What is the key ingredient of lasting sobriety? We need solid foundations. One part of a solid foundations is having the right knowledge about addiction. Another way of saying it is that we need new awareness about addiction. Awareness is like the sun. It shines light into the dark realm of ignorance. We need to elevate our addiction awareness. There are so many misconceptions about addiction. Some of these misconceptions can have very devastating effects on your sobriety. In this article, I will break down these misconceptions and help you to create a new understanding about addiction. Let this article make your sun shine brighter.
Importance of the Right Addiction Awareness and Education
Why is your knowledge about addiction so essential? Simply put, the information you hold about addiction shapes your beliefs. We take action based on what we believe to be true—our beliefs essentially create our reality.
For instance, if I believe that addiction is a disease from which I cannot heal, I’m unlikely to take steps toward building a fulfilling life; instead, I may focus on merely surviving. Our actions consistently align with our beliefs, underscoring the importance of having accurate knowledge about addiction.
Your beliefs significantly influence your path, and the direction of your path ultimately determines your destination.
So, what makes your beliefs true? It comes down to your brain. Your brain is the instrument that forms and reinforces these beliefs based on the information you consistently feed it. Life is not as straightforward as it seems. Although we share the same physical reality, our experiences of that reality can be vastly different.
“One physical reality, but eight billion different experiences of the physical reality.”
We live in one physical reality, yet eight billion individuals experience it differently. The reason I want to highlight this principle is that your mind shapes your reality. If you believe that addiction is a disease, you will perceive a reality where that belief holds true.
When you explore ancient wisdom, you’ll find a consistent theme: the universe is mental. The truth of a situation may matter less than how your brain interprets it. Ultimately, it is your mind that determines what is true for you.
I hope you don’t shy away from saying that; it’s fundamental to understanding in life. Our brains convert information into beliefs, which then manifest in our experiences.
Now you can see why it is crucial to have accurate information about addiction. Understanding this can empower you in your journey of sobriety and shape a more positive reality for yourself.
Addiction Education: Common Misconceptions About Awareness Explained
Let’s discuss misconceptions about addiction. One particularly destructive belief can severely impact your life. While this misconception may provide brief relief and help you survive in your addiction, it ultimately limits your potential.
This belief is unfortunately common in mainstream sources, and it’s vital to recognize its limitations. Holding onto this belief is not worth the cost to your life.
“Addiction is a disease.”
This belief can be detrimental to your life. The argument for classifying addiction as a disease centers on the changes it creates in the brain. However, many experiences—such as joining a political party, engaging in sports, traveling, or falling in love—also change our brains. Why don’t we label these experiences as diseases?
Consider the implications of labeling addiction as a disease. If we do, it naturally follows that treatment is required. Ask yourself: who benefits more from this classification—yourself or the multi-billion dollar addiction treatment industry? The effectiveness of this industry is questionable, with statistics showing that only about 20 percent of those who go through rehab in the United States achieve lasting sobriety.
Secondly, think about how it feels to identify as having a disease. Feelings of hopelessness often creep in, as diseases imply a lack of control. When you believe you have no control over addiction, you’re less likely to take proactive steps toward overcoming it. While it may feel as if you lack control, this is not necessarily due to addiction being a disease; the underlying reasons are different.
This is the main reason why labeling addiction as a disease can be so destructive: it fosters a sense of helplessness and forces individuals into a survival mode rather than empowering them to build a fulfilling life.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, I recommend reading Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease by Marc Lewis. This book offers a compelling argument for rethinking our understanding of addiction. Read it
“The kind of brain changes seen in addiction also show up when people become absorbed in a sport, join a political movement, or become obsessed with their sweetheart or their kids.” -Marc Lewis
Understanding the Second Common Misunderstanding in Addiction Awareness
More Misconceptions? Absolutely. Here’s one crucial idea to grasp if you want to live a fulfilling life. In addiction circles, it’s common for individuals who quit one addiction to transfer their dependency to another. While some may consider this a “good addiction,” let me clarify: there is no such thing as a “good addiction.” By nature, addiction cannot be good.
As you explore the depths of addiction, you’ll find that the specific behavior becomes irrelevant. The real issue lies not in the behavior itself but in the reasons behind it. Every addiction operates in the same way. The biggest challenge is often found in the person’s present moment, where they use addiction as a means to escape reality.
Addiction provides some form of relief, but the crucial question is: why do people seek relief? Mostly, it’s because of pain. Addiction becomes a coping mechanism for that pain. This is why the notion of a “good addiction” is a myth. Regardless of the behavior you adopt to cope, you cannot truly grow as a person while using addiction to escape your pain. This is the prison of addiction.
It’s important to acknowledge that in the early sobriety stages, it may be okay to channel your addiction into what seems like a healthier alternative. However, for long-term growth, you should aim to break free from all forms of addiction. The ultimate goal is to achieve total freedom from addiction, because whether deemed good or bad, it remains a prison.
Next, we will uncover the thief of the present moment.
Fostering New Addiction Awareness
Who is the thief that steals our joy from the present moment? It is trauma. Every addiction is rooted in trauma, which is why labeling addiction as a disease is nonsensical; there are clear causes behind it. Addiction is a response to pain. When pain exists, it creates an environment for addiction to thrive.
Logically, if I feel dysfunction within my internal world, I may turn to external behaviors to cope. This is the fundamental basis of any addiction. Now, we begin to address the essential work you need to do: learning to understand your own addiction.
What events in your life created the pain that led to your addiction? What aspects of your past, yourself, or your life are you not okay with? What prevents you from enjoying this present moment? These are golden questions. You can break free from addiction by studying yourself. Self-knowledge is the key to sobriety.
Now, a few words about trauma: addiction is approximately 80% trauma and 20% addictive behavior. The new focus should be understanding the trauma itself. It’s a clear cause-and-effect relationship: trauma is the cause, while addictive behavior is the effect.
It’s no wonder many struggle with sobriety if they focus on the wrong aspects. Concentrating on the effects of trauma won’t yield positive results in recovery.
When most people hear the word “trauma,” they often think of horrifying events. While I don’t deny the truth of that perspective, there is much more to understand about trauma.
“Trauma is not what happend to you; trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” -Gabor Mate
Trauma is not merely an external event; it’s an internal wound that influences our present. It is often referred to as the famous thief of the present moment. Importantly, trauma isn’t always the result of something bad happening; it can also stem from a lack of positive experiences in life.
As humans, we have basic needs, and when those needs are unmet, the experience can be traumatic. This is where dysfunction begins.
To simplify trauma: it represents our survival mechanisms that remain activated. If you live in an environment where certain triggers keep your survival instinct on high alert, is it any wonder that you might use addiction to escape your present moment? It makes sense—it’s a natural response.
Recognizing this helps to dismantle shame and judgment surrounding addiction. Without shame and judgment, overcoming addiction becomes easier, as the more you feel ashamed of your actions, the more likely you are to repeat them. It may sound perplexing, but it’s true.
Elevating Addiction Awareness: A New Focus for Recovery
I hope all this new information has helped create a deeper awareness in your journey with addiction. Let the light of your awareness shine brighter! It’s time to shift your focus away from addictive behaviors and direct it toward yourself and your life events.
You need to start reading yourself like an open book. Understand your experiences—what events created the trauma in your life? Comprehend your addiction by examining the underlying trauma, as that is where the real work lies. By addressing and healing the wounded parts of yourself, you can emerge as a new version of you.
In this new state, you won’t need to struggle to stay sober; sobriety will arise naturally. The addictive part of you fights to remain sober, but once you remove the root cause of addiction—your trauma—it no longer makes sense to struggle with sobriety. Addiction requires sobriety to exist. Without addiction, sobriety becomes your natural state. How beautiful is that? This process is about dissolving the addiction rather than simply trying to manage it.
Conclusion: Embracing Addiction Awareness for a Brighter Future
How can this article help you? It brings clarity and redefines addiction while giving you the right focus. The main message is clear: our understanding of addiction shapes our beliefs about it. These beliefs, in turn, create our reality and dictate our paths. Labeling addiction as a disease is not only misleading but can also be destructive to our lives.
Addiction is rooted in trauma. When we come to comprehend and heal that trauma, we dissolve the addiction itself. This is your new roadmap to overcoming addiction. This marks the second stage of Addiction Alchemy, laying a solid foundation for your transformational journey. In the next stage, we will delve deeper into understanding yourself. Also, If you haven’t yet read my acticle about the first stage of Addiction Alchemy, read it here!
-The Alchemist
