As an addiction metaphor, the hungry ghost demonstrates what it feels like internally for a person with an addiction or addictive tendencies. Unlike true hunger, which can be satiated by food, addiction is more of a spiritual hunger that a person tries to quench with something external. They may try a substance, a relationship, or a behavior (sex, shopping, etc.) to fulfill the aching emptiness inside.
Read MoreThey 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.
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