Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disorder that involves intricate connections between brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and a person's life experiences. Addicts utilize substances or participate in obsessive behaviors, which they frequently continue despite negative consequences. Many, but not all, people begin using drugs or engaging in an activity voluntarily. Addiction, on the other hand, can take over and impair self-control. People suffering from addiction lose control over their activities. They want and pursue drugs, alcohol, or other substances at any cost, even destroying friendships, harming family, or losing employment. A healthy brain encourages healthy behaviors such as exercise, eating, and socializing with loved ones. It accomplishes this by activating brain circuits that make you feel great, urging you to repeat those activities.
On the other hand, when you're in danger, a healthy brain prompts your body to react rapidly with dread or alarm, allowing you to escape from harm's path. If you're tempted to do something questionable, such as eat ice cream before dinner or buy the stuff you can't afford, the front regions of your brain can help you evaluate if the consequences are worth it. However, when you become hooked on a substance, the typical hardwiring of beneficial brain functions can start to operate against you. Drugs or alcohol can alter your brain's pleasure/reward pathways and trap you into wanting more and more. Addiction can also activate your emotional danger-sensing circuits, causing you to feel nervous and tense even when you aren't using drugs or alcohol.
While standard psychology sees addiction as a brain condition, depth psychology sees addiction as an internal psychic process, a calling that unites the soul and ego. This book delves deeply into addiction as a psychic phenomenon. The study proposes a way for recovery, based on the Bible and the tale of Exodus, by transforming the mentality from servitude to freedom.
