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Years of research in the area of addiction has yielded some interesting information on what is actually happening in the mind and body of an addict. We often think of addictions with regard to "hard core" problems such as alcohol and other addictive substances. But what many of us do not understand is that habits (attachments and dependency) are formed in the physiological structure (mind-body) of everyone. And the longer these habits have been in place, the harder it is to break them.  We human beings are definitely habit-forming creatures and many of our difficulties in life result when we are met with hindrances to our attachments. The following are some examples of fairly typical "addictions" that people bring to a therapist's office, other than drugs and alcohol:

• Addiction to a relationship, which often shows up as an almost complete loss of one's own sense of self in the context of a relationship, and a disconnect in one's relationship with God. The other person has literally, then, become the addicted person's  god. I know that is tough for many people to grasp, since the attachment seems so much like "love". The nature of the dependency does not often reveal itself until there is some kind of perceived threat to the security of the relationship. I cannot begin to say how many clients I have encountered in therapy who are in the midst of literal withdrawals from an addiction to another person. Their behavior and the depth of their pain presents exactly the same as that of a person who is physically withdrawing from drugs or alcohol. Their healing comes first and foremost in recognizing the nature of the dependency, the loss of a sense of a separate personal self, and a gradual "prodigal son" kind of return to a primary spiritual connection.
• Addiction to a particular way of thinking.
  Much of who we are today was learned from our parents. There simply is no other way around that.  All of those suggestions, the clear and hidden family rules,  the general mood around the household, the kinds of attention we got based on certain behaviors - all of those memories are stored in the cellular structure of our mind and body. Therefore, many of our patterned ways of thinking about ourselves and the world in which we live are deeply imprinted,  like data on a computer. I am convinced, and research studies strongly suggest, that chronic depression is often the result of habitually negative patterns of thinking.  Clinical Depression has been called a "contagious social disease" and I fully believe it. It is literally passed around within families. As strange as it may seem, some of us would rather cling to our familiar melancholy than take the bold step to make some radical internal changes.  My own sense, from a Christian perspective, is that making these kinds of radical internal changes is what "putting on the mind of Christ" is really all about.

Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of an unhealthy addiction/attachment, it is most effective to focus on what could be done to form a healthier one, esssentially canceling out the old habit in favor of the new one! Some of these more positive thought habits to focus on (they're medically proven natural antidepressants by the way), might include the imagery of healing light, thoughts of forgiveness, gratitude, unconditional love, beauty, and inner peace.

Also, modern research on the connection between the mind and body helps us realize one essential factor in breaking deeply entrenched bad habits, and that is learning to get our stress under control. Sounds simple doesn't it? Most addictions are supported and strengthened by the way the mind-body processes and learns to deal with stress. Did you know that one negative thought of anger, resentment, hatred, etc., send a stress hormone called cortisol shooting into your bloodstream which only serves to poison your body and make you even more stressed? Anne Milligan created a powerful set of meditations and compiled them on a CD entitled "Into the Light: Mindfulness Meditations for Relaxation, Healing, and Staying Well" that offer a series of steps in deepening your ability to relax, change your thought habits from negative to positive, and gradually heal your mind and body. As has been stated elsewhere on this website, the results in over a year of receiving feedback from participants, show that the meditations really work, if you are willing to put in the time. See below to order the CD. For more detailed information, CLICK HERE