Josh Hamilton, the talented major league baseball player, was the American League MVP in 2010. He has struggled with addictions for year, and just turned himself in for another relapse involving alcohol and cocaine.
Josh said…I live with addiction every day of my life, it’s a chronic disease just like diabetes. But it’s not a disease just like diabetes. A disease is something that has a definitive cause; we know how it’s transmitted and how to treat it. This is not the case with addictions, because the addiction is a symptom of a deeper illness.
The underlying cause of all addictions is the addict’s belief that without them he/she has nothing he can depend on that will make him/her feel as good. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rat or monkey, mammals all share a deep biological imperative to bond with others, we are made to suckle; and it’s those bonds that sustain us when we are vulnerable.
When we feel isolated, unsupported, afraid, and unsure of ourselves, we are ripe for addictions. That’s the message of the new best-selling book Chasing the Scream that says everything we’ve been told about addiction is wrong; it’s not chemicals that hijack the brain it’s the individuals disconnection from the nurturing support of others. Johann Hari, the author of this well researched, easily readable book says the antidote to addiction is human connection.
As a psychiatrist, I agree and wish Josh Hamilton well in his battle against his addictions. What he has however is not a “disease”, it is a symptom of his inability to believe that without his drugs, he has no dependable relationships that make him feel as good.
A pyschologist told me decades ago ,drugs give the feeling of nurturing ,that we all crave.
You may get the feeling ,but it’s not the real “thing”
About two decades ago a psychologist told me that drugs provide a sense of nurturing. The only problem is it’s not the real thing and when they wear off you haven’t been nurtured.
Thank you Carl for your courage to be politically-incorrect. We are living in a world where truth is “shaped” by bottom-lines, budgets, and intolerance of all opinions that are contrary to our own. Whatever the implicit agenda, the push is to invite people (professionals and patients) to feel powerless about themselves and directing their lives. Someone, somewhere put a spin on these “discoveries” like addiction is chronic as “progress” and the few who disagree are usually not heard.
While I’m sure a lot of what you’ve said is right … and I certainly don’t agree with the ‘mainstream’ approach to addiction … there has to be more to it than that.
My son had an addiction to hard drugs for over 16 years. For most of this time he lived with my husband and me. For the 3 of us, it was hell. We gave him so much support that we nearly destroyed ourselves in the process. Whether it was the right kind of support it’s impossible to say. The story is too long to tell here. Thank God (or something) we all survived. We are proud of our son that he was able to break himself of the addiction. But our experiences made us realise that some people have their own private darkness inside, that they are unwilling to share with others. We encountered other families in the same situation, who also loved and supported their children.
“The underlying cause of all addictions is the addict’s belief that without them he/she has nothing he can depend on that will make him/her feel as good.”
That, I believe, is true. But where the belief came from (in my son’s and in many of his friends’ case) is a mystery.
I find I cannot even offer advice to those who find themselves in the same situation. There seemed to be no catalyst that pushed my son to take the first steps to his own recovery. Until that happened, there seemed there was nothing anyone could do to make a difference.
There also may be a biological, genetic vulnerability in some. I remember that first thing I was talked to ask about substance abuse in getting a history on any patient was: what do remember about your first drink? If they described it in glowing terms, they would be at high risk for subsequent overuse, whether they felt connected to loved ones or not. Fortunately, for me, I did not have that kind of reaction.
Steveie
wow. I needed to read this today. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing all the cogent, heartfelt commentary Relatives. :O)
It is chemicals that hijack the brain. Psychological factors are also highly important in many different ways. Only certain drugs or chemicals cause addictions. If it were only on the basis of psychology, one could get addicted to water. Alcohol and codeine are addicting by hijacking the brain. The most addicting drug is nicotine. The brain does crave, usually at the expense of a human being.
So Russell we disagree again and always welcome your commentary. The overwhelming evidence is that it’s more than the drugs causing the craving…. 20% of U.S. soldiers came back from Viet Nam addicted, when they got back 95% stopped and very few had rehab. If you find something else that makes you feel as dependably secure and cared for, the brain does not stay hijacked. Warm regards, C.