How I Transformed Self-Doubt and Channeled the Very Same Energy Into Confident Self-Trust.
As I started to write this blog post I realized I was writing it because there was a little more to add to my last post. I was feeling some doubt! I was second-guessing myself thinking, “Who am I to talk about the field of addictions and how it seems to be changing?” I am not a researcher! Then I remembered that I have been studying and treating addictions for 30 years! I also realized the reason why I was feeling a little angst is because I do have something unique to say, and something that adds value. I remembered that when I was in college after I got sober and I knew Dr. Madsen, the professor I mentioned in my last post, he was in a bit of an academic battle with philosophy professor regarding addiction not being “a disease.” The argument was that because people “chose” to drink or do drugs, it could not be a disease. Personally I don’t care if we call it a disease, but as with many other things we do to ourselves, dis-ease is an appropriate and useful perspective. I was also feeling a little triggered by the new look at addictions saying it is caused by childhood trauma. We were taught both in AA & in training to be a counselor this wasn’t the case. Again I don’t care what causes addiction. I am far more interested in how to free people from anything we do to ourselves that is disempowering. For me substance abuse was and is a “spiritual” problem, or one that lies in consciousness. I think more like Dr. David Hawkins. He says, “Man is stuck with is lack of knowledge about himself until he can learn to look beyond apparent causes. From the human record, we may note that answers never arise by identifying “causes” in the world. Instead, its necessary to identify the conditions that underlie ostensible causes; and these conditions exist only within man’s consciousness itself. No definitive answer to any problem can be found by isolating sequences of events and projecting on them a mental notion of “causality.” There are no causes within the observable world…the observable world is a world of effects.” Perhaps we could say this is what this new look at addictions is saying but then we should be talking about the combination of nature and nurture as Dr. Madsen was teaching his students when I met him back in the mid 80’s. And, I am always left with thinking about those who have suffered childhood abuse or neglect but have NOT become addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Since I successfully freed myself from drugs and alcohol and even later successfully quit cigarettes I have an insiders perspective on addictions. With the emergence of the field of epigenetics (how we can turn genes on and off at the cell membrane) I am far more interested in looking at how we are shaping our bodies, what we are doing with our minds, and how we are creating systems to live by that are not in alignment with how the energy of life naturally unfolds. This is where my perspective enters the picture. There is so much that is unnatural in the world, in our lives and in our systems that it is no wonder we feel self-doubt and second-guess ourselves. We live in an environment that is steeped in falsehoods, artificial structures and as a result we are constantly encouraged to “leave ourselves.” In fact I could even say that we are living in a society that traumatizes us, because we end up feeling we have to follow along and live in ways that are out of synch with our “natural selves.” Maybe I’m idealistic, but I do not think we need to go along with the crowd or live in ways that make us feel bad. Trying to juggle our own natural or innate tendencies with the demands we perceive to be coming from “life” can create conflict where we end up unconsciously believing we have to give in to social pressure instead of listening to our own inner guidance. Self-doubt may be a natural side effect of modern life! There are certainly other problems that result from our modern lifestyles but self-doubt or second-guessing yourself is the first problem we will address using The Life Addictions™ Course. Please keep in mind there is no reason to feel bad because of the word “addiction.” I’m not calling anyone an addict or suggesting you believe something, or anything. This program is a look at how we misuse the mind, adopt false beliefs, how powerful they can be, and most important how to free yourself from false structures that are created when the mind is out of balance.
So I will quote what many teachers with integrity say,
Don’t Listen to Me, or just believe what I am saying, CHECK FOR YOURSELF! You know best what is true for you, what works for you. How to get in touch with that and live by it is why we are here! That is what this new course is about! If this speaks to you, please click the button below to subscribe to our list & sign up for our free report!
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