How do you foster a healthy identity? The teachings of India have answers to this question.
Identity and ego roughly translate to the Sanskrit word ahamkara. The ahamkara is understood as a collection of mental habits (or vasanas). Some examples are:
- A food always reminds you of a childhood memory of eating it with your family.
- A certain word always makes you think of your political beliefs on the subject.
- Driving past a liquor store always reminds you of visiting it during your active addiction.
An emotionally-charged mental habit is called a samskara. An intensely painful samskara is what we call PTSD. However, samskaras can also be positive—if you have pleasant memories of getting affirmation from a recovery group, this is a positive samskara. The habit of affirmation in recovery can replace the habit of feeling drawn to substances.
You can change mental habits by noticing that they are only habits. When you experience unhealthy thoughts, like craving a substance: notice how your thoughts flow from a previous thought, feeling or observation. It’s a response to a stimulus. A recovery group can help point this out. By noticing that a mental habit is just a habit, you gain power over it.
By fostering healthy habits, you also form a healthy identity—because identity is about habits.