The origins of personal challenges with addiction can seem like a huge mystery. The brain and body are connected in a dance that happens when drugs or substances enter the system. Learning the principles of how addiction works and why it happens can help people understand how better to cope with addiction and seek proper treatment.
Coping Mechanisms
It is hard to give up something that (almost) works. Addiction is like that-it seems to work for awhile, until it doesn’t. Whether it is food, substances or something else, addiction is a coping mechanism that starts because of a person’s inability to deal with some difficult realities of life. It may seem as if there is nothing else comparatively that will do what drugs or alcohol can do (numb, dumb down or push off feelings) but it is not healthy and takes a toll on not only the person struggling but family and friends around the individual.
Psychology of Addiction
Life is spent in the formative years dealing with inherited circumstances, not by personal choice. It is possible to cope and adapt as best a person can but the point of adaptations is emotional survival. Later in life much more autonomy and freedom to act is available but growing up with these survival traits can follow a person long into adulthood. Developmentally, a person needs to tap into basic feelings about oneself, including self-esteem and attitudes around personal accomplishments in life. Therapists who work at helping people repair basic feelings of self worth address these issues and support positive momentum towards developing personal convictions, beliefs and so on.
Seeking Help
To seek help for addiction, an individual must consider the following two principles which will help make the decision easier:
Addiction treatment must be safe
A therapist will help a person work through secretiveness that keeps the cycle of addiction active. Truth is something which can carry a person forward in life and work past negative consequences that come from experiencing things the person does not like. There is nothing to fear about truth, in fact, it can be the only way to set a person free from addiction.
Addiction acts as a substitute for acceptance and care that is absent in developmental stages
The only way a therapist can demonstrate there is less to fear from honest disclosure is if the therapist is assumed to have the best interests of the client at heart. A therapist cannot change what happens in the outside world, only provide support and tools to cope with the real world. When a person with addiction is struggling, therapeutic intervention can be a powerful way to help an individual realize what needs to happen to get well.
Cypress Lake Recovery incorporates a mind, body, and spirit approach to recovery. We believe in the power of personal transformation which comes from counseling and rehabilitation towards a holistic perspective on life. Call us to find out how we can help you find some balance and get back to where you want to be: 866-217-2636
