How does a person with an addiction break free from this cycle? I’ve witnessed over and over again that people often become sober when they learn they can feel their feelings safely. They can bring the feelings out of the shadows and into their body by calling someone who understands, going to therapy, freewriting, using spirituality, or setting a timer to allot how long they’ll let themselves feel.    

Through therapy, individuals can develop a clearer understanding of their boundaries, acquire effective communication skills, and overcome guilt and shame associated with asserting their needs. By establishing and maintaining limits, individuals empower themselves, strengthen their sobriety (however that is personally defined).

The identified patient is a complex phenomenon that can have profound effects on a family's dynamics. By understanding the roles, dynamics, and underlying issues associated with the IP, families can embark on a journey of healing and growth. By acknowledging the shared responsibility and committing to open communication and professional support, families can move towards healthier, more harmonious relationships. Remember, true healing occurs when all family members actively participate and work together towards a more fulfilling future.

Boundary-setting may feel difficult or foreign even because many (most) folx didn’t learn boundary setting and maintenance growing up. It’s not uncommon for a person with an addiction or addictive behavior to grow up in an environment where boundaries were not honored. For instance, they may have grown up in a chaotic home where there was no enforced bedtime, or their privacy was invaded by a caregiver reading their personal journal. Oftentimes, food, a substance, or behavior is a way to regain a semblance of control in the person’s life and/or offers an escape from emotions that feel too intense to feel. Something that was occasional becomes more frequent until it becomes an addiction.

We human beings are complex and often, unconsciously and creatively, employ various strategies to avoid pain: primarily addictions and bypassing. Spiritual bypassing is sidestepping or avoiding facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks but talking the talk of an individual who is more “spiritually evolved.”

The medical profession is becoming increasingly interested in using psychedelics for deeper healing and given the resurgence in the West (note that using psychedelics for healing has been practiced indigenously for millennia), it’s no wonder people from all backgrounds, including those in recovery from addiction, are curious whether psychedelics can help them.

They don’t belong because the child knows on some level there’s a healthier way of existing, that there’s another way to show up in the world and live, even if they’re not quite sure what that looks like. For a child who perpetually feels like an outsider in their own home, or an adult who feels untethered to anyone, this can lead to numerous symptoms, including addiction and addictive tendencies.

Oftentimes the worst part of withdrawal is in the early days, meaning if you can make it to the three-day mark, ceasing marijuana use will become easier and easier. It’s also important to be aware that it is very likely you’ll feel anxious or depressed in the first 24 to 72 hours after you quit.

They say it’s their medicine and their bodies operate better with it. That may be true – after all, the body gets used to substances (provided they’re made to be consumed). That’s why withdrawal can be so hard and highly unappealing.

Because everyone is so different from one another, sex can look a certain way on the outside and feel differently on the inside for each person. That is why good communication is extremely important, even if the person you’re having sex with is yourself. Doing so will help you build a better relationship with yourself and with others, if you choose to involve them in sex.

An understanding of boundaries, neither too porous nor too rigid, is at the crux of the experience of codependency. Boundaries, not barriers, are necessary for relationships to be functional for all parties involved. In her newly released book, author Nedra Glover Tawwab, helps to expand this point: “Simply put, relationships without boundaries are dysfunctional, unreasonable, and hard to manage.”

How do ritual and ceremony relate to psychotherapy? Well, psychotherapy too, has aspects of both ritual and ceremony. In terms of ritual, the practices and applications are passed down from generations of practitioners and there is an initiation. The theoretical orientation of clinicians determines

It’s a taboo topic in 12-step groups: the use of psychedelics to aid recovery. I’ve worked with patients, clients, and students who felt ostracized and bullied if they spoke about using ibogaine or psilocybin or ayahuasca (three common psychedelics showing promising results in addiction recovery)