Question: Can a person be addicted to poor health and getting sick?

Higgins: We understand addictions to be physical cravings rather than mental cravings so in that respect the answer to your question is no. However, addictions are also using behaviors–using alcohol or drugs to alter one’s perception about their life and their own actions is a prime example, with the understanding within the definition that these ‘users’ cannot easily stop using alcohol or drugs if they want to, thus the addiction.

In that respect many of you are addicted to behaviors that you cannot easily stop and these behaviors alter your perception of your life and your own actions. Getting sick often and chronic pain are behaviors like that. They are methods of controlling your world and even other people within it. In this respect, getting sick serves as an addiction.

Regardless of what sort of addiction one has or whether a behavior fits the definition of addiction or not the important thing to understand is that whatever the particular addiction is helping you run away from, whenever you decide to address the thing directly, the thing will go away.

This is important. If something in your life happens and you do not like it you do not have to drink, drug or sick yourself away from it. Address it in the best way you can and move on. You may have to practice a little but in time you will get better at coping with it and eventually it will go away. Address it and it will go away. Greet it and it will go away. Say ‘hello’ to your fears and they will go away.

This is not the most eloquent we have ever been upon a topic but it is one of the most important topics we have addressed. Ponder this one.

Received August 24, 2011 at Everett, Washington