21/02/2025
Addiction - I survived the death grip.
Addiction is a complex, multi-layered experience an entanglement of identity, self-worth, and an often inescapable sense of helplessness. It is rarely just about the substance itself but rather the internal wounds that fuel the cycle.
Trapped in chemical dependency, addiction is often fed by shame, guilt, and unresolved childhood trauma. These deep emotional wounds create a fracture within, leading to disconnection, not only from oneself and one’s emotions but also from society, from others, and perhaps even from the divine, the universal intelligence.
Beneath the compulsion, a whisper echoes: I am not good enough. A feeling of unworthiness, so deeply ingrained, that the substance becomes both refuge and prison.
Psychologist Bruce Alexander’s Rat Park experiment challenged the prevailing view of addiction as mere chemical dependency. His research showed that when rats were placed in enriched environments, with social connection, play, and space to thrive, they did not compulsively seek out morphine, even when freely available. In contrast, rats kept in isolation, in small barren cages, turned to the drug repeatedly, mirroring the patterns of human addiction. His findings suggest that addiction is, at its core, a condition of disconnection.
In humans, this disconnection often begins early. The absence of emotional stability in the family home, a missing or emotionally unavailable father, a household marred by violence or neglect—can leave deep scars. Co***ne, in particular, is frequently linked to disruptions in the paternal lineage. Many who use it seek not just a high, but a fleeting sense of power, confidence, and belonging; something they were never taught to cultivate from within.
True healing does not come from discipline or willpower alone. It requires reconnection, to self, to others, to meaning. When connection is restored, the need for external escape begins to fade.