Please Tell Me, Why Can't They Stop!?!

Why can't the addict stop? The simple answer is that (1) drug use changed the addict’s brain and (2) the addict’s brain produces thoughts that encourage drug use. The physical body is rewarded by the euphoria, feelings and memories experienced through drug use, and the brain learns to value and reward drug use. The changed brain adapts to drug use, it becomes less able to produce pleasure or rewards from non-drug experiences, and it becomes less able to produce normal thoughts or to exercise normal judgment. When you ask, “Why can’t you stop?”, the addict hears your question; but, the addict may not see the need to stop. The addict’s brain produces thoughts that encourage them to continue their drug use, and the brain produces pleasure and pleasurable memories from the drug use. The addict’s answer to your question is probably, “There is no need to stop. Why should I stop?” The addict does not see drug use as the problem — it is their solution. Drug use allowed the addict to experience pleasure, to cope with life’s challenges, and to address their anxiousness and pain; and, even though drug use may cause some problems, the addict considers drug use as an effective solution. From the addict’s perspective (i.e. the thoughts produced by the addict’s brain), drug use — even though it produces some negative problems and consequences — is the answer to their problems rather than the source of their problems. Let me restate the problem here again: The problem is NOT the drug use. The problem is NOT the DUI or the bad check. The problem is NOT the lost job, the lies, the thefts, or the criminal behavior. The problem is the changed brain. Focus on the root cause of the problem — the brain. Treat the brain and the rest of the body — and avoid focusing on the symptoms. The actions of the addict may cause real and lasting consequences (including bankruptcy and jail time); but, unless you address the root cause of the problems — the brain — the problems will persist, repeat, and get worse. If you recognize that the problem lies in the brain, then you will begin to treat the root cause of addiction rather than the symptoms. And, if you treat the root cause of addiction, your actions will have a greater probability of producing positive results. Note that we did not state that your actions will produce positive results — there is no “cure”, no magic treatment plan, and no medicine that cures addiction. Realistically, if you effectively treat the root cause of addiction, you can improve the probability of positive results but you cannot guarantee positive results. Our goal in this book is to introduce you to the illness of addiction, and to guide you to make better choices. We want to condense our experiences and knowledge into a book that you can quickly and readily use — so that you can improve your knowledge and outcomes.