ActiveRecovery

It usually starts with a bit of 'innocent' experimentation, we try our first drink or drug or we get our first hit of dopamine from playing an online game or doing online shopping. We feel great, suddenly all our problems seem to disappear for a while and so we choose to keep doing the thing that makes us feel good. At some point an invisible line is crossed an that power of choice disappears and we become addicted. We no longer have control over whether or not to use the drug or the behaviour, we simply have to use it.

Once we've crossed over into active addiction there is no going back to 'casually' using that substance or behaviour. Our brains will forever be wired to become dependent on that substance or behaviour once its reintroduced, even after years of abstinence.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are more than 300 million people worldwide affected by substance use dependence. Addiction is rife and the numbers are growing year on year. For all the advances in behavioural and neuro science we still don't fully understand what causes addiction.

We know that it is characterised by a dependence upon a substance or behaviour despite negative consequences. What we don't seem to be sure of is exactly what causes it. Some experts believe its a disease/ mental illness, some believe it to be a maladaptive response to trauma, others believe it to be genetic and therefore hereditary. Some call it a spiritual disease. There are even those who still believe it to be the consequence of a moral failure and poor life choices.

Perhaps it is a combination of several factors. Whatever the underlying cause may be the fact of the matter is that once we cross that line into active addiction a sh*tstorm generally follows that requires radical intervention. Of far more importance to me is to help those of us who are afflicted to figure out how to get into recovery and to stay there.

What this definition fails to mention is the tolerance that we build up for these substances and behaviours over time so we need to use them more and more. Eventually they stop working and that's when we really start to suffer.