Originally Posted by
Obladi 
Not sure I 100% agree with this and here's why:
When I was a tiny tot, under six years of age, I vividly remember my mother offering me a choice during an asthma attack. "Would you like to take the medicine? I know it makes you feel terrible." My little inside brain was secretly thinking, "Oh yes, I kind of really like the awful wired feeling that stuff gives me." And my outside little self would say fake-reluctantly reply, "Yes, I'll take the medication."
The medication was Tedral, which contained:
Theophyllyne - which is a combination of a couple of refined plant-derived caffeines
Ephedrine
Phenobarbitol
Now I suppose I could've been learning to control my feelings at such a tender age with these substances, but I'm pretty skeptical about that idea. Though I'm certain I was an extremely sensitive young thing, I'm almost as sure that I hadn't been scarred yet. What I think is that I enjoyed the buzz and somehow knew (or picked up from my mom) that enjoying it was "wrong."
To answer to OP's question, of course I had absolutely no idea where I was headed then!
Interesting that you mentioned asthma. I never thought of it, but I took meds at that earlier age as well for asthma. And yes it did make me feel better. In fact even today I will take a puff off my inhaler before I go for my bike ride. I can breath easier- I feel better.
While my original post was meant for adults it does apply to children and research has shown even the sea slug. In 2000 Eric Kandell won a Nobel Prize with his work on Sea Slugs, demonstrating that both humans and Sea Slugs seek rewards. Trigger - Behavior- Reward. I'm not saying Sea Slugs have feelings, but they do seek reward. It's humans that give meaning to their rewards.
In my view, that is the antidote to over coming any addiction. Seek and LEARN healthy meaningful rewards of real value to you. Replace the quick fixes and mood changers of chemicals with healthy behaviors that
empower you to regain control over your feelings. Addictions really are reward based learning. After all, you can't get addicted to a substance unless you have learned it does something for you! Otherwise you would not know what liquor to buy! lol.
On this Christmas day, I have to wonder, where do we get our values and purpose? Do we get them from ourself (internal) others-society (external) or (eternal) the wisdom found in the Bible? And no, you don't need God to have values. Worse yet, have we lost our values and purpose and now get them from objects of attachment, the false idols of substances and other corrupt behaviors? To be the right person, we must think, feel and behave congruent with our deepest moral and spiritual values. If we don't have values and purpose in life find them. If we have lost them, find them again.
When your values trump your addiction, there is no addiction.
