The Gift of Our Compulsions: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Acceptance and HealingTo some degree we are all compulsive. Our struggles range from overworrying and overworking to overeating and alcohol and drug abuse. When we realize we are compulsive, our main reaction until now has been to try to control our behavior, but when we try to control our compulsions, they control us. If we do manage to stop one, another always seems to take its place. Over the past three decades, Mary O’Malley has developed a revolutionary approach to healing our compulsions. She gently invites us to be curious about them, to engage them and ask ourselves questions that help us understand our behaviors. She shows us how lasting healing can come from being curious and forgiving rather than controlling and shameful. Compulsions then become our teachers. Her book is filled with new perspectives and simple techniques that anyone can easily grasp. |
From inside the book
Page 6
... despair filled me to my core, and my life became a never-ending maze of pain. I became vulnerable to anything that promised to make me feel better — and compulsions topped the list. I discovered that they could temporarily free me from ...
... despair filled me to my core, and my life became a never-ending maze of pain. I became vulnerable to anything that promised to make me feel better — and compulsions topped the list. I discovered that they could temporarily free me from ...
Page 7
... despair (that always came after a wave of compulsive activity) would devour my peace, and I would tumble back into that familiar place of struggle. For almost half my life, I both hated my compulsions and desperately needed them in ...
... despair (that always came after a wave of compulsive activity) would devour my peace, and I would tumble back into that familiar place of struggle. For almost half my life, I both hated my compulsions and desperately needed them in ...
Page 10
... despair that came from struggling. So rather than struggling with my compulsions, which only created more struggle, I began to listen when the old urges would come. I began to listen so deeply that I was able to see what I was trying to ...
... despair that came from struggling. So rather than struggling with my compulsions, which only created more struggle, I began to listen when the old urges would come. I began to listen so deeply that I was able to see what I was trying to ...
Page 19
... despair. It was very, very important to keep your belly tight and never to breathe a full breath, for that is how the door to the basement would open again, and you definitely didn't want that to happen. But all was not lost. As you ...
... despair. It was very, very important to keep your belly tight and never to breathe a full breath, for that is how the door to the basement would open again, and you definitely didn't want that to happen. But all was not lost. As you ...
Page 20
... despair stirred within you, and you tried very hard not to notice. Since you were cut off from the nourishment of your heart and disconnected from the wellspring of wisdom and support in the basement of your being, your existence in the ...
... despair stirred within you, and you tried very hard not to notice. Since you were cut off from the nourishment of your heart and disconnected from the wellspring of wisdom and support in the basement of your being, your existence in the ...
Contents
02GIFT COMPULSIONSP3_02GIFT COMPULSIONSP3 | 73 |
03GIFT COMPULSIONSP4_03GIFT COMPULSIONSP4 | 189 |
04GIFT COMPULSIONSBM_04GIFT COMPULSIONSBM | 305 |
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Common terms and phrases
able accept alive allow answer attention awareness became become began begin belly body breath bring caught chapter clear close comes compassion compulsions connection core cultivate curiosity deep despair discover energy everything exactly exercise experience experiencing explore eyes fear feelings felt finally fuel gift give happening head healing heart human idea imagine immediate inside invite journey keep kind let go light listen lives look lost matter meet mind moment moments move never notice okay open-ended ourselves pain peace person present question reaction recognize relationship remember resistance respond sensations simply skills space stay story struggle thing thoughts tion transform treasure true truly trust truth trying turn understand wave of compulsion wellspring whole wisdom wonderful write