KNOWLEDGE IS EMPOWERING
Addiction can take the form of a substance use disorder (i.e ingesting substances such as illicit/ legal drugs and alcohol with impaired or no control over the consumption (amount or frequency), resulting in adverse consequence.. Apart from substance use disorders, there are other addictions known as process addictions, which are compulsive behaviors leading to adverse consequences,e.g. Sex, gambling, compulsive eating, co-dependency, shopping, gaming and social media.
The debate whether addiction is a disease or not, has been going on for most of this century and still there is no consensus on this issue. Medical technology, such MRI have been used to scan brains, and the result have been in support of addiction being a neurobiological disorder. From this framework, we believe that people with addictions are not using, drinking or acting out because they chose to. No one chooses to become an addict. In fact, even when addicts have realized their addiction is resulting in negative consequences and they decide to cut down, their good intentions, does not lead to control using, drinking or acting out or abstinence. This absence of choice suggests that a neurobiological mechanism may be at work. However, no biological marker for addiction has yet been identified. This does not mean that the condition does not exist. There have other diseases e.g diabetes which was recognized long before medical science had discovered the biochemistry of the condition. This means that we cannot as yet prove the cause of addiction.
Nonetheless, there is good evidence to suggest that addiction is an illness as opposed to just an unfortunate set of circumstances. For this to be the case, then, as with any illness, sufferers of the illness should have a shared symptomology and their illness should run a similar course.
THE STAGES OF ADDICTION
PRE-ADDICTION PHASE
- The beginning stage of addiction – gateway substances like cannabis.
- Low, frequency (days per week) and intensity (amount consumed).
- An observer will not be able to tell the difference between a recreational user and an addict in this phase of addiction.
INCUBATION PHASE
- In this phase, Using frequency and intensity increase, however still displays control.
- Tolerance begins to develop: increased quantities of alcohol or drugs are needed to achieve the desired effect.
- Dependence starts to develop: the addicted person will start to experience some psychological and/or physiological distress when not using their drug of choice., e.g. irritability, tension.
- The first signs of unmanageability shows.
-school or university grades drop.
– show less interest in previous recreational hobbies.
– blackouts.
– drink-driving.
-Isolation to use or drink, concealing drinking and using (secrete using or drinking). Friends and family sense something is wrong. -absenteeism and under-performance at work. - This phase is also when a denial system starts to develop. Denial is an unconscious ego defence system, designed to protect us from facing reality. For addicts, denial serves to perpetuate their using: blame, justification and rationalization will explain away any problems caused by the alcohol or drug use.
- How long an addict remains in this phase varies: rapidly dependence-producing chemicals, such as heroin, crack and methamphetamine will cause things to accelerate to the next phase very quickly. Less addictive forming drugs, such as alcohol and cannabis, will cause the incubation phase to be extended and generate a slower transition to the next phase.
CRITICAL PHASE
- The critical phase is characterised by an increasingly diminished ability to control the consumption of drugs or alcohol. As control deteriorates, proportionately bigger negative consequences start to appear and these become difficult to resolve or conceal. It is this impaired control that is the distinguishes of addiction from heavy users or drinkers. This “loss of control” or “Powerlessness” as refereed to in 12 step philosophy is a difficult concept to grasp. This is what the addict and alcoholic denies (lies to themselves about). They are invested in the delusion that they have control. This delusion makes them try one more time to control their using or drinking. This powerful delusion has been the death of many an addicts and alcoholics.
“The persistence of this of this delusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
— AA big book pg30
- At this stage, the addict will still be able to exercise choice about whether to drink or take drugs. But he/she won’t be able to reliably predict how much will be consumed and what will happen.
- To sum up: the crucial phase is about choice (to use/drink) but an unpredictable outcome.
CHRONIC PHASE
- In this phase, choice over whether to drink or use is lost. The addict is driven by compulsion so powerful, that he/she is using and drinking against he/she own will. Therefore we have found relying on ones will power is insufficient to stop or stay stopped.
- Using and drinking becomes prioritized above other needs and responsibilities (hierarchy of needs).
- Measures to conceal the using and drinking are in-vain. The secrete life of the addict now becomes apparent to others.
- It is the onset of the chronic phase that sees most addicts come into treatment.
PRE-TERMINAL PHASE
- Here, the addict is consumed by the need to use or drink and this takes priority over all other survival instincts and needs.
- ‘we lived to use and used to live’.
- Loss of purpose.
- Loss of dignity and belief in oneself.
- Loss of hope
- People presenting for treatment in this phase will take a long time to recover and will benefit from extended residential rehab.
SHARING IS CARING
