Addiction, Recovery and the Power of Meditation

How many people do you know with addictions?  What is an addiction should probably be explained first. An addiction is anything that you feel compelled to do,  IT controls YOU. It becomes the ruling force and desire of your day.  It also interferes with your day to day life , stopping you from taking care of your obligations such as work, lack of time with your children, unpaid bills, conflict in relationships etc. It can take many forms:Social media, internet, gambling, working too much, criminal activity, just to name a few outside of the usual drugs and alcohol. 

I should know, I have been an addict since a teen which later developed into alcoholism. I shoplifted, tried any drug I could get my hands on and my life suffered for it. If I was not using, I was working too much which was easy to do when you work for the State in protecting children from neglect and abuse. Then I had my daughter, now eight and became sober for a while and left that job because it took away from me raising her.

As addicts get stunted spiritually and emotionally while they engaged in addiction I lacked coping skills and when something bad happens, it was easy to run away and escape. You are stuck mentally at whatever age your addiction starts. Then you get sober and have to deal with things!? That is the worst part. I ran 12 step meetings and taught criminals in prison coping skills and to avoid crime and drugs, but something was missing. We were told in the 12 step to use G O D as Good Orderly Direction, I liked that. But really how much of that is found in prison?

I left that job and began writing, exploring different religions as I had done in the past, taking out what I felt made sense to me and my journey. Then I came to UUCFM and like Oprah states, I had a “Ah Ha moment!” Then it became clear. I started meditating, which by far has been the most important thing I could have learned. As you sit in silence, your thoughts left are what I call “monkey chatter”, leftover stuff, problems and events. All that was in the past. But meditation is not about the past, it is about the NOW and being in the PRESENT. In addiction you are as far from the present as you can be. It’s the Ying to my Yang that I am finding balance. Learning to quiet the mind helps you make peace within yourself and your mind, to connect with the universe/spirit/higher self.. whatever you feel connected to and what is coming to mind during meditation can be dealt with and understood. It is my newest and best coping skill ever.

- Jennifer Long -