Addiction

[Leo40]

During my ongoing recapitulation I noticed that one of my greatest fears when
I was faced with the choice of selecting a profession was the idea of being
locked into a never ending cycle of repetition of doing the same thing every day
for the rest of my life.

Later, when recovering from alcohol addiction, I realized a connection: there seems
to be a physiological brain impulse that I call the "do it again" impulse.
There is also a connection to conditioning which to me is based on the same impulse
or root psychological principle.
I would appreciate it if someone more knowledgable would point me to some scientific
sources.

All this leads to the idea of combining the two concepts above to one larger concept.
Because we are all conditioned from the moment of birth into this world.
At what point becomes conditioning addiction? In rehab this was explained as a
narrowing of focus: the addict can only think about the next drink!

But what leads to the choice of a particular addiction? One can become addicted to
almost anything.

It would also be helpful to elucidate the difference between conditioning and habit
or does the use of the word habit indicate denial of addiction?

These thoughts are all related to understanding the "machine" and to find modes of
thinking and doing to avoid these traps.

I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions and maybe your own experiences
with this huge "can of worms".

 

[paralleloscope]

Hi Leo40

http://yourbrainonporn.com/your-brain-on-porn-series
explains well what is going on neurologicaly in an addiction

I will think about your questions.

 

[Gawan]

During my ongoing recapitulation I noticed that one of my greatest fears when
I was faced with the choice of selecting a profession was the idea of being
locked into a never ending cycle of repetition of doing the same thing every day
for the rest of my life.

Later, when recovering from alcohol addiction, I realized a connection: there seems
to be a physiological brain impulse that I call the "do it again" impulse.
There is also a connection to conditioning which to me is based on the same impulse
or root psychological principle.
I would appreciate it if someone more knowledgable would point me to some scientific
sources.

All this leads to the idea of combining the two concepts above to one larger concept.
Because we are all conditioned from the moment of birth into this world.
At what point becomes conditioning addiction? In rehab this was explained as a
narrowing of focus: the addict can only think about the next drink!

But what leads to the choice of a particular addiction? One can become addicted to
almost anything.

It would also be helpful to elucidate the difference between conditioning and habit
or does the use of the word habit indicate denial of addiction?

These thoughts are all related to understanding the "machine" and to find modes of
thinking and doing to avoid these traps.

I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions and maybe your own experiences
with this huge "can of worms".

I hope, I'm not too generalizing here. Most often addictions are coping mechanism of us humans, due to our society and hurts we have gone through (eventually conditioning you mentioned) in our life and at one point we take -drugs- to deal with our problems or to be able to stay alive in this insane world. Well, even sugar is a drug and seeing it in connection to feel better, so it releases serotonin, it does make sense. To one of my own addictions I lived through, I ate lots of candies and alcohol was not allowed cause of my illness. Well, I never considered sugar to be a drug, but it was some years back then, to eat against frustration and to feel better.

To avoid traps, or addictions the brain chemistry needs to be balanced again and dealing with one self on some levels: psychological and physical. Where the diet-changes in the forum can really cure and also EE, due to oxytocin release.

My two cents.

 

[Buddy]

Hi Leo40. I think you're right. In a sense, the subject of 'addiction' is a huge can of worms. There exists virtually reams and reams of material on this subject. For scientific papers, if you could focus your interest even more it might serve to narrow down the field a bit.

As it is, you could say addiction is present in everything we say and do. That is, from our mechanical behavior as viewed from the widest perspective, to the repetitive behaviors of routine habits to the very grooves of our preferred 'ways' of thinking.

In short, just about everything has a hypnotic effect that keeps us comfortably numb in this madhouse which we don't see as a madhouse simply "because the rooms in which we walk take up so large a space" (Max Stirner).

To start: I assume that by using the phrase: the "do it again" impulse, you know about the Wave chapter on this subject?

In addition, there is supposedly new research as posted on SoTT recently where addiction is redefined as a primary illness. I haven't had the time to read the long version yet, though.

There is also the work of Dr. Gabor Maté relating addiction and emotional pain. The info is on this thread.

Maybe you'll find some answers there?

 

[Gertrudes]

All this leads to the idea of combining the two concepts above to one larger concept.
Because we are all conditioned from the moment of birth into this world.
At what point becomes conditioning addiction?

Leo40, I'm not sure I understand the connection you've made between addiction and conditioning, and in which context you are referring to conditioning. Would you mind clarifying?

But what leads to the choice of a particular addiction? One can become addicted to
almost anything.

You know, this is a question that I have posed myself many times. Having overcome a few addictions (one of which was also alcohol), I do find there is a significance to it. I think that it is safe to say that in most cases the seed has already been planted by childhood unsolved trauma, as Gawan mentioned, which created the preponderance for addictive behavior in general. Now how that/those addictive behavior/s will manifest, is probably tightly connected to the source of trauma. Addictive behavior, no matter what shape or form, is, I think, all similar. It follows similar patterns and rules, with only a different packaging according to individual needs.

I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions and maybe your own experiences
with this huge "can of worms".

I will relate my personal experience with it since it is easier for me:
Two of my addictive behaviors were tightly connected to escape, avoidance, and the creating of a reality that only I was part of, a nice reality (read:illusion) that no one could spoil. I used alcohol to achieve that state, and to keep running from emotions I had no idea were buried. I also used it to create my own space, even if just mental, as a symbolic way to escape from what I perceived as violation of my physical space as a child. So this is an example of the significance of alcohol for me. There is likely much more to it though.

Another of my previous addictive behaviors, by far the longest and hardest to fight, was perfectly symbolic of how I dealt with my emotions. Through bulimia I kept expurgating what was buried deep inside but I didn't have the courage, nor awareness, to face.
Interestingly, until today, when something uncomfortable happens I see myself vomiting my emotions. Until today, when something unpleasant happens I hear myself saying: "I'm finding it hard to digest this".

Then there is also the physical addiction caused by certain substances such as sugar and gluten. They can be more insidious, particularly since they are accepted within a standard of health. Because they are one of our major dietary sources since we're put into this world, my guess is that they may create the perfect setting, in terms of brain wiring, for us to more easily develop addictive behavior instead of learning how to cope with trauma.
Just looking around, behavior that has an addictive flavor, and even full on hard core addictive behavior seem to be an epidemic these days. A possibility may be that both poor parenting and overall traumatic early life experiences, combined with a weakening of the physical body by substances that also conduce it to look for a feeling of craving, instead of seeking nourishment, seem to create the perfect setting for our brains to be perfectly geared for addiction.

If there is one thing I remember from addiction, is how the "high", or what I call the "pick" of it seemed to be such an integral part. For me, life without the "pick" was unbearable and inconceivable. Again, we come to the idea of developing a faulty coping mechanism. Life as an undulating line with soft waves, instead of a broken line with extreme highs and lows, can seem unbearable for the addict, the stillness, the absence of "picks" leads to having to confront whatever he is buffering. Of course he/she is not aware of that, but very unpleasant feelings are always accompanying the impossibility of getting an immediate or pre programed fix.

These are my limited thoughts at the moment, as you said this is such a can of worms that the more one thinks and researches it the more one realizes how so many factors we are either not pondering nor knowledgeable of can be involved.

In addition, there is supposedly new research as posted on SoTT recently where addiction is redefined as a primary illness. I haven't had the time to read the long version yet, though.

Thanks for that Bud, will read it now.

 

[Leo40]

Thank you all for your comments and reading suggestions. It sure is
a large subject.

@Gertrudes

"Leo40, I'm not sure I understand the connection you've made between addiction and conditioning, and in which context you are referring to conditioning. Would you mind clarifying?"

I think the connection is your focus of attention. Conditioning trains you to focus your actions and thoughts
in the direction desired by the control system. Addiction is a very narrow focus and it's primary
purpose is avoidance of reality "as it is" as you mentioned. I think in my case it was caused by my
failure to achieve what the ego wanted. Or you could call it "soul-frustration" i.e. avoiding one's true
path in life.

 

[Rick3]

Hi Leo40,
I'm coming in a bit late here - I'm a recovering alcoholic, 3 years and 7 months sober. After reading the Wave Series (the 'Greenbaum lecture' chapter in particular), I wondered if my childhood experiences (two alcoholic parents) had programmed me to self-destruct. Working through the 12 step programme, I wondered if this, (the 12 steps), was a programme designed to un-pick, bit by bit, all the previous (destructive) programmes which were running me - or which I was running on. Subsequent to stopping drinking I discovered love addiction, spending addiction, cell phone addiction - the list goes on; a multi-tentacled beast. But day by day I feel that I am shucking the destructive programmes. I was also addicted to excitement but am now accepting of routine and of the mundane and find enjoyment in them. I cannot describe the emotional pain involved in allowing a programme to run, watch it run and NOT execute any of its commands. Yet from this comes phenomenal growth - if comments from friends and family are anything to go by.

Wishing you the best ;)

 

[Nienna]

Hi Leo40,
I'm coming in a bit late here - I'm a recovering alcoholic, 3 years and 7 months sober. After reading the Wave Series (the 'Greenbaum lecture' chapter in particular), I wondered if my childhood experiences (two alcoholic parents) had programmed me to self-destruct. Working through the 12 step programme, I wondered if this, (the 12 steps), was a programme designed to un-pick, bit by bit, all the previous (destructive) programmes which were running me - or which I was running on. Subsequent to stopping drinking I discovered love addiction, spending addiction, cell phone addiction - the list goes on; a multi-tentacled beast. But day by day I feel that I am shucking the destructive programmes. I was also addicted to excitement but am now accepting of routine and of the mundane and find enjoyment in them. I cannot describe the emotional pain involved in allowing a programme to run, watch it run and NOT execute any of its commands. Yet from this comes phenomenal growth - if comments from friends and family are anything to go by.

Wishing you the best ;)

Rick3, are you still eating gluten and dairy? Since you have a problem with addictions, these may be hard to stop, but the difference it can make in your brain chemistry is nothing short of phenomenal. And it will definitely make you healthier. High carbohydrate diets mess with your mind, too. But one step at a time.

It may help you to read the Life Without Bread and the Vegetarian Myth threads in the Diet and Health board to get an understanding in how carbohydrates affect our mental, physical and emotional health. That is if you haven't already done so. :)

 

[zak]

During my ongoing recapitulation I noticed that one of my greatest fears when
I was faced with the choice of selecting a profession was the idea of being
locked into a never ending cycle of repetition of doing the same thing every day
for the rest of my life.

Later, when recovering from alcohol addiction, I realized a connection: there seems
to be a physiological brain impulse that I call the "do it again" impulse.
There is also a connection to conditioning which to me is based on the same impulse
or root psychological principle.
I would appreciate it if someone more knowledgable would point me to some scientific
sources.

All this leads to the idea of combining the two concepts above to one larger concept.
Because we are all conditioned from the moment of birth into this world.
At what point becomes conditioning addiction? In rehab this was explained as a
narrowing of focus: the addict can only think about the next drink!

But what leads to the choice of a particular addiction? One can become addicted to
almost anything.

It would also be helpful to elucidate the difference between conditioning and habit
or does the use of the word habit indicate denial of addiction?

These thoughts are all related to understanding the "machine" and to find modes of
thinking and doing to avoid these traps.

I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions and maybe your own experiences
with this huge "can of worms".

The last post is more than 6 years old, and here i have an article dated of 12 years ago
talking how addiction hijacks our reward system, and this passage about the difference between addiction
and a bad habit:

Many people have a rather archaic view of the nature of addiction. Their misconceptions and confusion tend to revolve around three issues: What is the difference between addiction and a bad habit? What happens in the brain of an addict? What is involved in healing the addicted brain and the addicted person?

People often claim to be addicted to chocolate, coffee, football, or some other substance or behavior that brings pleasure. This is not likely. Addiction is an overwhelming compulsion, based in alteration of brain circuits that normally regulate our ability to guide our actions to achieve goals. It overrides our ordinary, unaffected judgment. Addiction leads to the continued use of a substance or continuation of a behavior despite extremely negative consequences. An addict will choose the drug or behavior over family, the normal activities of life, employment, and at times even basic survival. When we call our love of chocolate or football an addiction, we are speaking loosely or misconstruing the intensity of what can be a devastating disorder. It may help to consider, first, what is not an addiction.

No matter how much you like some drug or activity and how much you choose to involve yourself with it, you are not addicted if you can stop it when the consequences become negative for you. Coffee is an ideal example with which to illustrate this because it contains a powerful drug, caffeine, that can have significant effects on our behavior. Most of us like to drink coffee, but if your doctor told you that the heart attack you just had was precipitated by caffeine and that you would likely have another if you did not stop drinking coffee, what would you do? Most people would miss the buzz, but not so much that they would continue to drink coffee, knowing it would likely kill them. They would stop cold, right then and there.

Yet people say they are addicted to coffee because they feel bad when they do not use it. This reflects common confusion about two important biological processes: tolerance and withdrawal...

The rest HERE