Conditioning
“Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases.”
Adopted by the ASAM Board of Directors September 15, 2019 (ASAM Definition of Addiction)
Why is this important for the discussion around re-conditioning, un-conditioning, or anything relating to resetting of the mind and brain circuits? Using the definition above, addiction has been prevalent for as long as humans have existed. Early on, we would hunt for food for survival, regardless of the risk. We reproduced off spring to continue evolution, without really knowing the risks of raising future generations. Today, we have more opportunities for many different addictions; we do not classify them as such, however.
Addiction has often been linked with drug abuse or use of illicit substances in one form or another. In reality, everything we do could be classified as an addiction. Sex, drugs, gambling, eating, internet, gaming, or anything that meets the criteria above. Compulsive and despite harmful consequences is where I choose to focus.
As mentioned in a prior post, we are conditioned from the moment we enter the world when we must breathe to live. From here on, we are taught to crawl, walk, run, use the bathroom, eat, reproduce, take a pill for that, and many other lifelong activities. Any one of these can become an addiction if we let it overtake our minds.
David J. Linden wrote a book called The Compass of Pleasure that is worth the read if you are interested in more detail from a not-so-technical approach.
Dr. Jane Genovese writes in a recent post, “An addiction is something you enjoy doing in the short term but ultimately, it undermines your wellbeing in the long term – but you do it compulsively anyway. Unlike substance addictions, social media addiction is a more respectable kind of addiction. It’s totally normalised. Lots of people spend significant amounts of time on social media and no one says, “I think you have an addiction . . . I think you need help”. (http://learningfundamentals.com.au/how-i-took-control-of-my-life-by-deleting-my-social-media-accounts/). I recommend as a quick read.
In today’s connected world, I am not sure we can completely cut the cords, although I have seriously thought about it. Reality says we need balance with our activities and that is where I believe re-conditioning or un-conditioning can help us.
Eat, enjoy reproduction, check e-mail or social media, imbibe in whatever it is you choose, but have balance and learn to recognize when it is becoming addictive.
Please comment or share your perspective. If you would like a more in-depth session around how to find balance, please reach out to me directly at todd.sergot@energypractioner.org
Enjoy the journey.