This week on Intent, we want to hear your tips, tricks, advice, action tips and resources on getting out of addiction. What can we do today to recover from an addiction that is causing more harm than good in our lives?
Though addiction commonly refers to substances such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, addiction can also be expanded to include other behaviors and activities that a person has a psychological or physical dependence on. Harmful compulsion comes in many shapes and sizes. You can be addicted to reckless spending, overeating, playing video games, online chatrooms, coffee, overworking, gambling, procrastinating, nail-biting… and the list goes on. 
No matter how common or uncommon your addiction is, the point is this: are you in control of that particular behavior, or is the behavior in control of you? If it is more the latter than the former, what can we start doing to direct ourselves towards a more productive and healthier path?
Here are past blog posts from our Intent readers who have touched upon the topic of addiction.
- A Letter From a Reader: Michael Jackson and the Danger of Prescription Drugs
- What Is Recovery From Addiction? By Irene Rubaum-Keller
- What To Say in a 5 Minute Chance Meeting with a 21-Year-Old Alcoholic to Help Change His Life By Tamasin McGregor
Whether you want to share a personal experience of your own addiction recovery or you want to share a list of resources for addicts who are seeking help, we welcome your dialogue on this matter.
Join Intent’s mission this week to educate and inspire others on recovering from a harmful addiction. Tag your blog posts "addiction" and we will be featuring the best weekly content at the end of the week. If you simply want to share a quick message or story in the comments below, we want to hear that as well. We can’t wait to read your contributions!
Hi ,first off I hope you are having a great day. second if you are struggling with addiction I suggest you find something different to do with your time, look for something positive to do. Self help groups, physical fitness, meditation.These are good ways to start your recovery. Find some people in recovery that can relate to your situation,you don't have to go it alone.
meditation, exercise, support groups, 12-step programs, massage therapy, reiki, reflexology, a walk in the woods, a walk on the beach, one day at a time, acceptance, frienship, psychotherapy, hypnosis, search within, books, accupuncture, knowledge of addiction on a molecular level, understanding, prayer…………………….REACH OUT!
i know addiction as one of the most difficult and powerful aspects life brings………………help is necessary and so is acceptance.
PEACE
looking forward to hearing from others in order to continue to learn……………..
Thanks for this Yumi, I have been thinking of this a lot lately, as the Santa Cruz Weekly cover article for this month: Junkie Town.
Apparently there are gangs that are making heroin available so cheaply that even poor homeless people are getting hooked on the stuff.
I have been thinking about what it is that causes others to treat their one precious body this way.
Some of it seems phys
ical: the substance, be it heroin, coffee, chocolate, sugar, sex( yes sex) and on and on, becomes too difficult to resist, for a number of reasons, and off you go.
There is help out there, what Constanza shared and the above tips are useful.
For me, it was coffee and unpleasant behaviors that I have had trouble with, and the solution for me has seemed to be SUBSTITUTION and behavior mod techniques.
For coffee, I have subbed chai with vanilla soymilk, or herbal tea. I still drink coffee occasionally, but it has a limited capacity for "getting out of hand", I guess because I am strongly commited to preserving my health.
For the behaviors: yoga, meditation, some really good self help writings(lots of great writing out there), forgiveness, journaling, perseverence and so on.
If you have a serious addiction( in this case, alcohol or drugs), you have to come to terms with the fact that, like it or not, it is a LIFETIME illness, and that for the rest of your life, you must do what it takes not to go back. That is just the truth, and once you have faced that FACT, you become much better just by the acknowledging, because then you can seek the help you need.
Another thing that I have found useful is natural aroma therapy. ONLY USE NATURAL AROMAS.
Peppermint oil is very enlivening for the senses, makes you feel really good, breathing good smells. I put it in my cleaning supplies, and tiny bits in hand lotion( I don't put so much on that it is upsetting to those sensitive, although I am sensitive this way, and it is not bothersome in the way that some other smells are).
The plant/herbal smells are particular useful for many reasons, but mainly because we are naturally meant to spend more of our life outdoors, more than we do, and connecting with plants, so these natural plant oils stimulate our senses in beneficial ways, rather than by imbibing a substance.
I am not expert on the subject of addiction, but I have the feeling that at its root, it is probably treatable with many of the natural remedies, diet, exercise, behavior mod and so on. Some kinds of addictions are a bit tougher to lick, but people have done it.
Well, that is a little from me, wishing you all well, and relief from human created suffering…it is possible, have faith, and seek help. love Jas
I feel that ALL of the posts above have given excellent thoughts and ideas on how to deal with/overcome addiction. For many who are addicted, especially those who are alcholics, drug addicts, and sex addicts, this particular time of the year seems to generate many more emotional, physical, and psychological challenges. Addiction simply put, is the "inability to stop using the drug of choice/alcohol/sexual stimulator/, etc." even though the person knows down deep inside they cannot control their action. And there is a dire need to use more and more in order to keep your tolerance and get the same effect from your drug/alcohol of choice. As the disease progresses you lose tolerance, and even a few drinks and/or drugs will get you drunk and/or high. In order to begin a "recovery" process, the addict must surrender to the problem, and begin a program such as a 12 step AA program, or any program where there is 24/7 support with a network of professionals who will use their skiils to help you in recovery. In the 21st Century there are many excellent professionals and programs out there that can be of help in counselling, and support. I like the words Jas spoke, and I quote" I am not an expert on the subject of addiction, but I have the feeling that at its root it is probably treatable with many of the natural remedies, diet, exercise, behavior mod, and so on. Some kinds of addictions are a bit tougher to lick, but people have done it. " Alcoholism/Drug Addiction is a very baffling, cunning, and "controling" disease. It takes the most beautiful person and/or handsome person, who has an awesome personality, and turns that person into someone who is very difficult to live with, to understand, and/or to communicate with. As the saying goes, "The man takes the drink, the drink takes the drink, and the drink takes the man". I would just say to anyone out there who is thinking of quiting your addiction, please, please, get professional help, and know, that you will be supported by people and professionals who truly care about you. You are a good person, who deserves to live a life of joy, peace and contentment.. Contact the Chopra Centre. I know there will be someone who can direct you to the professional help you need.
Try one hour without your devil, then maybe one hour more If you make it a day that's great. The next time might be two days. Give yourself credit.
When the thought pops into your head, count to 30 and put your mind on something else. Suddenly you'll realize an hour has gone by and the thought went away. Just keep repeating this.
It may take you months or years to fully succeed. But if you keep trying, you will make it longer and longer each time. And you will set up new patterns for success each time. You will be learning coping mechanisms.
At night when you go to bed just think about how you will feel when you are not addicted anymore. Think of yourself as free from whatever your addiction is. Just put it out there and you will succeed.
Don't put yourself down for tripping up. Each time your try you learn better methods for success. Very few people make it the first few tries. You will succeed because you want to be free. Give yourself credit for each small success.
Hi All, good comments all.
And here’s another idea: I would like it if, just for the hols, people could be a bit more conscious about keeping “the drink” away from people who’s weakness it is, and provide more( or only non-alcoholic ) drink, whenever possible.
There are many delicious ciders, egg nogs, fruit punches , pepper mint spritzers(I made that up, must be a recipe!)and on that make the addition of alcohol superfluous.
For those who feel the hols aren’t celebrated without “spirits”, take care to provide the alcohol addicted with alternate drinks, and look out for them.
Blessings to all who struggle with addiction, more useful tips and health to you, you will seek and receive and success at controlling your habits.
Love to you all, Jas
Hi All, good comments all.
And here's another idea: I would like it if, just for the hols, people could be a bit more conscious about keeping "the drink" away from people who's weakness it is, and provide more( or only non-alcoholic ) drink, whenever possible.
There are many delicious ciders, egg nogs, fruit punches , pepper mint spritzers(I made that up, must be a recipe!)and on that make the addition of alcohol superfluous.
For those who feel the hols aren't celebrated without "spirits", take care to provide the alcohol addicted with alternate drinks, and look out for them.
Blessings to all who struggle with addiction, more useful tips and health to you, you will seek and receive and success at controlling your habits.
Love to you all, Jas
Hi all,
I just wanted to share that i started my first job today as a CDP-T. ( Chemical Dependancy Professional – Trainee ) It is an honor for me to be in the company of people that in their profession helped me to see the path i could choose, sober.
I am allways over filled with things to say about my experience, yet i think that i am going to let my actions say what i feel. Making it this far one day at a time, is living for me, for my family, for our children.
I have one thing to say that think "using addicts" should know. " You may be using now, and un aware of the love that is all around you in everyone – myself – and the people closest to you. You dont know this yet but we will meet when you are ready to find a new path to being well, I will continue to be as ready for you to get here, as i am at this moment. I will counsel the ones near you to be strong and hold onto hope that you are going to surrender soon to your spirituality, to your inner most hope for all that is deserving to you. For god loves boundlessly, and would want you to know the true meaning of his intentions for all of his children. If we meet, if it is my calling to be a marker in your journey in life as you seek answers to what pain causes you to loose your will to accept all that you are entitled to, that will be gods blessing on me, the answers we will find for you together will be his answer to you.
Namaste – David E
From what I have read, there aren’t any addicts/alcoholics responding to this topic. From personal experience I will throw out a few things that have gotten me through the past year and two months. Be mindful that my program is different than others, just as others are different than me. I was a serious alcoholic for about 9 years before I added cocaine into the mix of things for another 6.
It doesnt matter what beverage you put in front of a person suffering from alcoholism as a replacement for alcohol. The alcoholic mind can determine the difference between it and what ever is on the table. We dont loose our taste buds over time. Alcholism is an obsession of the mind. Being of a possitive attitude is the best thing to be any time, not just because there is an alcoholic in the room. We will sense this and if not Spiritually fit to pass it off, one may become offended. It would be no different than asking a parapalegic if he wants to lean on your arm to use the toilet. An alcoholic didnt get to where he is at on an easy street, candy coated emotions are picked up right away.
If negativity is in the atmostphere the alcoholic that is in a program of recovery will know enough to leave the situation. Its the negative thinking that gets him or her to drink, not the alcohol. Alcohol never just shot out of a bottle and into my mouth when I was still out there, it was a thought in my mind and an action of the body to get it down the esophogus.
First, a person suffering from any addiction needs a group of people that understands the disease. Most NA and AA is my suggestion. Finding a particular person or two at meetings that share a common bond such as careers or beliefs is also helpful. They also may be wise to find someone who has been clean for a good period of time. I suggest someone with 5 years or better. Some may dissagree. Most of all its important that the person they choose are “Spiritualy Fit”.
It took me about a month before my mind could determine that my body had detoxed physically from the substances. At that point I was beginning to understand what was really being said at meetings. I went to about 90 meetings over 90 days.
Progressively my spirit had lifted and found that I had to follow the steps they suggest as a road to sobriety and well being.
Acceptance of myself became the #1 thing I really had to conceive before I could go any further with my program. Once I began to do that, the doors to my mind, body and soul trully opened up. This was now about 6 months into my recovery.
As I grew spiritually I began to develop a serious desire to want to learn more about me. I started reading the Bible, but, there were still things I was in question of. By accident, I grabbed a copy of Deepak Chopra’s “The Book of Secrets” while I was at the library. When I got home and saw it I tried to figure out how it got there while the book I meant to grab wasn’t. I opened to a page that spoke of “Spiritual Sobriety” and knew that what I picked up wasn’t a mistake at all.
With an open mind I began from the first page and worked my way through it. Before I knew it I was reading Chopra’s “Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul” along with the first book.Yesterday I picked up his “Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”. Progressively, I have been able to feed my desire for knowledge and hunger even more with every page. In some ways I think this desire has become the addiction I was looking for since I was about 20 (Im 40 now)
What I am babbling about is this; No matter what we face in life, be it addiction, catastrophies, family illness or death, it doesnt matter. If we dont have a Spiritual Foundation, we can count on things being more difficult than what they should be.
The more we resist something and try to take it on ourselves, the more the opposition persists. Though in itself the opposition doesn’t get greater or weaker, our own resistance wears down and the opposition becomes the conqueror.
In my sobriety I am still able to go to a bar or establishment, or even the grocery store where alcohol is sold and as long as I am Spiritually sound with my Intent, I will not have the desire to consume what may kill me. It is and always will be there. I didnt defeat it before and I accept that. I use it now as my learning device and my teaching device to others that suffer from the same disease as I. Alcohol is no weaker or stronger than those in my program that have helped me along. It is equally important to me as a guide.
My name is Dan and I am proud today to say that I’m a recovering alcoholic/addict.
Very well put Dave E.!!!! You trully found the secret to Serenity.
Thank you everyone for sharing such personal stories, advice and pearls of wisdom that can only come from hardship. I love the dialogue that is happening here and I hope more people join in!
Simply this " Why do you use? "
"Because i like it"
Speaking in third party of a group that includes yourself, is the same as not acknowledging your own permission that you have to, to simply not use.
Meetings daily, for me are a great comfort. Acknowledging my addiction for what it is, a disease that i have that i will have to treat for the rest of my life, is my way of realizing to some degree the true powerlessness that i have over the Alcohol and Other Drugs.
I know that my addiction is looking for any oppertunity to seize on, that will get me to my using stage again.
People are of no matter to me in relation to their understanding of what it means for me to be afflicted with the disease of addiction.
You speak of the handicapped as if they wouldnt know the meaning of having a lifelong affliction like we do, is this an honest oversight on your part?
I am greatfull that you are not using anymore, yet like you i can not shut off my awareness of the people around me who continue to use mood altering substances. Does that mean that what they do in life is directly connected to me because i am aware of their state of being? No, yet i look onto them with optimisim im my heart that they are getting close to putting down the use and getting back to living the prescious life they have left, sober.
We use because we like it, we quit using as we develop acceptance of the truth of what it means to be an addict, and that in that moment of clarity, if it comes to us, and our will to be something other than what we see in that moment wins out, we surrender. To a power greater than ourselves, believing that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to our sanity.
I think that plenty of addicts have posted here tonite Dan, plenty of us who still consider themselves sober one day at a time. I have 4 years clean—-thats it, i have only just begun to live and i am 42 years old. Am i willing to go after my sobriety with half of the determination that i went after the D/A?
You bet i am.
Be well Dan.
Im sorry you didnt understand what i was getting at with the handicap issue. im not comparing alcoholics to anyone. The fact is, people treat others that have a disease such as alcoholism as though they will spontaniously combust if they dont give them special treatment.
Living life on lifes terms is a crucial part of anyones life, not just for the recovering addict. I dont find the desire to go to bars and the such on a regular basis, however, if there is a band i enjoy hearing or play play with, I may make an appearance for some time and leave. If I dont feel comfortable, I know when to leave. On the other side, I have family members that have never touched a drop of alcohol and around them old feeling of anger and resentments resurface. Its these feelings that make me think about a drink far sooner than a group of people drinking ever will.
As I stated in my submittal in so many words "Everyones program is different." Im glad yours is working for you and the success you have gained with it. However, taking someone elses inventory is not recomended for a healthy Spiritual foundation.
Sometime today try to read the Jan 6 reading from the daily reflections. I find that helpful when i tend to veer into someone elses program and make judgements.
Have a Great Day
I dig your post Brother Dan. I feel we are of kindred spirits. I appreciate your comment about addiction being an obsession. In fact, hard core drug addiction is a manifestation of mental-illness/spiritual sickness. I am now a recovering dope fiend, drunk and tramp. I live in Sacramento, California and work with homeless recovering addicts or those who may merely be interested in what I term 'progressive recovery' in a group called CASA ~ Christians Against Substance Addiction! We know that addiction has a progressive nature that makes it worse over time, thus our recovery should also be progressive as we get better, stronger and more wiser over time. Keep it simple, stick to the basics as foundation and more will be revealed. In all this relative discussion we should center on knowing ourselves, loving people with compassion and spiritual healing in this journey of life. ~Lovingly, Peter S. Lopez ~ Email> peter.lopez@yahoo.com ~ Links: http://casa-12steps.blogspot.com/ ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CASA-12-Steps-Progr… more Links here ~ http://prorecovery.blogspot.com/ ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sane-and-Sober/ c/s
Gracias Sister Yumi Sakugawa for introducing this subject that is close to my heart. We need to heal from many wounds and it takes sincere pure love for us to engage in the process of spiritual healing.. ~Namaste, Brother Peter ~Sacramento, California
Complete Serenity Prayer:
I hear ya bro. I am overjoyed when I see someone use what they learned through their lives to make it the center of their life and in helping others to guide them down a road they don’t need to travel.
Im at a point that i am really considering that what I been trained through a trade school to do to something I know a great deal amount about. I believe i have my phd in drunkeness and tweeking. If not for financial reasons I believe that is what I am here for. I strive to know more and learn more about the holistics of being on alcohol, but, helping others i believe would teach me even more.
Keep up the great work!!!! Expect a Miracle!!
Yumi. Im new to this site and have found it very interesting. This topic is something I think reaches out to yet a great deal of people, whether they want to admit it or not, to open their minds to new issues.
For ages addiction and alcoholism were merely a disease which those who had it were shunned, punished, mistreated and misunderstood. Your awareness, whether you have had to deal with it or not, is greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks
Dan L.
To get out of addictions one need to know what the root cause is, – why one falls into the temptation to take all those substitutes as tobacco, alcohol, drugs, coffee, attention, sex, pain and all those many things that gives us excitement or making us dull and numb. It always has to do with our feeling of existence and our identification.
I have written with more details in my blog about it at: http://www.intent.com/beiyin/blog/how-can-we-free…
It would be good, if we can start a discussion and find out more…
BeiYin