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The likely cause of addiction has been discovered.....
I was scrolling through Facebook and I found a post a friend of mine shared. Huffington post has an article written by Johann Hari about the likely cause of addiction! I wish I could figure out how to attach the link to this page because I think it gives a very insightful and different perspective of the cause of addiction.
While I read the article it actually terrified me because I know one of the reasons I turned towards the pills was because my relationship with my husband is not good. I have felt very alone and disconnected from him for years.
I mention this because the article claims that, as human beings, we all strive for love and a deep connection to one another, and in studies taken, they noticed that the addicted rats were able to give up the drug when they were introduced into a happy cage with toys and the best food and friends, where as the one's left solitary would continue to use.
So, my question is, is it possible to get clean and stay clean when you feel so disconnected from your spouse?
Does anyone have any thoughts about this? There is so much more to the article. If you can find it please let me know what you think.
While I read the article it actually terrified me because I know one of the reasons I turned towards the pills was because my relationship with my husband is not good. I have felt very alone and disconnected from him for years.
I mention this because the article claims that, as human beings, we all strive for love and a deep connection to one another, and in studies taken, they noticed that the addicted rats were able to give up the drug when they were introduced into a happy cage with toys and the best food and friends, where as the one's left solitary would continue to use.
So, my question is, is it possible to get clean and stay clean when you feel so disconnected from your spouse?
Does anyone have any thoughts about this? There is so much more to the article. If you can find it please let me know what you think.
That is awesome, 14 days to freedom! I have read quite a bit on addiction, mental illness, society, pretty much everything I can. I see these definitive answers to the big questions and always get a red flag. I think of it like religion. Take Christianity for example, many people will say they have THE answers to what the books mean, yet it is a bunch of parables, history, and then the book of Revelations, which is the first science fiction ever written. Now, if there is ONE answer to the Big questions, nobody knows what they are for sure. That is why there are so many denominations of Christianity, as well as so many different sources for recovery. There is no absolute truth that can be proven, we just prove what works for us as individuals and compare notes. Obviously your perspective on these issues is working, for 14 days already, keep on going. It only gets better and better with clean, that seems to be a universal truth, or most people with years of clean time agree on it anyway. Congrats, never stop growing.
I love hearing everyone's perspective on this! Everyone's story is different but yet so familiar. I don't know why some people self medicate and others don't feel the need to. Maybe someday scientists will figure it out, but until then, I am happy to say I made it to day 14!!!!!
When I first read that article, this was my response.
I agree, for the most part. I do think this article is a bit cut and dry. Changing our social perception is critical, but there is more at play than just environment. I know people with many friends and a comfortable life, they seem to suffer even more than those in dire situations. I notice that the less consequences, the harder it is for folks to quit. That's why we talk about the desperation of hitting bottom being when most people quit. I think part of that is, people with easy lives aren't used to suffering, not In their environment, they suffer In their minds.
Anyway, the debate of nature vs nurture started with Freud, a long time ago. My classes to become an addiction counselor covered all aspects of addiction, environment, history, genetics, childhood, chemical makeup of the individual, all of which play a role. I wish it was as easy as loving an addict well, I would have been well long ago. The classes even told us some people try to blame nature or nurture, but they are both half right. We live in a bipolar society, everything is right or wrong, liberal or conservative, black or white, there is no room for complexity of life and understanding. Even this article has an either or approach. My therapist still questions if I was ever a TRUE addict, or self medicating for my bipolar. I had money, property, equipment, I had everything I wanted on drugs. I lost it all to detox and am starting over. Now, I am in a bad situation, little money, all my old property is gone, but I am able to not use. Why is that, my environment is worse, yet I am better?
So, I agree with the majority of addiction could be avoided, but I don't think there is one solution for the whole world. There is not one cause nor one solution, it's dynamic, like real life. Why do people suffer things like poverty and war, but don't get addicted, yet Rush Limbha was addicted to Oxy for 10 years, he has it made. I was on methadone and couldn't feel connected, so was it my environment, drugs, brain chemistry, or too many parties at a young age? I think it was a little of all of it for me, so the solution isn't changing my environment or people I hang out with, not entirely, my recovery is about changing me and how I respond to my environment.
Good article, I hope more people explore these ideas, maybe we will open our minds Asa society enough to see that nobody knows every ting and everybody knows something, that is part of why we need each other so much, not to avoid addiction, but to accept diversity.
I agree, for the most part. I do think this article is a bit cut and dry. Changing our social perception is critical, but there is more at play than just environment. I know people with many friends and a comfortable life, they seem to suffer even more than those in dire situations. I notice that the less consequences, the harder it is for folks to quit. That's why we talk about the desperation of hitting bottom being when most people quit. I think part of that is, people with easy lives aren't used to suffering, not In their environment, they suffer In their minds.
Anyway, the debate of nature vs nurture started with Freud, a long time ago. My classes to become an addiction counselor covered all aspects of addiction, environment, history, genetics, childhood, chemical makeup of the individual, all of which play a role. I wish it was as easy as loving an addict well, I would have been well long ago. The classes even told us some people try to blame nature or nurture, but they are both half right. We live in a bipolar society, everything is right or wrong, liberal or conservative, black or white, there is no room for complexity of life and understanding. Even this article has an either or approach. My therapist still questions if I was ever a TRUE addict, or self medicating for my bipolar. I had money, property, equipment, I had everything I wanted on drugs. I lost it all to detox and am starting over. Now, I am in a bad situation, little money, all my old property is gone, but I am able to not use. Why is that, my environment is worse, yet I am better?
So, I agree with the majority of addiction could be avoided, but I don't think there is one solution for the whole world. There is not one cause nor one solution, it's dynamic, like real life. Why do people suffer things like poverty and war, but don't get addicted, yet Rush Limbha was addicted to Oxy for 10 years, he has it made. I was on methadone and couldn't feel connected, so was it my environment, drugs, brain chemistry, or too many parties at a young age? I think it was a little of all of it for me, so the solution isn't changing my environment or people I hang out with, not entirely, my recovery is about changing me and how I respond to my environment.
Good article, I hope more people explore these ideas, maybe we will open our minds Asa society enough to see that nobody knows every ting and everybody knows something, that is part of why we need each other so much, not to avoid addiction, but to accept diversity.
I don't know about addiction, but I believe a major cause of mental illness is other people's lack of love & concern. The rat study deal.
I raised my 1/2 brothers. One is fine. The other a poverty stricken addict.
Same parents. Same love & attention from me. I have a cousin who's a Dr. He's studying something he's calling the blond gene.
My step dad is youngest of 9 kids so it's a big family. There are over 100 cousins. In each family the lighter haired sibling has struggled with drugs and alcohol. Most have overdosed and died. My two favorite cousins, both blond were my age & died years ago. And my 1/2 brother who's successful and not addicted is brunette. The addict is blond.
My Dr cousin is charting the next generation too. Their heritage is German.
I raised my 1/2 brothers. One is fine. The other a poverty stricken addict.
Same parents. Same love & attention from me. I have a cousin who's a Dr. He's studying something he's calling the blond gene.
My step dad is youngest of 9 kids so it's a big family. There are over 100 cousins. In each family the lighter haired sibling has struggled with drugs and alcohol. Most have overdosed and died. My two favorite cousins, both blond were my age & died years ago. And my 1/2 brother who's successful and not addicted is brunette. The addict is blond.
My Dr cousin is charting the next generation too. Their heritage is German.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I read the article and will read the book now. I agree with some points he made but it isnt that cut and dried. Many addicts come from loving homes and become "street criminals" as he calls it. Hopefully he spent time with them and will write in more depth about that. If love and compassion could set us all free what a wonderful world this would be. Even the test with the rats showed this was a "we" thing.
Chasing the scream. My title didn't show up. Anyway, that's the name of the book.
That's the name of the book that is a part of the article. I just started reading it this morning. Johann Hari is the author. She spent 3 years researching the history of drugs and the illegalization/war on drugs but also the why do certain people fall victim to addiction and others don't. I'm not that far into it but so far it's very good!
I believe this is it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html
Just right click on the link in your bar and then "copy" and then right click to "paste" into your msg.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html
Just right click on the link in your bar and then "copy" and then right click to "paste" into your msg.
So if u type into google " the likely cause of addiction has been discovered" it should be the very first thread, a man with a glass of alcohol in front of him is the page u wanna click on.
The whole title reads, the likely cause of addiction has been discovered and it is not what you think.
The whole title reads, the likely cause of addiction has been discovered and it is not what you think.
" New evidence about addiction isnt just"
Thats what title i just found on google, i think it may be the one your looking for. I just typed in " Huffington post cause of addiction facebook and the title i just wrote above, is what came up, its on the first page of google, maybe 6 threads down or so. Sorry i dont know how to copy and paste : )
Thats what title i just found on google, i think it may be the one your looking for. I just typed in " Huffington post cause of addiction facebook and the title i just wrote above, is what came up, its on the first page of google, maybe 6 threads down or so. Sorry i dont know how to copy and paste : )
That is a very good question . I think it depends on the person and their pain . I agree with the analogy that unhappiness compounds the problem . I have lost almost my entire family and am still relatively young . I am sad many days and find myself watching anything from the past thinking it was so much better then . But of course all my family was alive then too . I found myself watching a video from 1975 that was nothing more then someone driving down a freeway in Los Angeles were I live and I watched it 5 times ! What's that say ? So if you are not happy in your relationship yes I do think it would be harder to stay clean if you're so unhappy . I have money and I live in the Hills of LA but I am not very happy more times then I like to admit . I will be driving to work and tears just start rolling down my face . The magic pills work very well for a period of time but the trouble is there is always a very dark place waiting for you at the end of the road . I have just read a study that say one out of fifteen people will go to Heroin when the pills stop working . One of my brothers died from a Heroin overdose and for me the thought of the big H scares me to death so I pray that is enough deterrent for me . One thing that has helped me is counseling and if you are in a very dark place I would at least give it a try as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain . God bless Jimmy
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