Addict help for drug use can involve dealing with feelings of loss and mourning. Whenever we feel the loss of something valued there is a sense of grief. Mourning is the means by which we get past our grief – and get on with our lives. Mourning is the natural way of dealing with, and healing the pain of separation. We feel a sense of loss with any unwanted separation.
When we get rid of a burden, we feel energized – we have a sense of “gain” – escape, freedom. When we lose something important it can feel as if we have lost part of ourselves.
We feel a sense of loss whenever deprived of something that we are attached to. People and things which are important to us make us vulnerable to the pain of separation. Addict help for addiction recovery needs to be able to help resolve feelings of loss and pain.
Whatever, or whoever we feel close to becomes a part of our life. When we have many satisfying relationships – family, friends, work and leisure pursuits, we still feel the pain of loss, but intense grief is moderated by having a variety of interests and options in life.
The process of mourning a loss is assisted if we can find other avenues of fulfillment. When we are overly attached to specific things or people, feelings of grief when we lose them can be overwhelming.
We cannot hold onto the past. Healthy living is all about change and adaptation.
When anxiety or depression about loss is intense, we feel grief but cannot move into the process of mourning our loss, we can become melancholic.
It is often the case that people can become locked in grief – in need of something to fill the “void”, they find a solution in drug use.
Using drugs of any kind, illicit or prescription, to assist in dealing with feelings of loss will usually be counterproductive. It is normal to feel sadness as a result of loss – we feel the pain, we grieve. In natural conditions pain provokes an avoidant response. We don’t like the sadness, the grief and the pain – we try to move on in our lives to find happiness again.
When we make a move towards drug use to overcome loss and feelings of grief, we will find that our natural incentive to move away from pain by using healthy options diminishes. We obliterate feelings of anger, loss, grief and pain in the temporary comfort of drug use.
When painful feelings of grief and loss re- surface – we make the choice of drug use again. All drug use impedes the ability of the mind and body to overcome, in a healthy way, feelings of loss and pain.
Loss can take many forms and being able to deal with all of the emotions arising from it is essential to the process of mourning and full recovery. There is a process of mourning when people successfully give up their addictions.
Mourning a loss is essentially the process of acknowledgment, and finding future satisfactions in life. Drug use impedes the process of mourning and deadens rather than re-vitalizes your emotions.
If you feel immersed in grief and feel there is no way out except by using drugs, use holistic counseling for addict help to turn away from the impediment of drug use. When you are able to fully mourn loss – you will overcome your grief – overcome anxiety and depression and so move on with your life.
Author: National Addiction Resources
America's Best Treatment Directory
Leave a Reply