RedSoxGirl

hey everyone,

I was thinking on my dog and I's nightly walk that I need to think of addiction not as this phantom sad thing that happens, but an actual tangible thing that can be battled. And it came to me: addiction for me is a zombie. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe it's the season, maybe I watch too much The Walking Dead, or maybe it's just crazy enough to make sense. When you think about it - Addiction steals the person you know and turns them into a lumbering shell of a person, who would never do something they would do normally (at least my xabf wouldn't try to eat someone). It causes these people to attack "healthy" people, try to drain them, and eventally convert them to their crazy existence.

The way I came to this was what is the root cause of my xabf's addiction - his abuse as a child. Ok, he was abused, we know where the feelings of self loathing started. So if, like a zombie, you "remove the head or destroy the brain", (attack the root causes of his feelings of self loathing), would that in essence at least HELP kill the zombie that is addiction? Granted he'll want to use because he's an addict, I get it, but if he's really ready to make a change like he claims, I would think that dealing with the root cause will at least get you on the right track - sure there will be other zombies who will come after you - and you can deal with those as they come, but at least the one that's right on your tail at this moment isn't.

Or I could be over thinking it.

allforcnm

Id say that was a valuable walk with you dog; good insights. I agree, its what basically what happens to the addict. I know my husband did things he never would have done... never ever -if he had been in his right mind. He was taught in therapy to look for the root cause, explore the reasons why... I think it is a lot like chopping the head off... a person can heal and hopefully have the strength they need to maintain a lasting recovery. If you don't get to the root cause, there is still emotional damage / pain that is always calling out for a fix.

Twofish

Hi RSG, I like how you describe an addict, like a zombie and I don't think your nuts or too far off base on this one. Addiction robs people of being people. It's selfish and after blood(DOC) Addicts do crazy, stupid and dangerous things. There can be many roots to why a person turns into an addict, the cure is not to blow their heads off but to have them desire sobriety and stay away from the triggers and of course most need detox, therapy and tons of support. Good thread RSG, I'm proud you got off the zombie roller coaster! TF

MLJ88

RSG- this was a really good analogy. My AH reminds me of a zombie right now, hes not at all himself that he once was, and he walks around in a haze with a one track mind (like zombies). It sad really to think about how addiction has changed them into these people that we don't know anymore. Its sad because I know somewhere underneath it all- my husband still exists.

I also think that you are right- the need to get to the root cause. There is a reason why they do what they do with drugs and why we don't. I think therapy is a huge way to help one stay sober.

BeavsDad

I was just telling someone yesterday after watching the show that they should get the zombies hooked on meth.
Zombies with no appetite and teeth rotting out of their heads would be much easier to deal with.

KeepinItReal

You can get trapped trying to find the "root cause". A lot of the time the addict/zombie doesn't know what it is.
I'm a recovering addict, and honestly, I don't know what my root cause for using drugs was. I liked to escape reality. Yet, someone distinguished there is a type 1 and type 2 addict. I liked that theory. Now, that i'm sober, even though things were really hard, I feel free. I think I liked freedom more than escaping reality. I was also able to keep my addiction a secret from many, many people. I think I went through so much hell as an addict, I forgot why I was trying to escape! Does that make sense??
Yes, addicts are like zombies!

Chino

I've been calling it "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

It's an older sci fi movie.

RedSoxGirl

It's so strange - I really do truly think there is a path that we are all given before we're sent down here (I don't believe in "God" but I believe in a celestial being and strongly in past lives), and our addicts are sadly given one path to learn, and we are given another. Case in point: I was severly emotionally and physically abused by my father my entire life, and sexually abused by both my father and much older cousin from the age of 4-16. You can't throw a rock without hitting someone on my father's side with some sort of addiction, and my maternal grandmother developed alcoholism when she was in her late 60's early 70's. By all accounts I should be like one of the ladies on the downtown eastside here in Vancouver, prostituting, addicted or generally a headcase, but for some reason, I'm (relatively) healthy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a full on fan of therapy, but I'm not addicted by any means to ANYTHING and in fact have never tried any drugs, and even when they were prescribed, I never took anything harder then a T3.

I think it also comes down to how you were raised though...I was raised by a mom that had NO idea anything was going on (she knew my father was mean but didn't know all the other stuff, because we didn't tell her), and she raised my sister and I to be very strong, assertive women. Takes a lot to hurt our feelings. Whereas my xabf is extremely sensitive, was abused once and it has shaped and defined him for 30 years...

Life you're a tricky bugger aren't you?

overit263

I have thought about this many times too, while walking my dog as well, and while watching Walking Dead. I guess it's easier with zombies if you didn't know the zombie before they became one.