addiction addiction
Addiction

by

Dennis Gersten, M.D.





1. Imagine what life would be like for an alcoholic if there were no more alcohol in the world. That's exactly what this imagery does. It gives the addict or alcoholic a view of that new world.

Imagine you are walking along a path in the countryside when suddenly you come upon a hole in the ground . . . a hole a few feet wide that goes clear down to the center of the earth. Imagine that you take all the alcohol or drugs that you have and pour them down that hole.

addiction Now imagine that all the alcohol and all the drugs in the entire world come flying in your direction and are sucked into that hole . . . and they fall to the center of the earth where they are burned to a crisp.

You are now living in a world with no drugs or alcohol whatsoever. What does that feel like? Is it scary? Do you feel an emptiness . . . or a sense of relief? Witness whatever you are feeling . . . without judging. Allow yourself to experience the fear, the void, the emptiness, the joy, the relief now that you are living in a world in which drugs and alcohol do no exist.

2. Check out our section on quieting the mind, and create your own personal mantra. Meditate, using your mantra, five minutes three times a day. Every time you have the urge to drink or use drugs, focus all of your attention on your mantra.





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