, especially when you can't remember a thing? If you've answered yes then perhaps you need to take a moment to do some deep reflection. If you are still not ready to admit there is a problem, please understand you've lost the right to feel worry for yourself. You are knowingly making the choice to continue to live an unhealthy life. There are no victims here. What we didn't learn before, we have to chance to learn now. If you are ready to heal, I applaud you for being here and being open and accepting this truth. Maybe you know someone close who is suffering. If you do, please understand they have to want help. My brother was forced into rehab on and off for years but in the end we lost him. When he signed himself out the last time, he drank himself to death in the basement of my parents home. We also can't do this to keep a partner, job or friends since there could be a greater chance for a relapse since it isn't something they chose on their own.

If you are still having trouble believing you don't have a problem, even if all the signs might be pointing to it, please take a moment to ask yourselves these questions. Can you go into a bar and order a drink or maybe two, drink slowly and then stop? If you can, good for you. However, if you can't then you need to consider you might have a problem. When you feel lonely, can you just sit and enjoy your own company, or do you go searching for a one night stand? If you are bored or upset, do you reach into the refrigerator and find yourself eating when you aren't hungry? When you feel anxious or stressed, do you run to the bar or reach into the medicine cabinet and pop a Percocet, Xanax, Vicodin, etc into your mouth to feel better? People with addictions often do things without thinking about the consequences. One of the most difficult thing a person struggling with an addiction can do is admit they have a problem. It took me 20 years to finally see I had an addiction to alcohol and I needed to want to get help. I was alone and felt defeated by life when I finally found the courage to join an AA meeting. Walking into a meeting and listening to others stories only validated what I had spent years denying. I had an addiction to alcohol.

In the 1950's people were committed to psychiatric wards before addiction was even thought of as a disease. People with addictions used to be considered weak minded by narrow minded people who didn't understand. Addiction is a disease that affects the mind of the lost and vulnerable. We feel great in the beginning but over time, we will feel we only need it just to feel normal. Eventually we build a tolerance and we no longer feel the same effect we once did so we increase the dosage. This makes us feel weak and even more vulnerable. This constant vulnerability will keep us latched to our addiction when the cravings don't stop. We don't realized this needs stems from the many hurts we have been afraid to face. The death toll for people addicted to Opioids alone is on the rise and it is no wonder with everything that is happening in the world today. We have lost our sense of decency and compassion for others. Material things seem more important than learning about who we are. Life has become a competition and we lose each time a member of society overdoses, or commits suicide. This world has changed and there are people who like the old ways of thinking and living. These people don't want things to change because it affects them personally. They don't care about evolving and sadly these people are part of the problem. I want to be part of the solution. Let me help.

"There is no shame in beginning again, for you get a chance to build something bigger and stronger than before." - Anonymous

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Please feel free to email me at jackie@theaddictinme.com if you would like to setup a free consultation to help you get started on your healing journey. Suffering is not supposed to be a part of life. We are here to learn grow and evolve so we can live a happy, healthy and productive life. We can do so much more than you could imagine. Let me show you how.