zerothehero

This was maybe posted here before, but it's worth another post: The opposite of addiction is connection

FreeOwl

that's a good article and insightful and informative.

I think it's also dangerous.

The notion that addiction is only an issue of isolation can lead us addicts to the 'logical' conclusion that we can simply keep on drinking as long as we have 'connections'.

Hey... there are connections at the BAR!!

I can be around others at the PARTY!!!

I can definitely say that isolation played a part in my own addiction. A sense of loneliness pervaded my drinking - yet I had lots of friends, lots of 'connection', lots of people in my life who cared about me.

So - yes.... isolation is a deadly thing for those of us with addiction. But I don't think it's quite as simple as "Just put the rat back into a cage with other rats and he will no longer use coke".

It's more complex than that. What if lots of the OTHER rats are also using coke? What if seemingly ALL the rats are drinking? What if a significant portion of the rats have become physically and psychologically addicted to the booze?

While isolation certainly plays a big part - we cannot discount the very real and obvious factors of the substance itself and all of the other social, physical and psychological dimensions that are interwoven with isolation in the addictive yarnball.

FreeOwl

also the notion that it's "not a chemical hook" is dangerous and not factual. There is clear research supporting the repeatable, demonstrable process of chemical addiction.

BlissWithin

sorry but I don't buy this theory at all, I don't think having a hundred friends would cure my alcoholism or make me moderate...

zerothehero

I agree it's not all one or the other, and it is more complex, but he's onto something, and I think it is related to trauma as much as it is related to isolation. And I have certainly felt lonely in a crowded bar. Isolation is more complex than whether or not we are with people. Lack of connection can have many causes and many dynamics. Also, could people be neurologically predisposed due to lack of connection? Lastly, if one person can consume the same amount of a drug for the same number of years as another and one becomes an addict while the other does not, does this not suggest that the chemical hook only happens to certain people? And why is that? It is a yarnball...

Fusion

No, I don't agree with Johan Hari at all. As I grew up, developed a career and a family, I had enormous connection with people, family, friends, neighbour's, colleagues etc., I was very sociable and drank at happy occasions and taught my brain that alcohol could increase happiness. When I hit a less happy period, my brain automatically stepped in to assist me and suggested that I drink to alleviate stress etc.

Then as I drank too much, for too long and my brain adapted and considered alcohol as essential for my wellbeing, which was maladaptive for me, but an automatic function for my brain.

In medieval times, folks worried about being secretly poisoned to death, so they imbibed increasingly small amounts of the then known poisons, so they built a tolerance. That is how the body works, it's an automatic defence system, which sadly turns against us in the case of alcohol.

The only reason I eventually isolated from the so-called rat park, is because I drank so much, for so long, that I was unable to join in with the previous sociable gatherings that I enjoyed, before my brain became addicted to alcohol - as a cure all. Drinking too much alcohol is the great isolator, in my experience, not the other way round. My rat park was wonderful, yet I still became addicted to alcohol, due to my brain.

I began drinking to accentuate my happy feelings and ended up drinking to stave off my unhappy feelings (caused by drinking too much) until I drank to stave off the withdrawals (raised blood pressure and heart rate) each day. It was a nightmare, but thankfully I found SR and then Secular Connecgions and learnt RR AVRT.

Alan6154

In my professional life there are chemicals that people over time develop an allergy to. At first nothing then weeks later breathing issues and a welt or rash on the skin. After that happens some can be away from it for months and if they come merely in the vicinity of it they break out again. Some it doesn't affect at all as long as they're wearing the proper PPE. I believe alcohol is like this also only it manifest itself differently. Different chemical, different reaction. Some people claim they knew they were an alcoholic the first time they drank. Others (Like me) gradually drank more and more often with greater and greater quantities until my body thought it was normal and depended on it. The bad part is it convinced my mind of the same thing. Here's to breaking the chains!!! Ice Tea only please if your cheersing..

jacktryingagain

there is a ted talk baout that

i think its everything you thought about addiction is wrong ,, or something like that
look it up its very good

zerothehero

That's the TED Talk linked to the article I posted.