Addiction

Create a new post for topic
Join the Conversation on
Addiction
46.8K people
0 stories
5.8K posts
About Addiction Show topic details
Explore Our Newsletters
What's New in Addiction
All
Stories
Posts
Videos
Latest
Trending
Post

Finding an Anchor in God

I am grieving right now. I’m grieving the loss of a damaging, unhealthy, and harmful friendship, but a friendship I held close to all the same. I’m grieving the loss of the familiar life I used to have, a life my old friend played a massive role in. I’m grieving myself, as it relates to this sudden and profound change in my life. In short, right now I feel like my foundation has cracked underneath me, and I’m falling.

And to make matters worse, the grief has reignited a firestorm of mental and physical health challenges, from stomach pain and weakness to a profound state of depression and lifelessness. I don’t want to eat, I sleep too much, and I feel a constant pit of emptiness in the center of my chest. Grief is a beast. It’s a jarring, painful reminder that this world isn’t how God intended it to be; a reminder of all that sin has wrecked upon His creation. And when you have Borderline Personality Disorder, like I do, the pain of grief can feel like you’re living a nightmare.

My emotions swing from rage from the betrayal I suffered, to a deep loneliness after adjusting to a world without my ex-friend, to a sense of relief the toxicity is finally over. I’ve learned to treat my emotions like weather. Florida’s weather, that is. If you live in Florida, you know the weather can change on a dime. My emotions work similarly. In the afternoon, I’m experiencing anger and indignation. In the evening, I’m feeling lonely and I’m facing crying spells. Just as a Floridian must prepare for an upcoming thunderstorm or a hurricane, I too must prepare for the pain of the day. And I do that by anchoring myself onto God, the only One Who will truly never leave or abandon us.

When a storm approaches, sailors put down an anchor so that their boats are not toppled over by the approaching tempest. The anchor doesn’t stop the storm from approaching; that’s entirely out of the sailor’s control. But what the anchor does is make it so that the boat can withstand the storm’s beatings and tumult without toppling over or sinking. When we are grieving, or going through a massively painful storm, we must anchor ourselves in God and in His Word.

"I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” — Psalm 16:8, NLT

##Perhaps right now, as you read these words, you’re being pummeled by the storm above you. The rains rages on, and there’s no sunshine in sight. No matter how terrible in every way the storm is, and no matter how tragic your situation is, God is here for you, desiring to be your Anchor. Nothing else in this world can provide the solid foundation that you deserve. You need Someone Who can be there for you through thick and thin, without leaving you or abandoning you (Hebrews 13:5). God wants that for you. So anchor yourself along with me and let’s weather the storm together. I believe, despite the emotional pain I’m in right now as I read these words, that one day the clouds will part and the rain will cease — and that you’ll be here with me.

#Addiction #Depression #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Grief #Loneliness #MajorDepressiveDisorder #Relationships #Christian #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #MightyTogether #CheckInWithMe

Most common user reactionsMost common user reactions 17 reactions 10 comments
Post
See full photo

What's up Wednesday?

I've had quite a few therapists in my life and one pointed out that if I started living life in a way that aligned with my personal values, I'd be much happier. Over the years, Ive come to realize she was right.
This is a huge list (you can easily find a smaller core value list on Google!) but I'd love it if you took some time to evaluate the top 5 core values you resonate with and share one or two below! It's a fantastic therapeutic exercise!
#MentalHealth #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Anxiety #BipolarDisorder #Addiction #Schizophrenia #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Most common user reactionsMost common user reactions 18 reactions 9 comments
Post
See full photo

Placing the power in your hands to practice how to improve your wellbeing

Since this is a Practice, and in a practice, we must build upon our knowledge—here, I am going to expand upon my 1st post about the Beginner’s Mind, the first post of this new group - click to join and not miss the interconnected 9 attitudes of the wellbeing mindset of Mindfulness.

There is an emphasis on the importance of cultivating this mindset in all aspects of life.

Has anyone practiced this Beginner’s Mind or think that you will give it a try?
Any thoughts about this particular part of the whole?

Let’s break it down again:

Holding onto a particular belief limits the mind.
We accumulate a lot of conditioning along the way.
We tend to create a world where our opinions and beliefs are fixed.
As soon as we are attached to that one side, we shut off the other side-we don’t see it or hear it.

Only when we are willing to show up in each moment with a fresh, curious mind, willing to listen, knowing that possibly everything we believed and thought -that perhaps that’s not true. And, if we can maintain that freshness of mind, called a beginner’s mind—

then we can create a space where the mind can absorb, can respect the way other people think— take in new perspectives, and all of a sudden, we start to see not only a transformation in our mind, but a greater sense of calm, of clarity, and also a positive change in our relationships.

By letting go of preconceived ideas, expectations, and attachments, we can fully engage with each moment, experiencing life as it truly is, rather than through the filter of our thoughts and beliefs.

Key concepts:

Openness to possibilities:
The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.

No attachment to outcomes:
By approaching situations with a beginner's mind, one is less likely to be fixated on achieving a specific result, allowing for greater flexibility and adaptability.

And, the extremely critical skill of learning How to focus on the present moment:
This mindset encourages a deep awareness of the current experience, without getting caught up in past regrets or future anxieties; which we all know the negative consequences this has on our mental health.

We have to help ourselves to not be stuck dwelling on either the "what could have been" or the "what might happen", so that we can instead stay living in and fully enjoying the actual present moment. This is all a part of our role in managing our depression and anxiety and not letting these win and take from us and our potential and our lives that we can have.

It’s important to remember that all of this is not an achievement to be attained but rather a continuous process of self-discovery and self-transformation.

#MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #Mindfulness #MajorDepressiveDisorder #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #MoodDisorders #Depression #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #Cancers #ChronicFatigue #AnorexiaNervosa #Selfcare #Addiction #Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain #Selfharm #Grief #SuicideAttemptSurvivors #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts #Suicide #Trauma #Agoraphobia #ADHD #SocialAnxiety #SocialAnxietyDisorder #PTSDSupportAndRecovery #PTSD #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Headache #Migraine #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Disability #IfYouFeelHopeless #EatingDisorders #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #MightyTogether #Caregiving #CheckInWithMe #DistractMe

Most common user reactions 8 reactions 6 comments
Post
See full photo

Tip Tuesday!

As the year winds down to an end, it's very common for us humans to have a hard time with our emotions- whether it's because of the weather changing, the days getting dark sooner, or the holidays coming.
One of my favorite mental health hacks is to go back to basics whenever you're struggling.

This may seem like a silly reminder, but it's helped me countless times! I hope it helps you. #MentalHealth #BipolarDisorder #Anxiety #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Addiction #CeliacDisease #ChronicFatigue

Most common user reactions 6 reactions 1 comment
Post
See full photo

Motivation Monday ✨

Sometimes, Mondays can be really rough. What if we could shift our perspective to realize it's still a new day with new opportunities?
I hope this idea 💡 helps shift your perspective if Mondays are something you dislike (many of us do).
Also, every day is a chance to make baby steps of progress, learn and do better.
#PTSD #MentalHealth #Anxiety #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #MoodDisorders #BipolarDisorder #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #Addiction #Schizophrenia

Most common user reactions 14 reactions 3 comments
Post
See full photo

Gentle Weekend Reminders ✨

This simple reminder has helped me so much in my journey to overcome my anger in a more healthy way. Learning to pause, learning to be quiet and learning this lesson has helped me so much.
I hope this helps you.
#PTSD #MentalHealth #Addiction #BipolarDisorder #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #Anxiety #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Depression #Suicide

Most common user reactions 16 reactions 2 comments
Post

Addiction, to my inner thoughts:

Am i trying to quiet you down, when you try to speak out. What's going on in there ? Are you okay ? I know what you need, and i find it difficult. I'll try to cut back for you. It's hard,i already know it comforts me but im not sure why maybe its because I've been doing it for so long. I guess one thing that we can be proud of is that I'm not doing it as often as i was when i was 16-19 4 years of drinking hard multiple times a day one after another it puts a toll on you. Do I have to cut people off? When will I put my foot down, do I want to? What am I getting out of this? A small moment of forgetting?, Distractions? I'm not even sure...

Most common user reactions 4 reactions 4 comments