Life is like a flowing river.  When winds are calm the river moves slowly and sometimes it may even seem still. As the wind picks up or if there is some rain, the river moves fast and swift. And if there is a heavy rainfall, it flows fiercely and overflows causing severe damage. The wonder of nature is that nothing is static. There is a natural ebb and flow to creation. In the case of the river, the heavy rainfall eventually stops. The water subsides. The river banks are again exposed to the sun and the drying out process begins.

We experience our lives like a flowing river. When our needs are met, we are calm. We feel settled and are at peace. When negative emotions develop, such as feelings of resentment, grievance or hostility, we start to feel unsettled, and find ourselves agitating to get our needs met. We start losing our sense of equilibrium- our natural balance, or homeostasis. The final storm comes when we experience even deeper toxic emotions and do not know how to deal with them.  Feelings of guilt, shame, depression, fear or anxiety throw us completely off balance. Homeostasis is a self-regulating system in our brain that enables self-healing.  In nature, the river ebbs when its cycle is ready.  For humans, we need help regaining our equilibrium. We need to adopt healthy lifestyle habits to enable us to weather the storms that life sends.

For more information on how to regain your sense of balance, visit www.chopratreatmentcenter.com

Alcoholism is a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.  Addiction to alcohol is insidious.  It usually starts small but for some people, grows out of control. Alcohol is a legal drug that can produce pleasant effects in smaller amounts but produces dangerous consequences when consumed in higher quantities.

To read more on this article, click here.