I read an article by Huff Post that talked about how suffering and struggle are emotional addictions as strong as addictions to alcohol, nicotine and drugs. The only difference is that emotional addictions are created by our internal emotional states rather than external substances introduced to the body.

So if you notice a pattern in your life of struggle and suffering from one issue to another with little respite in between there’s a great chance you have an emotional addiction.

Every emotion, either positive or negative, is a blend of chemicals (neurotransmitters and hormones) that our brain instantly produces in response to thoughts. This cocktail circulates throughout the body producing corresponding sensations that are felt at both the psychological and physical levels. The chemistry of emotion is very addictive, if repeated frequently over a long period of time.

There is nothing wrong with feeling negative emotions such as frustration, anger, impatience, judgment, anxiety or even getting depressed once in a while. We are humans after all, and these emotions are part of the human experience, enriching it and teaching us something about ourselves and others. The key here is to process them quickly to remove their chemistry from the body, before they become a craving-driven habit.

The rehab process is very simple and yet hard to follow as it requires consistency over time (which is a weak spot for many of us). You can read about it here:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/are-you-addicted-to-suffe_b_9744416