No Limits online magazine, issue 6, Caroline Sutherland

Many people who are ill have obvious patterns of addiction or low self esteem in the equation. An addiction is anything which has a hold on us such as: overwork, exercise, sex, food, chocolate, sugar, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, medications, money, worry, material possessions, relationships, negativity, overachieving, gambling etc. People can also be addicted to illness.

The grapple hook of addictions can be an avoidance mechanism to take us off the path to fulfillment or to prevent us from exploring issues and subjects that expose our vulnerability.

These addictive tendencies begin in childhood and our constant need for attention. Some people have had very traumatic childhoods. The comfort that their addiction provides is justifiable.

Our parents or caregivers kept us quiet with food, the breast, the pacifier, the bottle, the toys, the outings, the diversions - and the minute we squawked, we were given something to keep us quiet. As adults, we rely upon these addictions to numb the pain and frustration of daily life. These items give us a sense of power and control.

Coffee drinkers, for example, can describe in minute detail the feeling of their special brand of elixir as it touches every inch of their alimentary tract. And yet, you wouldn’t believe the numbers of people who are seeking optimum health while being addicted to caffeine, chocolate and sugars, not to mention illegal drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. As soon as people stop taking these addictive substances, their health dramatically improves.

I believe that life is all about learning, growing, and mastering certain behaviors, the least of which are addictions. On a higher spiritual level, addictions are interesting. They have great power over us and they also carry negative energies, which can be seen energetically. These negative energies or “entities” attach themselves to the physical body.

When I see an addicted person, I can tell that something has a hook in them. I will see black all around them. They appear unclear or dark to me as if they have a dark cloud around them or a negative force, which is sapping their life force or vitality. Something has a hold on them and I know that they are addicted.

From the spiritual perspective, nothing must have a hold on us - no substance, no person, no place, or possession. On a spiritual level, we must be free, clear, and available to be moved by the universe. The addictions derail us and keep us from fully entering life and our true calling. Staying stuck in an addiction to any behavior means that we are not really ready to grow up and take full responsibility for the life that God has given us.

In another way, if we are addicted, we are not clear. We do not emit clear, radiant energy from our bodies, and our auras or electromagnetic fields are muddy. As a result, our physical bodies are tired and worn down.

The emission of radiant, clear energy from our physical selves is significant in the area of manifestation. We desire to manifest the best into our lives on a material and spiritual level. I believe that the emission of this radiant energy, which comes from having a clear and healthy physical body, and plenty of personal fulfillment, is the cornerstone to manifesting these positive experiences.

On an emotional level, an addicted person has a very strong little girl or boy inside them who is running the show. “Life is too difficult and I must have my treats, my pacifier, or something to make me feel better,” we say. When people realize that the body they have been given is an instrument to carry them through to complete their mission and purpose in this life, then people seem happy to let go of the addictions in favor of a healthier lifestyle.

I’m often asked how I manage my own food cravings. Like many of you, I have a strong inner child that needs plenty of nurturing. I have to let the little child have her treats – treats which will not make me feel sick. Because I am very aware of my food sensitivities, I had to do a lot of research and tweaking of recipes to find goodies that would not make my Candidiasis proliferate, not spike my blood sugar (which would give me that tired, low energy feeling later on), and not initiate a histamine reaction which would trigger food allergies.

On occasion, I do enjoy a sweet dessert or a glass of wine. I indulge myself occasionally, but it has to be something really special. For instance, I might be willing to pay the price for feeling a little “off” the next day for a delectable slice of hazelnut torte or a dish of creme brulee. But it is not worth it for me to jeopardize my program for a mundane piece of pie or just an ordinary cookie. When, like me, you know your body so well that you can tell when it is slightly left of center, the foods that you used to crave will not have a hold on you. The value that you will place on a finely tuned, healthy body will just be too great.

Addiction to Medication

Many people are addicted to the concept of taking medication for every ailment that they have, instead of trying to figure out where the problem originated.

When a person is medicated, this presents an interesting challenge intuitively. The body appears to me like a road map. When a body is medicated or especially over-medicated, figuratively, I cannot see the road map because it is covered with clouds. Much like a person with any kind of addiction, the medicated person appears not to be the real person in front of me, but a person wearing a covering, masking who they really are on a physical level.

I cannot stress the importance of competent, regular medical attention. The use of medication is between you and your doctor. Thanks to medication, hearts are regulated, diabetes is controlled, births are limited, headaches are cured, and hormones balanced.

There is a place for medication just as there is a place for natural remedies. Everything works together. But, there are people who are over-medicated and will reach for magic bullets when any symptom appears. Often, at some level, people can be very addicted to the emotional drama that they have created in their lives and prefer medication, rather than dealing with its painful aspects.

Forty-year-old Inge came to me seeking help. She was on eight different medications. I could hardly look at her body intuitively. Energetically she was as scattered and discordant as every member of a symphony orchestra playing off-key. Her body was laboring under the strain of trying to deal with all of these medications. She took pills for sleep, pills to prevent asthma attacks, pills for high blood pressure, anti-depressants, as well as hormone balancing medication. On the surface, she appeared to be a bright, positive person, but beneath the surface she was dealing with plenty of emotional issues.

On a regular basis, she drank coffee, ate copious amounts of dairy products to which she was obviously allergic, and was addicted to chocolate. Yet, even at fifty pounds overweight, Inge seemed very motivated and anxious to work on her health.

Although I was skeptical and reluctant, I agreed to work with her. We identified her food allergies and the environmental factors in her home. I suggested simple supplementation to support her body and emotional counseling for her soul. The reduction of her medication was between her and her doctor.

Today, Inge has lost weight, no longer has asthma attacks, and has greatly reduced her medication.

People are often addicted to their illnesses. The experience of being in pain can bring great rewards in terms of care, nurturing, and more importantly – love.

Paulette is a perfect example of someone who used illness in an addictive manner to gain the attention and the helpful concern of her husband. Paulette’s illness was her center of focus.

When I met Paulette, I knew that she didn’t have to be ill. I frequently perceive this to be the case in many people. She walked with a cane and was obviously in a great deal of pain yet I knew intuitively that her body had all of the capacity to be fully functional.

I suggested a very simple program of food allergy avoidance, yeast eradication and supplementation. Two days later, I had the opportunity of seeing her again at a medical intuitive training. In just 48 hours she was able to get out of a chair without help. I was fascinated. How could this body that was so out of balance start to correct so quickly? I decided to keep track of her progress and I called her a week later. She continued to progress and had gained more mobility. She joked that she might even have to go back to work.

A month later, I placed a follow-up call. She had slipped back into her old habits, her old ways, and her old addictions. Why would she want to help herself and recover? The price of losing her doting husband’s constant care and attention, plus the looming possibility of returning to work, was just too much.

It is sad that so many people forget the basic concept - the body knows what to do to get well. Paulette’s brief glimpse at a level of wellness that she had only dreamed about, confirms this important truth. Optimum health takes a deeper level of commitment than some people are willing to make and I find as a medical intuitive, that the unraveling of this multi-layered puzzle can be both disturbing and yet very rewarding.