Crystal Meth? Dagga? Smoking? Alcohol? Coffee? Fortnite? Facebook? Instagram?

When you read the above statement, something just didn't feel right. Right? How can I put all those seemingly different things under the same umbrella? Has the lockdown period put a spotlight on any of these substances? With the ban on alcohol and cigarettes at its strictest here in South Africa it highlighted the addiction problems created on various fronts. We tend to judge and label people so quick and easy when they fall apart due to substance abuse. Problem is we are so conditioned to think that the 'substances' are the only destructive addictions out there, and we are not affected by the other "harmless" addictions. Well, think again! The pathways that are created and used in the brain when we get 'hooked' are exactly the same, albeit on different levels.

So what is an addiction. It is a form of escapism. It is a way to numb our emotional being because it is a mental process coupled to a physical activity. We created a habit in the body which later progressed into a full blown addiction. It is human nature. How did it all start for you? Checking Facebook once or twice a day? Smoking 5 or 6 cigarettes a day? Playing Fortnite only one hour a day? Having only one piping hot cup of joe in the morning? Facebook, Instagram and all the other inappropriately labelled "social media" platforms are just as destructive as the other. Why? It is used to escape our not so great reality. Used to keep you from being present, here, now.

How many times have assured yourself that you don't have enough time to start looking after yourself? Can't join the gym? Will start the healthy menu on Monday? I can easily stop the two or three glasses of wine every evening, no problem!? With the first six weeks of strict lockdown still fresh in your memory, how many of you woke up knowing the pawpaw is going to hit the fan because of the ban of alcohol and cigarettes? Who knew that sparks were going to fly at home once the dust settled and you were spending 24 7 with the 'stranger' in your bed? What was your go to escape? 

And when all those "The earth needs a reset" messages flashed past on that little screen, did you have a feeling there should be more to life? If you remove the rat race elements of life like tending to kids, rushing to and from work, planning and making meals, making time to socialise with friends and family, and finally collapsing exhausted into bed with your iPad, what is left? What is left of you? Have you lost yourself? Have the patterns and beliefs ruling your life taken such a hold that you are nowhere to be found? 

Rewire your subconscious. Get back to the present. Specialised Kinesiology can transform your life. It is a gentle, effective way to change your mind, literally! Finding balance is key.