How often do you give in to your addictions?
Everyone has them… Right?! But do you think of yourself as an addict?
Addictions come in many forms and intensities. From alcohol and drug addictions, food, sugar, shopping or social media addictions. More and more these days, we find ourselves bombarded with life… for many people, their addictions help them get through life.
I must admit, I didn’t really think I had any major addictions in my life…
Boy was I wrong – here’s how I know…
So, this week I’ve have been extremely fortunate to head up to Gwinganna Lifestyle for a Yoga Retreat for 3 nights.
It was absolute BLISS!
Enjoying daily Yoga classes, organic food, herbal teas and a good dose of Vitamin D!
Apart for the Yoga and Spa treatments (I had a couple of luxurious massages), my favourite moment was looking out over the infinity pool into the valley below. Simply taking in the beautiful surrounds.
Now, you might be wondering… where does addiction come in to play here?
You see, during this beautiful retreat… I had a dull headache every day, and I had no idea why. Until I got home and had my first coffee of the week…
Confession: I think I’m addicted to coffee :-s
I had no idea that coffee had taken hold of my life… tightening it’s grip with every sip!
To be clear though… I’m not referring to myself as an Addict. From what I know of human behaviour, creating an identity as an addict is extremely limiting in our minds.
Addictions are actually a good thing. Believe it or not, they keep us alive. They often arise as a defence mechanism. Addictions can be a way for people to survive after trauma, grief, or a difficult experience. A way of coping after the fact. Often these addictions run deep.
Now that I’m aware I have adopted an addiction, I’m assessing the underlying cause. I believe, for me, I developed this addiction after the birth of my son and subsequent lack of sleep (a recognised form of torture) in the years to follow. It started as a way for me to get through the day.
There is also another reason people form addictions. A lack of certainty. If our level of uncertainty is greater than our level of certainty, we seek comfort and security. Qualities often found in addictive behaviour, for example, indulging in too much TV or mindlessly scrolling through social media.
Not all addictions are major problems.
Now my question to you is… are you harbouring a secret addiction? And is it a problem for you? Does it hold you back in any way? If so, I’d love to know! Leave a comment below!