Loss Fades Once An Addiction Is Snapped

It is no secret that consumption of alcohol is big business and has been institutionalized in our culture. I would say our nation reveres those of us who cheer loudly and act boldly bolstered by alcohol consumption. However, at the same time, the casualties of such overindulgence are deeply felt.
Some drink rarely and some drink moderately. Yet there are many of us in society that simply cannot stop drinking. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2.5 million people died in alcohol related deaths in 2013. Disease, accidents and behavioral incidents are among the chief culprits. What is less widely known is the subtle toll that I have seen it take on personal relationships and professional opportunities as well as mental and spiritual health.
I am the program director at Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona, and it is my belief that ancient, human principles can transcend the short term gratification that may be gained through becoming intoxicated or getting high. By the time a client comes to my attention they have suffered significant feelings of loss and have typically entered into a depression. Many continue to consume drugs and alcohol as a form of self medication. I see a painful emptiness that I call a “soul sickness,” in the core of these individuals.
It is my belief that there is a cure for this ‘soul sickness’ and it is participation in a holistic, nurturing and empowering recovery program, such as what we offer at the Alternative to Meds Center. This can be the path to what I call emotional sobriety.
Feelings of deep distress caused by loss, misfortune or disappointment are parts of the human condition. We would not be complete human beings if we did not experience these universal states of being from time to time. When an expectation is not met, when we perceive we have somehow failed to adapt, or when we operate under the perception of scarcity, we can be filled with feelings of loss.
Feeling blue does not make us bad people. However, for the purposes of living emotionally sober, we must change our habitual thinking that harbors loss and despair. In other words, it is okay to feel loss in our lives, but we do not need to build a temple to it or erect a protective shield around it.
It has been my experience, that when we cease the poisoning of our minds with drug and alcohol abuse, our emotions invariably return with intensity. The emotions may seem confusing, irrational and may be disproportionate to the cause. In most instances, these emotions will level out in time.
It is important for those in recovery to recognize these intense emotions for what they are without getting off track and back into the throws of active addiction. When we use drugs and alcohol we hijack the human brain’s reward system for making positive life-enhancing decisions. This is why an activity that we know is bad for us, perhaps even deadly, exudes such a powerful pull.
For those with many years of active addiction, there is a sad predictability about their lives. A daily cycle of hangover, craving, excitability of re-acquisition, ever diminishing euphoria, intoxication and oblivion followed by more of the same formed a downward spiral.
I have seen it happen all the time that when individuals embrace sobriety and become fully present and authentic participants in their lives, the joy received through the appreciation of not knowing how the story is going to turn out, more than makes up for the sullen predictability of self-destruction.
The path to emotional sobriety leads from ‘soul sickness’ to the realization that one is making use of all his or her materials of life; making full use of the gift of one’s experiences and not squandering the moments and opportunities that come one’s way. This is the life of the hero, who instead of stealing the fire by acting boldly, bolstered by alcohol or drug use, cultivates from within and allows his own light to burn brightly, exposing the myth that feelings of despair and loss are permanent. This change fills the chasm that the soul sickness inhabits and makes relapse less likely. It is a path where you might even find yourself happy and content with renewed good cheer.
