Addiction develops from behaviors driven by pain, shame, and secrets that provide temporary relief but do not cure the underlying issues. The addictive behaviors are like a tree with roots representing the causes of addiction such as abuse, trauma, genetics, loneliness, fear, shame, guilt and anger. As long as the root causes are not addressed, the addictive symptoms will return and potentially worsen over time. Recovery requires addressing the underlying causes that contribute to feeling stuck and fuel addictive patterns.

1. When our behaviors are driven by pain, shame, and
secrets, those behaviors will tend to have an addictive
quality. The patterns that we see in regards to
substance abuse are similar to patterns that develop
with other forms of compulsive behaviors, from
gambling to explosive anger to video games.
Addiction is like a tree, it grows when it is nurtured
and fuelled. The trunk is our addictive thoughts and
behaviors. The branches are the ways in which these
behaviors affect our day to day lives.
The roots are the causes of the addiction. The causes
can be many depending on what school of thought is
adopted. Some causes include abuse (mental,
physical, emotional, sexual), trauma, genetics,
loneliness, fear, shame, guilt and anger.
One of the things that makes addiction so difficult to
identify and treat is the fact that those caught in its
grip tend to rationalize the addictive, maladaptive
pattern. When an entire lifestyle is built around the
avoidance of certain intolerable realities, it’s easy to
become blinded to the way that shame keeps us stuck.
The reason that we tend to stay engaged in these
patterns is simple: they work!
If the root cause of the dis-ease is not addressed, the
symptoms will return and often become more
extreme. The addictive behaviors or attitudes might
temporarily relieve or medicate the pain, but they
cannot cure the dis-ease.
Addictive behaviors
provide temporary relief from the pain, or escape from
the intolerable reality of shame and secrets. The
problem comes when the pain inevitably returns, often
worse than before. Putting off the work of growth and
recovery will often make the pain more unbearable.
The root determines the fruit. While those underlying
causes might not be readily apparent, the core issues
will continue to arise again and again until they are
addressed. Toxic relationships, chronic pain, and
spiritual emptiness are at the root of many of the stuck
places in our life
Recovery from addiction is possible, and there are
many ways to find a healthier lifestyle; regain a sense
of normality, and learn tools to cope with life.
What is your addiction hiding you from?