Breaking the Chains of Addiction

Anything outside of ourselves that we need in order to find any kind of relief is an addiction.  When someone experiences some form of trauma what tends to happen is they will find something that will help soothe their internal pain.

Addiction can come in the form of many things.  It can be drugs, alcohol, smoking, working, gambling, caffeine, sex, work, social media, exercise, food, or online shopping.  For most addicts they are experiencing some kind of internal emotional pain and they will do anything so that they don’t have to feel it.  Their "high" from an external substance is always temporary, and then they are left alone with themselves in a pit of misery, shame, guilt, unworthiness, loneliness, frustration, anger, regret, and envy.

Their addiction eventually consumes their every thought and action.  Their main priority is getting their next fix and doing everything in their power to make themselves feel better.

So how does one break the cycle of addiction?  How does one stop causing themselves so much harm when they know that if their addiction really worked they would be happy all of the time?

First off it’s acknowledging that they have habits, routines, and rituals that are preventing them from living a life of complete harmony, love, ease, and flow. 

Next, it’s getting to the underlying root cause as to why they feel this way, what thoughts they are constantly thinking, and where their focus is.

Lastly, it’s coming to the understanding that some form of personal trauma, neglect, shame, or worthiness is involved in the equation and it’s getting to the root cause of that, finding forgiveness, and letting go so they can be free.

In order to be completely free we must tap into our higher self and rely on our highest truth and compassion to lead us higher.

Spiritual Surrender

If we are honest with ourselves we will come to the realization that our ways of doing things don’t work.  We’ve tried every diet, every pill, every program, every supplement, and still at the end of the day we aren’t truly happy and at peace.  We could continue to lie to ourselves and keep pushing forward trying this or trying that, but the end result will always be the same until we come to a space of pure wholeness and worthiness right where we sit.

When there is personal trauma involved our minds begin to work against us.  We then become our own punching bag and the words we think and the words we speak to ourselves silently when no one is around essentially is what will cause us to self-destruct and bring forth situations and experiences that are not the most appealing.  When a personal trauma is experienced whether that is a health scare, a death, neglect, a near death experience, an assault, abuse, or something that completely rocks us to our core and shakes us awake we might not understand it at the time, but our brains, our bodies, and our hearts need time to process things properly.

If a trauma is experienced as a small child, that child might not have the coping tools to process things properly and in turn will displace that trauma onto themselves thinking that it was their own fault.  This same thing can happen to adults as well.  For some reason they aren’t able to understand that some things aren’t their fault, but rather take the personal burden of guilt, shame, self-hatred, and unworthiness on themselves. 

This vicious cycle can repeat itself for many years and even many generations until someone decides to do the deep inner work to heal and break the chains.

The only solution is a spiritual one.  It’s accepting the fact that help is needed and that the person cannot do it themselves or on their own and they surrender to the help and guidance of an unknown higher power that will come into their life and lead the way.

Accepting What Is. 

Accepting where you are right now in this moment of time is the first step.  You are where you are, and you have to understand that everything you have gone through has brought you here, but the here where you sit right now, might not be filled with love, peace and joy.  Continue to grasp for things outside of ourselves will just cause more internal pain and suffering.  We need to accept what is, and then be open to the answers that are softly whispered to us. 

Doing The Right Thing.

When the answers come our first reaction will often be resistance and bargaining.  We don’t want to give up doing what we are doing.  There’s a part of us that “likes it, for it makes us happy, or makes us feel better short term.  But if the happiness and that good feeling dies down shortly after the initial high, then is it really working?   We are looking for something of substance and that never comes from anything outside of ourselves.  We want something we can tap into that will make us feel good and bring us joy all the time.  If needing something, doing something, or using something that is external to us brings us joy then that joy can be taken away from us if that external source goes away too.  What we want is everlasting love, connection, and joy and that can’t come from anything or anyone outside of ourselves.

Letting Go.

We have to be mature enough to see what has a strong hold on us.  We have to look at our actions and our behaviours and truly look at what we are doing that is not truly in our own best interest.  We have to stop what we are doing and turn inward, for if we have a hard time stopping a certain routine, habit and behaviour than it soon becomes an addiction and an unhealthy ritual that if not performed will make us spiral even further.  Is there something in your life that you are currently doing that’s not working for you?  Have you lost your spark for something external and is it time to let something go?  Are you doing anything or using anything that is causing you to experience a strong sense of guilt or shame?  This something could be a certain behaviour or a habit, but you will know what you need to let go of, as it will be the first thing that comes to your mind while reading this.

The Waiver Period.

When it’s time to move forward there will be a waiver period.  Your new self will want to go forward.  Your old self will want to pull you back into the familiar known and the "good old days."  Be okay with this waiver period and understand that you could experience feelings of frustration and complete misery.  Whatever you need to do will keep resurfacing for you, but your mind will continue to convince you that you must keep doing what you’ve always done to keep you stuck in a space of fear.   Maybe you know it’s in your best interested to stop doing something.  Maybe you need to let go of certain foods, or stop drinking certain drinks that are causing your body harm.  Maybe you need to let some people in your life go or stop putting work before yourself and your family.  Maybe you need to stop doing a certain type of exercise and start doing something else.  Maybe you need to rest and take it easy for a while and trust that the answers will come to you.  Maybe you need to stop taking drugs.  Whatever that is for you, you already know.

Embracing the Work.

Anytime you want change and anytime you want a different outcome hard work essentially is involved.  Most of this work is mental for it’s your mind that you need to master the most.   Buckle up and be prepared to be challenged and tested.  Be prepared for the fact that you might keep going back to things that you’ve outgrown and that are not good for you.  Be willing to embrace this work and know what it is you are working towards.

Vision For Your Future.

Having a compelling vision for your future will be what keeps you going and will help you to stay focused on your goals.  Every morning sit with yourself and see that future for yourself.  Turn inward and ask yourself what you need to see and feel yourself as already living your dream life.  Also reflect on what you are currently doing, who you are currently spending your time with, and what you are currently eating and drinking.  Are they part of your future?  Do you see yourself continuing to do what you’re doing 10 years into the future?  If not, have the courage to stop. 

Stopping.

Sometimes stopping can be scary for deep within us is a fear that if we don’t keep doing something than we might not get what it is we really want.  But stopping can be a powerful way to see if what you’re doing is actually right for you.  If something is meant to be, it will be so you don’t need to worry about missing your opportunity.  God’s timing is perfect so know that if you stop or miss something, it wasn’t meant for you anyways and something better will come to you instead.  Also challenge your fears.  Is what you are continuing to do rooted in fear?  Are you continuing to do something because you don’t feel good enough?  Are you trying to prove yourself to someone or the world around you?  Are you truly enjoying what it is you are doing or is it causing you and your family harm?  Is it uplifting you and making you feel your absolute best?  Only you will know those answers.

Trusting.

You have to trust your higher power and you have to trust that on the other side of stopping what you are doing is relief and a sense of complete personal freedom.  Not to mention you will be feeling your best once you start making decisions that are for your highest good.  Trust that you know what to do.  Trust that if something doesn’t feel right or if you are experiencing guilt of any kind for continuing to do the behaviours, habits, or rituals that you are continuing to do that it’s a sign that you’re not in agreement or harmony with your highest self. 

Trying and Testing Period.

You won’t know unless you try something.  If you are on a path of feeling your absolute best then the only option is to keep trying until you find something that works.  Be willing to try new things and if you’re still not getting the results you seek in your life stop and let it all go.  Try something else.  Often times we can keep searching outside of ourselves for something when in fact we simply need to stop looking outside of ourselves and turn within.

The Healing Power of God.

A lot of religious texts will teach that God is external and that you must follow a set of rules or beliefs that are handed and passed down to you from other people.  Spirituality however is a knowing that God is within and that you are a piece of God and essentially a fragment of the whole entire Universe.  You will come to know that you are a unique expression of God and that there is not a single person out there that remotely comes close to you.  That means you need to know who you truly are.  You need to tap into that higher power within and become the person you know deep down you were created to be.  You do that by meditation and sitting with yourself until you weed out all of the beliefs, and lies that you might have picked up along the way.  When you have quieted your mind you will come to know your true nature, which is love and only love.  It's an inner peace and calmness within and a knowing that you can do all things once you are aligned with your highest self. 

That highest self will be calling out to you.  It will require you to level up and rise to a new level and it will whisper to you to let some things go and to stop doing certain things that could be hindering your progress.  Lean into this work and allow yourself to cleanse and purge anything (or anyone) from your life that’s not in alignment with that highest expression of yourself.  This higher self (also referred to as Source or God) will whisper softly to you.  You can reach out and ask for guidance and pray for the help you need.

Asking For Help.

Often times the last resort is reaching out to God to ask for help.  It’s much easier and much wiser to go directly to the source and ask yourself some better questions first.   You will hear the answers, but often times we will be met with a feeling of disbelief or resistance and we will feel the need to outwork ourselves or do more than we need to simply because we have been conditioned to believe that if we want something we have to earn it or work hard for it.  Your heavenly father freely gives you what you need, but you also have to be worthy of receiving it.  Most often times people don’t feel worthy of love, or worthy of riches and so they deflect what it is that is trying to come to them by continuing to work hard, do more, or prove themselves to others.  When you ask for help, help is given to you immediately.  When you ask for what it is you need, want, or desire, it’s immediately given to you, and all you need to do is continue to pray and give thanks that it’s on the way.

Prayer.

Praying is single handedly one thing you must include in your life if you want reach that next level in your life.   To add 30 morning prayers to your day be sure to go to www.lindsayrose.ca/prayerpromises as I have created 30 life changing prayers to help you transform your life. 

Gratitude.

It’s easy to give thanks and be happy when things are going right.  It’s much more harder to give thanks and be happy when things are going wrong, but do it anyways.  Understand that everything that is happening in your life or that has happened in your life was put there to grow you into the person you were created to be.  Sometimes those life lessons are not fun, but necessary once you look back on them.  Find something to be grateful for every single day and start a gratitude practice for all the things that are coming true in your life and all the things that are on the way.  Give thanks that they have already happened as you then begin to reprogram your subconscious mind.  When you do that then you are one with all. 

Keep Going.
Whatever you do, keep going.  If you fail at something, keep going.   Sometimes while walking through a valley or you are experiencing a dark night of the soul the pain becomes too unbearable and most people decide to check out early.  Do not do this.  You MUST keep going.  Nothing in your life is ever too big for God to handle.  Keep going and be willing to do whatever it takes. So if that means moving, move.  If that means finding new friends or leaving a toxic environment, do it.  If it means throwing away pills and supplements that have a strong hold on you, throw them away.  If it means deleting apps, delete them.  If it means giving up meat, do that.  If that means quitting drinking.  Quit.   You will always know what is right and best for you, so be willing to face your fears and have courage to keep going even when it feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

You Are The Light.

Within each and everyone of is is a dark side and a light side.  The dark side is where you will experience addiction, guilt, shame, depression, judgement, criticism, blame, rejection, hate, unworthiness, jealousy, disbelief, pain, suffering, anger, grief, frustration, and sadness.  The light side is where you will experience love, happiness, confidence, health, joy, inner peace, bliss, and eternal life.  You get to decide what side you’re living on.

You Are Loved.

Wherever you are know that you are loved beyond measure.  May you always listen to the right voice inside of your mind and body.  The voice that tells you that you are worthy, blessed, chosen, loved, perfect, and highly favoured. It’s easy to listen to the wrong voice but I believe we all make our way back home eventually and oh what a beautiful place it is to live, move, and have our being.  When we are first born we are One with God and totally in love with ourselves and the world around us.  Then somewhere along the lines we lose our way and then we begin the long journey in the dark of finding our way back home to a place of pure unconditional love.  When you have hit rock bottom or you are at your lowest point if you reach out to God and call upon him I know for a fact that he will answer you.  Your past, and that old version of you will be long gone, and a new and better version will rise and be left in its place.  What he whispers to you will be entirely different than the other person for we are all different and unique expressions of God.  The problem for many is they aren’t listening to that soft little whisper from within and being obedient to the call that leads them higher in life.  They are listening to their mom, their boss, their friends, the news, a politician, their neighbour, their doctor, their preacher, fear, their teacher, and they haven’t taken a seat and learned how to listen to themselves first.  That light within you will softly lead you, guide you, and won’t ever let you fall.  That light will heal and restore your health.  That light will break addictions and chains that have kept you bound and caged.  That truth will softly whisper to you so that you can get in the right state of mind so you are actually living your life happily ever after, and completely free.

Prioritize Yourself.

Prioritizing your self is the least selfish thing you can do and the healthier you become the more toxic, negative, and unhealthy people will be removed from your life.  If you are reading this then know you’re meant to.  I also know that your life up to this point has not been a walk in the park.  In fact, you might still be shocked as to why you’re still standing or how it’s even possible.  But I want to shed a little light onto your situation.  Every 2 or 3 generations someone who is strong enough mentally and spiritually will be born that is different than the rest.  The odd man out.  The reject.  The black sheep.   That person’s only job is to crack the code and break the necessary chains and patterns than have been repeating since who knows when.  If you've had a history of addiction, rejection, abuse, obesity, trauma, depression, anxiety, mental health problems, suicide, fear, or poverty running in your bloodline, you actually might be the one who feels it all, carries the unnecessary weight that was never meant to be yours to carry, and then ultimately heals it all and stops it from spreading.

You might be the one who your bloodline has been waiting for.  Consider yourself the lucky one, but also know you’re going to have to fight a hell and keep going.  I know you know you’re here for a purpose, so don’t let that purpose go to waste. 

If you are ready to  transform your life then get your spot in my Life Worth Living Challenge!  While you have your own saviour inside of you that you should always listen to first, it also helps if you have someone who can teach you and lead you to where you want to go a lot faster.

If you’re ready go to www.lindsayrose.ca/liveyourlife and sign up today.