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Tag : addiction

  • Some of your most basic beliefs about love & intimacy are all wrong.

    For over twenty years, I have worked with people from all walks of life, who get stuck in a cycle of pain, disappointment, finding it hard to sustain a healthy relationship. By changing your view of relationships and widening your perspective on intimacy, it creates an opportunity for relationships to not only survive, but thrive!

    Love addiction, intimacy avoidant beliefs & patterns of behaviours;

    • You feel disconnected from your sense of inner peace and happiness
    • You fall in love easily and quickly, but have a hard time coping with long term relationships
    • You neglect yourself and have distorted thoughts about the relationship
    • You fear intimacy because you think you will be drained, engulfed, or controlled.
    • You feel disappointed – that you have not found the right person.
    • When attraction fades, you lose interest and neglect your relationship.
    • You jump from one relationship to another in search of a wonderful feeling you once had
    • You value instant attraction, rather than meaningful connection
    • When you bond with someone, you find it impossible to let go
    • You fantasise about love – your ideal partner you hope to meet, or a previous partner whom you once loved
    • When you are in love, your fantasies distract you from important, everyday tasks
    • Your relationships with family and friends suffer when you are in a romantic relationship

    What causes love addiction or avoidance of intimacy?

    It is hard to feel love when you are angry. Happiness depends on the quality of your inner life, your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and desires when directed towards finding inner peace and love. In essence, you might develop addictions or avoidance to shield yourself from love, or painful feelings. Suffering with negative, inflexible thoughts and emotions, fraught with anger, resentment and criticism, experiencing a loss of connection, perhaps not having experienced hope or love for a long time. You might expose yourself to a serious emotional vacuum and mistake intensity in a relationship for intimacy and love.

    The causes are fairly easy to identify: a history of abandonment, inadequate or inconsistent nurturing without proper bonding, or a lack of emotional connection with a parent rooted in a mature, stable place that nurtures and supports a child. No consistent positive role models of loving relationships. Holding unrealistic fantasises, values and beliefs about love. People struggle with an unconscious fear of of both abandonment and of intimacy.

    A quintessential characteristic of avoidance is a person who, consistently keeps an emotional and mental distance from their partner, feels overwhelmed by their partners’ desire for closeness, feels stifled by thoughts or pressures of vulnerability, they rely on escape, through distancing strategies. A person who is blocked from love, both desires and fears relationships, because they did not have a connection in childhood that comforted them, from fear or the emptiness of abandonment, they did not learn that relationships can be healing. People, often create intensity outside of their relationship, to relieve feelings of disconnection and unhappiness.

    Conscious Fear                            Unconscious Fear

    Love Avoidant

    Intimacy                                 Abandonment

    Love Addict

    Abandonment                               Intimacy

    Emotional Growth & Intimacy

    People who lack emotional maturity, find it hard to deal with their emotions and challenges in life. This is very painful; relationships are often short lived; they find it challenging to maintain relationships of any depth. Compromise is almost impossible, their capacity to understand or respond to another person is limited. They find emotions difficult to handle. In an attempt to avoid feelings, they control their world by creating an idealised version, being extreme in their behaviour, or having black and white thinking.  Over coming this mind set is an important part of growing emotionally, which involves learning to develop coping strategies and relationship skills.

    Relationships are places where this wound shows up. When you are not in a relationship, you can navigate life on your own terms, addressing your needs and wants. You are rarely confronted by the needs of another person in a meaningful way or need to listen to or contemplate someone else’s experiences. You feel in control, most of the time. When you become involved, you are forced to deal with another persons’ desires and needs. You may struggle and blame other people for your problems, situations or circumstances, for your feelings of anger, sadness and depression, without looking within.

    https://www.facebook.com/RussellBrand/posts/10155118538833177

    Mr. Brand’s thoughts about Love addiction;

    ‘At the root of all addiction is narcissism, a constant thrumming attention to self. If you are self-absorbed you are suffering, and if you suffer you seek ways to stop it — through drugs, alcohol, sex, maybe Facebook “likes.’
    He goes on to say;

    “We are trying to solve inner problems externally — whatever it is in our lives that is missing,” he said. “Eckhart Tolle said it perfectly: ‘Addiction starts with pain and ends with pain.’ Here’s the point. Drugs, booze, sex … It’s not the particular addiction that matters as much as the fact that your life is out of control because of it.

    Healing Relationships from love addiction or avoidance of intimacy is a process of self discovery and emotional growth.

    Growing emotionally involves; breaking through denial, acknowledging repetitive patterns, owning harmful consequences of behaviour and thoughts, and interrupting the cycle. Only then is it possible to let go and address the underlying emotional pain at the core of this disconnection. If you avoid intimacy, you run away from difficult emotions. Learning to become present and aware of your feelings is important. Have you ever met a person who is sincerely concerned for your well being and is there for you when you need them? This is a compassionate, empathetic and loving person. For some, this comes naturally, for others, it takes work. Empathy is not the same as compassion. You can be compassionate with someone but able to fully understand what they are going through.

    When you feel something strongly; struggle, loneliness, self criticism, or insecurity, face it head on. Look at the situation, determine what is making you feel that way, and decide what positive steps you will take next.

    A solid relationship with a skilled psychotherapist trained in working with relationships, love and sex addiction can help guide you towards a sustaining a conscious loving relationship.

  • Healing the Shadow in Relationships

    Towards greater Intimacy 

    The depth of intimacy with yourself is the starting  point for profound love. Intimacy is courageously peering within, aiming the light of conscious awareness into the dark crevasses within yourself; acknowledging fears of abandonment, crippling jealousies, your sense of inadequacy, vices, triggers, shame, or predisposition to anger and outbursts of long buried rage.

    It is about showing up and facing the demons in your abyss created in reaction to traumatic experiences. By working to make allies of these misunderstood enemies you can truly create an  intimate relationship with  yourself  unearthing and transmuting, you begin a revolution. This is how family generational patterns  are undone. It begins with YOU.

    True intimacy attracts fellow travellers along the path, based on honesty and truth. Your ability to look non judgmentally at yourself, at them, at the world will be attractive and deeply  appreciated along with your infectious dexterity in igniting change. People will find respite in your presence. Shared intimacy takes on a boldness and daring that is refreshing, passionate, and nurturing. As the love you feel for yourself deepens, your capacity to enjoy intimate love takes root and rockets.

    The dark side of human nature is often described as the Ego, the id, or the lower self. Carl Jung called it the “shadow.”

    The shadow represents the negative side of the personality, the sum total of all those unpleasant qualities that you would prefer to hide. Everything that is in your conscious awareness is in the light. Everything of substance which stands in the light  whether it is  a tree or an idea  also casts a shadow. What remains in  darkness is outside of your awareness.

    When something is held back or something is left unsaid in, a shadow blocks intimacy and connection weakens.

    Too many shadows the intimacy fades or becomes convoluted and confusing. The process of conscious relationship is one of staying fully open. Transparent. Loving. No matter what. Even when the difficult emotions are triggered and one feels dread, fear, abandoned, lost, alone, rejected, anxious, insecure or misunderstood.

    These are the moments in a relationship when you shut down and withdraw, hiding yourself away for fear of being seen in your weakness.

    These are moments in relationship when you shut the other person out or down. When you do not want them to see you in  a particular way, be that way, feel that way, or act that way because when they are like that, they do not give you what you want or need.

    When two people do the work of staying open to difficult emotion it creates an opportunity for  intimacy to surface beyond projections and fantasies.

    You are  seen and loved for who you are, not who you need to be to make a person feel a certain way.

    Relationships are opportunity to practice intimacy, opening up and revealing all of yourself to another who holds you in unconditional love in that light the shadows are dissolved by love  as you hold each other in the process of waking up and release old trauma.

    This is the path of Conscious Relationships.

    Where Relationships are mirrors.

    ‘We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.’

    Unaware of your shadows you may only encounter them through other people, in the form of projections.

    You may tend to see in other people the qualities and characteristics that comprise your shadow; that is, everything that you think is “not you.”

    Just think for a moment of your like and dislikes. 

    Relationships do not mirror your ego back to you; rather, they mirror back your shadow, the other, unacknowledged half of your Inner Self.

    Defined by your willingness to stay open and share and hold each other as your shadows arises. Defined by your ability to recognise when you are triggered, and to own your emotional states rather than project them onto others. Defined by your ability to hold each other in love when you are in a difficult emotional state.

    • Have you found yourself attracting the wrong people or situations in your life?

    A way to change this involves you taking the time to get to know yourself to avoid repeating unwanted patterns in relationships and circumstances.

    As a result, synchronicities and miracles start to occur. You begin to live in a flow where the possibilities are endless.

    The secret to living in flow is to become conscious of your shadow self – the part you do not know and learn to integrate it to become whole.

    • Have you found yourself thinking that you have no idea what is causing you to act in certain ways?

    You may think your personality is who you are. 

    Blind spots  prevent you from having conscious relationships with yourself and others.

    Learning to release them is important to be able to create happy loving relationships with yourself and everyone around you and wake up your inner power and attract the relationships you want.

    Common manifestations of the Shadow

    The shadow is that part of you that erupts spontaneously and unexpectedly when you behave in a destructive way to yourself or another person. The aftermath may leave you feeling humiliated, ashamed, and guilty. The shadow is that part of you that feels like it cannot be tamed or  controlled.

    There are cultural shadows held by groups of people – topics that are not commonly spoken about are held in the collective shadow, as taboo, forbidden topics or areas.

    The shadow is anything that is  unacceptable to you, anything that is hidden or denied including what what you want to hide from, what you do not want to know about yourself.

    Blame and projection

    Are you familiar with blame? The one thing you may never ask for yet give freely. Essentially, blame is projection; it is your personality recognising your shadow.

    • Blame is usually accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, as you attempt to distance yourself from the source of your discomfort, which the personality perceives as external to you.
    • Blame serves to maintain and reinforce the separation between your personality (ego) and the shadow, maintaining this separation is the egos only real purpose.

    The Shadow Side of relationships.

    An emotionally mature or genuine love develops with a mutually empathic connection between two people, which nourishes both of your mental, physical and emotional growth and capacity for compassion and self-actualization.

    The neurochemistry of love relationships can merge into a dangerous mix of drugs more difficult to part with than alcohol, cocaine or heroine.

    When you can’t let go of resentment and keep feeding your anger by continually pointing out everything the other person is doing and has done wrong, blaming him/her for your pain, then this issue is deeper and relates to your childhood wounding which is coming to surface. It relates to your needs not being met or old wounds from past relationships you haven’t fully processed and let go of are being reactivated. The same goes if you keep diminishing yourself with guilt and shame, making yourself feel worthless. It relates to your inner child that is carrying wounds you have not  made conscious yet.

     

    Mind/Body

    The wiring of your sensory brain and body when not modulated by your consciousness (awareness to influence decision making) can leave you susceptible to falling in love with the state of “falling in love” This can create powerful Sensory cravings that can switch off the frontal cortex (ability to consciously think and make optimal choices). Addictions can be a controlling factor in your life and relationships. Biologically speaking the human body is wired to gravitate toward what produces comfortable, feel-good sensations in you while also avoiding what produces pain and discomfort. The purpose of this design feature is to prompt you to both survive and thrive. Your body reminds you to avoid what is unhealthy, harmful or a threat to your survival, or to move towards fulfilling core drives that matter and create meaningful lives.

    The state of falling in love, creates sensory signals consisting of a potent mix of chemicals, which have the power to change the sophisticated communication system between your Mind/ Body tampering with your ability to make healthy choices towards favouring intoxicating demands and quick feel good fixes.

    If you experience fear or mistrust, your sensory system takes over.

    Feel good hormones have the power to hinder your ability to make good choices, and hold your authentic wise-self (frontal cortex) captive, in a virtual prison of sorts, deceived by limiting unconscious beliefs and illusions of love and power.

    Without consciousness your unconscious mind/body can not distinguish between pain or pleasure or that which threatens rather than promotes your growth and wellbeing and aliveness.

    Discomfort is an essential part of growth, physical, mental and emotional; unnecessary pain leads to suffering. Pleasure is an emotional and physiological yearning for health and wellness, a sense of feeling good about your self and your capacity to contribute to life, create healthy, vibrant relationships that sustain you. Pleasure at the expense of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing leads to needless and endless suffering of an addiction.

    Learning how to receive and give love to yourself and another person is a great learning curve and challenge – it is not for the faint-hearted.

    Addiction & Power.

    Addiction can be seen as pleasure-seeking, pain-avoiding, or seeking a quick-fix to have a sense of power or control even though it is temporary creating a false sense of self which ultimately avoids dealing with your shadow self. Working with the shadow can better help you integrate parts that thwart your intentions from forming conscious and healthy relationships. “Falling in love” can be seen as a beginning stage of a relationship which if nurtured can create genuine love with another person.

    When you work on your  shadow and uncover the character that is hiding within you. Uncovering its needs, what it is communicating to you, how you feel when it arises you, how you relate to it. It begins to lose its compulsive  quality and does not drive you as  much. When it releases its grip you are able to hear your authentic self – your internal intuitive and wise voice wisdom, the part of you that knows what is the right action. Jung suggested that that  if we can shed a little light on our own darkness, it will remove some of the larger darkness from the world.

     

    Timing

    The right people will arrive at precisely the right time.  Let your words be bricks in the foundations of the bridges others are striving to build. Let the wisdom gained through your committed intimacy be fruitful. Let love be your guide. And let your love speak profoundly

    The true power and creativity unleashed from the shadow is your ability to see clearly and master the art of conscious relationships.

    Learn more about discovering and integrating your shadow, bring your true self out of shadow and into the light.

    On the workshop you will learn ways to transforming parts of your character with compassion and understanding, to find balance within all your relationships.

    Begin the process of positive change on this interactive learning and growth experience. 

     

    Join me for the next workshop it is suitable for all

    Transforming The Deepest Shadow & Healing Collective Trauma

     

    Image by Scott Wilton