Well, let me be the first to say that this may NOT be a popular topic. If you read the title and shudder, it is understandable. However, let’s look at what’s true about psychics or people with intuitive abilities. They are often incredibly sensitive. Many come from backgrounds with family addictions. How do I know this? Many of my friends and clients are psychic. And we are all members of the human race, which can be plagued by addictions to alcohol, pot, prescription drugs, sugar, flour, and now, electronics.
Today I’m going to address those addictions that affect you from the neck up. Those that are mind- altering drugs. When we head onto the spiritual path, we wake up, we gain clarity, we become more connected to spirit. mostly. It’s not a straight road to the finish, it’s a long and winding road, so to speak. Nothing screws up a nice ride like a drunk driver.
I’m pleased as punch to say I’m coming up on 24 years of sobriety. Let me add that has only happened one day at a time. And I got to sobriety the hard way. It got ugly, I got humble, and then I got help. Suffice it to say I started as a young sensitive child. I knew things. I grew up trying to take care of a few adults who really couldn’t take care of me. My road to survival was to frantically try to fix things and make people feel better. Then when I learned I couldn’t, I began to drink. Then I began to drug. Now, you could argue I was a high functioning alcoholic. Because I was successfully pursuing a reporting career. However, my best friends hung out at bars and I loved to drink at home alone. I became more and more gruff and tough and self-absorbed. The booze seemed to take the edge off and protect me from my sensitivity. Only it also took me to some pretty dark places. I like to say my life was a lot like the movie “Ground Hog Day”. I had the same drinking day over and over again.
Let’s fast forward. At age 27, by the grace of God, I got sober. Then at the age of 39, my psychic abilities rode in on the express train. Since that time I have been giving people professional readings, navigating my own psychic abilities, and raising a family that includes highly sensitive kids. They feel, they cry, they laugh, they KNOW. We stopped going to one of our favorite family restaurants because my then 11-year-old kept seeing a not-nice male ghost in the men’s room. The kids are doing this all without assistance from anything that effects them from the neck up. They are doing “life on life’s terms” as sensitives. They know when someone is lying, when someone has a dark heart, when there’s a ghost at the restaurant, and when they have to cry. It ain’t easy. And that my friends is why we often meet highly sensitive alcoholics and addicts. It can feel protective. It can feel like a shield between us and what we pick up on about others. It can feel like insulation from our own deep feelings, whether that be pain, shame, or joy.
If you have ever wondered if you are an alcoholic, then you may have just answered your own question by asking. If two casual drinks once in awhile aren’t enough, then perhaps there’s more to the story. If you can’t put the joint down or skip the pain killer, there may be a problem in paradise.
I’m including a link to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence. This quiz maybe helpful to you or maybe not. As a sober psychic I’m always on the look out for addiction problems in clients. Why? Because it makes giving a reading more difficult. It’s as though the soul or essence of the person is in a fog. When I look with psychic sight, I see a thick cloud around them. When talking, they seem confused, often have very little traction in their work lives, and have perpetual relationship problems. If there is a family history of alcoholism or addiction, chances are that person can have a hereditary tendency toward the same. Add to that high sensitivity to their environment and you have the perfect storm. Yes, there are other addictions to be wary of, such as food addictions and co-dependency (taking care of others at any cost, without being asked). But to dig into those, you need a clear brain. That is what we call clarity.
It’s interesting in psychic terminology we have what we call the clairs. Clairvoyance- psychic seeing. Clairsentience- intuitive knowing or feeling. Clairaudience- hearing words with your psychic abilities. The ‘clair’ part means “clear”.
There’s an argument that some healers make that using herbs and hallucinogens make for a more powerful spiritual encounter. That may be true. But on a daily basis alcohol and drugs can impair your connection with your internal guidance. It also can cause you to let down your guard and be susceptible to other entities. Many, many spiritual leaders and psychics have repeatedly carried the message that alcohol and drugs can interfere with psychic abilities and in fact can cause a form of possession.
I remember a time I went to Catalina. I had only been full out psychic for a few years. We stayed at a famous hotel in an infamous room, that I knew nothing about. Well, while staying there I found out it was haunted as hell! There were ghosts coming and going constantly. After the first day there, I researched it in a local book store and found out it was said to be one of the most haunted rooms on the island and that Catalina Island was infested with ghosts. Well, I saw them everywhere, but especially in the residents! I swear, most everyone who helped us at local cafes and tourist spots had puffy faces and cloudy eyes. They were definitely heavy drinkers and they had company. It was my distinct impression at the time that the people there were spiritually intuitive, but had decided to numb out to get away from the ghosts. And then they had just the opposite results. They had become hosts to some seedy spirits.
Later I ran into a friend who has psychic abilities. She told me, “I’m never going back to Catalina, that place is (expletive) haunted!”
The point is this. If you are psychic, it doesn’t protect you from addiction. In fact, it can make you vulnerable to one.
If you read this as a clean and sober person, congrats! The sober psychic is a bad ass and a softy. If you read this as a recreational drinker and/ or drug user, congrats! If you read this as someone who questions if they might have a problem, there’s plenty of help out there.
I’m a fan of 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. But there are also clinics and treatment centers that are often covered by insurance.
I’m certain your guides have your back. And I’m just as certain clarity is an option.