overcoming addiction.

I decided to dedicate this next post to the reason I started this blog in the first place. Addiction & how to overcome it. 

All of us, at one point in our lives, may experience what we call an addiction. Something that we have become so obsessed with, that it becomes harmful to ourselves and those around us. Something that has taken over a part of our mind and that we keep doing in spite of the outcome. We might not catch it at first, and the things that we are engaging in may even be healthy-like exercise and food-but something so overly thought of and taken to extreme levels can be so damaging. 

Addictions can be scary and exhausting. It is almost as if you need that one thing in your life to function. I have been there and knows what this feels like. I could not and would not eat anything remotely bad for me, and I had to go to the gym to get my "fix" everyday…no matter how little I had eaten..& my exercising had become extreme and harmful. It doesn't even have to be a physical thing you are addicted to…it can be as simple as a thought. They can start off very small and then grow into something overpowering and more than our own willpower can handle.. We may think our addiction is not a big deal, and we may think that conquering  these types of things by ourselves is an easy task..but as time passes, and the addiction grows stronger, we come to realize that this is something far beyond our control. We may become self centered, oblivious, start to lie or cover up our problem, and become more anxious and stressed. All of these are signs of an addiction…but the beautiful thing is…there is a way out. 

Whatever your addiction or circumstance, there is always help. This talk I recently read on addiction talked about willpower and how brain research says that willpower only seems to deepen the addiction and make it worse. It is a prideful direction and it can constantly result in frustration and discouragement. This can become very exhausting. We may be trying to use all of our willpower to overcome an addiction, but the true substance that needs to be acknowledged is desire. The desire for the substance of behavior. If there was no desire, there would be no use of the substance…this can be a hard thing to tackle though by yourself. And that is where the Savior comes in. These types of things and levels of addiction are beyond our control and we need the help of God to help us change our hearts and our desires. Approach your addiction with humility and faith in the Savior that you can change and He can help you do it. We need to pray and plead to Heavenly Father everyday and soon we realize that with "refinement of the spirit, the body will respond".

It takes great effort to change, but if your desires are more focused toward obedience toward God and not towards using our own willpower, full change can and will happen. We just need to stay strong and be patient. 

One of my favorites parts of this talk was:

"When a behavior that has plagued us is finally eliminated using this process, we stand in awe of the change on several counts. It is amazing to be able to live without the addiction that has been destroying us. The desire is completely gone! That alone is a tremendous miracle to experience. We also recognize that only the Savior could have made this change, that we could not do it on our own. This is a highly intense and personal witness of His knowledge of us, His love for us, and His power in our lives."

Know that with His help, you truly can change. I have witnessed it in my own life and I know that it is real. 

xoxo