Cory Monteith: Miss Something?
The world has lost another young talented, creative and
admired entertainer to drugs. Cory joins the ranks of other celebrity
entertainers who accidentally lost their lives to drugs use such as singer Janis
Joplin, guitar player Jimmy Hendrix, Blues Brother John Belushi, Rocker Jim
Morrison, Actress Judy Garland and of course the King Elvis Presley. All of their lives were cut short by overdoses
to drugs. Not only celebrities but over 100 people die of drug overdose in
America every day.
What was missed?
Even though entertainers look self assured, confident and
strong on stage, in private there is a very different story being played out in
their head. Thoughts of insecurity, fear, self loathing, self escape and judgment
of weakness and inadequacy fill their minds and consume their thoughts … even
though praise is coming toward them constantly. Like thoughts of:
Did I perform well enough?
I don’t deserve this much praise.
I don’t deserve this much money.
I am not that talented.
Will they stop loving me?
If my fans only knew the real me, they would leave me.
Entertainers in the constant spotlight turn to drugs to gain
a false sense of confidence, numb emotional pain, eliminate fear, and reduce
thoughts of rejection. The drug is used to turn off the critical thoughts and
associated emotions. The insecure performer actually believes:
This drug will help me perform better.
I am more confident and entertaining with this drug.
This drug helps me focus.
Looping self-limiting thoughts are invisible to an adoring
crowd and unseen behind a charismatic smile. Could something have been missed
that might have reduced the chance of a tragic ending to this actor’s life?
Cory, like many others, went through addiction treatment and
rehab. Not once, but many times. Is it that treatment centers are not effective
enough? No, they are very professional and effective. Then what? One thing that
addiction treatment does not address is an addict’s thought addiction. Thought
addiction is not on the addiction professional’s radar right now. Thought
addiction is a hidden addiction that affects many American’s mental, emotional,
and physical health. Why? Think about it … Every addiction starts with a
thought! That is a fact. A person will turn to drugs because of overwhelming
self limiting looping thoughts.
What is Thought Addiction (TA)?
The definition of thought addiction is the development of an
intrusive habitual pattern to one thought or set of thoughts. Thought
addiction is the returning to a thought that does not serve the individual
and has negative and damaging results to one’s life. A thought addiction
depletes every system of the human body. TA is repetitive and unhealthy
thoughts that deplete emotional, mental, physical and spiritual energy,
leaving the person empty and second guessing themselves endlessly. Thought
addiction follows the same rules and progression of all other addictions. Individuals
will expand into other addictions like substances, food, exercise, emotion or
behavior in an attempt to silence a thought addiction or unhealthy thought
looping pattern.
Forms of addicting thoughts are:
- Anxious
- Compulsive
- Depressive
- Fearful
- Obsessive
- Negative
- Ruminating
- Self demeaning
- Self defeating
- Self limiting
- Sexual
- Suicidal
- Unwanted
- Worrisome
Relapse?
Another critical time is post treatment. If the original
thought that initiated the addiction is not dealt with, once the person becomes
sober, the original thought surfaces again and will be a major driver and red
flag of relapse. For an addict whose thought addiction is not addressed and
treated effectively, relapse is inevitable.
What to do differently?
The addiction treatment and recovery community needs to pull
back the curtain and look at the real culprit … the thought that started it
all. These professionals need to expand their old treatment and recovery
thinking and allow a new method in. The
most dangerous time is not in treatment or rehab, but it is when the newly
recovering person comes out and is left alone with his or her own thoughts
again. The 12 step principles say an addict in sobriety needs to change old
friends, places and life style to eliminate triggers that encouraged them to
use, but the silent driver has always been – the thought.
For more information on Thought Addiction: http://drbilltollefson.hubpages.com/hub/Addiction_Begins_with_a_Thought
Take Thought Addiction Assessment:
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