Great seeing you today in the Coach's Corner! We talked about getting some mini movements with a Kettle Bell. Will post a sheet here in the comments you can use. Karen shared a link to a Kettle Bell video she likes. I read an reflection on a book that was mandatory for me in my Holistic Medicine for Addiction Course called. Addictive Personality by Craig Nakken. Some points from the book are: All addictions have something in common: the out of control and searching for happiness and peace and wholeness through a relationship with an object or event. Every addict engages in a relationship with an object or event in order to produce a desired mood change or state of intoxication. Examples would be: Alcoholic - Drinking at neighborhood bar Food - Binging or Starving Gambler - Placing bets on games Shoplifter - Stealing clothes from a store Sex - Mood change while browsing in sex books Spender - shopping Workaholic - by staying at work to accomplish another task even when needed at home All these provide mood changes. The trance (trance state being a state of detachment) or mood change always fades away and we lose the pleasurable. The trance allows the addict to detach from the pain, guilt and shame they feel. They use it to cover painful feelings and feel a sense of control. It creates a virtual reality. The trance state is a part of the definition of addiction where people believe in and seek spiritual connection through objects and behaviors that can only produce temporary sensations. These produce hopelessness, fear and grieving that push them further alienate them from spirituality and humanity. “Addiction takes and takes and takes some more!!!” For the addict, acting out is a way to create the emotional and mental shift they desire through thoughts or behaviors. Being in control through acting out. Some addicts say they feel alive when acting out and then addiction becomes a lifestyle. I felt I had no control over what I ate and didn't do anything about it for years. I couldn't make sense of it all being told I just needed to eat less and move more. When I was told to eat less all I did was obsessively think about food all day. Euphoric recall all day long as It brought me pleasure to eat. I knew it caused me pain but all logic was gone!! My husband could not understand so therefore I would wait for him to leave and then eat a whole family size bag of Doritos or Cheese puffs. I would not go to functions to stay home and gorge alone. “Addiction is an emotional relationship with an object or event through which addicts try to meet their needs for intimacy” “Emotional logic is: I want what I want and I want it now”. Emotional needs feel very urgent! Because addiction involves the deep need to have emotional needs met and emotional pressure relieved addicts give in to their urges. Talk therapy does not work without a support group. “Once a person starts to look to an object or event for emotional stability he or she is building a foundation for an addictive relationship to it” “Addiction in a pathological (to deviate from a healthy or normal condition or abnormal) love and trust relationship with an object or event” “Addiction makes life very lonely and makes them isolate from others” “Addiction is predictable for addicts and that is why they believe it can be trusted” “Addiction is an attempt to emotionally fulfill oneself” “Finding emotional fulfillment through an object or event is an illusion” “Addiction is an experience that changes people in permanent ways” I know I felt very shameful and scared over the years. Very intense at times. I truly believe I felt moments of intimacy like when pigging out after a night of drinking with my friends or shopping and spending with friends when I didn't have the money to spend. In the present moment it felt good and made me feel close to others. You can switch addictions from objects to objects and events to other events. You feel like the problem has gotten better when you have just moved it to another addiction. Craig tells us that when recovery takes place by accepting and taking responsibility for the presence of an addicted personality, addicted people can start recovery and begin to choose relationships that allow them to move outside of themselves. It forces them to see outside themselves and seek help. The first step in recovery is the acceptance of the dual personalities created in addiction. So, admitting the presence of addiction is the first step in recovery. You have to be totally honest with yourself. I love that he goes through all the stages. I could see the stages in my journey playing out like a movie. I saw the behavioral dependency in stage 2 happen that became my lifestyle. Lying, hiding, sneaking, blaming others and withdrawing emotionally and mentally. The inner struggle was so real and I believed I should be able to control myself. The addiction is so powerful! I was naturally outgoing but felt like a loner now and isolated myself on purpose. Connection truly is protection. I choose life!

Posted by Tia Reid at 2025-07-17 22:16:32 UTC