by John Carcerano, author and self help addiction writer, and past sufferer.
Shame, anger, helplessness, despair, humiliation and uncertainty about providing for self or others. These can be huge triggers to cause an already unquiet mind to become even more unquiet and chemically unbalanced. Remember, it is not weak will that gets an addict caught up in their suffering cycle of using. The mind is already chemically pre-disposed to needing some chemical, either through behavior and reward or drinking and drug taking in order to "balance" it out more with ease. My brother told me long ago while I was in the throes of my drinking addiction that what I need to do is "just stop drinking, don't drink anymore". But me being an addict would never ever look at this blind advice as a "cure all". There is no "cure all". Take the booze away from an alcoholic or the heroin away from the junkie and you are still left with a person who has an unquiet and chemically imbalanced mind. They will have to gravitate immediately towards some other substance or behavior in order to find balance. Most addicts do this "balance finding" without even realizing that they are pre-disposed to the need to do this. Those with addictive personality are in a constant search of balance. Through stress reduction and understanding their own individual needs and disorders, through treatment and management an addict can arrest their addiction with other methods which are less harmful to them mentally, physically, emotionally and also less of a burden on their loved ones.