I was a love addict. I couldn’t sit with difficult feelings long enough to heal. Instead, I ran—to someone, to something, to anything that numbed the emptiness inside me. I needed comfort, a distraction, even fleeting intimacy, to avoid the pain that sat like a weight in my chest. But here’s the truth: the more you run, the less you learn.

Addiction doesn’t just distract you; it punishes you. It piles on pain when you’re already struggling. Whether it’s love, sex , alcohol, food, gambling, or drugs, addiction offers momentary relief but leaves you with a long-term hangover—a deeper emptiness, a heavier sadness. It’s like scratching an itch that only gets worse.

I see now that addiction is never about the thing you’re addicted to. It’s about mood alteration, a desperate attempt to escape the uncomfortable feelings inside. But those feelings don’t disappear when you run; they grow louder. Addiction might promise comfort, but it delivers suffering.

So, what’s the way out? It’s not through punishing yourself with rigid routines or drowning in guilt. It’s through kindness. Sit with the pain. Wallow in it if you must. Let yourself cry. Scream. Be still. Feel the sadness fully, because only then can happiness return organically. The only way out is through.

No one else can understand your pain fully, and that’s okay. This moment is for you. Go to therapy. Pray. Shout to God. Take yourself for a massage. Cook something warm and comforting. But don’t escape into addiction.

Addiction is a temporary fix with permanent consequences. Healing comes when you stop running and face the pain with compassion. Be kind to yourself—this is the most loving thing you can do. Trust that if you sit with the hurt, it will pass, and on the other side, you’ll find strength, clarity, and real peace.