Some Things You Cannot Control
Some things happen in your life that you have no control over. For example, generational grief and addiction are two life situations that you have no control over. Addiction as a disease of the soul. You may not be aware of your inheritance from your grandmother’s despair or your great-grandfather’s alcoholism. How would you?
If you have dealt with addiction issues, you may feel that no one understands what brought you to addiction. No one understands the sadness and pain that led you down the road to substance abuse. Addiction as a disease of the soul. The people who do not understand will be quick to tell you that you made your choice. These people will also tell you that no one put that drink, joint, or pill in your hand. They will tell you that you knew what you were doing was dangerous, and you choose to use anyway.
Let them have their opinion. You do not need others’ understanding or approval to gain the life of sobriety you are seeking. Your sobriety is your journey and your business. Not everyone in your life needs to understand that addiction as a disease of the soul.
Those closest to you cannot see the vast spiritual spiral that addiction has led you down; instead, they see the destructive behaviors, poor decisions, and how you withdrew from everything and everyone that brought you joy.
Addiction as a Disease of the Soul
Webster’s Dictionary defines disease as “a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms” or as “a harmful development (as in a social institution).”
Like a disease, drugs and alcohol weaken your ability to fight cravings. Cravings are created when your substance of choice activates the dopamine transmitters in the brain. You crave the massive rush of dopamine that enters your body each time you consume the drug, which, in turn, creates addictive behavior.
When the euphoria ends, the cravings begin again. When the cravings start, so does your need to “feed the disease.” You can become so preoccupied with finding your next fix that you can’t focus on anything or anyone else. If you cannot find that next fix, your entire existence may ache. You may feel uncomfortable, and your mind can switch to panic mode. There is no ignoring the discomfort. There is only the feeling that you will not make it through the day. As a result, you might do whatever it takes to get your drug of choice. We end the pain, the discomfort, and the shame by self-medicating.
Generational Addiction
Your addiction may have started generations before you. Perhaps your grandparents were Native American, Alaska Native, or from another country. These grandparents may have experienced a loss of culture, country, language, and other family members. All those experiences cause traumas that linger and get passed down. Perhaps generational poverty or prejudice has been a factor, and help was not sought after or available.
As a result of the loss and trauma, perhaps your ancestors began to self-medicate. Studies show that trauma has the potential to rewire people’s brains, and this rewiring could be in future generations, therefore addiction as a disease of the soul. When people with generational traumas begin to use, they do not understand how much their genetics can play in their addiction. Again, you cannot control what you do not know.
End the Stigma
You no longer have to feel ashamed of something you had no power to control. No one aspires to have an addiction. Some people are pre-programmed for addiction without their knowledge. They are unaware that the first time they use has the potential to lead to years of addictive behaviors because of something that happened generations before them.
Many people do not realize how powerful drugs and alcohol can be until they are so securely caught in their grasp that they feel they have no other choice but to continue to use them. Maybe you have tried to get clean and sober before. If a prior attempt at sobriety ended in relapse because of a bad day, a bad situation, or the pain of remembered traumas you may feel hopeless, helpless, or lost.
Remember your value
You are more than your addiction. Above all, you can be the person you have always wanted to be. Like most diseases, you may need to engage with a medical professional for assistance in understanding the disease and stopping the cycle of addiction. Admitting that you have a problem and asking for help takes tremendous courage, and it’s okay to acknowledge that you cannot find recovery independently. You don’t need to climb the mountains alone.
Addiction and mental health issues may reach far back in generational history. Past generational traumas and a predisposition for addictive behaviors may have been handed down to you through your DNA. Some things cannot be avoided no matter how hard you may try. You are part of the cure. No longer does the trauma of your family need to be passed down to the next generation.
After all, when you decided to end your addiction, you declared that this addiction would not poison anyone else in your family. Be proud of yourself for taking that stand. The staff at Twilight Recovery Center understands that your journey will be challenging. Our team provides person-centered, holistic therapies that help you release cravings, guilt, shame, and regret associated with alcohol and drug addiction. Twilight’s all-inclusive centers strive to provide an environment where you can relax in luxury and heal. Call us at (888) 414-8183.