Addiction

Madison Drake, APC

Welcome to 2025! With the new year comes many new ideas on how to “be your best self”, but in order to do that, there are some things that need to be left behind. The goal of this post is to encourage you to leave 2024 in 2024 (the “should haves”, the almosts, the bad habits, etc.) and enter into a new year with grace and determination. One of the things that many of us are struggling to do is let go, whether it be to let go of bad memories, or truly let go and experience life at a more relaxed speed. The bulk of this blog will be to hopefully encourage the letting go of bad habits. This blog is about a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive “drug” seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences; addiction and the many ways it shows up in our lives. There are separate segments of this post, and if one resonates with you, click the word or phrase to read more. The counselors of Bethel Haven have collaborated in this blog post to contribute their research and knowledge of each of these topics listed below.

Addiction is defined as a pathology affecting decision-making power, emotional balance, voluntary control of behaviors not only in cases of consumption but also in behavioral dependencies. “The social environment, stages of development and genetic factors are closely linked to the vulnerability of addiction” (Karila, L., Benyamina, A., 2019). It is characterized by the changes in the brain system that is responsible for memory and cognitive control. Addiction can show up in many areas, some of which are: substances, porn and affairs, social media and technology, anxiety and depression, relationships with food, productivity, people pleasing, and even trauma. At least one in every four people in America has had exposure and experience with addiction either alone, or through a family member (Henderson, E., 2009). That number has not really changed since then. Addiction is not cheap, some have spent billions because of their addiction without even noticing it, others have spent billions of hours dedicated to this one thing, believing that it is helping.
Turning to substance (or scrolling social media, or over-eating, or over-exercising, or always saying yes and lacking boundaries, etc.) is often related to a coping mechanism for those who have experienced trauma, or who come from a family with a history of mental illness. There is not usually a warning on the bottle that says “this will not actually help”. With an addiction, one might feel an intense feeling of hopelessness, but be encouraged, there is hope and help is right here. Addiction is often viewed as a form of self-medicating; it fills the holes that have been created in our lives with a second of happiness that we hope will help. Because of the chase for a quick dopamine hit, addiction has become one of the root causes for anxiety and depression (Lewis, M. 2017).

When one is held captive to an addiction, it is because the brain has categorized this thing as a pleasure or reward. This, in short, means that your brain has created a “false dopamine” that encourages you to want something more. The rush after checking everything off the mile long to-do list may feel rewarding, but there will be another list tomorrow. The “habit” of checking the social media platform of preference for “just five more minutes” turns into a must, and the brain is craving more because the funny cat videos must be better than the eight hours of sleep you actually need. Addiction is hijacking the pleasure and reward circuit of the brain which leaves one wanting even more. Addiction can also send you into emotional danger, eventually leading to higher anxiety and more stress when not using your “drug” of choice (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024).

​To wrap this up, addiction is fundamentally about compulsive behavior. It may feel unbreakable, but there is help. The more broad-based treatment one receives, the better the outcome. Leave your addiction, your feelings of hopelessness, your regrets and wasted time in 2024, and reach out to a counselor today to create a better tomorrow. Addiction is hard to break on your own. We are all here for you no matter what.
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Henderson, E. C. (2009). Understanding addiction. University Press of Mississippi.
Karila, L., & Benyamina, A. (2019). Addictions. Revue Des Maladies Respiratoires, 36(2), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmr.2018.12.001
Lewis, M. (2017). Addiction and the brain: Development, not disease. Neuroethics, 10(1), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-016-9293-4
Nguyen, T. (2024, March 15). Why Mental Health Disorders & Addiction must be treated together. Mount Sinai Wellness Center. https://www.mtsinaiwellness.com/blog/2021/june/why-mental-health-disorders-addiction-must-be-treated-together/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ratnawat&utm_keyword=&utm_campaign=RG+-+MTS+-+DSA&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu8W6BhC-ARIsACEQoDBmIhjhP2oGApCqKyHF5baTKdGSNYHgLo_cfVlte5TdxF3hCwHOt-8aAuISEALw_wcB
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024, June 17). Biology of addiction. National Institutes of Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/10/biology-addiction#:~:text=Drugs%20or%20alcohol%20can%20hijack,using%20the%20drugs%20or%20alcohol.