There's been a lot of exciting programming on public television lately about our brains and how we can change them.
Years ago, after writing my fourth addiction recovery book Escape from Nicotine Country: How to Stop Smoking Painlessly (quitnicotinenow.net), I'd - a few years later - toyed with titles for a new book project about recovery from all addictions.
Brain Change and Romancing Liz were two titles I came up with and still may use (along with explanatory subtitles). Harking back to my personal break from booze dependence, April 24, 1978 and my later success in stopping a thirty year addiction to cigarettes in 1993, I had discovered powerful, simple strategies: the stuff behind these two potential book titles.
On the day of April 24, 1978 a flash-moment of clarity - after years of alcohol addiction - brought together both rational and emotional brain realizations: alcohol hurts, and I can't drink anymore NO MATTER WHAT!
Although this incident could be called an "accidental, non-intentional aversion," a "spiritual experience," etc., I came to see it as what I now call "cognitive/visceral synchronization," which simply means a head/gut "fusion," if you will. I simultaneously realized in my brain and felt in my gut: "This hurts badly and I'll stop now!"
Of course it was up to me to make a choice to continue what I then desperately desired: a booze-free life. Later, in 1993, I timidly, secretly, began to apply a deliberately induced version of cognitive/visceral synchronization (with a twist) to my cigarette addiction: I gradually, painlessly withdrew from my personal nicotine prison of 30 years and have been a free parolee to the present day. By that I mean if one has had an addiction experience - via cigarettes, booze, other drugs - one's brain has been altered in a bad or unhealthy way and, although healthy "brain change" can occur through halting an addiction, one had better take care to keep addictive drugs out of one's body and brain in order to maintain said brain change for life.
A life-affirming, self-empowering, nurturing, positive brain change - in and of itself - opens the door to new life potentials.
"The Sobriety Priority" and "Separate Issue Sobriety" were my founding stones for SOS/Secular Organizations for Sobriety/Save Our Selves, which I began 23 years ago. SOS offers free, anonymous, self empowerment peer-led support groups globally for all addicted persons-in-recovery in a safe, secular environment. We see faith-based (or non-faith) issues as separate issues from our group support system; we see these issues as part of one's personal and private life quest.
As a protection from guruism, domination and submission, "control freaks" etc., SOS is also a "free thought forum" (but not a free-for-all) this component was put in place to quash any possibility for the development of institutionalized holy writ.
Like what you're reading? Get email notifications when Jim Christopher posts, or get updates on Facebook, iGoogle, your personal blog and more!
