Three wise men. Three stooges. Three ring circus.
Many things come in threes and in the world of addiction, we see this time and time again. For example, it is not uncommon for a heroin addict to also have a food, gambling or sex addiction. Someone who is addicted to painkillers is likely to have sexual impulsivity or an addiction to money. Why does it come in threes? It has to do with symmetry, a spiritual component and the good vs. evil different parts of us. Depending on one’s drug of choice, it taps into a certain part of the brain. We know that there are physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental and spiritual forces at play when it comes to addiction.
Addicts are people who have a craving they cannot meet on their own. They feel uncomfortable in their very own skin so their drug use or behavior gives them an outlet to escape their reality. It’s usually a combination of drugs, gambling, sex, codependent relationships, love, or food; all part of fulfilling the urge for the temporary high. Multiple addictions can feed into one another, or even mask the other because of the shame felt with the first addiction.
Is there a solution? Yes, but it takes work.
Nothing can ever really fill the void if the addict is not willing to achieve emotional sobriety. They have to be willing to recognize something is wrong and take cognitive steps in overcoming the behaviors.
If you have a thought, those are followed by feelings and the feelings are followed by the behavior and then outcomes. The addict must change the thought that’s igniting the feeling. The addict can overcome his or her addictions by associating themselves with a healthy environment. This includes attending group therapy regularly, support meetings, meetings with sponsors, recovery-oriented activities, and keeping the addict occupied with the right people, places and things to do. It’s the same expression we hear, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Addicts must face the underlying issues that caused them to use in the first place and take the right steps to keep them from using again.
