Category: Malaysia

This is part one in a two-part series about the insanity of addiction.  

What Is Insanity?

You may have heard the old expression, “Insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over again and expecting different results.” This is certainly true when it comes to the insanity of addiction. Many people stay stuck in a cycle of insanity because they think they can exert their own willpower over addiction, but this never works. Addiction is a much more powerful force than willpower.

Most people who have a drug, sex, porn, food, or gambling addiction fall into the trap of believing “this time will be different.” They set out to find enjoyment in their substance or activity of choice, only to spiral out of control and go on a binge that they later regret. Then, after some time passes, they have a craving to do it again and they convince themselves that this time will be different, only to repeat the same mistake and go overboard like they always do.

Why is this?

Understanding The Insanity of Addiction – Why You Do The Things You Do

Most people are completely baffled at their own behavior when it comes to addiction. They can have a sincere desire to stay sober or not gamble, or not watch porn – whatever, yet they find themselves doing the very thing they don’t want to do. This can lead to extreme shame and guilt and feelings of worthlessness. No one wants to feel as though they don’t have any power over their own decisions, impulses, and actions. However; this is the effect addiction has on an individual. Many describe it as a feeling of powerlessness.

Addiction is a complex brain disorder that affects the way the mind works. Understanding this is a step in the right direction. When you come to believe that you are dealing with powerful biological forces greater than your desire to stay in recovery, it can make recovery easier to navigate so you don’t fall into the old familiar trap.

Here’s a simple explanation of addiction:

1. Taking drugs, drinking alcohol, having sex, gambling, and binge-eating all produce a surge of feel-good chemicals in your brain. This makes you feel euphoric, relaxed, in control, and “happy.”
2. Your brain likes this feeling of well-being and it wants more of it.
3. To sustain the experience of “feel good,” your brain tells you it wants more, more, MORE AND MORE!
4. You continue to pursue the activity until you collapse or run out of resources.
5. You wake up the next morning filled with regret and remorse and swear you will never do it again.
6. Some time later, your brain wants to experience that “high” again. It signals you to use drugs, drink alcohol, or watch porn – whatever you’re into. The brain wants that feeling of enjoyment at all costs.
7. Your brain lies to you and tells you this time will be different.
8. Belief in the lies.
9. You go out and get high.
10. You feel regret and remorse.

Although experience has shown you time and time again that you cannot control or manage your addiction, you repeat the same mistake again and expect different results. This is the insanity of addiction.

This begs the question – how can you stop the insane cycle of addiction and be restored to sanity? We will answer this question in part two of this article.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

The Value of 12-Step Meetings – DARA Thailand Does Not Teach This Model

Most rehabilitation facilities around the world teach the 12-Step meetings model. The 12-Step philosophy teaches you that you are powerless over your addiction. The belief is also that only a power greater than yourself can restore you to sanity and keep you in recovery.

At DARA Thailand, we do not teach the 12-Step model. Instead, we offer evidence-based therapeutic approaches that empower people with the coping skills they need to navigate the recovery process. We understand that many people do not benefit from the 12-Step model because they do not believe in a higher power. Including people that don’t like the religious and spiritual overtones involved.

However, we do recognize that many people who struggle with addiction may benefit from attending 12-Step meetings after they leave our facility. We are not against 12-Step recovery. We just think our clients would be better served if they were taught tools during rehab that don’t involve orienting themselves to a higher power.

Peer Support – One Of The Most Valuable Aspects Of 12 Step Programs

12-Step recovery programs have some benefits. The main benefit is that they offer you access to a supportive, caring environment of recovering people just like you. Most people who attend 12-Step meetings are earnestly working a program of recovery. They are sincere about their efforts to stay away from drugs, alcohol, unhealthy sex, gambling, and other addictive behaviors.

It is important that you associate with healthy people in your recovery. Also, stay away from toxic relationships that could lead you to a relapse. Most people in a 12-Step program is healthy are working on getting healthy – just like you.

Another thing is that these groups have regular get togethers like BBQs, dances, game night, and other functions. Recovering people can get together to get to know one another and enjoy activities in recovery.

The DARA Way

The DARA way is to include the best of the modern approaches to the treatment of addiction.

Here at DARA we think people need and deserve to become experts in their own recovery, so we use whatever evidence based treatment approaches meet the individual clients’ needs.

Our treatment protocol is one that can be considered ‘Holistic’. We help people find meaning and purpose in their lives, to help them build a stable and enduring recovery. We do this primarily through intensive therapy within a CBT framework. However we don’t stop there – we also incorporate into your program: personal training and exercise, art therapy, flexibility workouts water workout in our pool, yoga, meditation, group sports, stress management, outdoor pursuits and island excursions (to name but a few things). No two people are the same, and therefore we believe what works for you is the right approach for you

You Do Not Need To Attend 12-Step Meetings To Recover

We want you to know that at DARA Thailand, we do not believe you need to attend 12-Step recovery to enjoy a life of sobriety or freedom from behavioral addictions. However, if you feel you need ongoing support after rehab. You can always check out a meeting at one of the groups we mentioned and see if you could benefit from a 12-Step program.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Loneliness in Addiction. It was reported recently that young people, age 18-22, or commonly called Gen Z, experience the feeling of loneliness more than any other group. This is also a demographic group that is at an extremely high risk for opioid abuse and addiction. The report does not make the link between the two phenomena, but it is not much of a leap to at least see a correlation between loneliness and drug use. Since opioid addiction in general, and heroin in particular have been on the order of a global epidemic, we should be made to pay attention to statistics like these.

Loneliness in Addiction

Loneliness is in many ways an integral part of addiction. It leads to addiction and it most certainly comes with addiction. The more we isolate ourselves from others, driven by the need to hide our drug use and our feelings of failure and inadequacy, the more lonely we become. This then fuels the desire/need to use, and on it goes.

It has been noted in a number of ways that loneliness is not actually the state of being alone. It has more to do with the absence of inspiration, with the absence of meaning our lives. We become alienated from our world and ultimately from ourselves. It is then that we experience loneliness.

Loneliness and Recovery

For those of us in recovery we need to make sure we do not allow ourselves to fall into such a trap as loneliness. This means first and foremost remaining connected with other people. Again, loneliness is not simply being alone, but when we cut ourselves off from others, we should always question our motivation for doing so. Why are we choosing to be alone? Solitude is a necessary aspect of a healthy life. Isolation is not.

Finding forms of inspiration is a way of being connected to the world even if that inspiration does not come directly from other people. This is not to preach the 12 step version of spirituality. More to the point, this is to suggest that all of us, especially those of us in recovery must find some form of being in the world that is more than the material world.

Certainly this last idea can take on forms which are overtly spiritual. If you are of a specific religious tradition, by all means, use this to your advantage. If you are more of a secular person you can still work with this idea. Intellectual and creative endeavors provide the same kinds of meaning as the obviously spiritual paths.

Loneliness and Youth Addiction

The point here is to find a form of engagement with the world that provides inspiration and lifts us out of the state of loneliness. Why this younger generation seems to experience loneliness so much more than others is the result of many things. The mixed blessing of electronic communication is one of them. What matters is that for an entire generation, the problem of loneliness seems to be getting worse. It is this generation who is also dealing with the opioid crisis. We in the recovery community need to be acutely aware of the danger of loneliness. We need to maintain and actively seek forms of inspiration. It is a key to our life of recovery. 

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.