We can have a tendency to have an addiction to things like criticism and judgement of ourselves or others. It's a way to disconnect from ourselves or from suffering. We do it to cover up pain or anxiety. To numb out or escape reality.

We've been born into a lot of these patterns and may not realize we are continuing the behaviour or we are ashamed to admit to it, especially because there is a stigma attached to addiction. We may even be in denial about our behaviours.

 Where does a behaviour become an addiction? It becomes an addiction when it is compulsive—when we can't function without resorting to that behaviour.

A key to healing addictive behaviours and learning to live in a happier and more peaceful reality is to get to the root of our pain and release and resolve it.