Life undoubtedly involves stress, pain, disappointment, and suffering. Loved ones pass away, those that we love to leave and return to our lives unexpectedly, tragic events occur, and more. We all have these moments of loss and uncertainty, these riveting moments of guilt and anger – but the ways in which we act on those feelings are what determines our life’s path. They define who we are, what we become, and how we live our lives. Too often, people feel deep-rooted pain and do not know how to work through those feelings so they rely on something to make them feel better for a brief period.

Those voids may be filled through drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, shopping, smoking cigarettes, watching too much TV, overeating, etc. There are so many ways that we can fill our time to take away the negative thoughts or feelings, but unfortunately those thoughts just pile on top of each other as we are continuing living our lives. As more troublesome events occur, we may choose to surround ourselves with more distractions or we may choose to strengthen the distractions by using them more and more. This develops a negative cycle that further perpetuates our pain and misery – causing us to become controlled by our addictions rather than taking control over our actions.

Instead of giving power to these forms of distraction, we should go directly to the root cause of our emotions. Why do we feel this way? What has recently happened to make us feel this way? Documenting our emotions daily can help us uncover deep-rooted issues that we may not be able to recognize on a given day. Speaking to a psychologist can give us guidance into our thoughts and actions and provides an “outsider’s” perspective into everything. Meditating can give us a more holistic sense of self and world view, and can help us cope with major problems and feelings by simply allowing them to be. There are many other healthy ways to cope with our emotions – we do not have to be chained to the addictions we once clung to.

Polysubstance abuse, dual diagnosis, process addiction- Cottonwood Tucson offers a residential treatment program and full continuum of care for all of your needs. Internationally recognized and critically acclaimed for clinical renown, our beautiful campus in Arizona is the perfect place to take an integrative approach to treatment. Call today: (888) 727-0441