Currently, in West Texas, there are many thousands of people who suffer from varying forms of addictions including alcohol, drugs both legal and illegal, sex, pornography, gambling, internet gaming, tobacco, and religious addictions. These addicted people cover the entire spectrum of the social and economic strata: from every race, creed, and color to every level of economic success or failure. Manifold addictions exist from the poorest ghetto district to the most luxurious of neighborhoods.  

Why are addictions so commonplace and why do they seem to be increasing? I believe the primary causes of addiction are root emotional issues emanating from wounding received earlier in our lives. When I say earlier, it may mean all the way back to our childhood or post-childhood, adolescence and/or early adulthood. By wounding, I am referring to recurrent similar situations in which we have suffered deep psychic and/or emotional pain. The most enduring and powerful wounding are the kind of wounds received via multiple emotional and physical channels in a single or similar recurring incident. Each time a similar incident is experienced; the wounding is fortified and deepened so that the pain experienced by the individual is made worse to the point where some kind of relief is required either on a conscious or subconscious level. Addictions are an attempt to self-medicate ourselves to provide an albeit temporary relief from these internally felt wounds that provoke our internal pain or misery.

An essential understanding of addiction includes knowing that: 

1)      Addicts will almost invariably tell you that they do not have a problem or that they can quit at any time. This is probably the most insidious factor in the nature of addiction as it prevents the addict from initiating and/or continuing in treatment. This is called “denial” and it is a very common factor.

2)      Addictive behavior, no matter what type, will generally require greater and higher amounts of whatever is fueling the addiction to gain the optimal effect because of the physical acclimation to the behavior or substance requires ever-increasing amounts to achieve the same effect.

3)      No only are greater amounts required as time goes on, but we are also able to observe a higher frequency of the addictive behavior also because of the body and mind’s acclimation.

4)      Generally speaking, the more the behavior continues, the more the addict requires the addictive behavior in order to even begin to feel normal.

5)      Addicts who are under the control of the above-mentioned forms of addictions and others will generally and most frequently not be able to stop until they hit rock bottom. In many cases, this means they have lost most of their financial assets and resources. In some cases it may mean they have lost their homes, their families and/or their livelihood.

6)      The path up from addiction is grueling and challenging.  Many times relapsing is a part of the recovery process.