Support
Moving from adolescence to adulthood, we may pick supportive or problematic people, depending on what was modeled to us as kids. If we had strong adults to rely on, we learned to stand on our own two feet by heeding our feelings, needs, wants. This kind of foundation lets us choose a partner more wisely and allows us to communicate appropriately with our partner as well as others. But without support from others we don't flourish in relationships or sexual engagement, in fact, many support-deprived people tend to lean towards isolation, one of the cornerstones of addictions (of all types). If children learn that the adults around them are unreliable, they quickly look elsewhere for help, often choosing peers who, like them, use forms of self-soothing such as drugs, food, alcohol or sex. Isolation and addiction are dead-end streets that leave us longing for connection, acceptance, appreciation and love. The way out of addiction is inevitably through the support of a community of concern which models and teaches...finally, how to trust others. We can never escape our fundamental need for support. This need connects humanity and the road that leads to intimacy.
Thanks for reading. As always, Live. Well. Now. |