Happily Unhappy: The Art Of Suffering

A particular state of being that I’ve observed with others, and I admit I’ve experienced myself, is the addiction to suffering. Most people are not even aware of this addiction and are comfortable in this state of being. I’ve learned how it is anchored by two main reasons, stemming mentally and physically.

Mentally, most don’t understand their addiction to it. Since they are used to it, they would rather stay attached to these feelings as it is the only thing to remind them of whatever caused their suffering. They are terrified of letting go and moving on. Others do acknowledge their suffering and are content with it, they enjoy it and overtime, it becomes their personality.

Physically, even at a cellular level, the body is so used to feeling this way and becomes its permanent state of being. Our bodies are quite literally wired to feel this way over time, so even when the mind is trying to move on, the body is confused and inevitably forces us to go back into this state of being.

Suffering replaces emptiness, which is far more terrifying to some than suffering. At least suffering fills their void and comforts them. Without suffering, they would have nothing, and they’re not prepared for that. They would rather be consumed with their emotions, the replay of their thoughts on loop. So when someone asks why can’t they stop feeling this way, deep down, whether they know or not, they don’t want to. If they weren’t suffering, they would have nothing else to complain about.

Once this is understood, two things can either happen from here, the understanding of their suffering can enlighten some people and they are able to drop it, or, even still knowing, they will still refuse to drop it. Suffering has become what their body thrives off of and what its fueled on.