A straight up miracle

[CGstrong]

Yesterday something happened that I wanted to share with someone because it has been what I would consider a "real life miracle".

For longer than I can remember I struggled with using drugs and alcohol. I was prescribed adderall for ADHD and turned to abusing it in response to academic, career, and general life related stress. I used alcohol to cope with social anxiety and loneliness. My using eventually became a huge source of grief, anxiety and depression in my life, but I could never overcome it because of a set of limiting beliefs I had.

"I need adderall to manage my ADHD"

"I can't have fun without alcohol"

"I can't be successful without pills"

"I can't be happy without drugs and alcohol"

But yesterday, I started reading a book called "Self Discipline in 10 Days". What it really is about is how to illicit a change within yourself. It talks about how a certain part of you does not want to change and will deploy certain tactics to prevent this change in the form of negative self talk. No bs, its basic psychology that your brain uses thoughts/mental chatter to form beliefs and will subconsciously act out in ways that align your set of beliefs with reality. And that's when it clicked you guys.

I am not my thoughts. The limiting beliefs are merely lies and defense mechanisms my brain used to keep me on drugs and alcohol. It's so freeing to detach from the negative self talk that kept me a slave to using for so long and I now feel a sense of joy that I haven't experienced in years. It's like I have reached a higher state of consciousness. If you are looking to change your life I cannot recommend the book enough, it's actually free online. You must print it out, do the written exercises and commit fully though.

https://dreffat.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/self-discipline-in-10-days-how-to-go-from-thinking-to-doing.pdf

Anyways, I wanted to share this with you guys because I thought it might help any one who struggles with the same destructive thought patterns that prevented me from quitting.

[Frank B]

Thanks for sharing even at about a year free I'm still struggling to be where and who I

want to be. Maybe this will help I'll definitely check it out.

[Frank B]

Been reading this and has a lot of good advice feel some of the exercises difficult because I'm trying to distinguish between the sober me and addict version. So many years of taking this stuff has really pushed those emotions so far away it's hard to know how I felt prior to taking adderall. Id say for some on here who started this drug as a child near impossible but it's worth trying really a great tool.

[bluemoon]

I will have to check this out when I get a chance too. Sounds like something I could benefit from. I'll let you know when I do

[CGstrong]

Yeah it's hard when being on stims is all you know, I started Ritalin at the age of 7, then moved to adderall ages 14-24 so I can definitely relate. My biggest take away was the understanding that behavior is guided by our beliefs which is just a product of our conscious stream of thoughts. By becoming aware of the nature of this mental chatter, in my case, it's lost a lot of its power over how I feel and act

[flow3]

Hey man I highly recommend you read the book "Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins. I'm reading it now for the second time. It hands down was the reason I was able to quit another addiction I had about 3yrs ago.

A large majority of the book talks about our belief system and how to take control of it. It's the best $16 I've ever spent.... a life changer for sure.