What a fascinating post! I’m going to have to read all of this again later, it really is neat to read the different perspectives on this. Thanks for posting this up @Foxtrot!
2 Likes
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. It’s a cousin or sibling of CBT. They have workbooks and stuff. I did it through my outpatient.
1 Like
I will look for it, thank you!!
I’m enjoying this thread as it hits both of the things I have come to feel strongly about. I do not believe that science and spirituality are mutually exclusive and I have a firm grasp on both. For my entire life I was a fire breathing, table pounding atheist and logical thinker.
That has shifted for me in the last year and now I consider myself a spiritual scientist. I try new things, observe the outcome, and then talk to others and share my results. I adjust and tweak what I try as I go. I do my best to do so in the spirit of openness and willingness to really see the results, rather than go in with a pre-conceived notion that something is silly or won’t work. And by “work”, I mean make me feel better in my own skin, help me stay away from a drink or a drug, and help others.
5 Likes
I like this thread too. The science behind addiction is new and always changing.
My thinking on this has definately changed over time. I’m not sure this is even totally on topic but I’m going to share my spiritual experience anyway. 
I love talking about the different perspectives on this so bare with me because mine is likely quite different from yours but that’s how we expand our minds sometimes! Life would be boring if we were all the same.
As a child, I remember knowing things that I had no logical reason to know, but I did. It was random and occasional but I knew things about people who died that I had never met, things about certain events that would unfold in the future, actions of my siblings or parents I wasn’t present for. Things would randomly dissapear around my house and I would look for hours, the second I asked out loud for them to be returned, they were right in front of me where I had looked 10x before. I remember being told science could not prove how that could even be remotely possible, but yet there I was with information that time and time again proved right, even though I had no idea why or how it was possible.
As I got older, I used to question this all the time. I wanted to know WHY I had these things happen. As a teenager I looked for scientific info to support it. Because I couldn’t find much of anything then, I doubted everything, stopped talking about it and actually tried to block it because it was so odd to everyone. I stopped following my intuition all together and listened to the noise of the outside world. That proved to be disastrous & destructive for the next 20 years.
In recent years when I finally let go of the needing to know WHY something was possible and just went with it, I started to find my own spiritual connection. Sobriety enhanced that and my clarity greatly! I also know that when I was in tune with my spiritual side, I had NO room left for alcohol and the fighting of my addiction was let go as I asked for support. What I have now come to understand is I’m supported by something-what exactly or how I don’t for sure know. I often call it the universe. But I do know that I have access to things that go WAY beyond my own little pea brain at times. When I get my ego out of the way and ask for assistance, it usually comes. Not often in ways I expect it to but it comes in various forms if I let it and don’t try to control the process. When I try to control things, I get in my own way often. Still working on that. But I know something WAY bigger than me is out there to help when I am ready if I let go of my reservations and let it.
The things I have experienced and seen I expect go beyond provable scientific research-some things have been completely and absolutely mind blowing even to me. The more it happens, the less surprised I am but it still floors me at times! I have basically given up asking how or why its possible and I have learned to trust the process for myself, holding the knowledge that things are working out for the highest good-even if I can’t see what that is at the moment. I try to keep my side of the street clean and my intentions pure, I suspect that helps because the more I do that, the more things work out for me and it often allows me to help others too. There are def times things I don’t want to see or know come to me but when they do, I know there was a reason and it was for the highest good in the end. Faith may be a big factor in all of this as well, but I have seen too much that I couldn’t explain, I gave up trying.
Something I did discover that made me feel better about my own experiences was something called Spirit Science. There is a channel on YouTube for this. I admittedly didn’t get too far into a lot of it because my brain couldn’t wrap around it all. But I realized it is ok and I didn’t need to know everything to trust the process because it works out however it does! It’s working for me and there are more people out there that understand it now so don’t think I’m totally crazy anymore. I mean, I know I am but I’m ok with my kind of crazy now. 
I love that you posted this because my view has been very different than most and I do think maybe I should try to get back in and look to see if there is more scientific or logical explanations about this now that can help me grow. Its been a good while since I’ve looked. I trust it but maybe there is knowledge that will help me later on it and this may have been a good prompt to make that happen.
Again, great topic! Thanks for posting.
5 Likes
@MandiH You remind me of my sister the way you describe your experiences. I appreciate your sharing.
1 Like
Gosh I just love this quote!
1 Like
I’ve been on vacation lately with my fiancée and my daughter and I’ve been so busy I haven’t really thought about my addiction much or had any urges, it was nice! Here’s an interesting thing I found though.
“Seeing greenery linked to less intense and frequent unhealthy cravings”
“New research shows that being able to see green spaces from your home is associated with reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes and harmful foods.”
I think I may have proved this very study myself this weekend now that I think about it! Not sure what it is about being in nature but it really does help. Hopefully the scientists can shed some light on it.
Anyway, I hope you had a good weekend @Eke thanks for showing some interest, makes me feel less alone.
5 Likes
Well that sounds like an awesome weekend.
And heck yeah. I certainly have no desire to drink out hiking/backpacking. I rarely feel as alive as when out in the woods near lakes and streams. Something about feeling unrestrained? Not troubled by the usual distractions?
Interesting that green is enough!
1 Like
I forget what it’s called but in Japan I believe they have some sort of tree therapy called forest bathing where people literally go hug trees. Also I think I’m Colorado your doctor can write you a prescription to visit state parks for free.
2 Likes
Interesting and kind of unnerving approach to brain research.
2 Likes
It’s the rise of the machines.like for real though
For God’s sake, where is Sara Connor!?!?!
1 Like
That’s it. It’s starts with “look at all the good we can do with this”
It’s a slippery slope I tell ee, a slippery slope!
1 Like
I think it’s important to remember that technology isn’t inherently good or evil, it’s how we use it that make it that way. A good example is addicts using this app, that’s a “good” use of a smart phone and the internet. Or on the flip side, using a smart phone to watch illegal videos, that would be the evil side. The smart phone and the internet in this case aren’t responsible for either of those outcomes.
Another good example is gene alteration, you can now get your entire genome mapped out in 3 days or so to find out about any genetic diseases you have. Many people are worried about this and think this act of altering genes is “evil”. There are many couples who have used this technology to find out they were both carriers of a certain gene. If two parents have the same gene, the child will get that gene, if the gene happens to be a hereditary disease with no known cure then you’ve just given your child that disease. So there may come a day when knowing about your genes will actually be a responsibility and not just a luxury.
Technology is going to move forward whether people like it or not though and it advances so quick that our social customs and modes of thought can’t catch up.
I like to be ahead of the curve and see the potential good in all of the new technology.
4 Likes
We have to have a higher level of responsibility with technology. Since the invention of the smartphone, the prevalence of Cervical curve reduction in adolescents has been significant. Enough that there are now diagnoses like Text Neck, and Gamer’s Thumb. Abuse of technology is damaging this generation in a tangible, physical way.