According to Canadian physician Gabor Maté (1), addiction is defined as any behavior that a person feels compelled to engage in because they experience pleasure or relief in the short term, but suffer negative consequences in the long term. Despite the negative consequences, the person feels unable to stop the activity.
Addiction can therefore be to anything from drugs, caffeine, alcohol, gambling, sex, shopping, work, money, food, video games, use of cell phones, and so on.
If you repeatedly experience a craving for any of these things because they give you pleasure or a sense of relief, even though they have negative consequences for your health, relationships, work, energy level, presence, or self-esteem, then it is addiction.
When people are asked what they achieve through their addictive behavior, the answers are:
In other words, all the answers are about relieving pain. This is important for any person. We all need to relieve our pain. And experience the inner peace and freedom that comes with it.
So in other words, it is not addiction that is the real problem. Addiction is an attempt to solve a problem. And the problem has to do with the perception of not being significant enough, not being worthy enough, not having enough control in our lives, experiencing too much pain, too much stress, and anxiety.
These disorders are what addictions relieve. These voids are what addictions temporarily fill.
With this awareness, it makes no sense to see addiction as a choice. Because no one chooses to suffer. (1)
And the important question becomes, what happened in your life that may have created so much suffering, so much inner turmoil, so low self-esteem, so much despair, so little control over your life, that you had to handle it through addiction?
This question – this exploration – is essential to be able to let go of an addiction. When we gain that understanding and express the sorrow and anger that has smoldered in us ever since, we begin to have compassion for ourselves and our life situation. The shame begins to disappear, self-esteem is raised, and the need to numb our pain through addiction automatically decreases.
Getting rid of addiction in this way does not become a struggle but rather a natural consequence of having worked through the underlying pain.
(1) Maté, G 2022, The Myth of Normal, Penguin Random House
There are several studies, where psychedelic therapy is showing good results in reducing addiction. It makes sense considering the emotional, cognitive and spiritual benefits of psychedelic therapy as explained in this article: How Psychedelics Heal our Mind.
