What Is Addiction?

Today’s title is an important question. There are many answers to it, most of which are true, they also can be helpful for us in discovering how we can understand, and help our loved one.

I would like to talk about three in this post.

“Addiction is a bio-psycho-social disorder which demonstrates itself in any behavior that a person enjoys or finds relief in and therefore craves in the short term. This behavior results in negative consequences in the long term, yet the individual doesn’t give up the behavior despite those negative consequences.”

This definition is by far the fullest and most complete definition of addiction I have encountered. Often what happens is we try to oversimplify the causes of addiction which leads to lots of misunderstanding and undue stress on our relationship with someone we love who is addicted. This definition addresses the fact that addiction does have elements of choice in it. I appreciate the way my daughter said it on her Facebook page when she said, “while doing a drug is a choice, becoming addicted to it (even though there very well could be a desire to quit but not being able to do so) is why it’s called a disease.” She is in part correct, addiction is a chronic disease once it rewires the brain. Which also speaks to the other common oversimplification of addiction, it is a choice. The reality is that it is both with several elements thrown in for good measure. You can read the entire post where LaLa made that statement here: “A Moment of Great Pride.”

When trying to help an individual fighting addiction, I often suggest that if the family and individual can fight their addiction on four fronts at the same time their chances of victory are increased.

The four fronts are:

BIOLOGICAL: Evidence reveals that taking care of my self by eating well and exercise has a benefit for someone endeavoring to overcome an addiction. Diet and Exercise Play a Vital Role in Addiction Recovery.

MEDICALLY: It can be helpful and beneficial for an individual trying to develop healthy coping skills while their brain literally rewires itself (read “What’s the Alternative” to get a fuller understanding of this), to use Medically Assisted Treatment such as Suboxone, Vivitrol, and other medications designed to help a person more effectively manage cravings when they are trying to form better-coping skills. IF these medications are monitored correctly with the goal of eventually weaning off the assisting drug. Sometimes some people prefer complete abstinence but medically assisted treatment can cut down on cravings and triggers. If you choose medically assisted treatment you need to also include the third area, which is Psychological.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY: This may mean working with a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Addiction Therapist, or Pastor to help develop the needed coping skills and understand what some of the drivers to the addiction may be. This is vital, Lauren made the most gains in her treatment when she was working with an addiction counselor. Find what is most helpful for your loved one and help them stick to it.

SPIRITUAL: If you are a person of faith it certainly helps a lot. In my own recovery, which Lauren and I talked often about, my faith in Christ was essential to my healing above anything else. If you are not a person of faith do not be afraid to discover how God can play a part in your recovery.

“Addiction is what happens when a specific need collides with a certain experience.”

Wow, this is one of the most powerful definitions of addiction I have found. It also is extremely informative to those of us that love someone who is fighting an addiction. Our loved one is struggling with addiction because they are getting something powerfully positive from it. That sounds bizarre, I know, but at a base level in human nature, it is absolutely true. If it were not they would not keep putting up with the pain and chaos addiction brings to their lives. As hard as this is for us to see, in some ways this can help us at least understand many of the behaviors of our loved ones. Understanding it does not mean we are condoning it. The real power in this perspective shift is how it can influence the ways we interact with our addicted loved one, which is hugely effective in influencing them toward recovery. Evidence reveals that at least four family members are affected for every one person struggling with substance disorders. At the same time, this evidence also reveals that the most commonly cited reason for entry into treatment is the positive influence of family. Two posts that can help to understand this more are “Help Your Loved One Break The Trap Of Addiction” and “A New Perspective On An Old Problem”

The last definition of addiction I want to mention today is what I often refer to as the forgotten element of addiction.

“An addiction is something done as an automatic response to some stimulus—a learned behavior pattern that has become habitual.”

For some reason, we do not acknowledge and talk about this element of addiction as much as we should. A large part of addiction is habit and learned, and habit can be extremely powerful, but it also can be unlearned, even the deepest ones. A book that talks much about habit and how it impacts addiction is  Addiction and Virtue: Beyond the Models of Disease and Choice – Kent Dunnington. Understanding this definition of addiction also helps us realize why it is so important to help and support those around us fighting addiction to relearn new coping skills and ways to derive joy and fulfillment out of life.

This image of “LaLa”, our daughter Laurens nickname, (and her A1 from Day 1) is Christmas 2015. It reminds me of Laurens heart our last Christmas with her, of course, we did not realize that was happening. She worked hard at making a big deal out of Christmas 2016, she got all dressed up for our annual Christmas eve celebration, she wanted to help in the decorating and baking, it was joyful to see. Later in life, while she was talking to a young girl she connected with at her last detox, you can read the full story here , I warn you it is a heartbreaking post, but in it Lauren said, “This Christmas was the first Christmas I have had in a long time where I was not high, and I really liked it.” I was very encouraged when I heard those words, it was a sign that she was trying to form new habits.

Addiction is extremely complicated and consumes the whole person as well as many of those around them. We can win the fight when we continually learn, grow, and love alongside that person that is working to overcome addiction. The more you know the more you can do. There is hope for a brighter day!

This weeks featured image is by Brooke Shaden, it is entitled “Your Voice Needs To Be Heard”. For the person we love facing addiction, mental health issues, or both we must be sure the voice they hear from us is one of love and support towards wellness.