Suffering and struggle are regular parts of life. Just as any other emotion, hardship plays a role within our system. Nevertheless, for a lot of people, suffering, anxiety, and depression becomes their natural state. Even with therapy, mindfulness, and spirituality, letting go of the identification with these emotional states can be a daunting task!
It is just biology
When we fall into the emotional patterns that keep us stuck in the trenches of our well-being, it can be easy to believe that it’s our fault. Toxic positivity can sell you the idea that, if you’re still suffering, it is probably because you lack the willpower to actually do something about it.
The truth is, that your body is a finely tuned machine for stability. Not only it is amazing at achieving physical balance (think about all the internal processes it runs to keep you warm and cozy), but it is also a phenomenal emotional regulator. At the end of the day, your emotions are nothing but a cocktail of hormones, neurotransmitters, and proteins. Simply put, a chemical reaction!
Since your body is designed to preserve energy and remain STABLE, whichever emotion is the one that rules your life (e.g. suffering!), your body fixes it as your regular state. For you, this means that your body will work to drive you into this emotion again and again and again!
The signs of an addiction to suffering
If your body gets used to the chemical cocktail of suffering (even if this is not a comfortable emotion) it will make anything in its power to get it. Every person manifests this addiction differently. For some, having a bad relationship with food is their gateway to suffering. For others, it is perfectionism and procrastination.
Another very common way to cause suffering is to sabotage relationships with acquaintances, through over fixation, nitpicking, and irritability. Irrational as these patterns might seem, these behaviors play a role: to stabilize your system and give your body a fix of suffering!
If reading these lines you have already identified which ones are your gateways to suffering, congratulations! You’re halfway there! Just as with any addiction, recognizing the fact that your body is addicted to suffering is the first step toward breaking free from the shackles of chemical conditioning!
Going beyond suffering
The next step in your journey is to let go of the patterns of self-sabotage that bound you to suffer. You have to detox these emotional states out of your body. Naturally, this work requires a good and fair dose of awareness and compassion!
Just beware: the withdrawal symptoms of an addiction to suffering can be more challenging than suffering itself!
In our most recent ‘Alchemize Your Life’ episode, we have outlined the steps you can follow to rehab your body from its addiction. From the biochemistry involved in emotions, to the easiest ways to identify your symptoms and the withdrawal whiplashes you might expect during recovery, we go over EVERYTHING you need to know to tackle this addiction.
After listening to this episode, you’ll know:
- The most typical manifestations of addiction to suffering
- The biochemical processes involved in your emotional states.
- The three most important steps to overcoming an addiction to suffering
- The most effective tool to develop awareness and compassion
- How to break the identification between you and your thoughts and emotions
- …MUCH MORE!
And everything directly from our experience dealing with this very same condition!
If you’re looking for a place to share your experiences dealing with a body addicted to suffering, don’t forget to join us at The Prysm Institute Of Quantum Alchemy, a community of lightbenders ready to support you in your journey!
Til the next episode, lightbender!
With radical love and light,
Sophie, Cian & The Prysm Team
