Addiction: Not An Affliction
Addiction, by definition is almost totally synonymous with compulsion.
Addiction - being addicted to a particular substance, thing or activity.
Compulsion - an uncontrollable urge to a specific behavior.
All addictions (especially in their negative TV-realities) are compulsions triggered by rejection. If you ever watched that show, Intervention, or its most prolific parodies on South Park or Always Sunny In Philadelphia, you already knew this. Anything can be an addiction. From exercise to obsessively picking your own skin off. All negative addictions' roots lay in rejection. This rejection is counter-rejected by the addict, who must seek solace only through another addiction. This is the addict's only choice. Displacement.
Many people ignorantly associate addiction with disease. It is far beyond that. It can be transmitted in much more indirect means than any contagion. Diseases require treatment and are therefore cash cattle for those who profit from their treatment. Since addiction afflicts almost every human being on the planet, expensive, professional, treatment will never be available to everyone. That's why I'm writing this now. It's an escape plan.
Sure, I'm not as qualified on paper as those quacks who're only in it to pay off their swank pads, mistress prostitutes, or new Mercedeses. I might not even be as academically accredited as some of their ex-addict (no such thing) lackeys. But, I know addiction, and I know truth. I know there is no one with something to get from you, who will ever tell you the full truth. I will. Because not only do I have nothing to gain, I also have nothing to lose. I know the way in and the way out. The way in is weakness and greed. The way out is truth and self-control. The weakness and greed come from disappointment, violation and rejection. Truth and control are accessible to everyone, all the time.
Addiction
Every human being I've ever met is an addict. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful all have addictions. It is the eternal human condition. Sometimes it unites us, sometimes it divides. It is not the villain that reality shows make it out to be. It is an often misunderstood, misused form of personal power. No matter what proportion of your life it takes up, nor its intensity, addiction is in your life. You might live for one or against one, either way it's in there. Nourishing or draining you. The truth is, you have control, not addiction. A belief (or self-hypnosis) that something else is controlling you can be disastrous. To deny that addiction is anything beyond your own natural human selfishness is delusion.
Compulsion
OCD. The arts of dope and stair-counting. Even though multiple hand-washing is never anywhere near as detrimental to one's health as something like heroin addiction, they are both behaviors that drive on compulsion. Regardless of personal regard, compulsion begets compulsion. It is a never-ending loop. "A vicious cycle." Johnny Cash called it. Some compulsions (addictions) can be extremely positive. They can make you successful. They can make you stronger, better, and smarter. (i.e. compulsive study habits = addiction to knowledge, compulsive exercise/healthy eating habits = nice body.) Even these healthy addictions when attached to rejection, can become destructive. (exercise addiction/unhealthy dieting = anorexia)
Rejection
Rejection is often used by cowards as abuse. Rejection injected into your compulsion, turns it sour, Louis. These are those most popular of addictions which can kill you. Death is indifferent to where the rejection comes from. For most it comes from family, but rejection can be had anywhere. If you watch any Intervention or similar reality TV, the evidence is everywhere. "Addiction" as the TV boogie-man it has become is always the result of rejection. Rejection (even when it is perceived in delusion) feeds every destructive compulsion/addiction on this planet. Trace it back. You'll see this is the case 100% of the time. Rejection (especially by loved ones) feeds the dark side of our humanity. It fuels self-destruction like gasoline does fire.
Displacement
If you are the rare and strong type of person who can displace your addiction, you can mutate your negative addiction into a positive one. My own Dad is a great example of this type of person. He was addicted to alcohol. He displaced this weakness with physical strength by pouring his addiction into his job, and a rigorous exercise routine. His new gin and tonic, was cardio and cash. His bottle became a bike. His hangovers became endorphin highs. This type of displacement is the exceptional. Displacement can be very dangerous, depending what chemicals are involved. Addiction itself is a displacement for rejection.
Experimentation
With natural intelligence and curiosity, comes experimentation. Unfortunately, experimentation is often used by addicts to deny their addictions. Smart experiments with various chemicals rely on medical knowledge and controlled environments. Stupid ones are the result of spontaneous whims. There are many varying mentally and spiritually stimulating chemicals that exist in nature. Some of them have been used for thousands of years to help adolescents through to adulthood (vision quests) and for other various sociologically and psychologically beneficial development. One could even argue the spiritual or etherial benefits of these chemicals. Sadly though, these highly potent chemicals are often misused by ignorant individuals in environments unsuitable to reap their benefits. Using such powerful substances incorrectly can be not just personally counterproductive, but fatal. Respect the chemical and yourself. Otherwise, you're guaranteed a bad trip.
I believe everyone who has ever lived, lives with some addiction. Whether their addiction is intoxicating or sobering is irrelevant. What is important is that we recognize our addictions individually, and displace our displacement in a way that creates positive change. Only weak-brained fools see addiction as a demon. Enlightened people know it can be both an angel and a demon, and the choice is only our own to make.
-2014 Wielgorecki
No comments:
Post a Comment