To be continued….
Archive for May 24th, 2018
When we wear Masks
People go nuts about Halloween.
That made me start thinking about the psychology behind the celebration.
Halloween is actually an ancient Celtic holiday on which people believed they needed masks to protect themselves from bad spirits that roamed the earth on all Hallows eve. (if you are in America or in Australia depending on the high end of children around your neighbourhood!)
Thousands of years later, people are still wearing masks.
They hide behind anything from a false smile to headphones to my personal favorite:
- People who wear dark glasses which tend to look a little creepy—and these people aren’t celebrities.
Then there are the emotional masks, the masks we hide behind because of fear.
For example, if we are insecure, we might hide behind the mask of name-dropping. If we are unsure of our power, we can hide behind mask of being a bully.
If we don’t think the world loves us, we can hide behind mask of anger.
We mask the debt we’ve incurred to pay for lifestyles we can’t afford;
- we pretend things are fine at work, when our jobs are on the line;
- we pretend things are okay in our marriages when there is distance.
What masks do you wear?
One of the most common reasons we wear masks is what I think of as Imposter Syndrome—the fear that the world is going to find us out.
One of our greatest fears is that if we show our true selves, the world will say, “Oh, it’s just you.” But being just you is actually the best and most perfect thing you could ever be.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is taken.”
Or if you are interested in the spiritual perspective, the psalmist wrote, d actress Fanny Brice explained,
“Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be because sooner or later, if you are posing, you are not being you.
The third reason is healing.
When we wear masks, we carve a piece of ourselves out— withholding parts of ourselves as unworthy.
But in relationships, especially in our spiritual relationships, we can’t be truly healed unless we offer up all the pieces.
It’s like handing someone a broken vase and asking him or her to fix it but holding back two or three of the broken pieces.
As one of the pastors of Hope City Church in Indianapolis, Indiana explained, “Masks make shallow what God has intended to be deep… (read this)
Everything in our lives get cheated when we choose to hide ourselves behind our masks.
We weren’t born with masks. We put them on, so we can take them off.
Start with this simple exercise:
- Think about a negative messages you have held onto.
- Why am I carrying that message?
Ask yourself whether it is true? More than likely, the answer is no.
And if it is not, then you have to ask these questions:
If I put it down, what would happen?
- Probably nothing.
The main risk we face is the world’s reaction.
Opening yourself up threatens others; it invites them reevaluate their own lives. Many times, it forces them to realize that they too have the power to change, but they haven’t.
Don’t let that stop you.
Don’t pull your mask partially off then let the world scare you into putting it back on.
As the poet E. E. Cummings wrote,
“The greatest battle we face as human beings is the battle to protect our true selves from the self the world wants us to become.”
Think about the masks you wear and commit to taking them off.
Hold your gifts out to the world—no apology, no shame, no regrets.
As the old saying goes, every creature has its rightful place, and in that place it becomes beautiful.
My quotes that challenged me … MORE THAN most really know! ‘ Why did I do this alone? Because I did!
The above is how my heart feels about me.
Because this is what we all should have , want and earn for ourselves.
Life is all about At LEAST TRY and always push your boundaries.. because u never no
I believe we are our own beholder how else will you SEE
Open your hearts
The above is Me…. Submission was a beautiful surprise… thank you
The above means to me that when I was alone and breaking apart I needed someone to hold me.
This below I felt that I have always struggled in identifying who cared enough
We search for love every moment of our lives but true love is within our hearts and embedded in our souls.
We cant fake that.. it isnt possible well not for me it isn’t I cant do fake.
If I ever did ignore you remember it wasnt because I wanted to it was because I didnt know how else to be me.
People take too much without understanding why..
We want love, compassion, honesty, great beautiful conversations of life.. at least I do.
Life my sweet people is too short never stop being you.
Addiction and our bodies
The impact of drug addiction is extensive. Depending on a host of factors, including the substance used, the duration of abuse, and an individual’s overall health, drugs can have a range of short- to long-term effects on the body. Here are some of the health issues correlated with drug abuse and how treatment and recovery can help reverse some of the damage.
Physical Impact
Different drugs and their method of use—smoking, snorting, swallowing, and injection—affect the body in different ways. Drugs that are most addictive activate the brain’s cerebral cortex and limbic system—or reward center—by flooding pathways and synapses with the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Addiction is considered a brain disorder because drugs have the potential to rewire the brain’s reward circuity. This change to the brain obstructs not only a person’s decision-making abilities, emotions, and impulse control, but also their capacity to experience pleasure from everyday activities. Drug dependency occurs when the user compulsively repeats the behavior despite devastating consequences to their lives, bodies, and loved ones.
In addition to changing the way the brain functions, research shows that people with substance use disorders often experience a host of other physical health problems, including:
Higher rates of lung and cardiovascular diseaseLiver failureKidney damageChronic painOrgan system injuryHepatitis CAsthmaDiabetesCancer
There are several reasons why people who suffer from substance abuse disorders are likely to have co-occurring physical health problems. Previous medical conditions can contribute to the development of addiction—or addiction, which impacts the body’s immune system and often accompanies risky behavior, can cause additional medical issues. The co-occurring conditions can also exacerbate each other.
Psychological Impact
Compared to the general population, people who suffer from substance use disorders are twice as likely to experience mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that one causes the other, but research shows that there is a connection. Drug abuse can trigger mental health symptoms, and mental illness can contribute to substance abuse. Both conditions are often caused by similar influences, such as genetic vulnerabilities, biology, and environmental factors.
While under the influence of the drug, a person can experience short-term mental health symptoms like paranoia and delusion. If the symptoms last after the drug effects subside, it can indicate an underlying mental health issue. The negative consequences of drug use on a person’s professional and personal life can also trigger depression.
Mental health disorders and substance abuse often impact each other. For example, when a person’s mental health issue is untreated, they are more likely to abuse drugs, and when a person’s drug abuse escalates, it can worsen their mental health symptoms.
Recovery
Recovering from addiction is difficult and can be complicated by additional mental or physical medical conditions, but there is hope. An essential part of the recovery process involves detoxing from the drug and rewiring the brain’s pathways to restore normal functioning. This takes time and, often, medical intervention.
It is vital that a person with a dual diagnosis find a rehab that addresses both issues simultaneously. A facility like Caron Treatment Centers offers world-class integrated behavioral health programs that treat addiction alongside co-occurring physical and psychological conditions.
According to addiction specialists at Caron, the faster a person receives help and the longer they stay drug-free, the more likely they are to reverse the damage and restore their health. Healing is possible.
Trust Caron to provide comprehensive treatment
At Caron, we understand that addiction is complex. That’s why we don’t just treat drug and alcohol problems, but also the underlying and related issues that often accompany these conditions. By addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of each patient, Caron provides uncompromising treatment.
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