addiction

Hypothesis: What if addiction isn't curable because it's not a disease or a condition - rather it is a symptom of not dealing with undesirable emotions and being oblivious to self-destructive behaviours.

Observation: I don't think it's possible to have a life without negative emotions - but if we are either never taught (or never learn) how to face or process emotions (either positive or negative) then most of us defer or suppress them. And then the mechanism of deference or depression becomes a behaviour. And somewhere in there we might call it an addiction. Or perhaps we would simply call the person with those behaviours an addict.

Observation: I believe that being oblivious is also a part of it - it is hard to accurately self-diagnose if you don't recognize something is bad for you. Nobody willingly eats poison ... but if someone is introduced to something that is defined as desirable ... which is later revealed to be bad: most of us would hold onto the illusion it is not.

Observation: I think this is more often the case amongst people who either lie to themselves or lie about themselves to others: if you are trying to be accountable and maintain the consistency of a facade, you are far more likely to ignore evidence that you are wrong.

Mitigation: So, what can you do?

* Take a real, earnest look at your identity

* Improve at least one element

* Recognize you need accountability

Execution:

Nobody is beyond redemption - though you may feel you are. Identify the core attributes of your current identity and select at least one that should change.

Having selected it, designate behaviours and thought-life that will reinforce this change. It could be as simple as changing the route you drive home from work or changing how you spend your quiet time.

Lastly, recognize you are fallible and loop someone you care about in your change. Give them as many details as you can (the more details, the more likely the change will be lasting).