Carl Agoston Substance Abuse Counselor MS, NCC, CADC ( Chicago, Illinois Area ) Credentials DSM-V |
| Addiction Recovery 101 |
| flybenji tm |
| Professional's Definition Of Addiction |
Some human beings for whatever reason have an addictive personality which makes them susceptible to becoming
addicted to almost anything including people, places, thoughts, feelings or things.
They are very unfortunate people as they seem to have been born with this problem.
No one on earth really knows why some people develop this problem & others do not.
People who model these particular characteristics & behaviors are called or labeled addicts.
Addiction causes addicts to suffer from impaired thinking.
Many addicts repeatedly indulge in self destructive life damaging compulsive addictive acting out behaviors.
Others engage in compulsive addictive acting in behaviors called anorexias.
Some practice compulsive addictive binge & purge behaviors called bulimias.
They do this to lesson their pain or augment their pleasure ( mood alter themselves ).
Many substance abuse counselors believe that all compulsive addictive acting out or in or binging & purging behavior
is merely a substitute for legitimate suffering.
They believe addicts act out in this manner to keep themselves from feeling as bad as they really feel.
This basically means how they really feel about themselves as persons deep down inside of themselves.
Addicts not wanting to feel uncomfortable or emotionally painful feelings from their past lives such as guilt, shame or
abandonment is what keeps addicts stuck in their addictions ( addictive squirrel cage or cycle of addiction )
( guilt says that what I did was not good ) ( shame says that I am no good ) ( abandonment proves that I am no good ).
No human being on earth has the ability to heal or let go of the emotional pain of their past lives without revisiting their
past lives & re-feeling their emotional pain all over again
( many addicts may have dissociated or displaced early life abuse episodes ) ( do not remember or recollect abuse )
( acting out in addictions is often proof of past life abuse in one form or another ) ( covert or overt abuse ).
Twelve Step Addiction Recovery Programs were well aware of this fact & came up with slogans such as
" No Feel No Heal " or " No Pain No Gain ".
Any very unfortunate person, who can not, under their own willpower, stop or quit indulging in or acting out in any type
of compulsive addictive behavior no matter how hard they try or how many different times they resolve to themselves or
others to finally stop or quit is definitely an addict who has an addiction.
It makes no difference if the addicted person really wants to stop or quit acting out in their addiction or not ( denial ).
All addiction is about not being able to say no or not having that boundary.
If anyone could control an addiction it would not be an addiction.
An addiction is an acting out or compulsive addictive behavior that causes a person to suffer negative life damaging
consequences.
The addicts addiction may also adversely affect the lives of other people such as family members, friends & loved ones.
Some Intellectual people & some medical researchers consider what they call addictive personality disorder to be an
incurable hereditary disease people are born with through no fault of their own & other people with less formal training
may think it is simply misdirected or dysfunctional people choosing to make bad choices for themselves.
Both viewpoints have their merits but neither position has any power over addiction or addicts.
The fact is if you have ever lived with an addict or had one in your family you really do not need anyone telling you
what an addict is or what addicts do as you already know that all to well.
What you can or can not do about addictions is what this website is really about ( The Solution ) ( Recovery Programs ).
Addiction is & always has been more powerful than any human being including professional counselors & therapist.
All addicts are powerless over their addictions & so are their family members, friends & loved ones.
Powerlessness is exactly why addicts need the help of professional counselors, therapist, treatment centers & other
recovering addicts working twelve step recovery programs if they really want to get clean & sober & stay that way.
| A Recovering Addict's Take On Addiction |
| No one on planet earth knows more about recovery for addiction or codependency issues than John Bradshaw. He says that addiction or codependency recovery is not really about stopping or quiting anything. It is about getting it that these problems are not really about you but what had happened to you. The Higher Power that created you can not & does not make junk. You are not a worthless or valueless person. You are in fact, through no fault of your own, a very unfortunate person who deserves another chance at life through your own personal twelve step recovery program work ( You Can Recover & Create A New Life For Yourself ). |
| Recovering People Welcome Newcomers With Open Arms |
| They Help Others Recover By Sharing Their Experience, Strength & Hope |
