We consider our addictions to be illnesses, and we focus on the impacts and effects of them, but sometimes we forget that our illnesses are often symptoms of even deeper problems. The addiction itself isn’t necessarily the cause of our mental and emotional challenges but instead a manifestation of them. When we think of our addictions in this way, we can gain a deeper understanding of why we’re struggling in the unique ways that we are, and why we’re facing these particular difficulties.
Contributing Factors
When we think of our addictions as the cause of the problems in our lives, we miss the opportunity to look deeper and see the underlying reasons behind our challenges. We tackle the addiction itself, and we prioritize sobriety which is very helpful in the healing process, but we might not be confronting the other issues that are contributing factors not only to our life challenges but to the addiction itself. We have layers of traumatic experiences we haven’t processed. We have wounds from childhood that are still unhealed within us. We have detrimental limiting beliefs and self-destructive subconscious programming. We have problematic family dynamics, complex relationship issues, and tough life circumstances, all of which can contribute to heightened stress levels, along with worsened depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. All of these difficulties can create within us a deep sense of unhappiness, and they can also fuel our addictive patterns.
Reciprocal Cycles
We often tend to think of our addictions as the cause of our suffering in life, without realizing that our addictions can be a manifestation of our suffering, just like our various other issues. While addiction does, of course, create suffering, it is also often a byproduct of it as well. Our lives can operate cyclically, with multiple factors causing our addictions and also stemming from them. We can’t necessarily separate the cause from the effect, because everything within us is contributing and factoring into everything in our lives. Our addictions are one of the many layers of unhealed pain within us. They might drive plenty of our difficulties, but they are also being driven by them, reciprocally. When we think of our addictions as being symptoms of underlying issues, rather than the root cause of them, we push ourselves to look deeper into everything that is unhealed and unresolved within us.
At The Guest House Ocala, we are uniquely equipped to help our guests heal from trauma-induced substance abuse and process addictions in a safe, comfortable and confidential setting.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information on our treatment programs.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488