Addictions will continue to rise… Until we do this.
The pandemic has brought so much stress to this world, and one of the ways people try to deal with stress is through the world of addiction.
Alcohol, food, sex, spending, social media, video games, and gambling addictions have all been rising over the last several years.
Yes, we can say that the pandemic had a role in this. The stress that’s been created creates a desire within human beings to escape that which stresses us, so addictions do offer benefits when it comes to stress reduction.
Did you just hear what I said? There are benefits to addictions?
For a short period of time, any addiction can take us out of reality, and make us forget about the stressors that we don’t want to deal with, which is one of the reasons that they’re on the rise so much with the pandemic, inflation, and just the insanity in the world.
So let’s take a look at some of the steps we need to move into to change this discussion, and see a drop in addictions:
Number One. Permanent addiction recovery only! This is something that we have taught for 30 years, and we’re having a hard time getting The Addiction community to join us.
Permanent Addiction Recovery means that we commit to being sober for life!
And that scares so many of us! Being sober for life is the first step that we need to take, not recovering one day at a time, but instead making a declaration that we will be sober and recovered for the rest of our lives.
Permanent Addiction Recovery is the only way to go, and we all need to get on the same bandwagon to help this world heal.
Number Two. Understanding the origin of addictions is something that we have fallen short on for the last several years.
Finally, individuals like Dr. Gabor Mate, are showing in their research that addictions are caused by undiagnosed or untreated grief/ trauma/wounds that can come from childhood or as an adult.
When we drop the old thoughts that addictions are a disease, or addictions are caused by our genes, and we just got short-changed in the genetic pool, which is why you’re an addict.
These worn-out belief systems do not help us in the battle against addiction or in the hopes that we can see more people recover every year.
The lack of nurturing as a child, the stresses of having children, the stress of relationships, and the grief that so many people have gone through since the pandemic began when they started losing loved ones can all lead us toward addiction.
And if you look at all the examples above, there’s a massive emotional component that we are not taking care of today that we need to decrease this incredible increase in addictions.
Number Three. Teaching those individuals struggling with addiction the power behind emotional regulation. Emotional regulation simply means that when we come to a point of stress or peer pressure we slow down… Think… And then make the right choice.
Emotional regulation means that we can spot stressors in the distance, and take proactive steps so we don’t go back to our old ways of using substances or behaviors to diminish stress.
Emotional regulation means we have the tools like meditation, prayer, breath work and so much more in order to regulate our emotions and be more in control, rather than seeking to escape them.
Number Four. Amino acid supplementation. For years now, we’ve known about DLPA and tyrosine as amazing amino acids to help enhance the functioning of our dopamine system in the brain.
Dopamine is probably the number one neurotransmitter involved in the world of addictions.
After being in an addictive state even just for a few months, our brain chemistry can be way off, and while amino acid supplementation is not a silver bullet that’s going to cure all of our problems, it really does make recovery easier.
My addictions began at the age of 12 due to peer pressure and my inability to deal with the emotions I was experiencing at home and at school.
When I got sober many years ago, we didn’t have the knowledge we have now about all of the aforementioned topics in this article that can make the biggest difference in the world when helping people to heal from any addiction permanently.
Never give up. Ask for help. If it takes you one time or 200 times to get clean and sober, it will be worth it!“
David Essel‘s work has been highly endorsed by individuals like the late Wayne Dyer, and celebrity Jenny McCarthy says, “David Essel is the new leader of the positive thinking movement.“
His work as a counselor and minister has been verified, by organizations like Psychology Today, Therapy Tribe, Theravive, and marriage.com have verified David is one of the top counselors and relationship experts in the world
For help with any addiction, reach out to David directly at http://www.davidessel.com
