An old portrait of the addict may look like someone living on the streets, a person who is not well-dressed, or someone who is uneducated. But when we look at the spectrum of addiction, we might be surprised to find that most addicts are highly intelligent. They excel at communicating, and they have a keen awareness of their surroundings. So, if someone is bright, conscious, and seems to have it all together, how and why are they suffering from the disease? The answer is that they are too smart for their own good.
Do you overthink? Can you talk to yourself and others in and out of any situation? Are you able to rationalize anything? If so, your intelligence may be the reason you are suffering so deeply. But the good news is that these behaviors can be transferred and put to good use! It may feel like you’re not in control, but by beginning the search for purpose in your life, you begin to take back control of it.
Finding Purpose is the Answer to Quelling an Active Mind
You may have heard this one before, but to free yourself from addiction’s control and put yourself back in the driver’s seat there is one conditional–purpose. Commonly, addicts get stuck in a loop where depression and mental illness take over because they can’t find the thing they are meant to do in this world. They get distracted down side roads or wander lost in the forest, not realizing they can create their own path and find their way back to civilization at any time. If you can put that energy of lonely wandering into finding your place and enjoying the ride in the process, you’ll come to realize you can outsmart addiction just like it’s been trying to outsmart you.
Everyone’s journey is different, but we all have a place in this world. Some of us have to take more time to compile our soul resumes and lean into our identities, and that’s okay! But we won’t find anything meant for us sitting around using, drinking, or perpetuating our trauma cycles. Finding purpose means standing up, believing in ourselves, and doing the things we need to do to make our lives fulfilled.
Here are some ways to get started, but thinking about them won’t make it happen. This is where you need to light your will on fire and reclaim your life by enacting new behaviors.
- Reading: Whether it’s through memes, news articles, self-help books, or random websites, reading new information can change your life. The definition of insanity is doing something repeatedly and expecting a different result. The same goes for our thinking. If we keep our thought process the same, our external reality will never change. Reading can spark an idea, inspiration, and lead us to our next clue in finding our purpose.
- Meeting New People: Whether it’s through group therapy, a social gathering in your area, or simply meeting like-minded people on social media, new people bring new energy. This is especially important when it comes to raising our vibrations out of addiction. Meeting new people can help us see the world in a new way. Others may not have the same history as us, but they can inspire us to stay clean/sober and manifest abundance. Look to new role models to move forward on your path to health and happiness.
- Trying New Things: It may feel difficult as an adult, but to break out of old patterns, stimulate our intelligent minds, and find purpose, we have to try new things. This doesn’t mean you have to go find a group to join, but it does mean researching something that interests you and procuring the means to engage. Try learning a new language, get some craft supplies and try a new project, or even get out of the house and go bowling. Take a walk down a new path or plan to attend a cooking class. You never know what’s waiting for you around every corner, but if you don’t leave the house, you’ll never know.
It’s not easy to break the trauma cycle or patterns of addiction, but if we don’t make small changes in our lives, we won’t see the big picture shift. Think of it like ripples in a pond. If I don’t throw the rock, the water won’t move. The bigger the rock, the farther the ripples will spread. Your behaviors follow the same pattern. The more changes you are able to enact, the more shifts you will begin to see in your life. These changes won’t happen overnight, but with time, patience, and faith, you will begin to manifest a life substance-free and in control.
Breaking addiction cycles and overcoming trauma are not easy feats, but they can be done! Some people need one rehab trip while others need more, and that’s okay. These are the reasons the Burning Tree Ranch was created. Established in 1999, the Ranch’s aim is to help people who struggle to break the cycle of addiction, facing relapse, depression, and more. We are here to help you once and for all by focusing on your individual story and needs. Call today to learn about our treatment options. Make that first ripple happen now: (877) 389-0500
