Addiction, the hidden resistance against staying healthy
The balance of health is constantly attacked by a whole series of influences, the great majority of which we bring upon ourselves. In recognition of this there is a growing movement towards taking more responsibility for our own health as opposed to relying on others "to make us better".
In general there are four groups of negative influences that destroy our life:
- Diet and lifestyle inappropriate to your constitution
- Depleted life energy
- Production and/or accumulation of toxins in the body
- Traumas (bereavements, accidents, sudden life changes, surgery, crime . . .)
Of these the first three are influences that we can control ourselves, and should. It is worthwhile asking the question why we carry on harming ourselves even when we know what damage we are doing. What is the attraction? A major factor is the inability to change, to overcome the pain of change. But why should a change towards health be so painful? Because we disturb the balance that body and mind has created, for better or for worse it is a balance. Any habit which you cannot break without seriously damaging your body, mind or spirit is an addiction. The society we live in craves intensity. Life is no longer subtle, flowing gently with the stream of the seasons, guided by the changing light of day and night. Instead we have chosen to be intense, to try and bounce from one thrill into the next, preferably without taking a breath - because the experience is so breath taking. We are pushed to taste new and exciting thrills all the time, never satisfied with any of them. Careers, leisure, relationships, all are suffering from this craving for higher intensity thrills. The nature of these "necessary" thrills is as diverse as people themselves. Anything from music, works of art, films, ballets, books, sports events, parades, perfumes, food, gambling, exercise, to sex can become the great provider of "the thrill of a lifetime", not just once, but all the time. Anything that overwhelms you with a sense of tingling excitement is a potential source of addiction.
In order to provide these thrills on a physical level our body produces brain chemical molecules that allow us to experience the exhilarating effects. By searching and craving for more and stronger thrills we start to exhaust the production of these chemicals and our body can no longer provide the natural satisfying effects of the required thrill. At this point we are starting to look for help; an external source that will allow the brain to equal and surpass the previous level. We will start to use drugs and food to help us satisfy our cravings. We use them as a crutch and after a short while we become dependent upon them because we can no longer satisfy our needs without them. We are dependent upon external sources to read more
