Addictions: Positive Actions You Can Take Today

Addictions: It doesn’t matter what they are—smoking, drinking, gambling, eating, etc—addictions represent a form of self-sabotage that tear us down, physically and mentally. Addictions harm our relationships. They end our careers. And they don’t seem to care if we fall into a never-ending death spiral of self-destruction. They only want to do us harm. That’s a self-evident truth.

Or is it?

You see, the counter-intuitive truth is addictions are protectors, parts of our personality that are trying to shield us from some sort of psychological pain. These addicted parts are extreme in their actions. But their intentions are good. They are trying to protect us from being overwhelmed by our pain. Seen from this perspective, addicted parts are positive, at least in terms of their intent. The problem is addictions have consequences, consequences which may threaten our families, our jobs, even our lives. Addictions only make matters worse, even if they don’t intend to. And, of course, they never lead to a healing of the psychological wound which is the source of the problem in the first place.

What can be done?

If you can set aside your dislike of your addicted part, and recognize that it’s actually trying to protect you, then that is a good first step. The addicted part can begin to relax. It relaxes because its good intentions have been recognized. This may take some time. But after it relaxes, then you can ask the addicted part to stand aside and watch as you work with the psychological pain the addiction has been protecting you from. When this wounded part is healed, then you can return to the addicted part. You can show it the pain has been healed, so the addicted part no longer needs to protect you from it. The addicted part is free to evolve, to change, so it can protect you in a new and better way which is more appropriate to your current situation.

That’s how you solve the problem of addictions.