Comments on: Instant Gratification Is A Huge Part of Addiction

By: Bobby

Bobby — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:42:09 +0000

Thank you for your observations. You are absolutely right about instant gratification. With all the technological advances, instant gratification is at everyone’s fingertips. Our society has become so acclimated to the ability of acquiring anything almost instantaneously that waiting for anything has become a burden. This is very dangerous. Kids get instant gratification from video games and adults get instant gratification by always being connected to some sort of communications device. Along with the latest technology, we also need to develop new skills to stay sane.

By: Whitney

Whitney — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:43:35 +0000

Yes, you wrote an excellent article about dealing with instant gratifcation issues. We need to find a centered content self versus constantly looking for it from the outside world. You put it so interestingly, that we do need to provide other options and coping skills and not just tell our children what not to do….Thank you , it was an eye opening article.

By: breakingfree

breakingfree — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:07:43 +0000

I also suffer from instant gratification addiction. I am 57 years old and the awareness of my addiction has increased greatly since I was 38 years old when I stopped using alcohol and nicotine. Since then I’ve gained a greater clarity as to the origin of my use of chemicals to alter my consciousness and state of unhappiness, confusion, or self-dissatisfaction. I’ve discovered that the compulsive impulsive states started when I was a child with the attraction to sugar and candy to ‘coat’ away the pain states of childhood.
The sugar addiction was transformed into alcohol dependency.

The continued struggle is daily with the mind and heart in a struggle to gratify or not, either through food or sexual release or alcohol indulgence, even if in moderation.
The degrees of release from the addiction of instant gratification vary with the intention to be free of the attachment to the gratifying behaviour, and the attention which is given to stop the behaviours which continue and reinforce the thoughts, actions and behavoiur patterns which are compulsive, impulsive, and repetitive.
I believe that the freedom from this ‘third dimension density’ obsessiveness only occurs when I take my ’self’ to living in the presence of my ‘fourth dimension spiritual’ reality. It’s only when I rise above and beyond my physical connectedness and my mental connectedness and go to my ’soul space’ that I can be freed from the pull of the thoughts and feelings which surround ‘instant gratification. I have been successful with breaking my addictive behaviour patterns. I believe that the key is to increase our ’self love’ and be role models to our children and as parents to provide substitutes which are fulfilling and nurturing for our children: namely ‘love’ and ‘attention’. These two aspects of parenting will be the most successful to offset the dependency on other addictive substances or repetitive behaviour patterns. This parenting also applies to us, as adults, parenting our inner childs and re-assuring our ‘innerchild’ that we are loved, lovable, and worthy of love.

By: George

George — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:50:45 +0000

Same feeling here. I have a 7 year old girl who I believe is still spoiled despite many of the effort I have put in place. However, it is getting exceptionally and exponentially better now that she is 7 and 1/2 in comparison to when she is was 5 and 6. I think the age of 5 and 6 was the age of stubbornness more than anything else.
All I can advise is to follow as much as possible some of the fundamental principles in life such as first be patient then apply persistence and discipline in your efforts. It is important to evolve in a fluid motion so to say meaning don’t be rigid with yourself your wife and your children as you may break them (in spirits of course). What I observed is, and be very conscious of it, that children learn enormously from the behavior we display (many times unconsciously) around them so don’t be surprise to see some of your characteristics in them. And don’t be upset to see the ones you hate in them but work on correcting and/or avoiding their displays in front of them. What is gratifying though, about the experience of having to go through that abstinence/correctness is how self aware we become of who we are.

I hope it makes some sense .

By: bottlecappie

bottlecappie — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:49:35 +0000

Everything you wrote here really resonates with me. I have a 5 year old too, and though I have tried really hard to be the best parent I can be, I can see how she is “spoiled” in a lot of ways. I don’t have any answers either, but I know a lot of parents who are struggling with the same questions – even those who don’t have addiction issues.

I wish you the best of luck in cultivating a taste for delayed gratification in both your self and your child. I’m pretty sure it can be done, even if I’m not sure how to do it.