Where does obsession fit in when it comes to the disease of addiction?
Am I constantly thinking about acting out in some way ? What does “acting out” even mean ? Am I obsessing about spending money, or over-eating, using drugs or alcohol or pornography ? Am I unable to figure out why I do these things ? Do I sometimes feel as if I am compelled by a force ?
Compulsion is the result of obsession. Obsessing can be either beneficial or harmful. If we have a purpose to our lives, obsession can be an asset. When obsession leads to compulsion though, we need to be able to put a stop to it.
“The reason the program is so successful is because alcoholics help other alcoholics. I’ve never met a Normie (our lingo for a person who doesn’t have a problem with drugs and alcohol) who could even conceive of what it’s like to be an alcoholic. Normies are always going, ‘There’s this new pill you can take and you won’t want to shoot heroin anymore.’ That shows a fundamental misunderstanding of alcoholism and drug addiction. These aren’t just physical allergies, they’re obsessions of the mind and maladies of the spirit. It’s a threefold disease. And if it’s partly a spiritual malady, then there’s a spiritual cure.“ – Anthony Kiedis
This podcast was recorded as a series of lectures given to people in 12 step addictionrecoverytreatment.
The purpose of these talks was to teach and motivate individuals to
search for their own spiritual solution to their addiction.
Please feel free to contact me directly or go to our site for more information:
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
Denial plays an important role in addiction. Addicts are notoriously prone to denial. Denial explains why drug use persists in the face of negative consequences. Addiction may often result in the loss of a job, or health, or a family. If an addict remains ignorant of the negative consequences of their actions, then these consequences cannot guide their decision-making.
What Is Denial?
Denial is a state where you deny or distort what is really happening. You might ignore the problem, minimize people’s concerns or blame others for any issues. In terms of addiction, whether it’s to alcohol or gambling, denial is a powerful coping mechanism to delay facing the truth.
Denial is very common, particularly in those struggling with addictive behaviours. No one wants to identify as an alcoholic, drug abuser or gambling-addict; denial allows them to make the reality more flattering.
Behaviours Associated with a State of Denial :
In denial, a person may resort to various behaviours, including:
Minimizing: If the addiction is brought up, the person may act like you’re blowing things out of proportion or exaggerating. He or she may say things like “it’s not that bad” or “people do much worse than I do”.
Rationalizing: The addicted person will rationalize his or her addiction, saying he/she is stressed and needs a little help getting through this period or that he/she’s earned a reward for her hard work.
Self-Deception: Self-deception is a powerful denial mechanism where the individual convinces himself that things aren’t that bad or as severe as they really are.
Addicts use denial in order to continue engaging in addictive behaviours. Continued denial can cause destructive consequences, from health issues to harmed relationships.
Rational beliefs are formed on the basis of solid evidence and are open for appropriate revision when new evidence makes them less likely to be true. It is now well-established that we are prone to various cognitive biases that have powerful influences on how we make decisions. For example, the confirmation bias causes people to embrace information that confirms their pre-existing narratives. People hold certain beliefs (often unconsciously) in part because they attach value to them.
Addiction can also be a source of terrible shame, self-hatred, and low self-worth. For an addict, it can be terrifying to acknowledge the harm one has done through one’s addiction- to oneself and potentially to others one cares about. When addicts are high, their fears of inadequacy and unworthiness fade away. Users often report a sudden dissociation from self. For example, alcohol and heroin are often sought out due to their ability to numb emotions.
Why Do Addicts Continue to Remain in Denial ?
Admitting the negative consequences requires one to end the behaviour causing these consequences. However, quitting itself will bring pain and distress. Denial, therefore, protects a person against this negative experience by denying the reality of one’s situation, when doing so would cause much psychological pain and distress.
There is also evidence suggesting that addicts lack the knowledge about the negative consequences not out of denial, but because of impairment in insight and self-awareness. Chronic drug abuse has been recognized to be associated with impaired self-awareness (dysfunction of the insular cortex), which manifests as denial of the severity of addiction and the need for treatment. For example, only a small fraction of heavy drinkers admit they have a drinking problem. This is a reason why some people keep drinking even as they realize that the habit is destroying their lives.
Addicts also fail to plan for the future. Addicts are temporally myopic. That is, the future consequences are not weighed in comparison with the present benefits. The benefits of drug use may be clear and immediate, while the costs are typically delayed and uncertain. They tend to prefer drugs because, at the moment of choice, they value drugs more than they value a possible but uncertain future reward (e.g., health, relationships, or opportunities).
In summary, denial is central to the explanation of why addicts persist in using despite evidence of harmful consequences. The anxiety associated with thinking about the consequences may in some circumstances lead addicts to repress or deny, news about their addictions. Denial alleviates anxiety. Acquiring causal knowledge of the negative consequences of drug use must, therefore, be seen as an important step in recovery. Indeed, the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit that you have a problem and begin to seek out help. Since individuals use denial to protect themselves from psychological pain, the substance abuser needs to be given new tools for coping effectively with that pain.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
A 5 minute contemplation on Understanding Dis-ease . Do you ever think ‘Why do I do the things I do’? Do you ever contemplate that ‘driver’ you have inside yourself and wonder what you can do about it? What is the driving force that makes us prone to obsessions and compulsions ? Obsessions are not limited to substances- obsessions can be related to our behaviour and thinking, for example : finances, food, games, social media, carbohydrates or relationships.
What impact do these behaviours, thoughts and compulsions have on us physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially ? Are we even able to identify how we are feeling and if we are even sane ?
Self-centred routines are the result of our compulsions and obsessions, but how do we find respite from them ? Do we have control over our behaviours and thoughts ?
The solutions only come to us when our perception is not clouded by us acting out, but how do we manage that ?
Maybe it’s time to think about it.
This podcast was recorded as a series of lectures given to people in 12 step addictionrecoverytreatment. The purpose of these talks was to teach and motivate individuals to search for their own spiritual solution to their addiction.
Please feel free to contact me directly or go to our site for more information:
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
Nyaope is a street drug that has come into widespread use across South Africa, especially in the poorer communities and informal settlements scattered all over the country. One of the main reasons for the rapid spread and use is because it is so inexpensive to acquire and the drug is generally described as being a cocktail of various ingredients; the primary active ingredient being low-grade heroin, which is cut with various other substances to bulk up the weight and price of the product.
Nyaope and Antiretrovirals
For many years it has been said that Nyaope contains antiretroviral drugs. Analysis of samples has shown that this is in fact false due to the drug being cut with various other substances and compositional it differs from area to area. There is no way of telling what’s actually in it. In some areas Nyaope contains methamphetamine.
Effects Of Nyaope
Nyaope can be rolled and smoked with marijuana and/or tobacco or it is diluted and injected intravenously. The “high” from Nyaope creates a feeling of euphoria, contentment and relaxation. The effects of smoking it are less potent, and as dependency builds the preferred method of use becomes intravenous injection as this produces a more intense high. After the initial effects, a feeling of drowsiness and euphoria can persist for several hours. Mental function is clouded and heart functions as well as breathing function are slowed. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, sneezing, yawning and itching.
Through repeated Nyaope use the user builds up tolerance and physical dependence, this is the main reason that Nyaope users graduate from simply smoking it to injecting. The amounts they use increase and the user needs to use more often in order to avoid the effects of withdrawal.
The fear
of withdrawal and the associated pain is so intense, that users of
Nyaope are willing to go to any lengths to maintain their use.
Dangers Of Nyaope Use
The long-term effects of using Nyaope can be devastating and long-lasting. Those who inject are at risk of contracting blood borne viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis, blood poisoning from the contaminants used to cut the the drug, bacterial or fungal endocarditis, abscesses from continual injecting and decreased kidney function.
The use of Nyaope has risen dramatically in areas with high levels of poverty, the main reason for this is because the drug is highly addictive and cheaply available. The users end up resorting to crime to maintain their use and avoid the intense symptoms of withdrawal. The eventual cost is much higher than the cost of that first hit.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
