When looking at addiction in a drug and alcohol rehab center you will often hear a phrase repeated again and again with small variations.  Interesting enough, I even heard it spoken on a tv show about very large people addicted to food.  What I am talking about is, "I had so much pain in my life, I used (drugs, drank, ate food, gambled, ect.) to cover the pain for a little while.

I know many people have a significant and uncomfortable events in their lives.  I also know there are times when feeling pain and sadness is a totally appropriate response.  The length of time for this also varies from person to person.  However, there comes a time for each and every person when feeling pain is no longer appropriate, and certainly not healthy. 

Part of this process is looking for new and added definitions to the event.  Any event can have more than one meaning.  An event may have been the most painful of your life.  It could also be strengthening, empowering, and enlightening.  It may be the key to you learning true compassion.

New meanings come from asking better questions.  Instead of asking, "Why did this happen to me?", why not ask a more empowering one.  Something as simple as, what else could this mean?  Here is a better one.  In what ways have I become a better and wiser person because of this?  What can I do to help other people because of this?  Questions of this nature, will start to more you from pain and into action.  When you are in action, you will not need food, drugs or alcohol to cope.  While you are in a drug and alcohol rehab program, look at the events of your life that need new definitions added to them.  New meanings lead to a new path in life.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 6th, 2007 at 8:20 am and is filed under Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.