The inexorable truth the phenomenon of tolerance teaches all addicts is that the longer they use (regardless of the substance), the less of the desired effect they will experience from the same quantity. As human biochemistry adapts to the substance and becomes used to it, it takes more of that substance to produce the same…
DetailsMaintaining active addiction necessitates a set of defensive maneuvers to evade the natural corrective consequences of cognitive, behavioral, and ethical dissonance as the disease progresses. Addiction is especially insidious in how it convinces those of us who suffer from it that we do not have it. Those who become addicted almost always believe they can…
DetailsOne of the shortcomings of mind- and mood-altering substances is that they always wear off. But the effects don’t just subside, returning one to the baseline state they were in prior to seeking chemical refuge. One of the inexorable dynamics of dope in any form—whether from the street like crack, prescribed by a doctor like…
DetailsAddiction begins with the mood-changing effects of substances. At first, people often experience positive effects by using drugs to change the way they feel. Through using they feel “good” or “better.” Many drugs of abuse produce distinct feelings of pleasure, some of which are especially striking and powerful. Using helps people temporarily avoid or lessen…
DetailsEveryone has a certain personality style that includes core traits. When these constitutionally endowed qualities combine with the roles we adapt in our family system, it contorts the lens through which we see ourselves and we get a distorted view of who we are. This misshapen self-perception impacts how we relate to ourselves, to others,…
DetailsIn the vast majority of circumstances, anger is a secondary emotion, forming almost immediately and automatically in response to someone or something that brings up feelings of hurt, fear, shame, and inadequacy or of not being good-enough. Anger like this serves two important psychological purposes: it provides a sense of control when one is desperately…
DetailsFamily systems theory views families in their entirety as an organism. Families form systems or entities that are much more than the individuals who comprise them. Every family has its own rhythm and flow, and family members develop particular ways of acting and reacting with each other and with the outside world. These specific patterns…
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Change rarely comes easily. Making significant change in any aspect of life is really hard, as well as frightening. The greater the change, the higher the degree of difficulty and fear associated with it. Similar to physical workouts, there is a general correlation between the discomfort we are willing to go through and the outcomes…
DetailsBy themselves, addiction and chronic pain can be debilitating. When brought together, they comprise extremely complicated co-occurring disorders. Addiction is among the most serious public health problems in the United States. In 2010, an estimated 22.1 million persons aged twelve or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year—8.7 percent of…
DetailsOnce the drugs are stopped, you will eventually feel a lot better and may have the unrealistic expectation that you will not want to use or even think about drugs anymore. Because using drugs to relieve pain had become such a common practice, it is always possible that even as you feel better, you will…
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