Our intuition is one of the best internal mechanisms we have for self-protection. Our intuition, and the instincts we develop based on it, alert us to danger, tell us when we need to change course, and show us how to redirect ourselves. Our addictions can cloud our thinking and manipulate our emotions so much that we start to disconnect from our inner selves. We grow accustomed to ignoring our intuition because it’s often telling us what we don’t want to hear – that we need help, that we’re suffering, that we don’t deserve to live this way. Our inner voice is telling us to make difficult changes and to take a leap of faith, to work hard and to push ourselves. Our addiction makes us want to take the easier route, feeding our toxic patterns and living in denial of our problem. When we’re ready to prioritize our wellbeing, we make a choice to align ourselves with our inner voice and start listening to its wisdom. Ignoring our intuition can have all kinds of disastrous consequences.
When we’re embroiled in addiction, one of the most common factors we experience are unhealthy relationships. Ignoring our intuition can prove to be toxic and even dangerous. We see red flags in our partner, we even sense abuse, but we stay anyway, ignoring our better judgment. We settle for being disrespected and hurt. Our intuition all the while is telling us that we deserve better, but we get good at drowning out its voice with distractions, alcohol, marijuana and sex. We allow the high we get from the relationship to be our primary focus, forgetting all the horrible things we had to endure to get back to that momentary feeling of love.
Our intuition is often pushing us to get help. We ignore its pleas, though, because we’ve chosen to suppress our self-protective instincts. We self-destruct, often because we’ve convinced ourselves that we are unworthy of happiness and deserve to suffer. Our intuition alerts us to the danger of continuing down the path we’re on. We might know consciously how potentially dangerous, even fatal, our addiction can be, but we’ve been practicing ignoring our intuition and silencing its voice. The more we ignore our inner guidance system, the more off track we get, until we’re left reeling from the turmoil we’ve created.
Emotional recovery entails reconnecting with our inner voice and practicing listening to and following our intuition. As we heal, we start to love ourselves more, and we naturally start wanting to protect and nurture ourselves more.
Treatment programs at Riverside Recovery include group and individual therapy, trauma healing, mindfulness education and daily support meetings. Call (800) 871-5440 today.