Overcoming Addictions

When you are suffering from an addiction, it can feel like your entire life is out of control and you have no power to stop yourself from using again and again. When you are addicted to something, it can also feel like you're completely alone and have nowhere to turn. These are all common mindsets for someone who has an addiction to any substance, whether that is food, cigarettes or other tobacco products, alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs and even sex. But neither are you alone in your addiction nor do you have to be a slave to addiction for the rest of your life. That's exactly why this book exists. It is very easy to feel like you are the only one who is experiencing your particular addiction – or the level of addiction you're experiencing – but the truth is, there are millions of others who experience exactly the same things that you do. That's because addiction affects more than 10% of the United States population. That means if you were to get on a typical city bus there are probably two or three people on that bus – besides you – that are suffering from some kind of addiction. Don't fool yourself either; having a food addiction or being unable to quit drinking alcohol is the same as an addiction to a drug or any other substance. Addiction is addiction, no matter what the substances. You have probably heard this in some form or another before and you probably don't believe a word of it. That's because you know that in the past you have tried to get over your addiction yourself and have failed – and you know that it was a sincere effort and that you were actually doing your best. No one here is disputing that. But what you need to understand is that every single person who has ever been addicted to anything – in the entire world, throughout thousands of years of human history – has had to make an effort several times – sometimes thousands of times – before they finally succeeded.