Overcome Drug Addiction |
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While not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted, many people do. Drug abuse involves compulsively seeking to use a substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences.
The line between drug abuse and drug dependence is defined by the role drugs play in your life. Addiction and drug dependence occurs when drugs become so important that you are willing to sacrifice your work, home and even family. Once your brain and body get used to the substances you are taking, you begin to require increasingly larger and more frequent doses, in order to achieve the same effect.
In other words, the addiction becomes a trap!
Why can some people use a drug and walk away from it, yet others become addicted to it?
If we were to believe the proponents of the disease model that links addiction to a chronic incurable brain disease, then wouldn't everyone that uses a drug even once become addicted to it?
Without question drugs are brain altering substances, and they do in fact create changes in brain chemistry, but that is not what causes the addiction or the cravings associated with it.
Abusing drugs whether illegal or prescribed is a method of deadening or numbing the pain of emotional trauma caused by family dysfunction.
Take a brief inventory of your feelings. Why does abusing drugs make you happier? What emotional pain does it temporarily remove?
Were you unloved as a child, controlled, inadequately parented, verbally, physically or sexually abused? Did your parents manipulate you, reject you, or abandon you as a child?
You see, the key to beating a drug addiction is to uncover and remove the emotional pain and the inner turmoil that is causing you distress.
The following is a brief outline of the 5 steps to addiction freedom. Prior to following these steps or any addiction
recovery program, take the necessary time to ascertain whether you require the additional support of an addiction
counselor or medical attention regarding withdrawal.
1. Step One: Unearth the Square Root
Family dysfunction is the common denominator, or square root of all addictive behavior, and until it is brought to the
forefront and confronted nothing will change! This is by far the most important and critical step of the entire process.
There are two parts to step one, and they are as follows:
A. Uncovering your family dysfunction
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Verbal abuse
Alcoholic parent
Controlling parent
Inadequate parenting
B. Confront the parent or parents responsible for the dysfunction
The thought of confronting the person that is responsible for your emotional trauma is one the most frightening
situations you will face. However, it is also the most liberating and empowering thing you'll ever do! Why do
you need to confront your parent or parents? Well, first let me clarify the meaning of the word confront and
in what context we are using this term. Confronting the person does not at all mean that you should verbally
attack them for your misfortunes. On the contrary, you are not doing this for them. You are doing it for you!
The confrontation is not meant to be an attack, but it is rather a chance for you to set the record straight
and drop the emotional baggage that you've been toting around.
Step Two: Remove your Emotional Baggage
You have completed step one and have confronted your parent or parents. This in and of itself will have removed
much of the pain and emotional trauma. However, to fully free yourself from their emotional stronghold, it will
be necessary to find forgiveness in your heart for a family member that has committed an atrocity against you.
Forgive! How can I forgive someone that committed these atrocities against me? Many people have a misconception
about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not reconciliation! There is a drastic difference between the two. Reconciliation
would mean that you have accepted and submit to their behavior and have agreed to try and continue the relationship
under those circumstances. Forgiveness means that you merely give up or cease the resentment of the offender.
Step Three: Cure Wounditis
Without question, partaking in habitual behavior not only causes you pain but, it inflicts pain on the people around
you as well. However, do not allow what you have done in the past or what others have done to you, to cause you to
live in fear of what the future holds. The past is the past, it is over, and living in it does not serve anyone well.
Live in the present moment, be kind to yourself, and learn to love yourself. How can you love someone else if you
don't love yourself? The answer is you can't!!! It isn't a big secret that you're feeling shame and guilt for what
you've done. In fact, you're probably questioning right now as to whether you should be punished for your past actions.
Well guess what, its ok! God doesn't punish people, we punish ourselves. God is a loving and forgiving being.
So if you thought that you would continue to punish yourself with shame and guilt before God gets a hold of you,
you can stop right now! We do not have defects of character, are not full of shortcomings, and we certainly are
not powerless! On the Contrary, we are all the same, we are all connected, and we all have the same power to change!
Step Four: Awaken the Power within
Whether you want to admit it or not, all of the pain you have been through concerning your habitual behavior is a spiritual
lesson. And until you view it as such, it will continue to cause you suffering and unhappiness. Every dark cloud does
have a silver lining, and if you look hard enough you'll find one in this habitual situation too. However, to find that
silver lining you must ask the right questions;
1. What can I learn from my addiction?
2. How can I grow from it?
The answers to these questions can be found in a place that is uncharted by most, and it is just waiting to be explored!
It's called your true self! To embark on a journey of Self -reflection requires the practice of Mediation.
For more information on meditation click on the link below.
Hows and Whys of Meditation
Step five: Practice Acts of Random Kindness
Happiness is a state of mind. Individuals that are suffering from addictive behavior are not happy! Ironically,
in an attempt to find happiness, they chose a vehicle to mask their emotional pain through the use of alcohol,
illicit drugs, and various other compulsions. However, happiness is never found on the outside in material possessions
or in the abuse of substances and compulsions! True life happiness can only be found in one place, and that place
is within! Happiness is not found in the practice of outward ideals or in other people. To the contrary, it is
actually the small acts of random kindness that opens the heart and fuels the principle of unconditional love!
To practice spirituality is to be of service to your fellow man and make no mistake about it that is why we are all
here. Begin with small acts of kindness such as opening a door for someone, letting someone go before you in the
checkout line or just taking the time to offer a kind word to an older person or a child. You get the picture!
The first thing I do upon waking in the morning is think of how I can be of service and throughout the day I am
always mindful of opportunities that present themselves for me to do just that. You know, the paradox of the whole
thing is that the more kind and generous you are the more love, kindness and abundance you'll receive back. Don't
believe me! Just try it and watch what begins to happen to you.
If you have a question about drug abuse or how to beat it feel free to email me at vquest_coach@yahoo.com, or I can be reached at 724-203-4575 Mon-Thurs from 9am to 9pm Eastern time.
Best wishes,
David Roppo
Addiction Coach
5stepstoaddictionfreedom.com
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