Addiction – PART 1

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine: “addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.”

What Makes Addiction So Complex

Aside from the above, perhaps it is how society views one when they admit they are an “addict”. Then again, perhaps it is how you view yourself when you think that you are an addict. The immediate response for many may be guilt, shame, and feelings of inferiority. Yet, that is coming from a state of fear rather than a state of love. Maybe if we did not place people into categories of good or bad, some may not struggle so much to heal. I take issue with labelling because I feel it limits you; however, I recognize the need to classify or identify the problem in order for one to receive optimal treatment. The complex nature of addiction is further amplified by the frustration of being conscious of the problem but struggling to grasp why sheer willpower often fails to eradicate the problem.

Sheer Willpower Often Fails To Fix The Problem

The reason why sheer willpower is often not enough to eradicate the problem is because there are many facets to the addiction:

1. There is a neurochemical aspect to addiction
2. Add to that, there are mental components to one’s addiction
3. Your willpower has a limited supply, meaning it eventually runs out
4. Human nature: “we are pleasure seeking missiles”
5. Many people who struggle with an addiction, struggle to deny themselves
6. Friends, family, and co-workers may intentionally or unintentionally sabotage you
7. Your emotional health plays a key role in your behavioral choices
8. This is not only a physical or psychological problem, but there is also a strong spiritual component [in fact I believe this may be the most important component for recovery]

Pleasure Can Be Sneakily Deceptive

When you do anything for pleasure, you may become addicted to that thing. The deception with pleasure is that it always comes at a cost, and sometimes that cost may be deadly to your quality of life and your total health. Sadly, many do not realize the high cost until it is too late.

Most people automatically think that addiction is only to drugs; however, you can be addicted to food, shopping, junk food, smoking, gambling, lying, working out, stealing, negative thinking, being in abusive relationships, working, jealousy, envy, gossiping, power, control, etc. Thus, it is important to understand the psychology and physiology of addiction.

The only thing you can be consistent with in a vulnerable state when you are addicted, is to your addiction. Your addiction controls you. That may be a tough pill to swallow; however, if you want to heal, you have to face the harsh reality of how powerful the addiction can be. Yet, you must also believe that there is a force more powerful than your addiction.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 [coming next week Wednesday]. THIS ARTICLE WAS ALSO PUBLISHED ON THRIVEGLOBAL.COM