“What is addiction, really? It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It is a language that tells us about a plight that must be understood.”
– (Psychologist Alice Miller).
The underlying message of this quote points to a significant truth about both substance abuse and addiction. These behaviors are a symptom of deeper-rooted problems. Over the past several decades, the disease model of addiction and lack of understanding of the mind-body connection kept those who struggled limited to talk therapy and coping and relapse prevention skills which are helpful especially in a crisis, or as a jump start to recovery. However, without getting to the roots that produce the unhealthy fruit, and a belief that complete restoration is possible, the outcomes are not likely to change.
In the first seven years of working with women at Pathway Home, a residential recovery home, I witnessed seventy percent of the ladies breaking completely free of their previous lifestyles of addiction as if they had never struggled to begin with. Through the uniquely created program, women found their God-given identity, healing of the heart, and purpose in their pain. They struggled with addiction, worked through recovery to restoration and left that old “in recovery” identity behind. Although there are many phases to healing and restoration, there are two I want to highlight.
Long before anyone reaches the point of addiction or dependence on a substance, there are clear signals that our unconscious mind sends through emotions to warn us to pay attention. The result of substance abuse/addiction is the attempt to resolve hurt and pain without facing it, understanding it, or acknowledging that it even exists. It is first a dis-ease of the soul that leads to a change in the brain. The soul is that unique part of us that encompasses our identity and personhood. The conscious and subconscious thoughts, emotions, and willpower are held captive to the drug of choice, and it becomes a toxic relationship with the substance.
Thanks to new insights from neuroscience there is evidence that the brain has neuroplasticity or the ability for the brain to create new neural pathways of response through growth and learning. So, although there may be a biological disposition to addiction, no one is powerless over it. What we are powerless over is what we are unaware of below the surface of the conscious mind.
According to neuroscience, this unconscious and subconscious area fuels at least ninety-five percent of our choices, behaviors, and actions. However, we are designed with the ability to explore the depths of our being through intentional focus, reflection, and meditation to unlock the information below the surface. What we find below the surface is a root system of beliefs, a mixture of truth and lies that grew out of the seeds of our experiences and relationships.
We can’t change what we don’t see, so as we begin to see the roots, they lose their power over us, and we are able to create new pathways of a healthy response. I often tell my clients their reactions to use are like a well-worn trail through the woods that becomes the easiest path to take when they are triggered, or stressed, but it never brings them out where they want to be on the other side. It leads them right into the enemy’s camp…fear! Now we have to create a new path by chopping down some trees, clearing all the debris, and walking it repeatedly until it becomes the easiest path – the one that leads them out into their freedom!
One big question we have to ask is, “who are you?” Most mind-altering substances give a boost of confidence, a sense of having a superpower, and/or a comfortable feeling of peace, belonging, and connection, especially if with a group of others under the influence. The overflow of dopamine that is supposed to flow in a healthy connection with God to fill us with our desires to be loved, comforted, accepted, and value is now being used in a toxic relationship with a substance. It overflows outside the intentional boundaries like a river that floods the land and destroys what grows there. This illusion of identity and satisfaction fades, however, with the grip of dependence.
In addition, research shows that often people get stuck at the emotional age when they begin heavy use. There is a deep need for inner healing of heart and maturity in the spirit to enlighten them to their God-given identity. Despite the flood, there is a well, a deep reservoir of promise and potential. This deep inner work is complemented by the practical skills of learning Emotional Intelligence, effective communication, and conflict resolution skills.
There is no quick fix or magic formula, but after eleven years of practicing some out-of-the-box interventions, I have seen great success for those who are open to God and His healing power – those who are truly committed to the transformation process. This is really good news for those who are struggling or stuck in what they believed was an “incurable disease.”