Holistic Healing for Addiction

Feng Shui

Feng Shui: Creating Environments of Healing

After recovery (and even beforehand) you may discover the space youare living in is less than conducive to your commitment to sobriety- but morethan that, if you do not feel comfortable in the space youare expected to cultivate sobriety and happiness, there is no way you are goingto be comfortable enough to make the necessary life adjustments you need toprogress forward with your recovery!

FreeImages / Leonardo Novaes

FreeImages / Leonardo Novaes

Even if recovery begins from the inside out, that does not meanyou cannot improve your chances of success by creating a living environment youfeel comfortable in. Whether you are just getting back from rehab, or you are trying tochange your own circumstances at home to prevent the development of a chronicsubstance use disorder (or maybe you are struggling with depression, self-harm, or anxiety), enlivening your home is the first steptowards healing from the inside out.

Think about it: you spend most of your time at home- and if you do not (maybe you work crazy, long hours), your abode should be the safe haven you return to, for rest, recharging, and energizing yourself for things to come. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of arranging your living space to direct the healthy flow of Chi, or spirit energy.

If you go home, and you hate beingthere, that is a problem.

When I was on my own recovery journey, I often felt as if I wanted to go home, while I was home. Feeling displaced is probably one of the main causes of depression; you can be emotionally, physically, or mentally displaced- but when you feel like a stranger in your own home, both your physical and psychological health suffer.

I had to pick up and move to Connecticut for one year to get my life back in order- I came back to Florida, but I needed the space to recharge, and get away from the environments and people enabling me to continue making poor decisions for myself. It was not their fault, but being in their presence allowed me to ignore mounting depression and undue aggressiveness- which ultimately made my life miserable. Instead of moving entirely (and hey, sometimes you need to do that) owning your home is one of the first steps to get back on your feet.

Before we go any further, I want you to stop and remember: Healing Starts with YOU. Belief you are at the mercy of the latest treatment craze (excluding legitimate addiction treatment, mind you [remember, addiction is a disease, and not a moral failing- meaning it does require medical and psychological remedy]) brings tragedy; know you have the power to heal within you. Helping to invite healing energies around you will foment spiritual recovery, catalyzing both physical and psychological healing.

By transforming your living space into an atmosphere you love being in, your anxiety and depression will diminish drastically. One of the central factors of developing substance use disorders is your environment- taking care of yourself, and your surroundings is one of the first things to go in the face of chronic addiction. By reclaiming this aspect of your life, you are taking back the ability to care for yourself, and creating an escape from the rest of the world- as opposed to wallowing in a hovel you dread coming back to.