Our inner demons are the term we give the insecurities, fears, anxieties and other issues that we become fixated on, that we feel control our minds. Our inner demons can dominate our inner dialogue, to the point where it can be hard to distinguish our true inner voice from the voice of our inner demons. Sometimes our inner demons tell us we are inadequate and inferior. Sometimes they are disparaging and overly critical. They feed off of our fears, so whatever unresolved fears you have yet to heal are mostly likely going to be the subject matter of your inner demons’ dialogue.

What do our inner demons have to do with our addictions? For many of us, our addictions are our way of minimizing our pain by trying to escape it. Often this pain is that of our internal conflict and inner turmoil, or our inner demons. This pain can be the driving force behind our addictive behaviors. It can be what fuels our addictions.

To conquer our addictions, we also have to conquer our inner demons. This can feel impossible. We feel like our pain is part of our identity. We feel like our past haunts us. We feel like our mistakes and wrongdoings are unforgivable. Many of us live with deep shame and regret. Part of facing our inner demons is telling ourselves that we deserve love, despite whatever our inner demons are telling us to try to convince us otherwise. We deserve to be happy.

To heal our minds, we have to start to become more diligent in regulating our thoughts. Notice when the voice of your inner demons gets triggered and what it’s trying to tell you. Does a specific thought, behavior, event or person trigger your fears? What is the meaning behind it? Often our fears are driven by a lack of self-love. Are your inner demons telling you that you need to give energy to healing your insecurities? Are they telling you that your self-esteem needs work?

As you’re exploring your triggers and what your inner demons are telling you, you might want to journal about them to help you remember everything, and to allow you to look back and go more in depth. You will be doing the important work of emotional healing, of going within and healing on a deep level. Self-reflection can be overwhelming. We feel like we have a lot to change or fix about ourselves. Try to approach this process with self-love and self-acceptance. There are things about yourself that you want to heal, but rejecting parts of yourself only makes them fester and get worse. Accept yourself and your inner demons. They are the parts of you that most need your love and light in order to be healed.

Emotional healing is an important part of addiction recovery, and we have the resources to help you along the way. Call 888-570-7154 for information on our treatment programs.a