Light of Peace with Chronic Illness Chapter 1

Addiction 

 It’s all too easy for someone with chronic illness to become addicted to certain things. When we find anything that helps ease the pain or temper the monotony, we can’t get enough of it. It could be comfort food which is an evil monster for the chronically ill. It might even be watching television or an endless supply of ever stronger pain meds. Maybe it’s hours of gaming.  Anything that diverts our attention away from the pain can become a negative influence in our lives.

The problem with diverting is it may divert us from the pain but also diverts us away from ourselves, our core being. It will also keep us from discovering our core being. That in itself can take a lifetime even without the interruption of chronic illness. We must find healthy ways to cope with the physical and emotional pain that enhances our lives instead of adding to the destruction of it. Within each human there is the unlimited potential for greatness. The potential to bring forth wisdom and creativity into the world. The ability to touch people’s lives in miraculous ways regardless of what kind of dis-ability we may face. 

 From the time we are children most people are told who they are from their parents. Chronic illness tells them who they can not be. To borrow a cliché; we have to find ourselves. To find who we are through the pain of chronic defeat. That’s what chronic illness teaches us, defeat. We can be made to feel defeated before we ever come near to our potential! The next time anyone tells you, “you can’t” consider that a challenge. Yes you may fail! But the strength comes from never giving up. 

 The term; “walking in the light” may also seem a little new agey to some and that’s ok. To walk in the Light is to connect to the source from where all perfect peace and joy flows. The source of life, of goodness, of greatness of all the things that make humanity authentic. The Source is no respecter of money, fame, or material possessions because when we cross over, the only thing that comes with is the love we have shared and the adversities we have overcome. The Source is where chronic illness changes from being a death sentence to a life of peace and joy.

Addictions are a challenge to overcome no doubt about that. Food addictions are terrible because you can’t go cold turkey and give it up. Everyone has to eat. Other addictions may only be a matter of self-discipline, but who wants to deal with self-discipline when dealing with doctors and chronic illness. Well, the challenge is all a part of life and how we see our chronic illnesses can make the difference between a victorious life walking in love, or a dark angry bitter wasted life.  

It is never easy facing our addictions. It becomes a journey we may not want to take or feel too weak to take, yet that is where our strength and power to carry on lies. Overcoming our addictions begins with looking in the mirror of our life and seeing the truth without excuses. If you share your journey to conquer your addictions people may say things like; “don’t be so hard on yourself.” Don’t listen to their voice listen to your own. Then learn to listen to the Voice of the source of all peace and light.

Get the help you need to overcome any addictions that are holding you back from living your authentic self. For some 12 step programs work. For others support groups or reaching out to friends or family who have overcome addictions helps. Face it, confess it, do it, chronic illness  is no excuse to allow an addiction to live in our lives.

We need to tap positive energy to thrive and move away from negative energy that causes us to become overwhelmed. Overcoming addiction is a massive positive energy boost! Positive energy leads to peace and serenity. Addictions can release endorphins that make us feel better – temporarily that is. The price you pay later is more than a chronically ill person has available and only leads to an unfulfilled negative state of being.

Overcoming addictions is overcoming the body. We must separate the mind spirit from the body and understand the two. The spirit has the ability to walk in the Light, the body can be a drag, a temporary home that when sick pulls us downward. Separate the two, we are not this sick body, we just live here for a short period of time. Jesus said  to store up treasures in heaven not on earth. Spend more time in the spirit than in the body, especially if the body is dysfunctional.

Addictions are compulsive behaviors we use to go into auto-pilot mode. When we go there we are not living in the present, which means, we are not living. Although we are a product of our past, we don’t have to live there. Tomorrow hasn’t arrived so it makes no sense to spend countless hours pondering and planning what we are going to do. The Light is here, right now, at this moment in time.

We can’t feel joy and peace if we do not live in the present. That leads us the how of it. How can we live in the present when the present is filled with doctors, tests, mental, emotional and physical pain? The first step is facing and dealing with all addictions and diversions.

Take a moment to do a simple exercise. Turn off all noise makers such as the television and radio. Ask family members to please do not disturb you for the next 15 minutes. Lay in a comfortable position on soft pillows. Close your eyes and breath. Focus on each breath, the air moving in and out of your body. As you do this practice stopping every thought that pops into your head. Do this until you have no thoughts in your mind but the sound of your breath.

This is not as easy as it sounds. This exercise is helpful to practice daily especially for those with busy minds. Our own thoughts can become a diversion! We may have negative recordings in our mind and not even recognise them as the negative force that they are.

True peace cannot be attained while addictions control us. Step one to peace, face your addiction demons and kick their ass.