Addiction Recovery ~ It's within your reachWhile addiction may have a genetic component, it is certainly not the whole story. There is an interconnectedness between all aspects of addiction, including the psychological, biological and social aspect. It’s a complex process that involves brain, body, emotions, psychology and social relationships. All these factors play a role, though fundamentally, I see addiction as having its roots in the loss of connection with our essential self. It is this loss of connection and consequently the internal sense of distress that results from it, that first prompts the impulse to seek relief in substances or compulsive behaviours.
|
When we look at addiction as a physical disease, we don’t acknowledge the lived experience of the individual. The behaviors are just symptoms, they are not the core. ~Gabor Mate |
In essentially all instances, the sense of disconnection, and therefore the wanting and craving originates from the lasting influences of early childhood experience particularly our earliest attachments. Early childhood trauma, emotional loss, neglect or disrupted attachment will almost always be in the history of the person struggling with addiction. These early imprints often operate beneath the level of conscious awareness. Current brain research has shown that the history of all our experiences are stored in our brains, whether these are conscious (explicit or declarative) or unconscious (implicit or procedural). The implicit, un-integrated influences, particularly have a profound influence and play out in our adult lives potentially contributing to much suffering.
|
I can help you examine your addictive impulses and
set the stage for self healing to unfold.
It is a natural impulse to seek to ease pain, fill the sense of lack, or the feelings of emptiness. Addictive drives are in fact a way the organism is attempting to find balance and healing. While this attempt is misguided, it makes perfect sense. Yet, if we begin paying attention and look inward, we'll inevitably notice there is also a healthier, deeper impulse towards wholeness. This guiding force, which is always available, is where we will begin to put our attention. It has an immeasurable knowing and as you connect with this inner resource, you may notice overtime that it becomes your greatest ally in the recovery process.
|
Inside of every human being, there is a God shaped void. ~Blaise Pascal |
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” T. S. Eliot |
I employ mindfulness and a somatic sensing approach to support your addiction recovery. This will aid in helping you get in touch with and renegotiate past painful or traumatic memories stuck in the nervous system, interrupting the cycle of chronic arousal, as well as negative, shame-inducing thoughts. With caring and kind support I will help you learn new ways to renegotiate those irrepressible, overwhelming experiences which are at the very core of trauma and therefore the undercurrent of addiction. In turn, this will increase your ability to self-regulate, making room for more life affirming and satisfying ways of having your needs met. My hope is our work together will lead you in developing kindness and compassion toward your self and your internal experience.
|