What is Addiction?
When we stop doing substances as frequently as we normally did, we can experience these difficult feelings and symptoms...
Withdrawal
The oldest known intoxicating substance used specifically for recreational purposes (Hint: Prohibition)
Alcohol
We make dozens if not hundreds of these a day with our mind and one of the best ways to improve our lives is to practice making good ones:
Decisions/Choices
We experience these in our mind, heart and gut and it is important to learn how to manage our reaction to them
Feelings and Emotions
The essential Inner drive, focus and desire, that brings about positive change and the desire and drive for the attainment of goals
Motivation
This means it takes more and more of a substance to get the same effect which often fuels the desire and need for using larger amounts
Tolerance
Class of prescription drugs used medicinally for thousands of years to relieve physical pain but nowadays often abused to relieve emotional pain (Hint: Poppy Seeds)
Opiates/Opioids
This describes overall the way we present and express ourselves. If we have a negative one we should want to change it to grateful and positive (Hint: your parents may talk about this)
Attitude
It is important to learn to manage this uncomfortable mental experience that can occur when we worry uncontrollably or stress over things
Anxiety
The ability to look inside yourself honestly and truthfully
Self-Awareness and Insight
Failure to recognize that something is a problem, acting as though it isn't true
Denial
Something that a doctor provides you to allow you to receive and have instructions to take a particular medication. Having this does not mean you cannot be addicted to the substance though.
Prescription
This categorizes and includes all that is most important in your life and, what you care about the most, and what has the most worth to you. This also helps you decide what is right and wrong.
Values
These changing temporary states of mind can be make us feel high, low and everything in between so it is important to be able to regulate these
Moods
Something and a system just about everyone needs when overcoming a difficult challenge, because it is so difficult to do it alone
Support
Every bad choice we make can mean we have to face these later. Addiction can sometimes cause people to ignore these repeatedly
Consequences
The vast majority of people who use this fully legal plant use it as often as 10 or 20 times a day despite knowing it is the number one killer of all addictive substances in the world.
You can have ups and downs along the way but what matters most is that you keep moving forward. If that is true then you are steadily making this
Progress
It is essential to learn to eliminate this negative emotion which stems from holding on to anger and grudges and not letting this go.
Resentment
Building insight and motivation lead to this powerful experience defined by a strong sense of positive mental stimulation to try make things better. (Hint: you can often find this on Pinterest).
Inspiration
When you spend too much, use too much or too often and life problems are steadily piling up and it feels like you can't help it, it is a good sign you have lost this
Control
Stimulants such as cocaine, speed and methamphetamine or other substances, when taken for long periods can induce a mental state of hallucinations and extreme paranoid delusions called:
Psychosis
This involves all the people, places and things that you surround yourself with and that you choose to be connected to
Association
Sometimes addiction can be directly linked to deeply disturbing or distressing experiences that occurred earlier in life all of which is referred to as
Trauma
If you find and discover this it can help you define your goals and add meaning and direction in your life
Purpose