Addiction is a problem… but you are not ready to let it go.
The gap between knowledge of addiction and readiness to become knowledgeable can be bridged.
Highlights
- It is of great value to recognize addictive behavior.
- Accepting that can lead to two options: resignation and preparation. Resignation can be fatal.
- The road to readiness provides opportunities for changing your life.
You know you are addicted and why you can not stop?
It’s huge value to know that you have problems with alcohol, drugs, and behaviors such as gambling and TikTok scrolling. This knowledge is often difficult to overcome because we have to overcome various forms of self-deception that help keep the view that there is nothing wrong.
Read more here: The Tree of Addiction: Why Deep Roots Make It Hard to Break
We may have rejected the argument and minimized it until our faces turned blue. We may have tried some of the good deeds of misguided, pointing to others who were in worse shape, those who took more “dangerous” drugs, or those who lost more. Sometimes we can point to everything that is going well in our lives, as if we can balance that scale.
However, at some point we could not stop our gaze and the reality of our problems could not be disputed.
Where do you go when you receive a problem? Acceptance leads to at least two paths.
The first is the path of resignation, where one believes that this is just how they are and that there is nothing they can do about it. They may have been quiet for a long time, but they have to get up. This is taken as proof that they can not be changed. Accepting their problems makes sure they can not change. This is a dangerous evolution and can be fatal.
The second thing that starts from acceptance is the path of readiness. Maybe someone has had enough. The disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Benefits have long escaped the scene. Some of us get to the point where we believe we have nothing to lose in trying. So try, we do.
The road to readiness requires us to change our gaze. Better yet, we need to be able to see from the side, forward and backward, up and down. When we are active in our addiction, many of us focus on the past and therefore only look back. We determine who we used to be, what happened to us, what we lost, and how others might hurt us. Focusing on the past leads to the danger that we will fall into the trap of resignation.
We need to balance the look up so that we can see the way forward and also look down so that we do not travel. We can not look too far because we can only cross obstacles that are one step away. This is why people are advised to think short. Instead of saying I will never have this drink again, you can set it that I will not have this drink here and now. You may have to say that over and over again from the beginning.
If you look too far into the future, you risk falling into the trap of resignation. If the prospect of not drinking or reusing it makes you feel better, you can replace your readiness with resignation.
We have to look from the side as well. We need to be aware of our surroundings. In the early stages of our attitude change, we are often in a familiar place. We are often surrounded by many of the same people. As we focus on these points, as we begin to change our attitude, we may begin to notice something new and new. We can see other options besides consumption. In the past, these were probably invisible to us.
Looking back, we can see that some people support us more than we realize. We may also see people who used to be like us but never do. We see people who have changed and who now live in ways that make them healthier and happier. These people give us hope that may be lacking for most of life. That hope is the driving force behind readiness
Preparing for recovery Can change the course of your life.
Addiction rarely takes our lives.
It often happens quietly.
Little confidence.
Less contact with the people we love.
It is not clear who we are and what matters.
Over time, many people begin to feel that they have lost some of their parts.
Read more here: What is your type of dopamine addiction? This personality test reveals the emotion (poison) behind your cravings!
Take Ready-made questionnaire That helps you see more clearly where you are now so you can start moving forward.
Written by Peg O'Connor, Ph.D.
Originally Appeared on Psychology Today
