Addiction & Major Life Areas
What is an addiction? An intense need, desire, or physical craving to continually use or
abuse a substance even when it is harming our spirit, mind and body.
Most people don't believe that they are addicted until they try to control their drug use
or stop using completely.
Who can get addicted? Anyone who can drink, eat, or breathe (smoke), and has a brain
can become a drug addict or alcoholic. Drinking alcohol or using drugs is easy!
Why do people get addicted? We drink, eat, and breathe to survive. Part of living is
gaining new experiences, growing as a person from being dependent on our parents to
becoming independent adults. We grow, feel, share, think, and understand more as we
mature. Part of what makes life worthwhile, is achieving success in all areas of our lives.
We all experience many things in life, both good and bad. To want more of the good
and less of the bad is normal. Alcohol or drugs can be used to enhance the good times or
to avoid dealing with the bad times. However, when we use alcohol or drugs as the main
solution to life’s challenges, we stop growing and start dying as a person. Learning to
enjoy life, and deal with our challenges and problems without using alcohol or drugs; is
how we stay nondependent and free.
Addiction & Major Life Areas
Living healthy, happy, and free, is the process of striving to be at peace with ourselves and the world around us. We are loved and are able to love others. We recognize when we need help, and are willing to help others who have experienced the same issues that we have. We can learn new skills, achieve goals, feel good about ourselves and be the best we can be.
- Think about how you feel physically right now. How do you think your "physical self" has been affected by your alcohol or drug use? Do you have the same energy that you used to have? Are you as fit, and healthy as you were before you started using alcohol or drugs?
- Think about your "emotional self". How often do you think you use alcohol or drugs to alter the way you feel? Do you feel better about yourself when you are using or when you are straight? Would you rather be drunk or high, or sober and straight?
- Do you get along better with people when you are drunk or high, or sober and straight? Do you think you have more friends when you are drunk or high, or sober and straight? Do you communicate better with your family better when you are drunk or high, or sober and straight?
- What have you noticed about your thinking processes as a result of drinking or using drugs? What long term damage do you think you might be doing to your brain?
- What goals or accomplishments do you want to achieve in life that you know you will not be able to complete if you keep drinking or using drugs?
Making a decision to cut back or stop using alcohol or drugs can be extremely difficult! Part of the process, is feeling like we have to give something up, or deny ourselves something that gives us pleasure. Believing that you can have a better life without abusing alcohol and drugs, or believing that you do not need to use alcohol and drugs to have a good life can be the first step towards living a free and independent life.
