Overcoming Addiction Naturally
Because addictions can so strongly pull you in the direction you don’t want to go, in order to overcome it is important to take a psychological, spiritual, and nutritional approach.
Psychological Approach
This includes addictions of all kind and we all have minor addictions based on some unease or restlessness or boredom. Addictions provide an escape from those negative feelings and we use this as a defense to change our mood to get some relief from the unease. Food, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, shopping, abusive relationships, video games, gambling are some examples. Some of which might be fine in normal circumstances until we empower them to tell us that they are going to provide us happiness and relief.
In this case experiencing the unease is where we need to be, not to run from it because often it is an important messages from our subconscious telling us we’re on the wrong path and we need to make a change, instead of moving to our go to short term relief button that turns into an addiction and not really providing what we need. Instead we need to discover the root of the problem, which is important to do with a professional.
Stress
Addictions become exacerbated by anxiety from anything such as a break-up, loss of a loved one, loss of work, anticipation, mounting stress, and many other negative things caused by an upcoming holiday.
In my book, “The Power of Personality Types in Love and Relationships”
I offer many aspects of what can be the causes this unease or anxiety, but first you have to recognize you are doing it and that comes by identifying what’s called your escape.
Unless you stop and recognize you are unhappy in some aspect of your life you wont make a change. It doesn’t matter if you are accepting abuse, abusing others, abusing drugs, food or any other action that you are taking to feel comfort from your unease or restlessness that is causing you to reach for the addiction.
Escapes
Escapes play a very negative role in many people’s lives by not allowing them to create change. Escapes are anything you do that gets in the way of your felt experience. That means is you are feeling bad, you will do something to distract yourself (or escape) from feeling that way. More on escapes here. Know that if you are unhappy and you are not doing anything towards change, then escapes are prominent in your life, you just have to find them.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Associated with your escape is your negative self-fulfilling prophecy. This is an insecurity that tells a person that they “can’t have anything better, so don’t bother changing anything.” This is something else that needs to change in order to motivate change in your life. More on Self fulfilling Prophecies here.
Meditation
The benefits of mediation are endless and more and more research is coming out proving more. Harvard University found that two parts of the brain actually increased in size after only six weeks of meditation. It has also been proven to help with many psychological issues including depression, stress and anxiety. To Learn how to meditate, click here
This can allow you to get in touch with what you are wanting at the level of your soul, so that you can go after it, rather than escaping from it. This is often difficult for people because they can’t quiet their thoughts, so I teach a way of directing your mind by moving your inner energy or what the Chinese call your Chi to raise your vibration. I show exactly how to do that here.
When working with someone with an addiction I specifically help them find what it is that they feel they are lacking that they need to substance abuse to make up for. Once you have this realization, you can begin to recognize it as false and overcome it. I find that it is often associated with insecurity.
I notice people who deal with addictions are unhappy at the level of their soul and they are acting out because they don’t feel they are fulfilling on their purpose. So making purpose in everything you do will allow you to find your overall purpose easier. There are of course physical aspects to deal with since your body has created a dependence on something and we talk about that in the video on a nutritional approach to addiction.
Connection
Exercise
Almost any strenuous exercise for 30 minutes three to five times a week can reduce or eliminate symptoms of depression or anxiety. This can include activities like strenuous walking, hiking, rowing, biking, running or weight lifting. Exercise is important for two reasons. One, exercise is a natural antidepressant. It relieves stress and helps you think more clearly. Two, exercise prompts the body to release its own psychoactive substances—endorphins—that trigger the brain’s reward pathway and promote a feeling of well-being.
What Happens in the Body?
When we exercise, our bodies release certain mood-enhancing endorphins, releases muscle tension, improves sleep, and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Study after study has shown that exercise promotes mental health and reduces symptoms of depression. The antidepressant effect of regular physical exercise is comparable to potent antidepressants like Sertraline.
If you can’t do 30 minutes three days a week, as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time, can still improve mood in the short term. Dr. James S. Gordon, a world-renowned expert in using mind-body medicine to heal depression, uses exercise extensively when treating depression. He says “Physical exercise changes the level of serotonin in your brain. And also, it can increase the number of cells in your brain, in the region of the brain called the hippocampus.”
Nutritional:
The most overlooked aspect of anxiety in my opinion is nutrition:
See Part 2 for which foods to eat and which foods to avoid
Disclaimer
By utilizing the information presented on this site, you agree to and understand that author, Bill Farr is not a doctor or any other type of certified health care professional, and his opinion is not a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your doctor or your other health care providers concerning your symptoms and medical requirements before following any of the remedies or other suggestions he offers. His opinion is based on his own research and is to be used for educational purposes only. Bill Farr’s wellness plans and advice are meant to be used in conjunction with standard allopathic or osteopathic medical treatment and care.
