Trying To Treat Addiction Issues

[nailit]

Is treating addiction issues (alcohol, drugs, gambling etc) futile?
What I mean is, shouldnt the underlying CAUSE of addiction be treated instead?
Reading dieseldick's post below Re: struggling with drink, its obvious that trying to treat his alcohol issues would be flogging a dead horse unless he had some help managing his other issues? (apologies to dieseldick, just using your post as an example). 12 step programmes to 'treat' addictions dont have a very good track record eg
http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/75-years-alcoholics-anonymous-time-admit-problem-74268
The link echoes not only my own experience but dozens (if not hundreds) of people that Ive known over the years and yet the public are led to believe that these programmes 'work'. Thats NOT to say that they dont work for SOME.
People aquire addictions for various and diverse reasons but to my mind its like sticking a plaster on a broken bone most of the time...it seems to be 'medicine' but is actually useless.

Appriciate any thoughts,
thank you.

[DaisyNonna]

That's why I asked Why? nailit.

[Psybbo]

Nailit, you're making me think! Not good at this time of night, had a few glasses of red wine, well it is mother's day!

[nailit]

Daisy
//Why? Is a very important word.
Don't is oppressive, Do can be interpreted as 'I am always right', Why? implies a need to understand. //
I dont understand your point?

[nailit]

pysibbs... yeah, its mothers day.....

[woofgang]

indeed Nailit, but sometimes (often?) the person's addiction takes them to a place where they can't cope with anything. The addiction needs addressing first so that the person is then in a place where they can face and address whatever the underlying issue is. I don't think that any addiction treatment advertises itself as the whole cure to whatever the problem is, only as a method of controlling the addiction.

[ummmm]

My dad was a gambling addict. He stopped without any help.

I've known, do know, quite a few alcoholics. Their issues varied but there usually is an issue behind it.

[pixie373]

Food isn't physically addictive, it's psychological. Alcohol is both. I guess if you can get an addiction under some sort of control, you're in a better position to sort out the causes.

[ummmm]

Gambling - you get addicted to your own adrenaline...

I hate seeing adverts for all these on line bingo sites. It doesn't feel like real cash when you're not handing it over.

[woofgang]

pixie while food isn't as addictive in the same way that alcohol is, there is (somewhere, can't find it at the mo) research evidence to show that the body can accustom itself to sugar rush by dropping the blood sugar in anticipation. So if someone has a carb heavy elevenses every day, if they skip a day the body will still drop the blood sugar at that time and make the person feel that they "need" food. Also of course people do get addicted to the sugar high itself. I think that the line between a physical addiction and a PURELY psychological one is pretty blurred.

[ladyalex]

The trouble is that the alcohol affects how you think and how you reason.
Perhaps if you looked back at some of your posts on here that you have put up when you have had a few drinks, you might see what I mean.
For this reason, you kind of have to be off the drink before you can deal with the issues that are driving you towards drink.

[nailit]

Thanks for all replies guys, appreciated.

[ladyalex]

Hope it helps, nailit.

[nailit]

Always helps on here ladyalex ;-)

[ladyalex]

I think so too. :-))

[lcg]

the answer is yes......but psychotherapy for that many people would just be too expensive. cbt is rubbish and is not good for severe mental health problems - it is the sticking plaster of therapies, but is being offered en masse by the nhs as the answer for everything. like 10-12 sessions will cure everything.......utter ***! x

[nailit]

Glad its not just me that thinks that Icg. Had a course of CBT for social anxiety and it did jack but the 'professionals' seem to think it did for some reason even though I told them it did nothing. Bizare to be told how well Im doing when Im ive got the same issues as previously.