Addiction is more than a substance

The stereotypical image of addiction is a bottle, pills, or a needle filled with some mystery substance. While those substances are certainly included in addiction, that is not the whole picture of what addiction can be. To reduce addiction to the substance or thing someone is addicted to completely misses an understanding of what addiction is.

There is a reason for the addiction. To say someone is addicted to alcohol only because they really like beer is a disservice. Saying someone is addicted to pornography only because they have sexual urges isn’t the whole picture.

My work with clients when it comes to addiction is twofold. It is important to try and curb the behavior, but it cannot end there. Up until coming to therapy, addiction has worked. There has been some pain, some avoidance, something that the addiction, whether it be a substance, sex, or any other number of things has served. This is why people struggle to stop. If the therapeutic work around addiction does not include the deeper of work of what started the addiction in the first place, it won’t work. Perhaps my favorite work with clients is that deeper work. There is nothing like the “aha” that comes from someone finally realizing why alcohol, why pornography, why drugs.