Isolation

Those of us who suffer from this “Disease”, “Addiction”, “Affliction”. Need to understand the things that truly feed or fuel this “mis-function” within us.

Throughout the years of my journey and as I walk the road towards recovery I have learned many things about myself and what works and even more so what does not work.

With me, myself and through observations of close friends and associates, I have seen one common behavior pattern with in many of us, that is “Isolation”.

Isolation, we tend to withdraw first in our heads then in our lives.

For example: In so many interviews that I have done, it will not take a minute for some one to ask my poor wife, “How can you watch him eat? On the other hand, “Why don’t you stop him”?

Well here is some news for the world…97% of all the wrong kind of eating, I have done, I have done alone, on the sneak, in private. I have never needed anyone to help me to get my “drug of choice” ---“FOOD”! I have put those pounds on in private…for the world to see in public!!

So hiding and sneak eating is one of our problems and one that needs to be addressed if we are going to make any improvements in our life!

Another major “Isolation” problem is that we will withdraw, internally. We will cut people out! Stop communicating! Stop talking to loved ones. Whether we live with them, or if we live alone, we will stop calling or avoid calling friends and family. Just so that we do have to face the reality of that dreaded question …“How are you doing?”

We hear that question and if we are not doing well with our food, we will hear… “How are you doing, now that you are not dieting and eating out of control and gaining all that weight and being a complete failure…etc”!

Even though that poor person never said anything like that but that is what we might hear because often those are the tapes we are playing in our own head! That is our we are beating ourselves up already!

Isolation feeds our ability to make our self wrong, to support our terrible feelings of failure! Isolation will do that.

Then the finally kind of “Isolation” is the physical kind.

That is where you will avoid going out, avoid going to family functions, meeting with friends, going shopping, or just going to a movie. You are ashamed, you are tired, you are heavier, etc. etc.!

IF YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BATTLE, IT IS MORE THAN JUST MAKING A SALAD!

If you want to win the battle it is more than just making a salad, you need to make changes! You need to acknowledge you want to withdraw from everything and say, “Okay, I feel this way but I am still going to be a player, even though I do not want to play”!

Isolation means just you and your disease and guess what????? That disease knows how to push your buttons and for the most part …will win over you.

Do not let it win over you any more!

Just recognize that you are trying to Isolate and that is part of your problem.

Yet still get up tomorrow and make that phone call, go out to visit your friend, go to the neighborhood café and socialize, go to the family function…no matter what your weight is today! That number can change either way tomorrow, depending on what you do right…Today!

You are a human being who deserves every break in life! You deserve the chance to enjoy life, to smile. You have paid your dues now you can enjoy a little.

Give yourself permission to smile, laugh, and have a good time. Okay life may be a little “Heavy”. You know what? It could be worse…you know that, just turn on the News.

So remember do not Isolate, it does not help…at all.

Open up those doors, open up your heart, and get out of your head.

Look for some one who loves you and share with them. Play with them. Laugh with them.

Laughter, good medicine…and it is free!

My dear friends, we are in a war to survive but one where there are many battles to be won.

We learn along the way, we learn from each other… I am sharing with you, my brothers and a sister in battle…that Isolation is “Not a good thing”!

Do not be alone! You do not have to be!

You have me, I have you, we have each other!

You have to make it work ……..Go fight for what you deserve!

Have a great day and Never Give UP!

Love

Mike