Have you ever just looked at someone, maybe it was because of something they were doing, and thought…
What in the world is going through their head?
I’m sure we have almost all experienced this at some point, and I’m sure there has been more than a few times where someone could have looked at us and thought the same thing.
As someone on the outside of addiction – you might easily find yourself asking this question…
What in the world is going through their head?
When you are on the outside looking in, it is much easier to judge, misunderstand, and even question why and how someone could be doing what they are doing. But, until you have truly been in their position, it is near impossible to actually understand what is going on.
Think of it like this – but on a much more extreme level:
You wake up and you know you will have coffee this morning. It is your morning ritual and you crave it, so, of course, you are going to have some. You get ready and then drive to Starbucks like you always do. You debate if you should actually get some or not because you are already running late and really need to stop spending the extra $5 each day…
But, ultimately, the coffee wins. You love it and you want it. You are already there, so, why not, right?
Now throw in the guilt of not liking who you are when you partake of this substance, but also add in the fact that your brain has literally been rewired to need it. Not just to want it, but to need it.
Okay, so of course, addiction to drugs or alcohol is much more severe than coffee, but you get the point.
Oftentimes, we mistake an addict for just being lazy and not having any willpower. But, once something becomes an addiction, it takes a lot more than willpower to stop it.
Think of how much you crave water once you notice you’re thirsty. It is an unquenchable thirst that only water can cure. Well, the same thing for drugs and alcohol. The addict’s brain has literally developed new pleasure pathways just for this substance, so, they begin to crave it because their body is literally begging for it. Begging.
But, an addict still goes through the phases of “should I actually do this?”, “but, I don’t like who I am when I do this”, “my family will be disappointed”, etc. It is so much more than just them choosing not to get better.