Addictions can take many forms, including those to alcohol, cigarettes, food, and
shopping. One of the most common addictions is food, as it is easily available. Many
movies show us how eating ice cream helps us deal with heartbreak. So, instead of
processing our grief, we have learned to suppress it with food. We have also learned to
suppress our anger and frustration by turning to alcohol as an escape. These addictions
only provide us with temporary joy, which later turns to guilt. We feel bad for shopping
when it isn’t required or smoking another cigarette when we are trying to quit it in the
first place. These habits become harmful in the long run, impacting not just the addicts but
the people around them.
Every addiction stems from a void. Voids could be anything from self-worth to
self-esteem to self-love. We try to fill these voids with substances or materialistic
possessions. The doctor had a patient who was a chain smoker. During therapy, she
realized her need for smoking came out of a void of self-love. Once she learned to love and
focus on herself, her need to reach out for the cigarettes vanished. She hasn’t smoked a
single cigarette post-session.
Dr. Diplakshmi helps us take charge of our emotions, healing the void in the process and
curing addiction automatically.