Addiction is giving up everything for one thing, recovery is giving up one thing for everything – unknown
Now that you recognize that you are really addicted and have decided to take action, you might be asking yourself, is healing from addiction really possible? The answer to that is a resounding YES. As you take up the challenge towards recovery, have an expectation that it is possible to recover from an addiction. Everybody is healing from something, and the journey towards healing can be frustrating if you do not ask yourself the right questions or have the right strategy.
There are a few important ‘why’s’ that you should have asked yourself by now;
- Why am I addicted? What made me so vulnerable?
- Why did I get addicted to this particular drug/substance?
- Why can’t I stop?
- I have had so many unsuccessful attempts to stop using, why should I bother any more?
Answering these questions correctly is like spending more time sharpening your axe in order to spend less time cutting the tree. In today’s article, we attempt to answer some of these questions.
It is not the drug that causes the addiction, but the urge to use it. — Sandor Rado
Science has come a long way and through much research and study into addiction a few things are a bit more clear now. In the past, addiction was always assumed to be more of a moral issue. Addiction was viewed as suffering the consequences of poor decision-making and immorality. This is a very shallow way of looking at addiction. Not to dismiss the fact that the substance use mostly begins as a bad decision made by the user, but is the addiction that follows dependent on that decision? Absolutely not! Addiction is more than a poor decision. If it was a decision, everyone exposed to drugs and substances would become an addict, but we know that this is not the case. Not everyone who takes alcohol ends up as an alcoholic.
Addiction is now recognized as a chronic brain disease that is treatable and preventable. Studies have also demonstrated changes that occur in the brain of an addict. Recovery of the brain after 14 months of abstinence from the substance has also demonstrated.
Why then are some people more vulnerable to addiction than others?
Like with any other disease, there are risk factors to developing addiction. It is important to get a proper understanding of what makes people susceptible to addiction in order to prevent it and help those who are already addicted in the recovery process.
Ask not why the addiction, but why the pain. — Dr. Gabor Mate Addiction specialist
Substance Use Disorder
It has been discovered that 50% of drug addicts and alcoholics have co-existent psychiatric disorders and painful psychological states. Addicts therefore use the substance as a compensatory means to ease distressful states and to soothe themselves from unimaginable emotional pain. There is an established and proven relationship between addiction and other mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. Therefore, some people fall victim to addiction because they have underlying mental disorders or un-dealt mental trauma, which they might or might not be aware of.
Those who endure excessive painful or intolerable emotions are also more likely to find inordinate relief and comfort in addictive drugs. If there is “reward” associated with addictions, it is less the reward of pleasure, but more the reward of relief from intense psychological suffering. — Edward J. Khantzian; Professor of Psychiatry
Other risk factors include;
- Genetic predisposition
- Addictive personalities e.g., perfectionism, approval seeking, feelings of shame, hypersensitivity to criticism, inability to tolerate frustration, feelings of powerlessness, isolation, excessive need for control etc.
- Inadequate coping skills – having unhealthy ways of soothing yourself after frustration or hurt.
- Unmet social, emotional and spiritual needs
Recovery must therefore involve unearthing, facing, and defeating the things that made you so vulnerable to the substance use in the first place.
Recovery is defined as the process of returning to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. — Dictionary definition.
Recovering from addiction is not only a journey, but it is also a battle; a battle to gain back control of your mind, make amends and to live a meaningful life. As with every other battle, strategy is crucial if at all victory is the desired goal. Instead of giving up, pause and strategize. Define your goals. What are your goals for recovery? How best can they be achieved? Why have you been failing? As with all other habits, change of identity is a better approach to changing the habit. Do not strive to stop using the substance, but attach your recovery process to an identity that you desire to adopt; e.g., strive to be the kind of person that values their health or does not use his finances to facilitate an unhealthy lifestyle. When attached to a desired identity, habits become less difficult to change.
You should not give up because healing is possible! Just because it has been difficult doesn’t mean it is impossible. You are not a lost cause. Your life is salvageable and worth fighting for. Don’t throw in the towel yet. This is not the end.
Informative 👏