alividlife

Aphex Twin

It is strange as an addict to try an wrangle the psychological impacts of addiction verses the biological. I have been to 7 or 9 rehabs (god I cant remember) and I have had most of the various forms of treatment. 12 Step higher power god stuff (the community really is what helps), cognitive behavorial therapy, behavioral mod, and others. Recently learning about Behavioral mod and reading about Elan, Daytop Village and the likes has given me PTSD. On one hand I am clean after behavioral mod, but on the other hand, things I endured in that treatment center haunt me in different ways daily.

The simplest in my experience was that video by that air force doctor who made a series of videos discussing the biological aspect of addiction in laymans terms. Pleasures Unwoven?.Yea it is free on youtube. If anyone remembers the south park episode where Satan describes addiction, is basically that. For whatever reason addiction breaksdown the frontal lobe "is this a good idea in the long run?" part of the brain while in conjunction with all the deep survival instinct stuff gone haywire stuff. Once I learned that it has always made the struggles and relapses more logical because it wasnt a guessing game. It is just biology.

Psychologically, I really appreciated Rational Recovery, even though the dude who created it comes off neckbeardful vengence towards 12 step, which unfortunately hurts the simplicity of the idea. It basically goes into the idea that survival and ego are at odds in addiction. That it isnt ME that wants to get high, it is my addiction. If anyones is interested it can be found here, you just have to follow the hyperlinks to go through the cheesy explanation. It is helpful. I have shown it to addicts and the response is always suuuuper fascinating. Like just instantaneous weeping.
https://www.rational.org/index.php?id=59

On a personal note, Zen Buddhism was also very helpful. The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Mouths of Hungry Ghosts that Gabor Mate talks about... very transformative learning about self, ego, desire. Good shit. I do think the addict that Gabor tends to discuss is a but more hardcore than daily drinkers. He did good things for hopeless addicts in Vancouver.

This man is stealing his precious karma!!

Right on. West coast or East coast? Just curious what kinda dope you got hooked on. I am glad you made it out alive. I have only been sober for a little while now, and it ebbs and flows. You really gotta walk away from anyone that uses.

Do you frequent /r/OpiatesRecovery, /r/REDDITORSINRECOVERY or anything like that? I always find the recovery subbreddits extremely helpful.

Wow, you really nailed some of my feelings about the PUA thing. But I highly respect your opinion on this.
The first bulk of what a lot of the stuff says is very "technique" orientated, and can kind of draw some of the perception that you describe. I am a guy btw.

When I bought "Deep Inner Game" by David Deangelo, I think that REALLY hit some of the deeper elements about just being a man. It was almost pseudoscience, but it was packaged with a wealth of psychology.

And to be completely honest, it really is about bettering yourself completely, and also just being a man. Not someone you can walk all over, but a man with boundaries, and an understanding of how the primal instincts of humans work.

It absolutely works with everything if you have the mind to view it as such. Be a better communicator, be better at managing your emotions, and just having a higher esteem of ones-self.

Believe it or not, I try and view some of the things these guys teach in other things... Like music, or my career.