Hey.
We hear a lot about "addictive personalities" and I have never really been too sure about the concept. I don't know anyone who isn't "addicted" to something. Period. Lots of people call their addiction a hobby and legitimize it via a label.
Look at television and the amount of time that is spent watching it. There are a lot of opinions concerning the outcome of watching television. Only the individual can make that decision, still we spend much of our precious time watching it.
I believe that one of the reasons that it is so difficult to make those changes that allow us to leave an addictive cycle is that addictions do develop a personality, emotionality, and psyche of their own. And, along with a personality of addiction comes a "survival instinct." So, we don't have an addictive personality, we have a PERSONALITY OF ADDICTION.
As an addiction progresses the personality of that addiction also grows and become stronger. In fact our "genuine" self slowly becomes enmeshed in the addicted personality. This may explain that when a person is in remission she/he will often see the person (personality) they were when addicted as a totally different person than they are now. They were their addiction.
The personality of addiction will fight to retain it's dominance. In fact the second the GENUINE SELF invests it's self in recovery the war begins. The reason it's difficult is because the personality of addiction knows the territory, can use the addiction itself, usually as a reward, and is very good at convincing us that it is the genuine personality.
It's not and never will be.
The addiction will "self talk" endlessly and make us believe that it is the genuine self. It will use this inner dialogue to weaken our commitment to a long term remission.
So the question becomes how do we tackle and resolve this issue?
1. Be willing to invest the time. In order to make positive changes you will need to commit to an unknown amount of time. It may happen rapidly or it may take a substantial amount of time. No matter how much or how little time it takes you will need to commit to your remission.
2. Everyday and I mean everyday take the time to start listening to the dialogue inside your head. For me this means meditation and contemplation. I sit for fifteen minutes a day quietly listening to "my" own thoughts. Initially my addictions struggled with this and tried to convince me that I was being foolish. The inner voices would tell me that I didn't have the time or patience to do this. In truth they were already starting to try to confuse my genuine self. I had lots of time for addictive behavior but no time to build a foundation to let them go.
(I have noticed that mornings are the best time for me, the thoughts are very loud when I just wake up.)
3. Use some type of media, I suggest more than journals or just writing, be creative, and keep track of what that inner dialogue is telling you. The reason I want you to do something different to track your thoughts is so the addiction will have to deal with something new. If you were using a journal you can be sure that the personality of addiction was writing it not the genuine you. You will hear the voice of the addiction saying a lot of negative and critical thoughts about the genuine you. None of them are true. You will probably even hear thoughts relating to you as you! If you think about it who would be calling you YOU? Hint, it's the voice of the personality of addiction.
4. Recognize the hole. In order to leave an addiction behind realize that this is going to leave a hole in our lives. If we try to maintain remission without filling the hole the addiction will return. Really spend some time contemplating this, I had some really big holes to fill and it took some time. (Still working on some of them.)
5. Recognize that addiction has a purpose. This is sometimes difficult to accept but, we like our addictions, often we love them more than our own lives. We are getting something out of them. Usually the addiction acts as a buffer against the environment and internal suffering. These are the reasons addiction can use itself against us. We don't want to be scared or suffering.
SO, we need to fill the hole, and that means using lots of different things including "healthy" behaviors that work in our favor. Sometimes this will feel like a sideways move into more addictions but lets face it, some addictions, say television, are a lot less harmful than say, heroin use.
6. Learn that, slips, relapse, return to addictions, always happen in our thinking before the action occurs. They usually happen when we are not filling the void that opens up in initial remission. We "think" our way back in to addictive behavior. I don't believe it is the genuine self doing that, it is simply the personality of addiction trying to regain control. This is why I suggest the silence and listening in the mornings. I cannot tell you how many times I "heard" my addictions move towards a relapse in the most subtle ways.
7. Keep looking for replacement behaviors. New activities, and I mean new, are simply tools to engage in the genuine self. Tools wear out and may become less effective depending on where you are in remission. So keep adding new tools. Network with others who are working with addiction. Keep an open mind. Don't take for granted that anyone had the key or knows what they are talking about (including me right now) just try stuff and see what works.
Repeat as needed. These steps will help you move away from any addictive behavior. If after reading this you start to hear thoughts as to why you can't do these steps listen carefully, is it you? Or. Is it the addiction talking to you?
Please leave feedback!! I love to hear what people think and perhaps do!
In LovingKindness,
Bryan
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
FAITH, BULIMIA, AND ADDICTIONS
Hey!
Lots of times on the bulimia websites and recovery sites the whole idea of faith, spirituality, religion, and how what we believe in affects our remission/recovery.
Sometimes I am asked what I "believe" in as far as my faith in a "higher power" and if that has helped me on my recovery. I usually take the time to explain to the person asking that yes I do believe in a power and it would be greater than me.
I further explain that having fought multiple addictions in my life I have no problem believing that there are greater forces than myself. You can call it whatever you want. There are so many names and in reality each name only represents a facet on the diamond of what is. What is is the diamond not the facets. It is easy to become confused.
Everything is as it is. There are no should be alternative universes, it's all just the way it is suppose to be, there is no other way in the moment. That to some extent is the manifestation of the power.
Can it change? Of course, and it does, all the time. Do we change? Sure, again all the time. So do we ask the higher power to change the universe in our favor? Well we can. I personally seriously doubt that the universe is going to change what is to influence any individual outcome. There doesn't appear to be any stacking of cards in our out of our favor.
So how do we change what is?
We don't. But, by acting in the moment we can influence what happens next. Especially within a certain locale. People, places, and things around us and the ripples go from there but progressively weaken the further from the act they go.
So whatever I do right now, will effect what happens next.
My faith, in part, is a partnership with the universe. I act, it responds, it acts, I respond, neither I nor the universe are controlling outcome. Influence my outcome with my actions, yes. The universe is not going to influence my outcome with my actions.
Do you know what? I believe in miracles of sorts. US. We are the miracles. We have everything. We are alive and the only one of us that is. Everyone of us is priceless by default. We experience what is second by second. We have senses that we can interact with the universe as is. And help us take the next action. We have choice within our environment and circumstances. ( don't forget our partner )
I have made the choice to not binge and purge. Nothing went in a straight line and I don't think the universe bent any rules to make that happen. I had to take positive action and make it work. I stopped using drugs and alcohol. I had to take actions to make those events work. And, continue to take actions to make sure they stayed in place.
I have a lot of faith.
In US.
In action.
In making choices in the now.
I will hold the next second as my future, I will take the actions that will provide the best future possible, I will listen when God and the universe sing their song of love and freedom and I will sing back freely and with as much love as I can, in harmony or discord, I will still sing.
Will you sing too?
Bryan
Lots of times on the bulimia websites and recovery sites the whole idea of faith, spirituality, religion, and how what we believe in affects our remission/recovery.
Sometimes I am asked what I "believe" in as far as my faith in a "higher power" and if that has helped me on my recovery. I usually take the time to explain to the person asking that yes I do believe in a power and it would be greater than me.
I further explain that having fought multiple addictions in my life I have no problem believing that there are greater forces than myself. You can call it whatever you want. There are so many names and in reality each name only represents a facet on the diamond of what is. What is is the diamond not the facets. It is easy to become confused.
Everything is as it is. There are no should be alternative universes, it's all just the way it is suppose to be, there is no other way in the moment. That to some extent is the manifestation of the power.
Can it change? Of course, and it does, all the time. Do we change? Sure, again all the time. So do we ask the higher power to change the universe in our favor? Well we can. I personally seriously doubt that the universe is going to change what is to influence any individual outcome. There doesn't appear to be any stacking of cards in our out of our favor.
So how do we change what is?
We don't. But, by acting in the moment we can influence what happens next. Especially within a certain locale. People, places, and things around us and the ripples go from there but progressively weaken the further from the act they go.
So whatever I do right now, will effect what happens next.
My faith, in part, is a partnership with the universe. I act, it responds, it acts, I respond, neither I nor the universe are controlling outcome. Influence my outcome with my actions, yes. The universe is not going to influence my outcome with my actions.
Do you know what? I believe in miracles of sorts. US. We are the miracles. We have everything. We are alive and the only one of us that is. Everyone of us is priceless by default. We experience what is second by second. We have senses that we can interact with the universe as is. And help us take the next action. We have choice within our environment and circumstances. ( don't forget our partner )
I have made the choice to not binge and purge. Nothing went in a straight line and I don't think the universe bent any rules to make that happen. I had to take positive action and make it work. I stopped using drugs and alcohol. I had to take actions to make those events work. And, continue to take actions to make sure they stayed in place.
I have a lot of faith.
In US.
In action.
In making choices in the now.
I will hold the next second as my future, I will take the actions that will provide the best future possible, I will listen when God and the universe sing their song of love and freedom and I will sing back freely and with as much love as I can, in harmony or discord, I will still sing.
Will you sing too?
Bryan
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Who I am, bulimia, addictions and seeking my true home.
Hey!
I think and finally feel that I am really starting to glimpse how much society and culture has conditioned me about how I view myself. I am numb over it.
Now this is not a difficult concept to understand. It's pretty apparent on an intellectual level, the emotional understanding is killing me at this point. I am starting to sweat this out. I know that somewhere I have pure awareness in me. I glimpse this "observer" sometimes. Usually when I stop thinking for a few seconds.
It happened today. I am in Chicago and went down to the boardwalk. It was really raining earlier, just pounding down endlessly, the sky was flashing and thundering every 20 seconds or so. I found a dry spot and sat down near some pilings.
It was hot, baking hot, and the kind of humid that when you wave your hand the moisture in the air gives resistance. So I sat baking and wet and watching and thinking.
There were some huge "dragonfly's" zipping around like insane helicopters. These guys were about four inches long. Maybe 10 to 20 at a given time putting on quite the air show.
I had this thought " what would these remarkable and beautiful flying "things" be if I had no "name" for them.
Right then and there my brain melted.
And.
I just sat and cried and watched these entities exist. Then there was a pretty clear, almost spoken thought inside of my head that said " What are you without your names and labels?" And I sat and sat and sat looking at the curvature of the earth, without a name or label. Just there.
Then my brain re solidified and thinking started again. It was overwhelming, the meaningless chatter of my mind trying to convince me that it is the voice of reality.
It's not. I feel that now and always will.
Labels, criticism, thinking about thinking, fear, anxiety, striving to feel something that I am not feeling,
hate, love, should, shouldn't, and it all keeps going on like water over a fall, trying to convince the construct of "me" that the thoughts are reality instead of vague pointers in multiple directions, confused and in constant conflict.
I am, but not the thoughts and yet "I" am those too. No separation, like wearing a mask, it's not me but me. Culture and society building on perpetual lies, not about who we are but who we are suppose to be. Billions of separate and yet whole realities. Being "taught" what's right and wrong, how we should look and feel, hundreds or rules and regulations that are all situational and purposely vague.
To cut through to clarity of being. The is of now. There never was anything wrong with me, or you. We just grew up in a very insane place where rules keep being injected and then changed.
We don't have to live like this anymore. It's a choice, a difficult one, but a choice non the less.
Addictions and bulimic behavior? How much of this is driven by trying with everything we can to be something we cannot be? Something that was "taught" to us, supposedly for our own good. Layers and layers of conditioned responses, thoughts, and feelings?
What if we are who we are when we stop being who we think we are suppose to be?
I love Chicago.
In loving kindness.
Bryan
I think and finally feel that I am really starting to glimpse how much society and culture has conditioned me about how I view myself. I am numb over it.
Now this is not a difficult concept to understand. It's pretty apparent on an intellectual level, the emotional understanding is killing me at this point. I am starting to sweat this out. I know that somewhere I have pure awareness in me. I glimpse this "observer" sometimes. Usually when I stop thinking for a few seconds.
It happened today. I am in Chicago and went down to the boardwalk. It was really raining earlier, just pounding down endlessly, the sky was flashing and thundering every 20 seconds or so. I found a dry spot and sat down near some pilings.
It was hot, baking hot, and the kind of humid that when you wave your hand the moisture in the air gives resistance. So I sat baking and wet and watching and thinking.
There were some huge "dragonfly's" zipping around like insane helicopters. These guys were about four inches long. Maybe 10 to 20 at a given time putting on quite the air show.
I had this thought " what would these remarkable and beautiful flying "things" be if I had no "name" for them.
Right then and there my brain melted.
And.
I just sat and cried and watched these entities exist. Then there was a pretty clear, almost spoken thought inside of my head that said " What are you without your names and labels?" And I sat and sat and sat looking at the curvature of the earth, without a name or label. Just there.
Then my brain re solidified and thinking started again. It was overwhelming, the meaningless chatter of my mind trying to convince me that it is the voice of reality.
It's not. I feel that now and always will.
Labels, criticism, thinking about thinking, fear, anxiety, striving to feel something that I am not feeling,
hate, love, should, shouldn't, and it all keeps going on like water over a fall, trying to convince the construct of "me" that the thoughts are reality instead of vague pointers in multiple directions, confused and in constant conflict.
I am, but not the thoughts and yet "I" am those too. No separation, like wearing a mask, it's not me but me. Culture and society building on perpetual lies, not about who we are but who we are suppose to be. Billions of separate and yet whole realities. Being "taught" what's right and wrong, how we should look and feel, hundreds or rules and regulations that are all situational and purposely vague.
To cut through to clarity of being. The is of now. There never was anything wrong with me, or you. We just grew up in a very insane place where rules keep being injected and then changed.
We don't have to live like this anymore. It's a choice, a difficult one, but a choice non the less.
Addictions and bulimic behavior? How much of this is driven by trying with everything we can to be something we cannot be? Something that was "taught" to us, supposedly for our own good. Layers and layers of conditioned responses, thoughts, and feelings?
What if we are who we are when we stop being who we think we are suppose to be?
I love Chicago.
In loving kindness.
Bryan
Monday, June 24, 2013
Singing my song of life.
Hey
Singing a song of recovery/remission and life.
We are all singing the song of our lives.
But we are not alone.
Other people, the universe, random events, good, evil, and change all help sing our song.
Resisting the song that is currently playing doesn't work very well for me.
It causes me a lot of pain and suffering.
And energy.
I want the things I don't want in my life to go away.
I want more if the things in my life I like.
That might work if I was the sole.
I am not.
And that's probably a good thing.
I am starting to know in my heart of hearts that I need to accept the parts of the song that currently rub me raw.
That doesn't mean to like them or not try to change them if I can.
Accepting what is: I can resist and suffer or live in accepting reality with clarity and truly live alive.
The song goes on until I die.
Composers of my song are numerous and most aren't even aware of me.
I get to choose what I believe in.
I choose this.
I am going to love the song, all the parts, all the instruments, and the time it takes to sing it.
I may not be the sole author of my life, but I am the SOUL author.
In loving kindness.
Bryan
Singing a song of recovery/remission and life.
We are all singing the song of our lives.
But we are not alone.
Other people, the universe, random events, good, evil, and change all help sing our song.
Resisting the song that is currently playing doesn't work very well for me.
It causes me a lot of pain and suffering.
And energy.
I want the things I don't want in my life to go away.
I want more if the things in my life I like.
That might work if I was the sole.
I am not.
And that's probably a good thing.
I am starting to know in my heart of hearts that I need to accept the parts of the song that currently rub me raw.
That doesn't mean to like them or not try to change them if I can.
Accepting what is: I can resist and suffer or live in accepting reality with clarity and truly live alive.
The song goes on until I die.
Composers of my song are numerous and most aren't even aware of me.
I get to choose what I believe in.
I choose this.
I am going to love the song, all the parts, all the instruments, and the time it takes to sing it.
I may not be the sole author of my life, but I am the SOUL author.
In loving kindness.
Bryan
Friday, June 21, 2013
Bulimia, Addictions, Seeing Clearly
Hey.
Seeing clearly and/or my fear of seeing clearly
I think and feel that bulimia keeps me from seeing clearly
And.
When I stop the behavior and the fog lifts
I am not always OK with I see.
Clarity of the past.
Clarity of the now.
Clarity to see future possibilities.
Clarity = some pain.
Clarity also =
Beauty in the everyday things, colors, feelings, thoughts, the last being really important to me, clarity of thought so I get to make good choices
Seeing clearly is my new goal in life.
I am starting to realize that seeing clearly is a Yin/Yang process.
I ride the waves between these two places.
Riding the waves between life and death, love and hate, up and down.
Clarity helps give the ride a perspective, it's not so emotional, more experiential.
Ups are not so up, Downs not so down.
Clarity has not come with thinking, it comes with actions.
The actions of remission burn the fog away.
Love, Bryan
Seeing clearly and/or my fear of seeing clearly
I think and feel that bulimia keeps me from seeing clearly
And.
When I stop the behavior and the fog lifts
I am not always OK with I see.
Clarity of the past.
Clarity of the now.
Clarity to see future possibilities.
Clarity = some pain.
Clarity also =
Beauty in the everyday things, colors, feelings, thoughts, the last being really important to me, clarity of thought so I get to make good choices
Seeing clearly is my new goal in life.
I am starting to realize that seeing clearly is a Yin/Yang process.
I ride the waves between these two places.
Riding the waves between life and death, love and hate, up and down.
Clarity helps give the ride a perspective, it's not so emotional, more experiential.
Ups are not so up, Downs not so down.
Clarity has not come with thinking, it comes with actions.
The actions of remission burn the fog away.
Love, Bryan
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
30 second lover, recovery, and cancer
Hi.
I hate myself a lot.
Don't really know why.
But.
Today taught me something about me.
Stopped for gas.
And there was a female who stopped next to me to get gas too.
She was the proverbial blond.
Wearing this Short lime green dress that was light and airy.
She had studs in her lips.
And big sunglasses.
She went in to the store.
And went out before me.
I decided, as I do sometimes to take this social risk. ( After all I have had ECT )
And.
Went up to her, and letting her know that I wasn't hitting on her, told her she was a very attractive person.
I was backing up when she starting crying.
And said that was the second best thing she had heard today.
Suspected cancer.
That was negative.
She was shaking.
And.
Shook my hand and then gave me a hug.
Total stranger.
I told her to live a good life.
We don't get many first or second chances.
Or even one.
Since as crazy as I am I do visit graveyards.
And see.
Babies graves.
I am in love with my 30 second friend.
Love, Bryan
I hate myself a lot.
Don't really know why.
But.
Today taught me something about me.
Stopped for gas.
And there was a female who stopped next to me to get gas too.
She was the proverbial blond.
Wearing this Short lime green dress that was light and airy.
She had studs in her lips.
And big sunglasses.
She went in to the store.
And went out before me.
I decided, as I do sometimes to take this social risk. ( After all I have had ECT )
And.
Went up to her, and letting her know that I wasn't hitting on her, told her she was a very attractive person.
I was backing up when she starting crying.
And said that was the second best thing she had heard today.
Suspected cancer.
That was negative.
She was shaking.
And.
Shook my hand and then gave me a hug.
Total stranger.
I told her to live a good life.
We don't get many first or second chances.
Or even one.
Since as crazy as I am I do visit graveyards.
And see.
Babies graves.
I am in love with my 30 second friend.
Love, Bryan
Friday, May 24, 2013
Cancer/Bulimia/Recovery and the Wall
Hi
Recently I had someone cut me out of their life.
Period.
No contact, no response, no explanation, no anything.
Just a fuck you, .period
It hurts and I admit I really hate them for that.
But.
I also realized how fake this all is.
And thank you Sharon.
So called caring about each other.
We don't really care do we?
I sat with a Mom who lost her three year old to cancer.
And listened to her talk on the phone.
It's over she said.
And
She has to get on with her life.
OK.
I will always love anyone I said "love" to.
And
I would be at your back if you needed me.
Be
Very careful with you words.
Don't lie OK?
We try to bridge the gap that cannot be bridged.
We call it love,
Don't ever lie to me about loving.
It may be the illusion that keeps me alive.
I am going to say this because I mean it..
Love, Bryan
Recently I had someone cut me out of their life.
Period.
No contact, no response, no explanation, no anything.
Just a fuck you, .period
It hurts and I admit I really hate them for that.
But.
I also realized how fake this all is.
And thank you Sharon.
So called caring about each other.
We don't really care do we?
I sat with a Mom who lost her three year old to cancer.
And listened to her talk on the phone.
It's over she said.
And
She has to get on with her life.
OK.
I will always love anyone I said "love" to.
And
I would be at your back if you needed me.
Be
Very careful with you words.
Don't lie OK?
We try to bridge the gap that cannot be bridged.
We call it love,
Don't ever lie to me about loving.
It may be the illusion that keeps me alive.
I am going to say this because I mean it..
Love, Bryan
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