What is the Basis of All Addiction? King Baby

King Baby … (egomaniacs with low self-esteem) … many of us are familiar with that term, King Baby.

What it means is – on the one hand – THINKING we deserve to have EVERYTHING GOOD and to be on top of the heap … and – at the same time – not being willing to do the work to get there, or FEELING deep down that we really don’t deserve it.

The “disease” of complacency, the disease of separatism and terminal uniqueness, the disease of self-centered fear … these can be completely debilitating and leave one feeling utterly hopeless. Addicts can’t see themselves realistically and because of that tend to believe all the stories they spin around in their heads. 

When I was 17, I remember thinking “it was too late for me” and that I had missed my chances and opportunities.  I had nothing to base that thinking on.  I had just started college and had everything to look forward to.  However, I felt real fear being out on my own and turned to food and alcohol as a way to calm and medicate myself.  The only thing that really happened was that my fears came true and a lot of my opportunities actually did go away.

Working with so many of our clients lately, I’ve been noticing the reach of substances is growing exponentially in every arena – including food, technology, and gaming … not to mention, of course, prescription medications.  The only thing that works, in my experience, is connection and community.

Of course, it’s a 3-fold disease, so there is an allergic component as well as a spiritual element.  All three aspects of addiction can be arrested and soothed with the help of others who know.