About Addiction - It comes down to control

The Addiction Continuum: It's Not the Same for Everyone

The attached article, "The Addiction Continuum," offers an elucidating view of why quitting is so hard for some and easier for others. It posits that addiction exists on a spectrum of severity.

Comparing a person with a mild addiction to one who is severely addicted is like comparing a runner wearing a light backpack to a runner carrying a sack of cement blocks. For those on the severe end of the spectrum, the drug fits their brain like a "lock and key," eroding the neural connections required for self-control.

The Core Issue: Controlling the Uncontrollable

Despite these biological differences, the psychological core of addiction remains the same: trying to control the uncontrollable.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, compares the impaired self-control in addiction to "driving a car without brakes." The addict often believes they are still in the driver's seat, thinking, "I can take it or leave it." But as Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards noted in his memoir, "The taking of it is easy, the leaving of it hard."

Addiction is a disease that tells you that you don't have a disease. It tricks you into believing you can manage the substance, when in reality, the substance is managing you.

The "Bus" Metaphor: Why Moderation Fails

Because the brain's "brakes" are failing, there is no middle ground for the severe addict. As the article states, "You are either on the bus or off the bus."

You cannot have one foot on the bus (using "just a little") and one foot off (trying to recover). The bus only goes in one direction: toward more usage. Recognizing this powerlessness over the drug and letting go of the illusion of control is central to recovery.

Putting Addiction in "Cold Storage"

The good news is that the brain is plastic; it can heal. If you don't use your drug, the wound closes. The addiction does not necessarily disappear, but it goes into "cold storage" where it belongs.

It lies dormant, unable to hurt you, as long as it stays locked away. It only comes back out when you take that first drink, drug, or smoke. As the Irish writer Brendan Behan famously said, "One drink is too many for me and a thousand not enough."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/widening-the-lens/202302/the-addiction-continuum?eml