Escaping Pain is the Root of EVERY Addiction
This is absolutely true. When humans feel helpless, they will grab at anything physical to relieve or "escape" pain. Fight/Flight/Freeze....these moments of helplessness can quickly lead to overusing drugs, alcohol, food, tobacco, sex, work, books and even Facebook....
Unfortunately some "coping skills" or "survival mechanisms" cause more damage to the body or the "family," and definitely have more consequences or judgement attached to them. We should never judge another person for their chosen coping skill. When you understand "escape" or "flight" mode, you understand that substances and coping skills are simply a secondary response to a deeper problem.
You will also begin to understand that a food addiction may be more socially acceptable than a drug addiction...yet the compounding problem of obesity in our culture is taking lives and feeding poor self-esteem. And this....compounds the original problem even more, leading to more social, physical, emotional, medical, and economic problems...and on...and on...and on.....
We also ALL use coping skills...but to what extent?
Think about moments in life when you feel stressed?
Do you grab a cigarette, chips, a beer, a pill, your phone? This is a quick way to "relax" and escape the nagging anxious feelings that won't go away... Whatever we "use," WILL have a reaction...both positive and negative.
Temporarily relieving stress and pain is a positive result.
Poor relationships, poor health, obesity, abuse, neglected children....are negative ones that can occur when we begin to overuse those coping skills....
And regardless of what we use to escape pain in the moment, until we deal with the original problem that caused it in the first place, the coping skill will eventually compound the problem...requiring more of the same or a new one to relieve stress in the moment. In Seed Digging language, we describe this process as "chopping weeds" and only dealing with "symptoms"....we must get to the root if we want permanent relief.
This is where true healing is found...and results in finding peace and joy that lasts.🌱
If you find that you have "overused" your coping skill and it's harming you or your family, reach out for help! Treat your addiction at the "root" and simply stop chopping weeds. You are worth it. Your family is worth it.
And...you can do it! Take the first step and reach out for help....
