Get outside yourself

You can think of your addiction to Addy simply as a “mental obsession”, according to AA’s Big Book. Or “brain disorder,” if you are looking for a more scientific definition from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Basically, your addiction to Adderall lives in your head. That is why, in order to help combat cravings, my favorite advice I've learned in rehab is to simply:

Get outside yourself.

Lucky for you, traveling is the best place to do this. You have a whole new world around you, with so much to explore and so many people to meet! We learned from Bene Brown’s Ted Talk that "connection is the Opposite of Addiction" (read more about this here), so instead of sitting alone in your “mental obsession”, literally “get outside” and explore.

This may seem easier said than done, right? If you’re like me, “getting outside” into the unknown can lead to another trigger craving to reach for Addy because my brain believes it is a guard from the overwhelm of the city and all the people around me. I’m here to challenge this old “disordered” belief and remind you that Adderall actually defeats the purpose of connection:

You cannot get outside yourself if your brain is preoccupied with an obsession.

Here are three ways I’ve “gotten outside of myself” while traveling:

 1. Observing-

New cultures are full of events you never knew even existed, and you wouldn’t know which to attend or where to even start without observing your surroundings. I’ve found the coolest events just by noticing posters around the city and, most recently, flyers in my local coffee shop.

2. Talk to locals-

Striking up conversation is something that comes easy to me; however, I know it doesn’t come easy to everyone. I will say you’re missing out if you don’t try, and the best way to do this is by asking a question. It’s in our human make-up to want to help others; it’s also in our human make-up to want to feel important and like we matter. You can hit on these two innate traits by asking for simple advice on what restaurant to go to and hitting on their favorites. I’ve found my own favorites by asking this question!

3. Help others-

This may sound harsh, but I consider addiction incredibly selfish. Getting outside yourself is literally acknowledging that you need to stop focusing so much on yourself. The best way to do this is by simply helping others. If you’re at home, you can find a consistent organization to volunteer at, but if you’re traveling, you can do something as simple as holding open a door, smiling at an older person who doesn’t get much attention to begin with, cleaning after yourself, picking up trash in the street, or even complimenting someone on their outfit.

I know you can do it.

This advice may or may not work for you but I encourage you to try it. Even the smallest step such as smiling at someone on the street will transport you outside of your unwanted thoughts and into the joy this world has to offer.

I’d love to hear if it worked for you. Share your experience at community@addyfree.com. If you’re comfortable, I will post your story as motivation for our Addy Free community!