What is an addiction? Is it alcoholism? Maybe. Can gambling be an addiction? Yes. Sex? Could be. Smoking? Eating? Compulsive thinking? Yes. Yes. Yes. Well then, what is this problem that we call addiction?

First of all, addiction itself is not the problem. There is one fundamental truth about addiction that all addicts know in their hearts. We hate emotional pain! While certain substances can be physically or psychologically addictive, addictions are also emotionally entrenched habits we have unconsciously created in an effort to avoid having to feel unresolved emotional pain. These may manifest as addictions to alcohol, other psycho-tropic drugs, cigarettes, and so forth. They may be addictions to work (amassing money), shopping (spending money), gambling, eating or any number of other ego-driven “solutions.”

The addiction often serves as the toxic, ineffective, often destructive method for dealing with the real problem: unresolved emotional pain. Then, the addiction itself becomes the problem. That is why traditional addiction treatment has often been only partially, temporarily effective. Most traditional recovery programs tend to focus on the addiction, not the problem.

In order to heal, we need to resolve the real problem rather than treat the symptom. The difference between the two is that with treatment, the situation remains the same, that is, the treatment goes to the addiction. With healing, the resolution is elicited by changing the focus to the underlying cause of the situation. The resolution then brings about the absolute removal of the cause.

Awareness of this is essential. If we treat only the chemical or psychological symptom of our addictive behavior, we avoid the pain. The energy of the pain remains. We then relapse into our primary addiction “of choice,” or we transfer from one addiction to another.

So how do we address and “heal” the causes of addiction (past/present emotional pain) so that the symptoms (addictive behaviors) may be eliminated? The Freedom Step came into existence as a vehicle to bring healing to all who suffer from unresolved emotional pain. That would include virtually everybody on this planet. When we try to resolve that pain with any ego (mind) solution, we never experience permanent or even long-term resolution. Examples of ego solutions include, among others, all those mentioned above. Others are managing our life or that of others, codependency, compulsive thinking and so on. These solutions often lead to even more emotional pain. This cycle is a danger to mental, physical and emotional health and continued occupation of this planet.

• All addiction is caused by unresolved emotional pain. 
• All addiction is addiction to the ego!

Unresolved emotional pain is an energy field or pattern generally located somewhere in our trunk (between our neck and our lower plumbing). Energy problems require energy solutions. The healing of addictions requires that we completely feel the energy of unresolved emotional pain. Only then can the energy be resolved and transmuted. Once the energy is completely felt and there is nothing left to feel, there is nothing left of the pain. No problem…no need for addictive solutions.

Heal Your Addictions…all of ‘em…Now! Is it as simple as that? Yes it is. When we discover that only we can heal ourselves and the healing is simply taking our Pure Awareness into the center of the energy of the pain and feeling it all, we are on the road to full recovery.

Close your eyes. Put the thought of the pain behind you, gently take your Pure Awareness into the energy of the feeling and feel it until it is no longer there. When there is nothing left of it to feel, there is nothing left.

It’s as simple as that. Do it now (the only time that you can do it), and do it often.