The Openforwards Blog: Ideas from around the world to help you work, love, play and feel better
What’s the opposite of addiction? It’s not what you think…
Sobriety right? Well, no not quite. A lot of what we think about addiction is wrong.
Traditionally, it’s thought that addiction comes from excessive use of substances like alcohol, heroin, and prescription drugs. You build up a tolerance and then if you stop, you start to get withdrawal symptoms. And, this is true for some people, but not everyone.
Studies in the US, show that some people (and rats!) do not suffer withdrawal symptoms. So, what is different about these people?
The answer lies not in what is different about them individually, but what is different about them socially. People who don’t suffer withdrawal symptoms are those who have strong, supportive relationships and social groups. Those that are isolated, cut-off or in toxic environments suffer the most.
Given this discovery, traditional definitions of addiction make less sense. From a evolutionary and social perspective, the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is connection.
Check out the video below. Its a fascinating watch. Check out too, the other articles, videos and podcasts in this week’s round-up of ideas from around the world to help you work, love, play and feel better.
The Openforwards Weekly Round-up
- Everything you think you know about ‘addiction’ is wrong! A short video by patreon
- Four Realistic Rules for Self-Care. An article by Katherine King, Assistant Professor of Psychology at William James College in Boston, Massachusetts.
- What exactly is a breakthrough in therapy? Article on Huffington Post by Kyli Rodriguez-Cayro, a Cuban-American writer and Mental Health Educator.
- One Day – A Poem by Brad Hunter on #365daysofselfcompassion blog.
- Empower your children! My podcast interview with teacher Lauren Porosoff and co-author / husband, Jonathan Weinstein, of the fantastic book, Empower your Students.
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