fluffyflea

Hi All

Can someone give me some insight on the iceberg theory?

Thanx Earthworm

Titanic

Google the iceberg theory of addiction. Hit the Images tab. It's the top left pic-illustration.

Titanic

I'll upload pic later. The theory is that the addictions are just the obvservable tip of a massive "underwater" emotional iceberg. The addictions can be switched or compounded. The "underwater" behemoth is all the "stinking thinking" or "isms" or "addictive personality traits" that show up as addictions above the surface.

Larnie

I just did this with my therapist this week...had never heard of it before. Interesting how many things "under" the water pointed directly to the things "above" the water

Titanic

Some of the things underwater can assist in the flourishing of the addiction while others are core elements. An A doesn't necessarily have to have the non-core traits.

suki44883

Hypatia

The iceberg theory supports the view of alcoholism and addiction as a symptom rather than a disease. Focusing solely on symptoms without identifying and treating the root cause usually results in a worsening condition. That would explain the high rate of relapses or substitution of one addiction for another. Only once the underlying problems are identified and treated is there real hope of recovery.

Titanic

So, if the cause in a particular person were purely genetic, does that mean that the underwater stuff would develop merely as a tool in assistance of the addiction?

Hypatia

Genetics can only show a predisposition towards any particular condition. And a predisposition does not mean that a person must end up with that condition or illness or disease.

I cannot imagine how alcohol addiction could happen without some other underlying problem. Unlike other substances, alcohol does not immediately create a physical addiction with the first use.

Recognise as well that not all the behaviours shown on the lower part of the iceberg are necessarily bad. Many of these same traits lead people to do great deeds resulting in very positive results for themselves and humanity.

Titanic

Yes, tools can be used for doing good or not. On the other hand, some tools or "core" elements do not have any redemptive quality. For example, lying and dishonesty ... right?

JayP

Hence the word "some".

Carol Star

wow......interesting

Hypatia

If you'd like to get into a more philosophical discussion, then I'd be happy to show how lying and dishonesty can easily have redemptive qualities. Depends on what you're lying about, and to whom. Consider where I currently live and I'm certain that a few historical examples will quickly come to mind.

Titanic

I agree. I only was referring to the use of those tools in the hands of an active or early recovery A. Consider my post to include that qualifier!

Hypatia

Sorry, but even active alcoholics and those in early recovery may lie "redemptively". You have to stop thinking in absolute terms. We say that active alcoholics are obsessed with drinking, which is quite true. But they also often manage to hold jobs and deal with things other than just drinking, which could lead to lying about something to someone for a very good reason with positive results.

Titanic

Ok, they may have one of their "terminally unique" exceptions - but is it worth the use when their other 99.9% have devastating results for their families?

Is it worth their getting on the "slip"pery slope? That's one of the many reasons we were taught not to tell "white lies."

Is the risk of losing the A's own sobriety even worth a lying "slip?"

sugarbear1

lying is one of many defense mechanisms....

fluffyflea

UUUuuuummmmm defence mechanism? never thought of it that way before......please do elaborate on that?????

LifeRecovery

I can't speak for sugarbear1, but I have used lying by omission a lot as a defense mechanism. I did it so I was never vulnerable and never had my cards on the table. My intent was not to "lie" necessarily, but I certainly was not telling mytruth. As a result I was not being authentic and I was trying to tell "others" what I thought they wanted to hear. For me that was often about keeping the peace and not rocking the boat.

I relate personally very much to the iceburg theory. This particular picture was taken from a book on eating disorders of which I feel grateful to be in recovery from.

It was only when I started to work on the chunks underneath that I finally started to heal the behaviors up above. This post has opened a lot of thoughts for me on the difference between "substance" dependance and food dependance in its many shapes and forms and I appreciate that.

FireSprite

~bump~