International Research Compendium - Drug Free Australia

“I can stop when I want.”
This type of thinking continually supports and reinforces an addictive belief system in
the addict. It’s through the development of addictive logic that the addicted person
finds a way to cope with his/her drug using behaviour. Addicts must make sense of
this to themselves, and they do so by denying the fear and emotional pain caused by
their inappropriate behaviour. After intense episodes of acting out, the addict needs
to make sense out of what happened and turns to his/her delusion system and
addictive logic for an answer. This is where the addict turns to denial, repression, lies,
rationalizations, and other defences to help cope with what is happening. Because of
the delusion system, it is nearly impossible for addicts to see the true reasons for
their addictive behaviour. They believe it’s because people don’t understand them or
because the world is a tough place to live. The truth is that drug addiction is an
assault against the individual, but the addict is unable to see this.
Addictive logic is not based on truth, but on the delusion of the addictive relationship.
Addictive logic denies the presence of an addictive relationship. Addictive logic says
it is all right to hurt one’s Self because the Self is not important – it’s the mood
change or trance that counts. Addictive logic says it is all right to hurt others because
relationships with people are not important. What is important is a relationship with
the drug. Once addicted, people feel that drug use has become a matter of survival.
The Addict develops its own way of behaving.
As addiction develops, it becomes a way of life. In addicts, drugs fill a central role in
life: addicts have learned to use drugs to fulfil almost all needs, especially emotional
needs.
There are many ways a person’s behaviour adapts to the addictive process, bringing
about an addictive lifestyle. The addict may display inappropriate and irresponsible
behaviour in several ways:
Examples:
“Often, I love my mother, but I rob her, I want to please and serve my employer, but I
abuse his confidence, I love my drug using mates, but I betray them.”
“I found I was taking money meant to buy presents for my children.”
“I knew I hit a low point when I used toilet water to shoot up.”
-The addict may lie to others, even when it is easier to tell the truth.
-The addict may blame others, knowing others are not to blame.
-The addict may ritualise his / her behaviours.
Rituals are a language of behaviour. In addiction, rituals become value statements
about the beliefs of the Addict. Each time a person acts out, his/her addictive belief
system is strengthened. Addictive rituals push a person deeper into the addictive
process. Addicts may become fanatics about their rituals.
Rituals are based on consistency: first you do this, then you do that. Addicts ritualise
their behaviour for the comfort found in predictability. ( = reaching the mood change )
Each part of the rite is important to the Addict and is designed to heighten the mood
change.
When Addicts face crisis and stress, they run to the comfort they find in their rituals.
The pain- free state lasts as long as the individual remains in the mood change
created by the addictive ritual. But the trance always fades away and sensations
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