understanding addiction (part 1)
The word “addiction” is derived from a Latin term for “enslaved by, or bound to”; addiction is akin to slavery and bondage. It is easy for our human brains to yearn for things from which we derive pleasure. Addictions have a great power to influence our brains that manifests in three avenues: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control while engaging in the activity, and consistent and continuous involvement in the activity despite awareness of the negative consequences that come with it.
We know that our aberrant behaviors are not helping us, yet we still engage in them. We throw our values, beliefs, and health concerns out of the window and take huge risks to feed our cravings. Isn’t that crazy?
Addiction, whether big or small, is still an addiction. On a macro or micro scale, the truth is that we are all addicted to something extraneous or a particular behavior that helps us pacify.
During an addiction, we give up control and let our reckless behavior and misinformed state of mind control us. We become slaves to the ephemeral pleasures, turning into a hamster on the wheel repeating the same patterns, again and again, inching us towards insanity.
A big part of an addiction is the momentum behind it. We have invested a great deal of time, energy, and resources in fulfilling our cravings. Our behavioral crutches have handicapped us from detaching from addictions. Moreover, we are scared of the void that will open up when we get rid of our addiction as we don’t know how we will able to fill it. In essence, we fear our own success and well-being.
We need to understand that we have to slow down this momentum gradually, and rather than squandering our time, use it effectively to pursue our other hobbies and interests. A great strategy is to incorporate meditation into our daily lives. Not only does it calm us, but it also helps us get in alignment with our Inner Being. As we focus on spirituality and let go of the attachments of the body and the behaviors that come with the physical life, we become an observer and get an outsider’s view of these patterns.
