Addiction

Addiction is nothing new, as we can see from the above quotation, in which the biblical writer paints a hauntingly accurate picture of the devastation caused by alcohol addiction. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and addictive behaviors affect every group at every level in our society. In the United States, one out of four people has a parent, child, or sibling who is addicted. The emotional and social damage is immeasurable. Abuse of alcohol and drugs disrupts personal development, relationships, and families, corrupting the very fabric of society. Addiction to nicotine is a problem of massive proportions, and the difficulty of shaking that habit is familiar to millions. Behavioral addictions include pathological gambling and sex and compulsive overeating. Most of us are affected, directly or indirectly, by addiction or its consequences on others.

Our knowledge of the biology of addiction has grown tremendously in recent years. We have learned that the addicted brain does not function normally and that it is impossible to separate the brain's biological function from a person's psychology and will. Clinicians who treat addiction know that there is no one perspective or approach that is correct. Recovery for addicted people and their families involves physical healing, behavioral changes, relational reconciliation, and psychological and spiritual growth. This book brings those various aspects together to provide the reader with a useful working understanding of the problem of addiction and a basis for continued learning.

Denial is a psychological defense mechanism that is found almost universally in people with addiction. Denial is responsible for a lot of the confusion that abounds in trying to answer the question "Am I an addict?" or "Is my (spouse, child, parent) an addict?" Denial is a person's ability to ignore negative consequences in order to be able to continue to use the substance in question. It is ironic that this characteristic sign of addiction is probably what causes the most problems with diagnosis in the day-today clinical setting.

Identifying the exact point at which the use of a substance constitutes an addiction ought to be easy, but it is not. Confusion arises because we are limited to observing and describing behaviors, when what we are really trying to define involves a change in the way the brain functions as a result of exposure to an addicting substance. It's the same problem that appears in the story of the three blind men and the elephant. One man feels the elephant's ears and concludes that the creature is broad, thin, and waving like a leaf in the wind. Another feels the elephant's trunk and believes that he is touching something long and sinuous, like a snake. The third feels the elephant's leg, and notes that it is chunky and sturdy, resembling the trunk of a tree. All three are correct, but none has discovered the true nature of the elephant. Addiction is a complicated condition, with biological, physiological, psychological, behavioral, and spiritual aspects. For this reason it is best to think of alcoholism and drug addiction as multifaceted disorders, only one of which is the compulsive use of the addicting substance.