Whether it be drugs, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine need not matter - stimulus is stimulus, it is detrimental to our brains and the driver of foolish energy. While most may suggest the portal opens through trauma in our life, particularly childhood - it is not always the case. It is so important to understand that every traumatised child does not grow into an addict and every addict has not been a traumatised child. In recent decades, the addiction label has expanded to behaviours including overeating, overthinking, gambling, shopping, perfectionism, overworking, phone and internet overuse and gaming.
When looking at these - a clear indication that we all sit on the addiction spectrum somewhere.
If we can ask not what is wrong with addiction, but what’s right with it? What is the addict getting from it that makes their addiction worth the price they pay? Why is the therapeutic quality of a behaviour so necessary for so many? If addicts can find peace and control only when they are using, what agonising discomfort must they feel when they’re not?
We work with addiction every day from adolescent to adult and we cannot treat everyone the same. It is not always about letting go of or working through trauma, flicking a switch, and changing mindset, thinking positively, or having one program or set of tools that works for everyone. It is far more complex, however just because something or someone is complex does not mean they don't deserve to be helped or loved. It may be a friend, a child, a partner, a team mate a colleague, a family member. Don't be too busy to give up or reach out - you could be the difference.