Return to Nature - The Five Pillars of Healing Page 7

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Addictions As a Relationship

isolation (the feeling side of the equation) that she began to come to some
resolution with her addictions.

If you begin to look at your addictions as an equation (repressed

feelings equal addictions), you will come to a greater understanding of
yourself. Most have been looking at the wrong side of the equation for too
long. You have been trying to use willpower and switching from one addiction
to the next in order to solve the problem. The only real answer is to process
all of the repressed feelings, which are the source of your addictions.

Returning to nature means beginning to tip the scales in nature's

favor. Your emotions and sensory experiences begin to take priority over your
need to repress and hold on to these very same emotions. Once you make this
shift, you begin to learn and educate yourself about your inner needs.

EXAMPLE OF A HIGHLY EVOLVED PERSON

The person represented by the diagram above has a high degree

of emotional wisdom. His relationship with his emotions and sensory
experiences is significant. Thus, there is less of a need for relationships with
addictions to numb out. There is more weight placed on emotional wisdom.

EXAMPLE OF A HIGHLY ADDICTED INDIVIDUAL

This person's primary relationships are with his addictions. He

has developed very little sensory and emotional wisdom, so he relies on
his assortment of addictions to get him through each day. There is more
emphasis placed on ways to stay numb than on ways to feel.