Living with addiction means we’re often struggling with inner turmoil, tumultuous interpersonal relationships, challenging circumstances, stress, anxiety and depression. At the root of our pain is a lack of inner peace. We don’t feel grounded, centered, stable or secure. We don’t feel at peace with ourselves, our lives, our relationships. Attaining inner peace doesn’t mean we no longer deal with difficulties or feel pain. It means we’ve managed to find a way to approach life, and all the challenges that come with it, with grace, peace, calm and balance. It means we’re able to find joy and gratitude within ourselves and our lives, regardless of however difficult our circumstances might be. Finding inner peace means connecting with a deeper part of ourselves. It goes beyond our thinking minds which are constantly embroiled in worry, anxiety, overthinking and rationalizing. It accesses our hearts and our spirits, our connection to love and to our inner self. It is in this place that we can connect with our higher power. Recovering from our addictions isn’t just about abstaining from our addictive substances and behaviors. It isn’t just about becoming clean and sober. It’s also about growing our self-love and our inner strength and developing our connection with our higher power. It is in these things that we find the power to stay the course of our recovery and not fall off the wagon. Inner peace helps us stay grounded and centered when we feel tempted to use. It helps us navigate our painful emotions and process them in healthy ways so that we don’t resort to unhealthy forms of escapism, avoidance and self-medicating. How do we achieve inner peace? Experiment with different things that have worked for other people and try new things, and see what helps you to feel calm and balanced. What helps to quiet your mind and brings you internal stillness and space? For many people, meditation does the trick. There are countless forms of meditation, including focusing on our breathing, visualization, repeating mantras and affirmations, walking meditation, and chanting. Prayer also helps many people. You can try using prayer beads, lighting candles and creating an altar to help you immerse yourself in your meditation and/or prayer. Other practices include yoga, reiki, chakra healing, journaling, creative writing such as writing poetry or music, reading, being in nature and exercising, all of which can help us develop inner peace.
Part of recovery is finding the healing tools that help you to feel at peace. We can help you discover what works for you. Call 1-888-986-7848.
