As our lives grow increasingly frantic, high-pressured, time-sensitive, impersonal and technologically dependent, a lot of us feel a growing need to retreat or regroup. In a sometimes uncomfortable world, we naturally seek comfort.
We do it unconsciously as babies and young children: we cling to our parents, we drag around our favorite soft blanket or worn soft toy, we hug or hold hands with a friend, we cuddle up with the family dog or pet the kitty. And a lot of little future addicts suck their thumbs or zone out in front of cartoons for hours, mindlessly munching on snacks...some of us are predisposed to self-medication early on.
As we get older, we find comfort in other pleasures: escape from the everyday, belonging to groups, attention from potential partners, acquisition of stuff, ingestion of substances. We may be doing it unconsciously, but the urge to find comfort or relief doesn't go away just because we're too big for our blankie or teddy bear.
Seeking comfort's not a bad thing, in and of itself. I said it before, and I'll say it again: it's just part of being human. It's natural to want to feel better. It's just up to those of us who might be predisposed to addictive behaviors to find a more positive, self-nurturing way to find comfort, is all.
How do you get to your Happy Place? Where do you find comfort? Are you more comfortable giving it than getting it? Does wrapping yourself up with a fuzzy blankie and some cocoa sound really good to you right now? The floor is yours! Here's one of my favorites to get you in the mood.
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