Life comes with a lot of challenges and sometimes we find ways to cope that aren’t very healthy. Sometimes even things that start in the name of self-care, or that seem completely harmless can become a crutch or a way to escape and avoid really dealing with life. During a very stressful time, I went from having something like four alcoholic drinks per year, to once per week, to every evening. When I started craving it during the daytime, I realized I had a problem. The wine I was drinking had become a numbing agent, a way to try to escape the stress that was on my plate every day. When I came to this realization, I stopped drinking alcohol for several months and I got help from a therapist to deal with my issues instead of trying to escape them. 

How do you know when you just really enjoy something or when it has an unhealthy grip on you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you feel the need to hide it? – Do you experience guilt or shame concerning the thing that you enjoy, so you hide it?
2. Is it becoming costly or creating a financial burden? – Are  you spending an abnormal amount of money for the thing that you enjoy? Is it causing you to be late with your financial obligations? 
3. Do you feel extreme emotions at the thought of giving it up? When you think of giving up this thing, or if someone mentions that maybe you should give it up, how do you feel? Do you become extremely angry, defensive, stressed, sad, or panicked?
4. Is it interfering with your life? Is your enjoyment or participation with this thing causing trouble in other areas of your life? Is it creating issues in your relationships or at work? Is your health deteriorating because of it? Are you often missing events or obligations because you are busy with it? 

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you may be dealing with an addiction or unhealthy coping mechanism. Keep in mind that many things can become an unhealthy coping mechanism – I am not just talking about drugs, alcohol, food, or sex. It is possible to be addicted to gaming, shopping, working, exercising, tv watching, social media, or anything when it becomes extreme.

This is a situation where you should reach for help outside of yourself. This is not something you can fix on your own – if it was, you would have fixed it already. You were not designed to figure out life by yourself and it is your right to reach out for help. You deserve help. If you would like assistance finding that professional help so you can get unstuck and live victoriously, please text me at 919-931-0745 or email info@rachelrenee.live.