Addictions and Compulsive Behavior

Addictions and compulsions are destructive behaviors that an individual acquires as a method of coping with the pressures of life. Some addictions are genetic and passed down through biological families. Alcohol and drug addictions are examples of genetic conditions. Other addictions can be linked to survival reactions in response to family trauma. Sex addictions and eating disorders can have roots in emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Addictions such as overwork, gambling, overspending, smoking and compulsive exercise are often survival or maladaptive responses to unresolved trauma.

Whatever the origins, all addictions and compulsions share the same criteria. The following is a descriptive outline of addiction thought and behavior patterns that overpower a person’s life. The criterion can be used for understanding and evaluating an addiction or compulsive behavior.

Fantasy:
All addictions and compulsions involve fantasy. If an addiction or a compulsion does not divert a person’s mind from reality, it’s not worth doing. For the addicted person, life’s stresses often feel overwhelming or unbearable. Fantasy is a part of survival in that it allows mental escape from pressures and becomes the catalyst for the addictive actions.

Medicates Emotions:
When a person takes part in an addictive or compulsive behaviors, their feelings are altered. The medication of emotions in this context refers to the temporary relief of stress and the creation of happier or a euphoric set of feelings. At times the behavior temporally quiets the chaos of the mind. For a time life feels better.

False Sense of Control of Life:
One of the lies of an addiction is that it helps us control our lives. All lives have stress and at times, life feels out of control. For the addict, addiction or compulsive acting out becomes one of the first and only behaviors that they turn to relieve the stress and regain control. Other alternatives are discounted as having little or no affect on their unique stress situations.

Self Nurturing:
The power of any addiction and compulsion includes the fact that the behavior is self-nurturing. Self-nurturing actions are self-administered. The allure for the addict is that they control the nurturing. Self-nurturing involving addictions and compulsions means that the addict can decide the timing of the action, the amount of substance or behavior, the mix of substance or behavior and the amount of stress that is allowed to build before indulging. This self-nurturing emotional buildup creates enhanced feelings of euphoria.

Self Destructive:
All addictions and compulsions have a strong component of self-destruction. This appears to be contrary to the nurturing part of addiction. Addictions produce strong experiences of guilt, embarrassment, violation of personal values and broken promises to self and others. This results in self-hatred and self-hatred creates a need to be punished. When an addict feels self-hate, they will often indulge in the same addictive actions to quiet the shame. This results in more self-destructive behavior and increased shame.

Addictions and compulsive behavior are serious and some are fatal. All addictions and compulsions lead to the spiritual, emotional, physical and social destruction of the addict.I offer counseling help and resource material for those who have been affected by addictions, compulsive behavior and family trauma. This website provides a resource page and counseling contact information to help with addictions and compulsive behavior.