What actually causes addiction?
Science has identified addiction being a “chronic brain disease” but Gene Heyman, a Harvard psychology lecturer describes it as a “disorder of options“. Both these extreme models and descriptions of addiction is without question the conflicting ideology inside the addiction community. Until a Grand Unified Theory of Addiction is decided on, we are going to go on to put band aids toward the symptoms of addiction never truly understanding it’s fundamental cause and pathology.
So, what actually causes addiction? Here’s the addiction model, I’ll throw directly into mix. Hopefully, it will bring us in close proximity to solving the mystery of addiction.
During several of my educational workshops on addiction, spirituality and codependency, I started noticing many addicts with long-term sobriety had very little awareness or understanding of their unconscious, codependency patterns and behavior. Furthermore observed addicts are “pulled” out of their “core identity“, by an unconscious, negative, gravitational force. This opened a brand new door and exposed deeper patterns I believe haven’t been revealed or discovered. Through my continual workshops and spiritual exploration, I have discovered in the addicts deep unconscious a pattern Relating to named “The Addicts Loop“.
The “addict’s loop” is produced by a couple of destructive, maladaptive, codependency roles, inherited and/or unconsciously learned and conditioned during child/teen years. One codependent role would be the “controller“, who learns to rescue, save and remedy a dependent personality, to feel connected, loved and received. The other codependent role is the “dependent“, who emotionally leans on and desperately needs the “controller“, to get by and help carry their emotional life to feel loved and received. Both of these roles create a powerful unconscious, magnetic, revolving door attraction of…
“Longing – Connection – Love Bond – Euphoric High/Fix – Reveal – Rejection – Longing – Abandonment“
Certainly one of this progression may be a child on a journey that goes around the “addict’s loop“. Toward the left side of one’s addict’s loop the child obsesses and dishonestly performs for their connection, love bond and “euphoric high/fix“, to feel accepted, received and loved. This left side could well be considered the extreme, “sunny side” of the loop filled with hope and promise.
When ride reaches the peak and projects the “love bond” and “euphoric high/fix“, the infant/teen will effort to manipulate and control their connection and “fix“, to set up any sense of security. Due to the love bond is produced beginning with the destructive roles of codependency, the infant/teen will ultimately, be forced directly into right side of this very addict’s loop.
On the right side of one’s loop, think of the child/teen entering a dark, scary tunnel that represents “rejection and abandonment“. Like the child enters confusion tunnel, they close their eyes and deny the scary tunnel exists. Them/teen is overwhelmed and never ready to psychologically process their “rejection and abandonment” and instead creates an unconscious reservoir of repressed anger, fear and emotional pain. After leaving the scary tunnel, the child’s fear and obsession fuels the child’s journey back up within the “sunny side” of the loop to seek out their “love bond” and “euphoric high/fix“.
The little one/teen might circle the “addict’s loop“, again and again before leaving home, creating an unconscious “stacking effect“, of repressed emotional pain that continually and unconsciously wants to surface. During early teen years substance use or obsessive behavior, could be designed to numb and escape the continual surfacing “pain load“, from the originial and revolving door effect of the loop.
During several of my workshops on codependency, core personality retrieval and spirituality, I discovered that almost all addicts own destructive “dependent” and “controller” roles conditioned and repaired with their unconscious. An analogy may very well be to envision two high-tech machines, standing opposite each other in the addict’s unconscious that rotate and find the “addict’s loop” between them 24/7. The addict delivers the codependency addiction relationship, permanently fixed in their unconscious mind.
The Biochemical Loop
For generations the “addict’s loop” of…
“Longing -Connection – Love Bond – Euphoric High/Fix – Reveal – Rejection – Longing – Abandonment“
… has actually been unconsciously communicated towards the human biology, which could create an analogous “biochemical Loop” of…
“Craving – Preparation – Connection – Euphoric High/Fix – Withdrawal- Detox – Craving – Depression“
Identical to the “addict’s loop“, the “biochemical loop“,is obsessive and cognizant of the left side, “craving, preparation, connection,”euphoric high/fix” plus keeps out the most appropriate denial” side, “withdrawal, detox, craving, abandonment and depression“.
This can explain why the addict blindly protects and makes excuses for their own substance and performance use and why they deny and block the most appropriate side withdrawal, detox, depression,hangover and experience it as new facts and disturbing each time. The addict attempts to maintain and control their “euphoric high/fix“, unconsciously avoiding and escaping the most appropriate side of one’s loop’s withdrawal, detox and depression.