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4 Components of Chemical Addiction - "The 4 Headed Beast"

12/13/2013

3 Comments

 
In chemical addiction, there are 4 components of the addiction that must be considered if we are to overcome it. 
They are 1) the “obsession” for the drug, 2) the “craving” for the drug, 3) the “euphoric recall” of the drug, and 4) the negative using peer group that we have likely surrounded ourselves with. 

    1)  The “obsession” for the drug is the “engine of the addiction”. It is tied into the “reward pathway” of the brain.  
     When one’s addiction is active, the “reward pathway” of one’s brain creates a situation in which “our mind” 
     believes that our drug of choice is “like air – necessary for survival”. What this “obsession” feels like is very 
     similar to the feeling and thinking one would have if one was trapped at the bottom of a swimming pool full 
     of water and had no air.  One would be “thinking only about air” and doing everything to get free from the 
     bottom of the pool to get that air. In that moment at the bottom of the pool, one is now “obsessing about air”.  
     This creates a state in which one has “No power of choice to say NO in their own strength” as the drug is 
     believed to be absolutely necessary for survival.  Welcome to the world of an active alcoholic or addict.  
 
    2)  The “craving” in chemical addiction is the result of a “gene”which produces a craving for more drugs/alcohol 
     when drugs/alcohol used hits one's bloodstream. This “craving” is 3x to 10x larger than any food craving one 
     has ever had, producing a situation that is greater than one’s own will power alone to resist.  This creates a state 
     in which one has “No power to control how much they use” once they start using.

    3)  The “euphoric recall” has to do with memory.  As one is doing life, there are many triggers (people, places, 
     and things) which are tied to our past using of alcohol/drugs.  As these triggers are activated, it is interesting how 
     what is remembered about one’s past using of alcohol/drugs is usually just the positive result of the “euphoric 
     feeling” of the high.  What is amazing is how the negative consequences of using – legal problems, relationship 
     problems, money problems, school/work problems, health problems – are NOT remembered.   They are NOT 
     forgotten, but in that initial moment of recall, just NOT remembered.

    4)  And finally, with many users, especially the younger ones, there is the “negative using peer group”.  As one 
     uses alcohol/drugs, one does not want any resistance to one’s use of substance that has “become like 
     air – necessary for survival”. Thus, one withdraws from non-using friends and surrounds oneself with “using” 
     friends who normalize each other’s drug use. One’s negative using peer group fulfills a person’s emotional need 
     for “acceptance” as well as possibly one’s need for “value” within that group by possibly dealing drugs to the group 
     or being “great” at the ritual’s of using drugs such as “rolling joints”, “finding great buys”,  and/or “having great 
     connections” for drugs and/or having latest paraphernalia. The drug culture is the easiest peer group to "join" in
     terms of teens accomplishing the developmental step of connecting to peers - all one has to do to belong is
     use drugs/alcohol.  
 
This is the 4 headed beast of chemical addiction!!!!  I welcome your comments!  
 
CJDaniel

3 Comments
Peter Pratt
12/13/2013 01:20:32 pm

Well schooled in the four heads. Twin A lost a year in rehab for Xanex. I lost a year of work traveling back and forth to rehab for workshops.

Reply
Brenda Neudek Garces
12/14/2013 09:43:51 pm

Glad to see you writng again...Keep it up my friends...God has plans with your name on them! God Bless You!

Reply
Stacy S. Bennett
2/3/2014 01:39:28 am

I remember sitting in your office and you personally explaining "THE BEAST" model of addiction. Thank you for working with our family and for being such a prayer warrior with and for my son.

Reply



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