Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life & Recovery Coach is featured Celebrity Rehab on VH1. Sherry is the author of “The Law of Sobriety” which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Please download your Free E Books from Sherry’s Enrich Your Life Series. Contact Sherry at [email protected] for webinars, teleseminars, coaching packages and speaking engagements. Listen to Sherry on “A Moment of Change with Sherry Gaba”on CBS Radio.
Many people that don’t feel a strong sense of connection to the world around them turn to ways to escape into a reality where they feel they do have a connection. This can be a very powerful escape mechanism that often doesn’t look like the addiction that it is. In my book the Law of Sobriety I focus on how alcohol and drug addictions can ruin lives, but in reality the computer can be just as problematic. Making a change from spending hours on the computer to connecting to real people in the world around may be the best New Years resolution if you find yourself in this addiction trap.
People may turn to a variety of aspects of the internet and the computer to escape from the negativity of the world they are currently experiencing. This may include internet porn, spending hours and hours on social media websites or becoming a constant player in 3D and role playing games that allow players to create a powerful persona that is just the person we want to be.
While this may seem like a healthy escape it is absolutely devastating. People that rely on these online simulations and games become more isolated and alone in the real world. What needs to happen is all the energy that is going into creating that perfect online persona needs to go into envisioning yourself being successful in the real world. You need to see yourself in social settings, meeting new people, building that relationship you seek and interacting in your community. By opening up all the possibilities of these types of real and positive relationships in your mind you are prepared when the opportunities arise. When you are off the computer and in the real world you will find that the person you want to be is right there inside of you; not just in some virtual world on your computer.
