When a person gets a deadly diagnosis, and the panic wears off, they usually follow their physician’s treatment recommendations. Not so, with addiction. Addiction is the only illness that prevents the patient from seeing the truth of his or her demise.
An addiction is anything a person continues to do despite negative consequences. People who aren’t addicted or who fear becoming addicted stop before it’s too late. When something bad happens, reason takes over, and they swear off the thing that caused them to violate their own moral standards and self-respect. But for some, they don’t try to stop, others stop and start again, and some stop one addiction then switches to another.
When a professional provides evidence of brain, heart, liver, lung, or any other organ damage, the addict manages to erase the facts mentally and continues using: Good-bye health.
The legal system has little to no impact on addiction either: Good-bye reputation.
Even loved ones can’t save the addict from self-destruction: Good-bye marriage, kids, home.
Interventions often push the addict deeper into the addiction. It’s as though when thrown a life raft, the addict swims frantically away and further out to sea. Those trying to intervene can only watch in horror as they witness a loved one carried away by the riptides of addiction.
And what does the addictive mind do when every possible attempt has been made to help? Rather than treating this part of the mind as an invasive foreign entity to be banished, they hold it dear. It’s the savior and the protector from feeling the pain of what the addiction has caused in the first place. The addiction covers up the pain and underlying fear with anger and blame — that way — the addiction keeps everyone away and has its hostage all to itself.
The human body then becomes a host to the biggest parasite on the planet.
Blinded by the Dark
Addiction has many forms; co-dependency, food, gambling, mood-altering substances, sex, spending, thrill-seeking, and any other distraction that produces an altered state of consciousness. They all provide a temporary state of euphoria — a feeling that is otherwise missing. But what the addict fails to see is that an emotional void cannot be filled with empty solutions. No more than the Colorado River rushes through the Grand Canyon; a greater void is created as the addiction bores a hole in one’s soul.
The voice of addiction is not a friend; it is the grim reaper with an opium pipe. If, for one instant, the truth is faced, the addict would be free to resume life as it was meant to be; meaningful and purposeful, full of joy.
Instead, the addiction slowly creeps through every healthy cell, every rational thought until one day, there is nothing left: All of the spiritual life force being sucked away and replaced with every negative emotion known to man — hell.
The high is a relief to the boredom or pain of life, but the addict never realizes that the addiction perpetuates the boredom and pain to keep the addiction alive.
The longer the addiction lasts, the less and less for which to live. Exactly where the addiction wants every hostage, wrapped in a web of hopelessness.
A Speck of Light
Just as the flick of a switch instantly lights a dark room, so is all darkness removed from the mind with a speck of light.
Some people are courageous enough to recognize the truth about addiction. The moment a person realizes a death-voice is killing them and then instead tunes in to the inner voice of love, the nightmare is over. These are the ones who have done what no one else was able to do — save themselves.
One addict who was jonesing and furious that he couldn’t get his drugs during the Coronavirus expressed this: “The first few days were rough, but then on day three a thought came to me. Who Am I?” That question opened him to the truth. He knew he wasn’t here to simply exist as a numbed-out zombie who couldn’t pull his life together. When he pondered the question that love offered him, he found his miracle and was free.
A Permanent Cure
No one is to be blamed for addiction; we’ve all been conditioned that there’s a solution for every physical or emotional discomfort known to man. Most of us weren’t taught that we are designed to be creative, problem-solvers who can benefit from any situation that life deals. Instead, we are taught to avoid our inner-state at all costs.
We can do better; we can learn to heal the void and give ourselves whatever is missing.
Every addiction is a substitute for love. Once an addiction is replaced with self-love, the unnatural state of addiction holds no value because your life is too full of things that bring real pleasure. Put all of the energy you used for the addiction toward learning how to love yourself. Be your own loving parent, and you will know how to make good choices for your mind and body. Most important, listen to the voice of love, it will always guide you to a real place of happiness and peace.
You are here for a reason, rather than allowing addiction to march you to your grave, why not give your life another chance. You can reclaim your mind anytime; it’s never too late to be happy. Once you choose to love yourself, life will find its way to you.
Join the Movement
To find out more about Dr. Marks’ unique approach to draining the value out of any addiction visit https://drdonnamarks.com/etm/ and receive a FREE copy of her multi-award-winning book “Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure.” (You just cover shipping and handling).
Donna Marks is an educator and licensed psychotherapist and addictions counselor in Palm Beach, Florida. She has worked with over 6,000 clients. Donna’s struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Adult Education, then became Certified in Addictions, Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Hypnosis, and Sex Therapy. Donna developed an award-winning addiction training program at Palm Beach Community College. She co-owned an outpatient treatment program and is a consultant to treatment centers. For 30 years, she has taught A Course in Miracles.
Donna is the author of two books: Learn, Grow, Forgive: A Path to Spiritual Success, and the multi-award-winning title: Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure.
Donna is a public speaker and has shared her methods with hundreds of thousands of listeners on podcasts and radio shows.
www.drdonnamarks.com 561–436–9360 drdonnamarks@gmail.com
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