Pain - the Gift and Keeps on Giving!

Do you like pain?  Did you wake up this morning and say to yourself "man, I really hope I get to walk through some pain today!"  Most folks don't.  In fact, it can be said that human beings are at their most selfish (and, consequently, most dangerous) when they're in significant pain.  Many of us go to great lengths to avoid pain. 

And yet, pain is our best teacher. That's because change happens when the pain of staying the same, outweighs the fear of change.  

This axiom holds true for most of human existence, and is particularly applicable to addicts in active addiction.  Change happens only when the pain of staying the same outwieghs the fear of change, and not before.  It is not until I've lost or am about to lose something that I am not willing to let go of - be it a relationship, a lifestyle, my financial security, my health or otherwise - that I am willing to consider walking through the gut-wrenching agony of recovery from an addiction.  Getting to the point that I'm between a rock and a hard place is a requirement.  Often there is no other way. 

This concept, often referred to as "hitting bottom," is actually somewhat controversial.  Controversy is nothing new to addiction.  Addiction has puzzled doctors, philosophers, and helping professionals for centuries.  What would compel someone with lung cancer to keep smoking?  What leads the jaundiced alcoholic whose pancreas is leaking toxic bile into his intestines - functionally digesting himself - to continue to drink?  What is the mysterious force that leads the gambling addict who has lost house, home and family, to return to casino for yet another try?

It's an interesting question isn't it?

Hey, here's another one.  What's the earliest record we have of someone referring to something that resembles alcoholism? Any guesses?

Ancient Greece.

How about this - what was the most successful treatment for alcoholism of the chronic variety prior to the development of Alcoholics Anonymous of in the 1940's?  Do you know? 

Instituionalization.

That's right. Instituationalization.

So that means that over the course of roughly 4300 years, the most successful treatment mankind had developed prior to AA's inception in 1938 was... locking them up and throwing away the key.  That's the best we had done.

Then came AA, and it worked.  Why?

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Greg Struve
602.578.9319