During the 1970's Vietnam War, 50% of American Military personnel used heroin. The American Government was extremely worried, considering what would happen when the military personnel returned home after the war. Having returned home, back to the USA amazingly, only 12% of military personnel continued their usage and after 12 months at home over 80% stopped using heroin. So what does all of this mean?
The ones who continued to use heroin were either suffering from post-traumatic stress or they had no one at home to return to. Certainly, their needs were not being met.
In an excellent book by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell - Freedom from Addiction. They discuss having your needs met and when your needs are met, you are much happier and it becomes much easier to kick the addictions. Whatever addiction you may have.
When you are having your needs met, it could be said there is a wholeness about you. It's when your need is not being met, just like when the military personnel returned home some having PTSD and or no one to come home to: they continued with their drug usage.
Ireland is considered a modern European Country and yet addictions are common. 12,000 people have a gambling problem. Cocaine addiction is the most common addiction that adults seek help with.
Why is that so? I think we need to look in depth at why people become addicted, and which of their needs are not being met. Now I know I may sound like a smartypants saying all this stuff. This is not necessarily a simplistic way of looking at addiction.
Seriously, which of YOUR basic human needs are not being met? Ask yourself that question and analyse it. The need to love and receive love, the need to have meaningful relationships, to need to feel that you are making a meaningful contribution to society, to work. The need to feel adequate in whatever area you believe you are not. The need to receive a just wage for an honest day's work.
How do we go about having our needs met? Griffin and Tyrrell advocate that we need to do an emotional needs audit to find out the areas we need help in. Only then can we seek out the appropriate help? When your life is going well, you do not need to
There is probably a truism that states: What you believe becomes your reality. If you believe you can, you can. 'If you believe you can't, you cant.
And what's your WHY about wanting to kick your habit?
Just imagine, if a baby when born could speak, he/she could ask to have his nappy changed, to be fed, to be hugged and cuddled. The baby would have no need to scream and cry for hours and hours The baby would be able to express its needs and have them met. So often children grow into adulthood not having their needs met or not able to truly express their needs and probably the greatest of these is unconditional love and acceptance or as Carl Rogers put it: to receive unconditional positive regard. Not having our emotional needs met can cause all sorts of issues for us as adults.
From eating disorders to smoking to heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and gambling, these are all addictions.
Believe that you can overcome your addiction and seek out the appropriate help.
