Addiction is a topic that sits very close to my heart. It’s often misunderstood and, in the Western world where I find myself, it’s frequently addressed in ways that miss the mark.
For the past 16+ years, I’ve been on a mission to discover how to live my best life. The journey hasn’t been smooth – I’ve stumbled into potholes, taken a few wrong turns, and had to dust myself off countless times. But I kept going.
This drive to free myself from addictive and destructive behaviours took me on a far-reaching search for answers. Along the way, I found teachings that completely transformed my life. Looking back, I realise that the most profound turning point was learning to find compassion for myself. That was the beginning of true healing.
What Is Addiction – and Why Should We Care?
When people think of addiction, they often picture substance abuse. Common examples come to mind: alcohol, heroin, cigarettes, or gambling. But addiction isn’t limited to these obvious behaviours.
It can manifest in so many areas of our lives:
Substances and Behaviours: Sugar, work, social media, TV screens, painkillers, excessive exercise, or self-harming habits.
Relationships and Money: Co-dependency, unhealthy attachment, or compulsive spending.
Mindsets: Negative thinking, procrastination, resentment, anger, self-doubt, or self-sabotage.
At its core, addiction is a repeated pattern of behaviour, thought, or mindset that we engage in – even when it leads to negative consequences.
The Sickness of the West
In yogic philosophy, addiction is often called The Sickness of the West. It’s a reflection of how disconnected we’ve become from our natural state of being.
Our modern world moves at such an intense pace. We’re overloaded with information and bombarded by chaos on a global scale. The result? Our nervous systems are depleted, and we’ve grown increasingly distant from ourselves, each other, and the planet.
In this disconnection, we experience a sense of incompleteness. And in that incompleteness, things – substances, behaviours, or relationships – become addictive.
The problem, however, isn’t outside of us. These external fixes might provide temporary relief, but they don’t address the root cause.
The Pain Beneath Addiction
Addiction often stems from our attempts to avoid pain – feelings of emptiness, fatigue, stress, or loneliness. These feelings can be deeply isolating, and many of us carry an added layer of shame about our behaviours, strained relationships, or feelings of anger and disconnection.
The addictive mind leads us to escape and develop coping mechanisms that, ultimately, don’t serve us. We lose sight of who we truly are.
But there is a way out.
How Do We Create Change?
The path out of addiction is a return to wholeness.
Our bodies are incredible. They’re designed to return to a natural state of balance and health. When we feel disconnected or out of alignment, it’s often because we’re battling our higher selves – the part of us that knows what we truly need.
1. Forgiveness and Self-Compassion
Healing begins when we learn to forgive ourselves and approach our struggles with kindness. It’s not about dwelling on the past but about understanding the root causes of our behaviours and beginning a journey of inner discovery.
2. Meditation and Breathwork
These practices help calm the nervous system and create space for self-awareness. Over time, they allow us to reconnect with our natural state of being.
3. Return to Nature
One phrase I’ve come to live by is: “When in doubt, look to nature.”
Nature is whole. It doesn’t doubt itself. It vibrates at a frequency of completeness and thrives on interconnectedness. You cannot bring stress or addiction into a tree – it simply doesn’t resonate with that energy.
The Inner Journey
The pathway home requires what I like to call “inner-standing”. It’s a journey of self-discovery – body, mind, and spirit. And while it isn’t always easy (our world makes it far too tempting to distract ourselves), it’s absolutely worth it.
In a society that actively encourages external distraction, taking time to look inward is more important than ever.
Because addiction is more than just a behaviour – it’s a symptom of having lost our way. It’s a sign that we’ve forgotten who we truly are and what we’re here for.
Much love,
Bec x
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