All You Need Is Self-Love

So many people fail to make the connection between addictive behavior and lack of self-love. Addictions are a symptom. They are not THE problem. Addictions are symptoms of a deeper problem. And that problem is "I don't love who I am." When we feel we are unworthy, less-than and unlovable, we open up the door for addictive behavior. We can only handle the bad feelings of self-loathing for so long before we need to have a release: Something, anything, to help us alter our bad feelings about ourselves. And addictions provide that much needed temporary relief; even though they do so at a deep personal cost.

The deep personal cost is that addictions lead to further self-loathing. They add to the problem instead of solving it. No amount of alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, sex, etc., can help us to love the person that God created us to be. The more we drink, eat, shop or gamble, the more we think we are worthless failures. It becomes a nightmare cycle of self-loathing--- self-medicating--- and more self loathing--- and more self-medicating.

The only way to break this nightmare cycle is to focus on the real problem, not the symptoms. If we want to break free of addictive behaviors, we have to learn to love who we are. Look inside yourself for what makes you uniquely lovable. Everyone has something inside of them that makes them uniquely lovable. Once you discover the way(s) in which you are uniquely lovable, start living it. Believe you are the only person who is lovable in this very way. Flaunt it. Love it. Love who you are and gradually break the need for addictive acting-out.

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