How Becoming A Digital Nomad Conquered My Addictions

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This is me waking up with a hangover from hell.

On July 1, 2022, I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling utter disgust and I hated myself.

It was here in Phuket, Thailand, where I am right now too.

The night before, I had drunk one six-pack of beer and a few vodkas. Not an insane amount but way too much for a normal day and just the right dose to feel a few moments of relaxation so I wouldn’t have to think about how ridiculously broke I was and all the sh*t that went down the months before.

The day after, however, resulted in such an insane amount of anxiety, inner turmoil, and pain that they were unbearable, searing themselves into my mind forever.

So I captured this photo as a personal reminder of just how fucking awful it can feel to hit rock bottom and I remember the day I quit drinking as if it were yesterday.

Hitting such a low point has its own unique quality. It's only intense suffering that often compels us to change our course of action.

It’s not pretty but it does work.

This all happened only six months after I left Mexico behind, where I lost my 12-year business and prior life to the effects of the pandemic.

I knew intellectually that smoking or drinking would not make the pain go away, but the brief moments of escape that self-medicating provided were enough to keep doing it. Until it wasn’t. When the toll is too high and you just can’t look away anymore, there are only two choices left.

Either you get your act together, become disciplined, accept reality and take it from there, or you continue down the road of self-destruction and sabotage, leading inevitably to death.

That same day, I called my friend James. He told me about a book that had helped him quit drinking—a different approach, not the usual 12-step system.

Although I had previously tried the 12-step program, I hated how it required me to give up things and declare my self-imposed impotence. I'm not saying it doesn't work; many people find it to be effective and it has undeniably a good track record. But I've never thought it was a rational approach to dealing with substance abuse.

Why the Naked Mind approach is different:

Annie Grace's "This Naked Mind" differs from the traditional 12-step program in that it focuses on changing subconscious beliefs about alcohol rather than labeling oneself as an alcoholic and following a strict set of steps.

The approach takes is to eliminate the desire to drink without relying on scare tactics, willpower, or the need for lifelong abstinence​ (Practical Recovery)​​ (This Naked Mind)​​ (This Naked Mind)​.

• Instead of labeling and rigid steps, it focuses on changing subconscious beliefs about alcohol, such as the notion that it tastes good (because the natural reflex is to gag since pure alcohol actually tastes horrible).

• Uses a compassionate, science-based approach to address root causes.

• Eliminates the desire to drink without scare tactics or lifelong abstinence. You literally no longer want to drink after reading it.

So If you have had struggles in the past, give it a try. It really works

What role has solo travel played in my soberness?

Any addictive person with a history of substance abuse can confirm that the two most common reasons for relapse episodes are:

1) Stress: High levels of stress, whether from work, personal relationships, or life changes, can lead individuals to revert to old habits as a coping mechanism.

This is why meditation, awareness practices and a generally spiritual approach are so important

2) Triggers and Temptations: Exposure to environments, people, or situations associated with past behaviors can trigger cravings and lead to relapse.

Therefore, identifying and avoiding triggers or developing strategies to cope with them is essential.

I think the key takeaway here is that you just can’t have the same people around who brought you into this mess in the first place without risking having the same triggers over and over again.

People are the number one trigger, by far!

Here is where solo travel comes in handy.

At first, it can be tough because you might find yourself missing support and help, which could also be the reason it isn’t suitable for everyone.

However, being alone and by yourself is not the same as feeling lonely. The latter is simply a perception, an internal state that you can let go of. It's yours but while an emotion is fundamentally a part of you, it does not define you.

It can be surrendered and overcome through conscious effort and disciplined spiritual practice. And when I mean spiritual practice, it doesn’t necessarily mean you go into full-on monk mode.

Two books have had the greatest impact on my personal journey of recovery: David R. Hawkins' "Letting Go" and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now." 

Both have the power to change your life at any time and can be read as many times as necessary, especially when traveling alone.

Taking a step outside of the ordinary, taking a risk, adding a new vision, and changing your environment so drastically can be a powerful catalyst for attaining the desired change in your life.

But not just any change—the change you have always wanted.

This is real if you allow yourself to let go and conceive something new: a new way of thinking, a new way of dreaming, a letting go of all the chatter that has been placed in your brain. A new paradigm and understanding of the world.

Because, guess what? The older I get, the more aware I become of how little I actually know. So letting go of things that just turn out to be emotional baggage seems like a good idea to me. And yes, that also means we don’t have to have an opinion on everything. Its always a choice.

The world is spinning; people live their lives in a myriad of ways. And then there are the eternal truths, like kindness, love, honesty, connection, acceptance, and beauty—endless.

But that is not what you are being told in your current limited world behind the screen or by what your Facebook feed or news anchor says. Not at all.

For that to come true, you have to go out and take a leap of faith into the unknown, embrace uncertainty and let go.

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