What is Addiction?
What a fabulous word we have in addiction!
It is an ugly word about the dark and seamy side of life, the waste of life on bodily pleasure. Addiction is about degeneracy, violence, abuse, exploitation, crime, and death. Addiction is a dark place illuminated only by the glow of addictive pleasures, the sensate signatures of substances not found on nature’s plane.
Addiction is a comforting word for the addict, a nicer word than others that might come to his mind. Addiction confers identity upon the addict. After all, addiction is not something one does, but what one is. Once addicted, it is forever. Addict-identity runs deep; it is real. Addiction defines the addict’s life. It is his last name.
Addiction is a welcome word for the families who have lost loved ones to addiction’s grip. Addict or alcoholic is better — yes, nicer! — than ass. Addict is nicer than traitor, or thief, and all the other truthful words that have already been said in addiction’s turbulent wake. Addicts can’t help what they do. So they say.
It’s a disease, according to all higher authorities and powers that be. In other words, the only evidence of addictive disease is some higher authority, never based on biological evidence from the real world where diseases reside. Example: “My doctor says addiction is a disease, because the AMA says it’s a disease, because all the people in recovery say it’s a disease, because my cousin says it’s a disease.”
What a wonderful disease! Many say, “When I learned I have a disease, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders.” A recovery group flyer shows an irritated man saying, “Don’t tell me I don’t have a disease!” Addicted people love the disease concept of addiction.
For doctors, professional counselors, and others who treat this mysterious disease, addiction is a gravy train. The first element in addiction treatment is saying you have addictive disease. You must say, “I am an alcoholic/addict.” If you won’t say that until you get some medical evidence that you have addictive disease, then you are in denial. Denial is a symptom of addictive disease. If you think you don’t have the disease, that proves you have it. Some disease.
Many people stay away from recovery groups because of the disease concept of addiction. ”Disease” means “psychological disease” as well as medical disease. However, they continue to act as if they are diseased, powerless over the desire to get high, and they encounter increasing problems in life. If recovery groups only made more sense, and didn’t depend upon regular attendance in order to survive, they would likely exist.
Think of it. Suppose a recovery group explained exactly how to totally recover from any addiction all at once, through planned, permanent abstinence? The only members attending the next session would be the one’s who didn’t get it the first time, or members who are unwilling to forsake their addictions. Very soon, the latter would outnumber the former, and would become a support group for addiction itself rather than an addiction recovery group.
That is what happened to the Rational Recovery Self-Help Network, disbanded long ago. Addiction gets massive support in our society. Massive! Rational Recovery does not support addiction, nor do we facilitate relationships between addicted people, nor do we harbor the Addictive Voice in groups that require repeat attendance for their own survival. To think that the survival of the individual depends upon the social support of similarly dependent people is a great folly.We believe that the survival of the individual is infinitely more important than the survival of recovery groups, and that individual survival is greatly hindered by recovery groups, so we have none of them.
The only people who are actually recovering, and not just in the moral slumber called, “in recovery,” are doing it on their own, along the general lines described in Addictive Voice Recognition Technique® (AVRT®).
EMail This PostBookmark:
July 21st, 2006 at 2:51 pm
This is a great post. You wrote that many have said, “When I learned I have a disease, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders.” I don’t see how people can feel relieved in believing it’s a disease. When I quit drinking it was very, very empowering for me to recognize that I did it all on my own and that I wasn’t powerless over it. I think it’s dangerous to tell people that. –To make them think they’ll never be able to conquer their problems. When I was younger, I had an aunt whom I was very, very close with who was an alcoholic. She had gone to many treatment centers and attended AA, but continued to drink, literally, until the day she died. I can’t help but wonder that if she had discovered the AVRT kind of thing (either through RR or on her own) that maybe she’d still be alive today.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:45 pm
I’m not sure whether Jack Trimpey is a recovering addict or not, I am sure however that he’s feeding a bunch of horseshit to whomever accepts it. If you’ve never been addicted Jack your credentials are the same as a racoon performing a lobotomy. If you are addicted it seems that the name of the game is sensationalism in order to keep your job. This topic is controversial enough with a large majority of the public, clergy and law enforcement still of the Neaderthal line of thinking that this is a moral dilemma. People such as yourself feed this ignorance to those who find it easier to subscribe to this pre historic and insane logic rather than educate themselves by researching what the experts say and this of course totally excludes you.
August 4th, 2006 at 12:30 am
“Recovering” isn’t good enough for me, for my family, for all. I recovered from a serious alcohol addiction in spite of years of AA. I will never drink again because, for me, self-intoxication is immoral conduct. It feels great to know I am free of addiction. The real experts are the ones who actually recover, independently. Yes, I am one of those real experts.
Kwame, you failed to mention your connection to AA! I’m sorry you’re stuck “in recovery.” What can you know of recovery if you’re still in recovery?
August 6th, 2006 at 11:20 am
The disease model came about basically because the professionals and addicts threw up their hands and said, “I don’t know how to fix this. It’s a forever disease and only God can cure it.” When people do cure themselves and never touch a drink from that day forward and remain 100% confident they’ll never drink again, mainstream thinking is these people are” ignorant” and “insane”.. Such thinking is an odd phenomenon indeed.
Simple common sense makes it clear to me who has more expertise in the area. Since I have a choice, I prefer to learn how to cure myself from people who have cured themselves.
CTMS
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:30 pm
One of the things that is o frustrating about opposing AA, and the like, is the way so many in the 12-step fellowships are so indifferent to the people that have been harmed by the program. I read story after story of 12-step abuse, and the response always ignores the emotional pain and frustration hidden between the lines. Also, a lot of people just don’t or won’t understand that a persons religious beliefs are very sacred. This is even more so during times of difficulties. People who have decided to quit drug and alcohol abuse are entilted to know every available option to them. It is unfathomable to me that people in the health care profession are actually deliberately withhold the fact that they have a vested emotional issue in promoting the 12-step program, still falsely misleading clients with eroneous statements that the 12-steps is a “spiritual not religous” program, and with hold crucial information about alternative recovery options.
September 20th, 2006 at 6:26 pm
I would like to start by saying I am glad I found this website. I have been in and out of AA for years and I always went back to my poison of choice — alcohol. I found out about AVRT about 8 months ago and haven’t touched a drop since. 12-step programs do nothing to help the addicted person to abstain from drinking. 12-step programs in my opinion are dangerous to the person who is addicted because they perpetuate the addiction. To anyone who may read this: if you are in a 12 step program I encourage you get out now and try something that will work — AVRT. Trust me; it works. I am free of addiction and I never have to attend another freakin AA meeting again for the rest of my life.
April 10th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Just like everything else in life, if you want something Done Right, you’ve got to DO IT YOURSELF!
November 20th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Any who actually follow and practice the 12 steps of those said programs do not fail. It is when you let go of them that they do. If you can put it down and never pick it up again without help… then maybe you are not truly an addict. It is what goes on between my two ears that is my disease, not my use of any substance. Substances are not the only things that are the expression of my disease. An addict must change their thought processes and behaviors in order to truly recover… and again… those who have truly practiced and applied the 12 steps do not fail.