These days renunciation gets a bad rap. People think of it as deprivation. This could not be further from the truth. Rather than deprivation, renunciation is liberation. It is liberation from compulsively grasping for something we want out of greed, even when the harm outweighs the benefit. And it is liberation from compulsively running from discomfort out of aversion, even when enduring discomfort is necessary to address problems that threaten us. Merriam Webster defines “re

Healing and recovery are about cultivating joy. After all, it is joy which we want to realize in our lives. It is joy that enables our purpose to savor life. Many in the throes of addiction and other mental illnesses never experience joy. Life is dull, flat, painful, and dreary. It is a wasteland of depression and hopelessness. The lack of joy can leave people feeling there is no purpose to live for, no way out. They feel trapped. There is a way out. You can cultivate and rec

Freeing yourself of addiction is difficult, but possible with effort, support, guidance, and practice. It requires first seeing clearly how addiction harms you and others. Understand in your bones that addicting does not work. See that it brings suffering rather than happiness. As part of this, see that when you switch from one addictive substance or behavior to another, you have not yet healed the underlying problem. Healing and learning to manage pain resolves addictive beh

People disagree about what are addictive behaviors. If a behavior meets the definition of addiction (compulsion, loss of control, continued behavior despite harmful consequences), then the behavior is a behavioral addiction. Some people engage in one or more addictive behaviors. Various addictive behaviors include: • Excessive shopping/spending • Overeating (including compulsive sugar consumption) • Gambling• Compulsive and harmful sexual behaviors • Excessive Internet use, s

External triggers are people, places, things, and situations that awaken cravings. They differ from internal triggers, which are negative emotional states such as anger, fear, or boredom. Common external triggers include drugs, drug paraphernalia, bars, people using, drug dealers, neighborhoods where you got your supply, and places where you addicted. If you went to certain events, such as concerts, high, then those events can trigger you. The Internet can trigger cravings fo

“Environment is of supreme importance. It is greater than will power.”Paramhansa Yogananda Recovery requires a positive environment. If you have a hip fracture, you first need surgery in a hospital, followed by a stay in a rehabilitation facility, followed by ambulation aids in your home. If you have asthma, you may need to have air purifiers in your home. The same is true with addiction. Without the proper environment, you are doomed to fail. Many people enter recovery from

Life can get messy. Either we create messes for ourselves or messes are put upon us. For most of us, it is a combination of both. No one lives a perfect life. No matter how careful we are, difficulties constantly arise. Life is like that. Life is hard. It is especially hard for those struggling with mental illnesses, including addictions. Many people experience tremendous emotional distress on top of the normal difficulties of living. This leaves many feeling hopeless and ove

Many who suffer from addiction, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric issues do not love themselves. Instead, they are harshly self-critical. They have suffered injury to the sense of their innate goodness. Victims of the disease of self-hatred experience a deep insecurity about the value of their existence. They lack a sense of wholeness. This is usually because of trauma or emotional neglect. To love ourselves, we need to have experienced others loving and nurturing us

The recurrence of addicting starts before the actual addicting. It starts with allowing the conditions for addiction to arise by living unskillfully or ineffectively managing the inevitable pain of life. You “BUTA.”—Build Up to Addict. People lapse every day. We all experience unhelpful feelings and thoughts and behave unskillfully. No one lives life perfectly. We make mistakes. Things happen, often beyond our control. We experience pain. Often the return to addicting starts