5 Ways to Release Emotional Attachments

Whether you are in recovery or not, we all struggle with emotional attachments. Often emotional attachments occur due to insecurity and simply not believing we can move on to something different or new. Instead, we remain emotionally attached and avoid connections to ourselves and those around us. In an intimate relationship, you may struggle to let someone go after investing so much time into that person. However, by staying with them, you block the way from creating a new spiritual, emotional and physical connection to others. Emotional attachments can also be to things, ideas or places. Perhaps you are afraid to move or have trouble aiming further in your occupation. Often these inabilities to change are due to emotional attachments.

In recovery, you learn to let go of your attachments to both your DOC and your perception of what it means to live a fun happy life. Many in recovery associate the happier times in their life in those times they were escaping using substances. However, learning to create new healthier attachments is a necessary transformative experience.

Here are 5 Key Ways to Release Emotional Attachments

1. Clear Your Old Thought Patterns.
   Do you know that you could be holding on to the same thought processes you had when you were just a child? It’s true. From the moment we are born, our brains are programmed based on our genetics and environment. To release attachment, you have to clear your old thought Often, you can work with a professional to release old thoughts and behaviors that you struggle to let go. For me, I find that I often fall into old negative thought processes, so learning what those were and how to overcome them was the first step.

2. Establish Your Self-Worth
   Establishing your self-worth can be a great tool to heal your emotional wounds. Practice tools such as daily affirmations and mantras to help you gain the ability to let go of control. Some great mantras to say to yourself are:
   I am capable.
   I love challenges and what I learn from overcoming them.
   Every day I am better in every area of my life.
   Beliefs about yourself live in the subconscious. Often, we are not even aware of the negativity that circulates. By repeating mantras and focusing on positive thoughts, you can overcome the negative ones.

3. Learn Who You Are
   Emotional attachments often come from insecurities in not knowing who we are. Do you know what your interests are? What are your passions? Learning the things that fuel your drive can help you overcome emotional attachments to others and things. If you are struggling with understanding who you are, you may latch on to others who will do the work of defining who you are for you. However, that creates co-dependency and makes it difficult to let go of painful emotional attachments in the long run.
4. Shift Your Awareness
   Your perceptions create your reality. To overcome those attachments, you must take some Become aware of your emotions and where they are stored in your physical body.  For example, perhaps you are an emotional eater or struggle with self-harm behavior. By understanding and shifting your awareness to those issues, you can work on finding healthier alternatives to help you shift into a more positive stronger state. For example, an emotional eater may conclude that fully immersing themselves in meditation and other physical practices can help them release the compulsion to eat emotionally.
5. Let Go And Practice Forgiveness
   Holding on to the past is very destructive. While this may be the most difficult to overcome for some, it is still important to mention. Forgiveness is about accepting what has happened and allowing growth to take place instead. Forgiveness is not for anyone but yourself. Emotional attachments often are a result of holding on to anger and heartbreak. Letting those old wounds heal allow space for new lessons to be learned. Once you release these attachments and find forgiveness, you can finally move forward.

Overall, you have the ability to recreate and reset your emotional, spiritual and physical body. It simply takes a conscious awareness of what is holding you back in the first place. Remember to acknowledge your imperfections and focus on loving and accepting yourself. It is up to you to explore and release the past. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please do not wait. Call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.

Author: Shernide Delva