Posted on 12/12/2017 9:30:01 AM PST by JockoManning
Original source:
I'm fairly averse to starting threads. But this is an important issue--and--with the help of my housemate, I'm willing to bother. We would be willing to discuss it with seriously interested folks.
Portugal's changed laws and treatment of addiction issues has changed their statistics and the results in individual's lives and the lives of their family members has yielded dramatic success. We can do better, as Christians, conservatives and Americans.
From the original source article (same is in referenced article):
QUOTE:
A true enveloping substance addiction is gritty, and tends to be enabled by a varying degree of self-loathing. Self-loathing is such a tumultuous, seemingly endless circumstance that any decent person would not wish on their worst enemy–yet it is something that many decent people deal with on a regular basis. Modern advancements in cognitive sciences have conclusively shown that this state of mind (self-loathing, low self-esteem, an existential dilemma of similar nature with a deep tone, et cetera) is a neurological state that is considered “cognitive dissonance.” This means, with the many layers of consciousness that it takes to assimilate a “Waking Consciousness/Diachronic Narrative,” there can be pieces that don’t meet; there are pieces missing from the self-image of the individual, and this causes a literal dissonance in a person’s biosocial interactions and feedback. The “missing pieces” come from the person’s own neurological landscape, and are perpetuated/reinforced/diminished by the environment according to what the environment represents, and how the individual person has been predisposed to stress-handling-mental-mechanisms beforehand.
As developed by Dr. Stanislav Grof {one of my housemate's professors} in over 50 years of psychiatric therapy and research, these growing predispositions that dictate how a person reacts to circumstances can be called “CoEx Systems” (Condensed Experience). CoEx Systems are like neurological highways, and their principle operates like the flowing stream to the Grand Canyon–meaning that pressure and repetition over time creates deep-seated mechanisms. Grof’s research is termed “holotropic” therapy, and the idea of CoEx Systems and a noted neuronal growing pattern is neither inherently positive nor negative. However, this accurately represents a crucial piece in understanding the deep-seated mechanisms that are involved with addiction, or any neurosis for that matter.
. . .
Mental dependency is closer to the center of the matter because it analyzes the thought-mechanisms of the individual–the CoEx Systems that make the person a slave is the addiction. In fact, the etymology of the word ‘addict’ is ‘someone who is indebted,’ meaning that they are a slave in a sense to a prearranged agreement that they cannot yet fulfill their end of. This is the true definition of addiction and it is a bottomless psychological, existential dilemma–not genetic or a mental illness. Obviously, genetic and mental factors do play a role, but the fact of the matter is that some may be predisposed to a higher chance of addition due to personal and hereditary factors, yet no one is predetermined to be an addict. Institutionalized, prearranged methods of “rehabilitation” only address the substance dependency, instead of the underlying causal mechanisms in the brain.
. . .
QUOTE:
Biology, which sets the original template for Cognition, which represents the original template for social interaction. When this synthesis is interrupted, it causes this cognitive dissonance and sets the causal foundation of addiction. The effect of the addiction–or, rather, the CoEx Systems that lead to the addiction–can biologically be summarized as an inefficiency to formulate/maintain healthy relationships; a lack of ability to bond with people, because of dysfunctional social mechanisms that stem from the self.
END QUOTE
. . .
The next step of the equation is understanding where these dysfunctions come from, and almost without exception, they stem from the social inertia that was initiated in the parent-child bond during the first few years of life. This is definitely not meant to be interpreted as “all of someone’s problems stem from childhood,” but, rather, in a very literal way: The brain is wired to formulate a template of self-concept during the first initial years of life, and as these neural patterns begin to strengthen, this strength then compounds due to simple inertia, and the activity thus becomes more and more condensed. Essentially, this is to say that until a person learns the deep implications and true value of authentic self-reflection, the habits that have gained inertia in the first few years of life will continue to compound until an event in the ambient environment catalyzes a change. Self-reflection, after all, is considered to be one of the definitive differences between humans and animals. Only when a person is taught to authentically assess themselves on a consistent basis will they slowly begin to reign in the inertia of their negative habits, in order to reassess. In terms of addiction, this is why the process is so messy and extensive. To use a simple fishing metaphor: the addict has cast their line, and before they can understand what they have caught, they must first reel it in.
. . .
END QUOTE
My household emphatically agrees with this analysis.
The 'therefore what' is a bit trickier than the analysis, however.
The challenge seems to be to avoid enabling the addiction while working to bond with and help build a more constructive sense of the self within the addict.
Yes....many changes are afoot in evaluating root causes of “addiction” and how to deal with them. I’ll pass this on to a friend who is affected by this.
Stop treating a BEHAVIOR as an ILLNESS! I am tired of having my tax money go to support morons who CHOOSE to light up, sniff or inject substances that render them incapable of caring for themselves.
For the alcoholic they have a different issue...they process alcohol differently which makes them crave a drink
For the addict they have a hard time detoxing
For both they suffer from incomprehensible demoralization. They are spiritually bankrupt. Until they can change this way of looking at the world they are doomed to die a miserable and lonely death
I think (not my field, just my observation) that addicts lack basic coping skills.
That would sort of align with the argument you put forth.
This theory may address the issue for some, but for many it is a mile wide of the mark.
Mid-career, highly successful people, with overwhelming circles of friends and family.
Somehow feel the need for “a little help” to maintain the pace, move from coke, which has “worked” for a time, to crack...which takes over and drives them into a ditch.
Lawyer friend,
Aerospace Exec,
Software Exec,
Several honor role students in my graduating class.
I think it is complicated and varies from person to person. I have coping skills, a career, family and a life and used to just drink socially. Before I knew it, I was hiding alcohol, lying about how much I was consuming and having problems with almost every aspect of my life. Since alcohol was impacting me negatively and putting me in contact with law enforcement, I had to really evaluate how I had gotten to that point. So I decided to give up drinking altogether and I credit AA with getting me where I needed to be. Severn years sober for me. I have never tried any hard drugs and wouldn’t, but it isn’t much of a leap to see myself hooked on something. Scares me still.
I'm thinking that in a society in which "everyone gets a trophy" and little snowflakes are given safe spaces to deal with daily trauma, then people may not be learning how to authentically assess themselves.
I'm not sure it will all add up to more addictions, but I do think it really screws with the brain in bad ways.
.for one.....lack of contentment....
people just can not be happy and its deliberate...because only you can make yourself happy and content..
bump
One note: My housemate, in all his decades of counseling and teaching never observed ONE case where an addict of any kind was lacking a significant degree of RAD--Attachment Disorder from the first 6 years of an unbonded, unconnected life. And, that does NOT mean that the parents didn't love the child.
As other research has indicated, it does likely indicate that the child did NOT FEEL loved.
Excellent topic. I agree with the OP that self is the issue. Sobriety is within a person, not dependent upon circumstance. There are addicts in my life, too.
Mental health (depression, anxiety) issues have been underlying problems with many addicts.
I’d like to disagree without thoroughly reading, so please disregard this if it demonstrates a lack of understanding the premise.
I agree that pathways are literally formed in the brain, many many in the first few years of life, that can be crucial in determining thought and awareness and even influencing emotion and drive for later life. I disagree that in someone without a genetic predisposition to addiction, being neglected early in life will lead toward substance abuse.
This is one of those situations where how the surrounding adults dealt with substances, as well as any genetic tendencies, plays more of a role than neglect or even lack of love. This is my opinion.
RAD could be the worst condition in the world for a child to have. Better to have a terminal disease than an inability to love. I don’t doubt that a total lack of empathy and often morality contributes to a general decline in self care, and then thus makes addiction less of a boogeyman to avoid (because you just don’t care). I don’t think it specifically leads to addiction. As ruinous as it is to the individual and those who attempt to love or care for him.
Bookmark
Congratulations for seven years!
Moreover if you have some of the oppositional, defiant features of the condition, you seek out things like addictions because it will just piss your parents off even more.
Yes....many changes are afoot in evaluating root causes of “addiction” and how to deal with them. I’ll pass this on to a friend who is affected by this.
Thanks for your kind reply.
I think we particularly liked this article because it speaks to hard scientific evidence about [b]FOUNDATIONAL ROOT CAUSES.
Certainly a host of ills spring forth out of a corrupted, flawed, trashed sense of self--particularly of self-worth or, more precisely--the LACK of significant positive self-worth.
It's more than a little complicated.
It's a big cause for humility vs haughtiness.
It's more than a little cause for compassion regardless of the perversities involved.
My housemate and his colleague came to agree that 80+% of the general population suffers from significant levels of Reactive Attachment Disorder.
Illness? DIS-EASE? Depends on one's dictionary.
RAD results in chronic problems of low self-worth; poor family relationships; poor work relationships; poor social relationships; poor impulse control; poor modes of emotional expression.
And, actually MRI studies have repeatedly demonstrated that those with serious degrees of RAD have LITERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL BRAIN DAMAGE in 2 areas of the brain: (A) the area managing RELATIONSHIPS and (B) the area managing emotional expression.
Which part of PHYSIOLOGICAL BRAIN DAMAGE do you believe should not be classified as an ILLNESS?
Have you been your whole life and now 100% free from all addictions? How much RAD have your relationships demonstrated?
Yes, I struggle sometimes with compassion for folks who chronically make stupid choices that cost us taxpayers plenty. Personally, I think parents should qualify (but not to the government) to be allowed to have children. And those with horrible parenting might should be fined--but too often, they are already on welfare to begin with. So what is your solution for that?
Have you ever wanted some compassion for repeatedly dysfunctional habit patterns that cost others in some way or another? What about if those dysfunctional patters were more or less through no conscious choice to go down that path on your own?
We don't have a handy solution. We just know and this article confirms that RAD and the wholesale lack of early life SUFFICIENT AFFECTIONATE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE contributes to a whole long list of dreadful things to individuals, families and society. Actually Youtuber Stefan Molyneux has some apt things to say about this whole ball of wax, as well.
At what point do we lay aside blame long enough to come up some EFFECTIVE solutions? I've never observed blaming the downtrodden to work very well at solving much of anything--regardless of the reasonableness of their having a big chunk of the responsibility.
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