Removing the Mask: Pain Management or Addiction?
The desire for instant gratification is a part of the human condition. Quick fixes, such as pain relievers that have been in the news recently, mask the original problem without addressing it. The desire to have these problems go away immediately and the reliance on external gratifications systems are leading our country into an epidemic of addictions. When experiencing an injury, typically an individual will go to the doctor.
Seeking help to resolve the pain caused by an injury maybe be the root cause of some cases of addiction. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 1 in 5 patients with a non-cancer related diagnosis are prescribed opioids in a doctor’s office. Opioids are a class of drugs that interact with nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to produce pleasurable effects and relieve pain. Opioids include several types of drugs: oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and heroin. These drugs relieve physical pain and send a message to your brain that you are no longer injured. That is all an illusion created by the blocked pain receptors. Opioid pain relievers only mask the pain, they do not heal or aid in the repair of the original cause of the pain.
Not everyone who is prescribed a pain-killer or an opioid becomes addicted. However, addictions in general follow this pattern of masking pain, whether that pain is sourced from the physical body or the emotional body. CBS News recently reported that state Attorney Generals are questioning drug companies about how opioids are made and marketed. They are getting fed up with the 12 deaths per day caused by this drug. It’s unlikely that you will meet someone who hasn’t been touched by the effects of opioid addiction. My graduating class alone lost 22 individuals over the years due to this debilitating disease. It’s sad.
All of this begs the question: why are we so accepting of this mask? We know that concealing our pain causes a negative effect on our lives. Masking that pain aggravates our original physical and emotional injuries thus perpetuating the cycle of pain. That cycle spreads to our loved ones and begins to affect other aspects of our life, creating divides in our personal relationships and hindering personal and spiritual growth.
Speak to your doctor or counselor to take the first steps in recognizing the source of your pain and the best steps for healing. In a previous blog post, I discussed how meditation positively impacts your brain. Mindfulness will put you in the appropriate state of mind to face your problems head-on. And if traditional and main-stream methods don’t seem to work for your, consider energetic healing.
Energetic healing or energy work cleanses the body and energies to expedite the healing process for both physical and emotional pain. It works deep to the root of your pain source. While the root of physical maladies is usually recognizable, very often, the root of emotional maladies is not quite so easy to identify. My work with individuals often focuses on peak performance. In the process of reaching that peak, we strip away all of the energetic clutter that is an encumbrance. This same process can help you heal. I want to help you remove the mask and live life full of joy and love. You can learn more about my bioenergetic work on my website and sign up for a session.