Dependence - New Concept
The next theme that I am going to create a dance project on is: “Dependence”.
It's personal in the way that I think affects everyone.
Text to the theme:
Dependencies - our dirty little secrets. Harmless curiosities, essential needs to self-destructive addiction. Active consumption, like doom scrolling social media, crypto gambling, binge-watching Netflix, sugar, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, all keep us occupied. The craving for pleasure - exciting, omnipresent and easily accessible dopamine hits that draw us in.
Much like drug addicts, we are constantly distracted – whether through thoughts of the activities, engaging in them, or planning our next "hit." For a moment of happiness we engage, fully aware of their effects. Yet we struggle with our dependencies and cannot escape their influence.
In earlier generations, they were harder to access. Modern life has made them cheap and easily accessible. We have sources like our smartphones in our pockets all day long. The first thing we reach for in the morning and the last thing we use at night. We live on a hyperactive plateau, afraid of falling – going full throttle until we crash. Driven by this feeling, we become dependent – the new normal, socially accepted.
What are we running from? And why is it so hard for us to break the cycle?
The dance project is an exploration of our dependencies:
what forms and manifestations exist
how they arise and what function they serve
the damage they cause and the measures we take to satisfy them
Definition:
Dependencies: compulsive physical or psychological reliance on certain substances, behaviors or habits (shopping addiction, gambling addiction, pathological stealing etc.) - Source: (21.09.2024) DWDS. www.dwds.de/wb/Abhängigkeit
The boundaries between enjoyment—such as having an occasional glass of wine in the evening, a piece of chocolate now and then or a shopping experience every few weeks—abuse, habituation and dependency are fluid. [Münchner Merkur, 19.10.2018]
“The reason we’re all so miserable may be because we’re working so hard to avoid being miserable.” Anna Lembke
To get a bit of context about my dependencies, I asked myself the following questions:
- List 5 things that are really uncomfortable to you?
- What causes anxiety in your life?
- What do you do to cope with stress or when you feel overwhelmed?
- Adaptive strategies
- Maladaptive strategies
- What are your dopamine spiking activities? 1-10 how much self control over these do you have?
My answers (popout)
I think my dependencies come from avoidance and escapism. Running away from uncomfortable feelings or problems that I don’t want to feel or deal with. My escape is into social media, news, etc. that just makes my anxiety worse. Anxiety, a feeling that I will be overwhelmed. Do this often enough and patterns and habits form.
Most recently I have been avoiding calm too, trying to keep a high energy level with noise. Dependent on a feeling of needing to be busy (see the post on slowing down) - I turn to social media in my “free time” and breaks. With added awareness, I see how much this affects my being, not allowing myself a moment to breathe and find calm. It was/is destructive and until recently I had little control over it. I did a 4-week social media fast and now every time I look at social media I get a repulsion feeling. Interesting.
Finding calm is so important. It’s a place where I am my best self. A place where I am available to give all my energy and presence to my life and my commitments. So why do I avoid it?!? A very good question to think further about.
As a side note: a couple of interesting ways to gage my stress levels if found are:
- how well can I currently deal with adversity
- how much (as an introvert) do I feel like being socially active
They are interesting because it takes capacity and flexibility to engage in both.
What are your dependencies?
When do they arise?