In The Odyssey, Homer
tells the story of the Greek hero, Odysseus, who in his goal to return to his
home of Ithaca must overcome myriad obstacles, temptations, and dangers. One
such temptation is discovered on the island of the lotus-eaters. Anyone who
eats the lotus becomes blissfully happy and forgetful of his family, friends,
and goals. This artificially created sense of euphoria is only temporary and
Odysseus is forced to save those men who have partaken of the lotus from
themselves so they can go home to their loved ones. Alfred Lord Tennyson also
writes about this experience in his classic poem "The Lotus-Eaters."
The
ancient Greeks were not alone in being tempted to lose sight of their goals by
succumbing to an artificial happiness. As humans we all strive to achieve
pleasure as we try to avert sadness and pain. If something feels good, tastes
good, or creates a sense of well being, we will probably do it again. "If it
feels good, do it." That, in essence, is the nature of addictive behavior. The
addictive substance or action creates a sense of elation, a positive change in
emotion or mood, and therefore, the addict feels that he is at least
temporarily in control of himself. However, the feeling of power the addict
feels is ephemeral at best. An addict looks for pleasure, often at the expense
of other things and relationships that were once important, and ultimately to
the exclusion of all else.
Addiction does not just refer to drugs,
alcohol, and tobacco. Some people can be addicted to gambling, sex, shopping,
exercise, or caffeine. People may be addicted to any substance or activity that
makes us feel euphoric or helps us to forget about our problems, pain, or
boredom. It simply comes down to control. In his quest to control his
surroundings and elicit a positive feeling or intoxication, the addict ends up
surrendering to the addiction. The addiction takes over and starts to control
rather than be controlled by the person.
According to Joann Ellison
Rodgers in her article published in Psychology Today, there have been many
theories of addiction: it's a self-control problem, it's a conditioned
response, it's genetic, it's culturally determined, and according to Dan
Quayle, it's a response to the breakdown of family values. According to Craig
Nokken, author of The Addictive Personality, addiction is a "cunning, baffling,
and powerful illness' and as such without proper treatment or intervention, it
will progress, ravage its victim, and perhaps even result in irreparable damage
to both the addict and those who love him.
In 1935, the first 12-step
program, Alcoholics Anonymous, was established. Since then many others have
emerged including Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters
Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Shoplifters Anonymous, and Spenders
Anonymous. It's important to reiterate that the addict is not the only victim
of addictive behavior; his family, his friends, and his community are all
likewise affected. Since there are tendencies for addiction to run in families,
there are programs that target the families of addicts, and any others who may
be codependents as well.
The Addictive Personality by Craig Nakken is a
wonderful resource. For more information about addictions and addictive
behavior, you may contact ADACO at 732-367-5515 or the Plumsted Township
Alcohol And Drug Alliance at 758-0399.
Submitted by Robin
Witkowski |
