So many things we can become addicted to,,,,but why?
I was talking with a friend last night about my continuing quest to be a non-smoker, lamenting how difficult some parts of the journey had been. She was tackling a similar issue with certain types of food she had been avoiding, for about the same length of time. Upon reflection, I was reminded we all can become addicted to a wide variety of things and the basic question is why?
A big part of addiction, at least it seems to me, is based in the fact we deal with uncomfortable feelings on a daily basis. Sometimes the feelings are more numerous than others. But the bottom line becomes, “I don’t want to feel this way. I want some relief.” Somewhere along that path, we find some substance that helps turn down the volume on those not-so-good feelings and that seems to be a good thing. If those same bad feelings return, we tend to go back to what it was that brought us relief before. And, at least for the time, it seems to work again.
As time continues, we can find that we’ve developed a tolerance to whatever it is we’re using to ease our anxious thoughts. The simple solution seems to be to take more of what was helping us cope. This spiraling behavior can leave us wanting more and more of whatever that substance might be, and our body develops a tolerance that leaves us back at square one each time.
Chemical substances, such as alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and the like seem to be the most common vices people use to deal with unwanted feelings. But from last evening’s conversation, I’ve been reminded there are other ways people deal with their emotions, including eating, shopping, gambling, and the like. It would seem that we all can become addicted to things in the outside world as a result of trying to cope with life on life’s terms.
Just for today, I’ll look at my behaviors and ask myself if there are any bad habits/addictions I need to deal with on a daily basis. I’ll also ask myself what good habits I can use to combat these negative behaviors. It’s definitely an inside job.
D
David Lee 