| In my over ten years of working in the field of trauma | | | | you can do about it right now. |
| and addiction recovery, I see addiction | | | | - Detox: If it's an addiction involving alcohol or drugs, |
| as a multi-dimensional condition touching all aspects | | | | consider going to a medical detoxification facility in your |
| of an individual's life. Their biology, their psychology, | | | | area, to safely withdraw your body and mind from the |
| their social network, their educational and vocational | | | | substance. You will be supervised by a doctor and/or |
| aspirations, as well as the spiritual dimension | | | | nurse and other support staff while you transition into |
| of their existence. I see it has its genesis in the | | | | a clean and sober life. If there is no such facility in |
| DNA of the individual, predisposing them to its | | | | your area, consider consulting with your physician, or a |
| development under certain inter-related psychologial | | | | doctor in a local walk-in clinic or hospital emergency |
| and environmental conditions. I see it being related | | | | ward, or with a counsellor in an addiction focused |
| to chronic trauma related stress, and the absence of | | | | outpatient clinic, for information and support about the |
| stable and nurturing relationships, particularly but not | | | | withdrawal process. |
| exclusively with primary loved ones early in life. I see | | | | - Safety: This is a critical issue in early recovery: |
| it being related to the absence of a role model or | | | | creating a safe world around you to continue to |
| guide to help navigate them through internal | | | | abstain from the addictive behaviour. This is where |
| responses to a stressing and troubling situation or | | | | a 12 Step meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous can be |
| environment, and being guided to do so | | | | very very helpful. You will find there other people |
| with non-harming strategies. I see the straining | | | | who also want to stop. Gathering together with |
| and isolating nature of these experiences sending | | | | like-minded people is not to be underestimated as a |
| messages to the brain that lead to the development | | | | potent medicine for recovery. It is. Addiction grows |
| of psychological and physical pain, as the two are | | | | in isolation. You begin to turn things around when |
| inter-related, as well as to the human need to cope | | | | you give yourself permission to come out of |
| with that pain. On one level, I see addiction as a | | | | isolation, that sense of feeling separate from |
| conditioned adaptation to unbareable pain that stems | | | | yourself, the human community, and the natural |
| from chronically unmet needs. | | | | world. Moving out of isolation can occur through the |
| Dr. Gabor Mate, a physician working with people | | | | synergy created from the process of sharing |
| struggling to live with and overcome alcohol and drug | | | | your experiences with others, and listening to them |
| addiction on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, an area | | | | while they share theirs with you. When done in a |
| in the poorest postal code in Canada, writes in his | | | | safe environment, it's one way to begin healing the |
| very very good book "In the Realm of Hungry | | | | effects of addiction. If there is no 12 Step meeting in |
| Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction", that | | | | your area, or you’d just rather not "go there", ask |
| 'Addictions always originate in pain, whether felt openly | | | | yourself this: Who in your life is on your side? Who in |
| or hidden in the unconscious. They are emotional | | | | your life can you call when you feel like using, and |
| anesthetics.' He goes on to say 'Not all addictions | | | | don’t want to, when you need to talk your way |
| are rooted in trauma, but I do believe they can all be | | | | through a difficult or triggering moment? Who can you |
| traced to painful experience. A hurt is at the centre | | | | call when you just need to talk? If the answer is |
| of all addictive behaviours.' | | | | no-one, then consider a 12 Step meeting. If there is |
| Through chronic addictive behaviour, over time the | | | | someone there to reach out to, then consider asking |
| unhealed hurt can lead to things like arrested | | | | them to agree to be there for you as you adjust to |
| emotional development, arrested vocational | | | | living life clean and sober. |
| development and its tethering to underachievement | | | | - Start Developing a Plan. Think of it as a map to |
| and underearning, fragmented relationships, impaired | | | | help you get to your desired destination. Here are a |
| health and well-being, spiritual disconnection from self | | | | few things to consider as you begin developing |
| and the world around them. It can lead to acting out | | | | your map to prevent a return to the addictive |
| the unhealed hurt through violence toward self, or | | | | behaviour: Is where you spend your time free of |
| other, or community property. The latter of which | | | | the behaviour you're trying to stop? Are you taking |
| can lead to jail time and loss of freedom. Chronic | | | | care of your body with good nutrition, healthy fluids, |
| addictive behavior can lead to the loss of time, and | | | | and regular exercise your body enjoys? Are you |
| with it the loss of opportunities to cultivate a life worth | | | | being kind to yourself, or are you still committing |
| living. Addiction devastates and destroys life in | | | | small acts of violence against yourself? Do you |
| those who seek it, and in those who love the ones | | | | know how to relax? Is there a hobby or talent you |
| that do. How many of us are not touched by the | | | | enjoy that you could bring back into your life? Can |
| life of someone who is engaged in addictive | | | | you identify the people, places or things in your life |
| behaviour? Has such a behaviour taken hold in | | | | that could trigger the addictive behaviour? Do you |
| yours? | | | | know why you started the behaviour in the first |
| Before we talk about what you can do | | | | place? Do you know who you are? |
| about addiction, let's be sure its addiction we're | | | | |
| talking about. Using dependence on a | | | | Stopping an addictive behaviour is no small feat. It's |
| substance as an example, a behaviour qualifies as an | | | | something few people can do alone. Many |
| addiction if it meets three or more of the following | | | | people benefit from meaningful emotional support |
| criteria over a 12 month period: | | | | to launch them into recovery and a self-affirming |
| - Tolerance: Either taking more to achieve the same | | | | way of living. Needing or wanting support is not |
| effect, or taking the same amount that has less effect. | | | | about weakness. In fact our brains are hardwired |
| - Withdrawal: Either experiencing characteristic | | | | for relationships. It's how we're built. Needing or |
| withdrawal symptoms for a substance, or doing | | | | wanting support is about being human, not weak. |
| something to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms. | | | | Allow yourself come out of that frightening, |
| - Usage: Either the amount used or duration of use, is | | | | lonely place and reach out for the support you need. |
| more than what was intended. | | | | You’ll be so glad you did. |
| - Control: Either trying repeatedly to control usage | | | | If you know you're dealing with addiction and you're |
| or reduce usage. | | | | not sure you want to stop, talking to someone you |
| - Time: Either using, recovering from use, or trying | | | | can trust can be enormously helpful while you come |
| to get the substance to use, is how a considerable | | | | to the very best decision for yourself. Take the time |
| amount of time gets spent. | | | | to talk it out. You're worth it. |
| - Blinkers On: Either reducing or | | | | Where can you turn? To a local addiction clinic, |
| abandoning important work, social activities and/or | | | | a compassionate doctor or nurse, a good friend or |
| leisure activities to focus on using. | | | | trusted relative, a mental health professional who |
| - Negative Consequences: Continuing to use in spite | | | | understands addiction, a non-judgmental minister or |
| of being aware of developing physical or | | | | rabbi in your community, a person at a local Alcoholics |
| psychological problems. | | | | Anonymous (or other 12 Step) meeting, an |
| | | | | online forum or service, to name a few. Take the |
| If it's addiction you're dealing with, and you know in your | | | | time to talk it out. Having a future could depend on it. |
| heart you want to stop, here are a number of things | | | | |