Integrative Medicine/Holistic -  Dr. Tolle on Addiction and the Search (43 views)  Subscribe  From: Jerry (VAJARA)  Jul-27 1:39 PM To: All  (1 of 2)  2545.1    Pic by Robin Woolley, LISW, SNM Injured Warrior Alliance, Photographer The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, “Addiction and the Search for Wholeness,” p. 127 Every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain. Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain. Whatever the substance you are addicted to—alcohol, food, legal or illegal drugs, or a person—you are using something or somebody to cover up your pain. That is why after the initial euphoria has passed; there is so much unhappiness, so much pain in intimate relationships. They do not cause pain and unhappiness. They bring out the pain and unhappiness. They bring out the pain and unhappiness in you. Every addiction does that. Every addiction reaches a point where it does not work for you anymore, and then you feel the pain more intensely than ever. Note: Our Injured and Wounded Warriors and families have suffered these past 12+ years of wars with extreme stress, anxiety and depression affecting every cell, organ, nervous, sensory-motor, intestinal, cardie-vascular, sexual, expression, muscular-skeletal, mental and social-emotional systems. Psychiatry-Psychology are missing the point of the pain and suffering, identifying these injuries, primarily as Disorder's of the Mind. NOT!!! Addictions are 3rd. Degree Compensations that open up when our safer outlets are closed--eg. marijuana, sex, meaningful work and opportunities to express our whole  being physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and with social interaction-relationships. Alcohol is very big with our Vets and returning Warriors as an outlet to bury the enormous pain and suffering they are experiencing from their social environment, multiple long term deployments with no serious down time to find balance and equilibrium of our whole being. The Drugs and Psychic Labels-Psychic Tattoos only exacerbate and attempt to cover up the pain...just another addiction that carries with 'it', more pain and suffering. Remember, when we are in Pain, we are in Fear....don't accept a name (disorder) and expect to ever be released from this shadow as we have witnessed and experienced historically with the development of The VA Shuffle from all of our Wars. Join a Support Team and commit yourselves to transcend pain-addiction-suffering with a daily health care plan that works to restore and heal all of our systems.  Even our Relationships improve as we find balance, harmony, creativity and enthusiasm in our life. Visit our Alliance recommendations for every service member and family returning to our communities.  http://jerryvestinjuredwarrior.com Gerald W. Vest, ACSW/LISW/LMT Injured Warrior, TRICARE Provider--Individual, Couple, Family & Group Holistic & Integrative Health Practitioner & Professor Emeritus NMSU Las Cruces, NM 88005 575.524.2379