Satisfying Needs & Passions For Possible Recovery
Gambling, alcohol, drugs, overeating, etc. can be ‘fulfilling’ for Harmony people by helping them avoid pain.
Satisfying needs and passions can end addiction or make the choice to recover possible.
Paula M. Kramer Ended A 25 Year Eating Disorder
I was a compulsive overeater for 25 years. The end to my compulsive overeating is Unimagined Success Story #8 on this website. My compulsive eating fulfilled my need to avoid the pain of my murder memories. My mother had tried to kill me twice when I was very little.
I did not have to face that pain to end my overeating.
I became suicidally depressed because I buried my murder memories. I didn’t consciously know how to cope with my subconscious murder memories. Before I knew about DISC behavior styles, I decided to do 10 minutes of something I wanted to do every morning. All of my 10 minutes were quiet activities: reading, sewing, working a jigsaw puzzle, gardening, etc. Every day that started with a quiet 10 minute activity led to a day of easier coping. Those quiet activities are the stress relief for my Secondary High I behavior style.
I did eventually go through great pain, but the therapist I was seeing at the time did therapy all wrong for me. A therapist who listened and helped me feel safe would have eased me through the pain instead of increasing my pain.
If your therapist doesn’t listen or help you feel safe, do what you can to find another therapist. Because I was poor I had to go where the county paid for me to go.
Resources For You
At smilessparksuccess.com, you will find PDF files with information to help you satisfy needs and passions for ending addiction. The best way to help someone else end an addiction is to satisfy their needs and passions so that facing their pain becomes easier.
© Paula M. Kramer, 2021 to the present
All rights reserved.