Breaking Addiction
Here's a thing I'm going deeper into.
We're all in recovery from something. Or maybe there are three parts; in denial (or unaware), in awareness, in recovery. I would say that covers a lot of addictions.
When I first started working at the Basement, around 18 months ago, people would ask me what I had been addicted to. At first I would get a bit wobbly because I felt like I wasn't an authentic 'addict' like they were. Because in the traditional recovery world, you are kind of branded 'addict' and that stays with you. Anyway, I would generally answer "I've been addicted to anxiety, to worry, to overthinking and to certain mind states which were less than useless for me. Repetitive patterns of behaviour, which left me feeling empty, hating myself and all of those around me." Words to that effect.
Most 'addicts' could identify with that and I wondered what the link was. The more I learned about addiction the more I started to see it as the need to escape from the mindstates I was describing - a way to get away, brought about through social groups, hopelessness and not seeing a way out.
The more I learn about addiction the more I see that it is a human issue, not a substance issue. A friend recently recommended the book "Chasing the Scream" by Johann Hari and he is on the same track as me, digging around to find what caused us humans to see the substance as the problem and addiction as a weakness or a disease. For the most part it's been propaganda, spread by people who want to control. The more people I see in recovery, the more I see it as trauma-related. People are born into impossible situations and do what they can to stay alive. This can lead to the numbing effects of substances. Others want the escape from their own mind states, from whatever repressed feelings and emotions they have.
This points to the idea that addiction and substance abuse, as we call it, is a way for people to mask feelings and emotions which are not socially acceptable, so it follows that substances themselves become unacceptable also.
Breaking the addiction net means releasing trauma and seeing that the person is not to blame for their behaviour. Mostly, people are victims, caught in circumstances they can't control, doing something they think will allow some.
So let's move away from the disease model, from the notion that 'an addict' (reminds me a little of the word 'immigrant') is not a 'thing' that is addicted but a person with depth and with issues yet to be resolved. If that person wishes to be free from that physically/mentally compulsive behaviour then there are ways for that to be released.
My site is at the beginning stages but this is becoming my mission. Freeing people from their trauma, helping shift awareness and consciousness in a way that is both freeing and allows the person move forward.
Please share with anyone you might think is interested. www.breakingaddiction.net
Also, I've rejoined the dreaded facebook as I feel it's a good way to reach people who might need it. So if you want to hear me going on about mind stuff there as well then come and find me!
Peace