Addiction/Addiction- The Truth
June 3, 2011 1 Comment
The most powerful tool we have: our minds. We see miracles occur from those who have the will to push themselves to a level we can only dream of. It proves that the power of the mind is beyond comprehension. To touch on this power, we need to carry hope, faith and love. It’s a cliché statement but it’s also the truth. Those who possess these qualities can find drive, conviction and passion. These are the elements which bring happiness.
What corrupts happiness is the inability to be truthful with oneself. When we rationalize bad behaviors we become filled with guilt and remorse. When life begins to pile on other negative emotions outside ourselves, we begin to drown in pain. If we don’t confront the truth we get lost in a black hole. Honesty is the only possible way we can snap out of our destructive coma.
The most difficult hurdle for people to overcome is being truthful about an addiction or alcoholism. Sometimes the truth is never confronted because people don’t understand what addiction and alcoholism really are. This is why I am advocating about this subject, educating is the only way to prompt change. Knowledge creates awareness which can lead to treatment. Addiction/alcoholism is a disease of the mind. If the mind doesn’t recognize the problem than no defense can be acquired to stop the invasion.
Addiction/alcoholism involves certain behavioral characteristics. The act of doing the drug or having a drink is just a symptom. Drinking to access is not the only reason you are an alcoholic.
The following are just some of the behavioral aspects. Please note, a person doesn’t need to have all of the symptoms just like any disease or virus.
- Never talks about their feelings and insists on handling everything alone- this leads to insecurity, fear and unhealthy thoughts (or “crazy” thoughts) that turn into an obsession and can only be alleviated by doing the habit.
- Can’t control the habit- lack of control leads to the person justifying their actions because they want to believe they are in control. This fallacy allows them to continue giving into the disease.
- Centers their goals around the habit- this may not be at first but WILL occur eventually.
- Glorifies the times they were out of control as a result of their addiction/alcoholism. This is a coping mechanism to alleviate the guilt by turning it into something everyone can laugh about. The other thing a person might do is ignore the outburst all together.
- Not being honest with others/oneself about the habit. This coincides with never talking about feelings. We need good friends and family to keep us in check. The goal of fooling them is to fool ourselves. We never have to confront our demons if others don’t point them out. Some addicts/alcoholics will go to great lengths to make the ones closest to them believe they have it under control, they gave it up or divert any conversation relating to the habit.
- Giving more to the habit than you can afford. Time, money, or energy that a person contributes is a great indicator. If a person has no money to pay their bills but finds money to buy a six-pack than the need to be numb is stronger than the need to be responsible.
- Avoiding reality and in turn responsibilities. It’s not ALL responsibilities just the ones that cause the most emotional turmoil. Some addicts/alcoholics can be successful in the work place because of indirect communication with people. The relationships built at work are based more on superficial qualities unlike personal ones. For every addict/alcoholic the home life will suffer.
These are just a few of the behavior tendencies. As I get more in-depth, I will explain more about each one. In a previous blog I explained there are different types of drinkers. Each one possess some of these tendencies but to a different level depending on their personality.
The honest truth about addiction/alcoholism is that if you think you have a problem than you most likely do. A person may try to change themselves but will always go back to the habit. The tricky part of the disease is: there are ups and downs. Most assume the person will always be outrageous. If you know someone who gets crazy when intoxicated you may assume they don’t have a problem because it’s not every time. The disease is always there, it just flairs up at certain times.
The disease can also transform. The addict/alcoholic may change tactics. Too many times I hear people say “they used to have a problem but went to rehab and learned to not over do it any more.” If they are still drugging or boozing than they are still struggling. All the person learns to do is change tactics. They may try drinking beer instead of their drink of choice. Or the habit has become dormant in which case the addict/alcoholic is now putting energy into hiding it.
The most obvious sign a person is infected with the disease is when they say “vodka made me crazy so I switched to beer instead” or “I drink water in between each drink so I don’t get carried away.” Please note: normal drinkers will never say this because they don’t have a problem. If you had control over your habit you wouldn’t need to lie, hide, justify, change habits to continue doing it.
An eating disorder or sex addiction is different because it’s not a chemical. A chemical addiction can never be done again because it’s not just habitual mentally but your body craves it. The substance is not necessary for us to live, it’s a toxin that creates a reaction because our body is trying to reject it and can’t process it. We can never have control over it because it’s not apart of us. An eating disorder is the result of control whereas a drug or alcohol addiction is the result of control and the craving for a buzz. This makes it impossible to control because it’s outside of ourselves. We will never control anything outside ourselves (the battle we face as a society).
Over time addiction/alcoholism will destroy a person mentally and physically. For some it takes longer. Functional alcoholics can hold a job and sustain a fair mentality but as age approaches, short term memory will begin to diminish at a faster rate. Addiction/alcoholism is a disease because it gets worse over time. The lives of an addict/alcoholic will conform to the control it has over them. At times, it may appear they can control it or stop for periods of time. The truth is until the sufferer identifies they are an addict or alcoholic and stops the habit completely, the disease is still killing them.
All the problems caused by life are never dealt with because of the disease. The disease diminishes a person’s faith, passion and enjoyment for life. Over time, they stop feeling and search for the joy they first had in the beginning. It will never again be obtained.
What is necessary to know is that a person can win the battle. They will NEVER be able to do the habit again but they will be able to find happiness, the goal in life. It’s treatable but only when the person suffering is ready to admit the truth and has the will to find happiness and stop punishing themselves. Addiction/alcoholism becomes a search for death. It begins out of insecurity and a want for fun without feeling anxious. It ends with destruction, solitude and emptiness.
When striving to recover, it’s important to understand that the drink is just part of what makes an addict/alcoholic. The road to recovery involves changing the unhealthy behavioral patterns once turned to. Sometimes those who stop their habit will live as “sober drunks or addicts”. Even though they stopped the habit they still suffer from the behaviors. To find happiness we must learn to confront ourselves. It sounds scary but it’s the most rewarding accomplishment ever.
What I want to do by advocating about this disease, is get across that it’s a disease and those who suffer CAN recover. We have a choice in life, we can chose to be happy. We can rise above our sicknesses and find a world where we don’t hurt from ourselves. In order to reach this mecca, we must find faith and hope. We must find courage to confront our fears which allows us to elude self torture.
