We use our addictions in different ways in our lives, one of the most common being that we’re attempting to fill the emptiness we feel within us. We use drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, gambling, and any substance or behavior that makes us feel good, to compensate for the voids we feel in our lives and in ourselves. We feel inadequate. We feel unworthy. We feel lonely. We feel needy and desperate. We feel bored and unfulfilled. We feel unsatisfied and disappointed in ourselves and in where we are in our lives.  All of these feelings are normal, natural and common. They are part of the human experience. As addicts, instead of exploring these feelings and trying to see what we can learn from them, we panic, and we try to rush the feelings away as quickly as possible. We’re desperate not to be reminded of our deep pain, our trauma, our fears and our wounds, so we use and drink and escape into relationships to try to forget.

When we do take the time to really examine the voids we’re feeling within us, we start to see that we might be wounded, but we’re not irreparably broken. We still have incredible capacity for love, for light and for personal transformation. We have a purpose to fulfill, people to help, and talents to share. We have healing, changing and growing to do, and along the way we can help others on their journeys. Our voids are like invitations to get to know ourselves on a deeper level. They function like gateways to our self-exploration. They help us learn more about ourselves, increase our self-awareness and build our connection with our inner spirit.

Feeling empty and lonely can cause us to become dependent upon a person, behavior or substance that provides an escape or a distraction for us, that numbs us to our pain and allows us to forget our unresolved issues, albeit temporarily. What we’re often really craving is a deeper connection with ourselves, an understanding of our purpose and why we’re here on this planet. When we think we’re seeking love from another person, or relief in a drug or a drink, what we’re really seeking is self-love. We become trapped in cycles of self-destructiveness, and we get further and further away from the genuine love that eludes us as we continue to hurt ourselves. Attempting to fill our emptiness is a common, and understandable, reason why we develop our addictive patterns and why we seek solace in external, often problematic, sources.

Bayview Recovery can be the supportive and nurturing home you need to focus on your healing. Call 888-570-7154 today for more information on our treatment programs.