Addiction

[Daniella]

Is it necessary for the human race to thrive on addiction?

Not only in relation to smoking, drugs and alcohol, addiction comes in so many forms... addiction to food, emotional addiction - usually being dependant on a partner or sometimes a family member, in the same sense, addiction to having a partner, someone to write home too. Even simple addictions, like caffeine, sugar, the internet...

It's come to my attention that every being has some kind of an addiction - recognized or not. It's understood that some may not be as physically harmful... but whose to say an addiction to buying shoes isn't as harmful to your spirit as an addiction to cocaine? Your body may not deteriorate but, spiritually, doesn't it come from the same place? Just because you may not get lung cancer from being emotionally dependant on someone doesn't mean it's less of an issue or doesn't need to be a priority in healing... does it?

LD

[GoldChord]

Daniella,

Interesting topic. Addiction is a tricky thing. I see it as a form of mourning our separation from God. We are missing something and we are trying to fill it up with external objects and practices rather than seeking the God within to fully unite ourselves with spirit.

Take care.

[Emmalevine]

I agree with Goldchord's post. I'm particularly prone to addiction and until recently I've been constantly searching for something to latch onto, in the form of food, a new relationship, the internet, a TV prog, hobby etc. I think a lot of people suffer from this to some extent, and I think it's a result of the separation from our pure consciousness. The human ego/mind is constantly searching for gratification and More More More. People have lost touch with their true spiritual selves, and on the physical plane nothing is forever, so the addiction becomes a desperate attempt to seek identity and security in something outside the self. Identity is externalised rather than sought inwardly.
I'm discovered that as I've progressed along my spiritual path and learned to find myself within, the need for something to latch onto isn't as strong. I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be but I feel like I've come a long way. I have noticed how closely connected addictions and depression are, as when I get addicted to something again it nearly always follows with a bout of suicidal depression. I never understood it before but I believe it's the fact that I had lost touch with my Consciousness and ultimately lost myself in my addiction.
I agree that addiction is very harmful, and it can lead to physcial illness as well as mental and emotional illness. Addiction is essentially a loss of the self, and that leads to all sorts of problems.

[Daniella]

You have both made valid and interesting points, thank you.

And thank you Starbuck for sharing this personal information with us. :hug2:

As I am a firm believer that everything starts from within us, it makes a lot of sense to me that the problem lies with an empty feeling inside... and so we attempt to fill it externally - sometimes not realizing that what we are looking for can only be found by filling up oneself from within...

Kind of like a microwave... it cooks from the inside long before we see it cooking on the outside :D .

Now I must pose another question to Starbuck, although you suffer so much from these addictions, you seem to have such a keen understanding of where they're coming from and how to heal them... why then is it so difficult to heal?

I hope this is not too personal, please don't answer if it offends in any way.

LD

[m.namasivayam]

adiction is not a bad concept.
But people take it otherwise.
adiction ia a desire to a particular thing for a period of time.
Even freedom fighters are having adiction to wards their goal.

[Emmalevine]

No I'm not offended Daniella, it's a fair question.

I'm guessing you're asking me personally rather than generally speaking? If so I'll try and explain where I'm coming from.
I believe that it's one thing to know the truth of how something works, and sometimes quite another to be able to apply it to oneself and to heal over a short period. Some people grow up in a difficult environment and certain behaviour patterns are opposed on them, and it becomes very difficult to break these patterns because they are associated with security and identity. I've only been spiritually aware very recently, although I've always been quite perceptive about my behaviour which stems from childhood. It's only been in recent months that I've really learnt the truth about addictions and how they feed the ego, and that meditation is the key to connecting to the Divine. It wasn't long ago that I knew nothing about this and I was blindly seeking my identity outside myself.
I know now that in theory I have the potential to heal myself from the issues and emotions that burden my life, but in my case I haven't been able to achieve this overnight. I have to work through them as there is a lot of depth to them. I meditate everyday and I'm working on becoming more present and aware in daily life, but part of me is still crying out to hang onto the old patterns. Perhaps other people might have the particular frame of mind to be able to completely change themselves without extensive healing, but we're all very different.

I hope this is some help. I'm very tired tonight so if none of this makes sense feel free to ask me again.

[Roo]

I'm not so sure that ever person has an addiction, but perhaps at this point in time, many beings have chosen to experience addiction as it's something we want to release from the paradigm. Spiritually, all kinds of addiction are harmful, though buying shoes could be perceived as less harmful than smoking (for example), because they aren't affecting the physical body. It still needs to be a priority though, because it hampers spiritual evolution. Speaking from personal experience though, it's not all that easy!

[Daniella]

Starbuck - Thank you so much for your raw honesty Starbuck, I am thinking of you during this difficult healing process.

m.namasivayam - Although I do understand where you are coming from, I think it's important in this case to differentiate between passion and addiction... I do not believe that they are completely seperate from each other, but in the case of this topic I'm leaning more towards the more tangible addictions - addiction to "things" or "stuff" if you will - that seem to us to enhance or make light of our existence.

Roo - I sometimes do find it to be somewhat of a stretch to say that everyone has some kind of addiction - but upon observing myself and all those I come in contact with, I have yet to meet someone without some form of addiction... recognized or not. As explained before, there are forms of addiction that are far less physically harmful - but just because some addictions are not physically harmful, does that mean they are not a priority to be healed?

And the real question is - Does not any form of addiction, physically or emotionally harmful or not - come from the same place? The same spiritual need in a very general sense?

In this case I must agree with you that it should be a priority, and, as you stated "it hampers spiritual evolution"...

Thank you all for your input!

LD

[angelicious]

Hiya,

I think addictions of any kind aren't necessary to thrive on as they all can be started (whether consciously or subconsciously) or overcome at any time. Pretty much like any "add-on."

From my experience regarding addictions, I've come to the notion that any addiction is emotionally based/fueled rather than spiritually or physically based, therefore, can be overcome at any time as emotions are subject to constant change. And if someone wanted to start, stop, or alter an addiction, the place to start would be the belief system as that's where I think it all starts.

It's my opinion that it's the purpose of any addiction, not the substance of the addiction that is of most importance. So much spiritual growth can be had out of the lesson that is to be learnt from an addiction, especially when you overcome it. It's an amazing feeling to accomplish being, doing, and having something you "believed" you would never be able to achieve. For me, my accomplishment was becoming smokefree after 22 years of believing I will never be able to achieve this or it would be a struggle or that I'd be an emotional wreck and couldn't handle myself. I am smokefree now, happy & effortlessly. I find it so much more rewarding than I could ever have imagined.