Fighting and Conquering Inner Demons

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell. “
-Buddha

We all have our demons. Whether they be born of insecurities, things that we lack in our lives, or irreversible events of our past. They torment us and drag us down every single day. Everyone has to deal with their demons in their own way, unfortunately the route that most people take usually only provides a temporary release and causes them to relapse and fall back into a slump.

· Alcohol and drugs are not the answerGetting drunk or high may provide one with a temporary freedom from the shackles of our demons and lift the weight of the world off your shoulders, but your demons will always be waiting for you when you sober up. This can also cause new demons, namely addiction. You’ll find yourself needing to be drunk or high all the time just to feel that release, which as the years go by can cause serious health issues and affect your personal life as well.

· Running away from your demons does not work

A lot of people are in denial about their demons. They say “Oh that’s not true.” Or “That’s not a problem I have.” You can run from or refuse to acknowledge your demons all you want, they are there. And refusing to acknowledge them will only give them power over you. Often times ignoring them can have a serious negative effect in that when they come your immediate reaction to push them away causes you to turn to the aforementioned drugs or alcohol, or other self destructive tendencies.

So how do you cope?

· Take a moment to understand

When you find yourself under attack from those demons, before you have that initial immediate reaction take a moment to pause. Say to yourself “OK I feel shitty, why do I feel shitty?” “What brought this about?” One of the most important aspects of dealing with your demons is to acknowledge and understand them. When you have an understanding of what it is, you can better prepare yourself to deal with them.

· Find something positive that relaxes you

Go for a bike ride. Or grab your Ipod and go for a walk. Go for a drive. Exercise. Get a hold of some friends and go do something. Find a positive means of release. The important thing is to not be idle when you find yourself under attack by your demons. If you remain idle you will have nothing to do but sit there and sulk in your sadness. This can lead to depression which is a serious problem.

· Don’t be afraid to talk to someone.

Seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go out and spend heaps of money on a therapist. Get together with your most trusted, closest friends and say “Hey I need to talk to someone.” If they are in fact your closest friends they will listen. If that doesn’t work and you feel you need to seek the help of a professional than that’s nothing to be ashamed of either, if you feel that’s what you need than do it.

· Face your demons!

This is without doubt the most important step that is absolutely necessary in dealing with ones inner demons. We have inner demons. Period. They’re a part of you. If you don’t acknowledge, understand, and face your demons you will never conquer them. Take a long look at yourself and admit that you have a problem, and that it makes you unhappy. Whether its something that happened to you in the past or something that you don’t like about yourself, in order to overcome it you have to first come to terms with it.

Conquering ones demons is all about finding inner peace. It’s about being comfortable with who you are, only once you have accepted these things can you make changes for the better.

“No man is free who is not master of himself." -Epictetus

Always remember, God will be with you through it all, helping you each and every step of the way. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1Corinthians 2:9, NKJV)