ActiveRecovery

29/07/2025

Willpower is defined as the ability to exert control or restrain impulses. People with addiction struggles are often described as lacking in willpower when in actuality most addicts are endowed with plenty of the stuff. It takes an enormous amount of sheer determination to survive a life filled with the daily struggles of addiction.

Addiction has been classified as a disease, a chronic mental disorder. A person diagnosed with schizophrenia can possess all the willpower in the world and they will still be schizophrenic. The disorder is not caused by a lack of willpower. The same is true of addiction. To assume that because someone is an addict they are lacking in willpower is a mistake. The disease of addiction has nothing to do with willpower. Willpower will not cure addiction. Willpower, like any other form of human exertion, is a finite resource and is prone to depletion. Attempting to use one's finite reserves of willpower to fight a chronic illness is impossible as the illness is an ever-present condition faced against or ever-depleting stores of willpower.

Treating addiction is more about accepting, firstly, that it is an illness and thus requires outside help. It's about finding the support and tools that will aid recovery. In that regard we can assuredly use our willpower.

30/05/2025

Is there a difference between being physically dependent on a substance and being an addict?

I do believe there is a difference. It's a fairly simple process to become physically dependent on a habit forming substance like codeine, for instance. If you take codeine based painkillers daily (for pain) over a period of time you will almost certainly become physically dependent on the drug. Stopping will involve having to endure the pain of withdrawal symptoms. These will subside after a week or so and the person would hopefully have learned a valuable lesson: if you keep taking codeine you will become dependent on it and getting off of it will suck really bad. The lesson: Don't go back on codeine. Under normal circumstances this would be 'lesson learned and case closed.'

The addict is different though. She (or he) will somehow convince herself that its a good idea to go back on the painkillers, even though it really sucked trying to get off it the last time. To the outside observer these reasons for going back will often not make any rational sense.

The difference between the substance dependent person and the addict is that there is a psychological obsession with the drug in addition to the physiological dependence. The addict simply cannot stop obsessing about using even after coming off the drug and being clean for a while. The obsession will keep drawing the addict back towards the pills, whether they want to use them or not.

13/05/2025

It usually starts with a bit of 'innocent' experimentation, we try our first drink or drug or we get our first hit of dopamine from playing an online game or doing online shopping. We feel great, suddenly all our problems seem to disappear for a while and so we choose to keep doing the thing that makes us feel good. At some point an invisible line is crossed an that power of choice disappears and we become addicted. We no longer have control over whether or not to use the drug or the behaviour, we simply have to use it.

Once we've crossed over into active addiction there is no going back to 'casually' using that substance or behaviour. Our brains will forever be wired to become dependent on that substance or behaviour once its reintroduced, even after years of abstinence.

02/05/2025

25/04/2025

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are more than 300 million people worldwide affected by substance use dependence. Addiction is rife and the numbers are growing year on year. For all the advances in behavioural and neuro science we still don't fully understand what causes addiction.

We know that it is characterised by a dependence upon a substance or behaviour despite negative consequences. What we don't seem to be sure of is exactly what causes it. Some experts believe its a disease/ mental illness, some believe it to be a maladaptive response to trauma, others believe it to be genetic and therefore hereditary. Some call it a spiritual disease. There are even those who still believe it to be the consequence of a moral failure and poor life choices.

Perhaps it is a combination of several factors. Whatever the underlying cause may be the fact of the matter is that once we cross that line into active addiction a sh*tstorm generally follows that requires radical intervention. Of far more importance to me is to help those of us who are afflicted to figure out how to get into recovery and to stay there.

15/04/2025

In economics we have a principle called The Law of Diminishing Returns. It applies perfectly to addiction. If you keep taking more of a substance or spend more time doing the behaviour, over time you will reach a point of dependence where the highs get lower and lower until eventually the drugs or behaviours stop working altogether.

01/04/2025

What this definition fails to mention is the tolerance that we build up for these substances and behaviours over time so we need to use them more and more. Eventually they stop working and that's when we really start to suffer.

24/03/2025

We weren't sitting still in active addiction, we were out there working it. The same applies in recovery. It's not about sitting on our asses waiting for it to happen. It requires our active participation! There is work to be done.

The good news is that you don't have to do the work alone. I'm here to help you navigate the path to freedom.

12/01/2024

Listening intently to what somebody is actually saying in a conversation is a rare skill and a gateway to real connection with that person. Instead of formulating your response while they are talking, try simply listening openly with a view to getting an understanding of what the other person is sharing with you. It's powerful.

05/01/2024

Finding and understanding the meaning behind the things that we do can be lifechanging. If we can't find meaning or purpose in some of the things we do on a daily basis then maybe its time to make some changes?