What is Addiction?

Let’s cut to the chase. People use drugs because they like them. There’s a lot to like. (Hey, we’re not supposed to say that, right?) Are we enabling or promoting drug use when we say it? Absolutely not. We’re simply stating a truth. Drugs feel good and satisfy personal needs and desires. For example, to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. To provide fun, excitement, and recreation. To connect socially. To free up imaginative thinking. Hey, what’s not to like? (We’ll get to that shortly.)

We know from psychology that people tend to repeat rewarding behaviors that give them pleasure or provide relief from pain (classical conditioning). Drugs fall in the category of highly rewarding behaviors. That explains why the people who use them can begin to feel very strong and repeated urges to keep coming back for more and more. They are seeking the benefits. It’s also why highly rewarding behaviors have the potential to become addictive. Not everyone likes the same highly rewarding behaviors, but those who like a particular one of them want more of it. Other examples of highly rewarding behaviors include gaming, gambling, and using social media.

There’s another force of nature that pushes people toward increased use of drugs. It’s called tolerance. As our bodies adjust and learn to accommodate to the drugs we are using, we develop what is known as tolerance and need increasing amounts of them to attain the same effect. We want those benefits. Our instincts and desire for pleasure or relief from pain push us ever forward toward more use of drugs.

You could say the human brain seems to be wired for addiction. Helping our clients understand this and the specific reasons they use drugs (Challenge Two) helps them make sense of their experiences and why they have been doing what they’ve been doing. The explanation of drug use as a type of highly rewarding behavior can help reduce shame. It’s important because when people feel ashamed of themselves, they often keep their problems secret and can’t bring them out in the open. We want to do everything we can to help our clients feel safe enough with us to talk openly and honestly about their lives (Challenge One).

Well now, here’s what not to like about drugs (the buzz kill). As drug use escalates, so do the risks and potential harm to those who indulge (Challenge Three). We all know about this. It’s common knowledge. Awareness of this harm prevents some people from using drugs. It is also what can give pause to escalating use. It stops most people from going to excess. They say, essentially, “This feels good (or great), but I can’t keep doing it. It’s going to cause me problems. I’ve got to slow down or stop.” However, some people don’t put on the brakes. They like the effects so much, or feel the need for drugs so strongly, that they keep on seeking them and overlook the potential for harm.

So, why do some folks pay attention to the harm and potential harm while others override this concern? Why do some people hold back, and others don’t? What gives some individuals the strength to resist the temptation to always feel good right now? This is the key to drug prevention and offers valuable clues with regard to drug counseling. I attribute this to two key factors:

1. Having opportunities and learning skills so they can have pleasure and satisfy their needs in other ways besides using drugs. In other words, they don’t need drugs. They may like them but don’t feel a need for them.
2. Having goals that are very important to them and recognizing the ways in which short-term pleasure (such as problematic drug use) can interfere with attaining their long-term goals.

These factors help explain why we at The Seven Challenges take a holistic approach to drug prevention and drug counseling.

What is Drug Prevention?

Drug prevention is really holistic health promotion, supplemented with an understanding of drug use. Of course, understanding drugs is important, but prevention of drug problems is more than that.

• To the extent that we empower people with opportunities to thrive and teach them life skills to meet their needs and have joyful and satisfying lives without drugs, they will be less likely to need and rely on drugs.
• To the extent we inspire people to establish meaningful aspirations and goals and prepare them for success, they will be less likely to use drugs in a way that could derail their plans for the future.

What is Drug Counseling?

Once people are addicted or have a strong compulsion to use drugs, it can be extremely hard to resist urges. We help clients learn strategies to resist urges and provide them with individualized support. But drug counseling is more than that. It is holistic life counseling that incorporates the work on drugs.

• To decide to quit or set a new limit on their drug use (Challenge Six), we have to inspire clients to believe they have a possibility of a better future (Challenge Five).
• To the extent we inspire clients to establish meaningful and compelling life goals and empower them with skills to succeed, they will be better able to meet their needs without relying on drugs and resist urges to use them in excess of the limits they have set (Challenge Seven).

That’s it in a nutshell.