Why our approach to addiction is all wrong and how to find the real cure.

How we treat addiction is completely backwards Punishing and isolating addicts is not the way to cure them.

Addiction is just a symptom of a deeper problem.

We want to bond to something and when we can’t bond with other people, and we disconnect from ourselves, then we bond with substance.

So the key to curing addiction is to learn to bond with ourselves.

This can be challenging because if we have addiction, we are unable to sit with ourselves in the present.

Sometimes addiction is sneaky, it can come in the form of codependency, being addicted to work, and not the most obvious symptoms of addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Addiction is a chronic disconnect from God.

I want to talk about two experiments that have taken place addressing addiction.

One was called the Skinner box experiment. This is where rats were confined to a small area, with very little stimulation. In the box was a lever where when they press it they would be injected with morphine.

This gives a lot of power to drugs, where when we take the power back and realize we are not diseased, we are just disconnected, and the answer is inside of us.

Rat Park Bruce Alexander

The rats could drink One of two water dispensers. One was a morphine solution, and the other was plain tap water.

So if we learn how to connect to ourselves and stay there, we can overcome addiction. It takes much practice, but with support, it’s so possible.

Podcast (thrivepodcast): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS