Probably every person on the planet has some form of an addicted mind. Addictions to things like food, TV, video games, pornography, social media, or even just to gossip or stressors plague a high percentage of the population. The cycle of addictions seeks to throw us off our gain and prevent us from achieving our goals. If you’ve ever determined to make a change and ended up slipping back into your usual routine, you’ve probably been tripped up by some sort of addiction.
How Addictions Stop Us
Addictions cause a chemical reaction. They create something that feels good and becomes familiar. What happens when you try to change is it creates an uncomfortable feeling – it’s unfamiliar, and most people will go back to what is comfortable because it feels better.
I’ve personally struggled with pornography addiction and a bit with video games. Over the years I’ve found that when I go for a goal, any time I feel the changes, I start to feel a pull to go do something with my addicted mind. The moment we go back into the addicted mind, it makes us feel comfortable, safe, assured, and it makes us feel better about ourselves because we no longer feel all the uncomfortableness that we've been experiencing with trying to achieve our goals. Succumbing to the addicted mind creates a shift to a lower frequency – a frequency you’re used to. It basically restarts the system. If you continue to do that, it becomes a never-ending cycle of going for a goal, stretching a little bit, learning, and then as soon as it gets a little uncomfortable, boom! - Addiction! The addicted mind kicks in and drags you back down to a lower state – and if feels like there’s no real progress. You also lose trust - in others, your Higher Power, and mostly in yourself. This cycle can create years of stagnant frustration.
How to Break the Cycle
The key is to catch yourself in this time of transformation. To realize that you will be tempted to drop your energy to something familiar - which is the addicted mind - and to acknowledge that. Consciously choose not to do it. Tell yourself that you’re choosing a higher path right now – a life of transformation. Start reprogramming your brain with declarations and new visions. As you get bigger and better, you will remove the symptoms from succumbing to unproductive habits.
Practice this because it makes a huge difference. I am always trying to progress. There are times when I succumb to things and I have to use these same steps. This is a learning process. It doesn't mean you have to be perfect but it does mean you have to progress. Not perfection but progression - that's the key.
How it Stops Us & How to Stop It