By JADA HUDSON
Addiction is a psychological and physiological dependence on something; it is also often the manifestation of something much deeper. Rather than addressing the issue, many firefighters prefer to avoid the pain by coping with substances or behaviors. Even productive behaviors that become excessive, such as overachievement, workaholism, and excessive exercising, can become just as addictive as drugs because they provide social approval and an increase in a chemical cocktail of neurotransmitters.
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People often think of these behaviors as productive, but they can also quickly become addictive. Really, anything that is done in an unhealthy amount to deal with uncomfortable feelings and emotions can become an addiction. Often referred to as “good addictions,” they can still be a very unhealthy way to cope. Addictions often take the place of a genuinely intimate relationship in which healing can actually reside.
Others use alcohol or drug abuse, pornography, gambling, affairs, overspending, domestic or verbal abuse, violence, or a combination of these to distract themselves from their distress. All of these activities promise comfort and relief; the truth is, it will never be enough to take the pain away. Addiction is more than just the physical act of indulging in the substance or behavior; it is physiological, too. The increase in neurotransmitters produced provides physiological and behavioral distraction.
Addiction is less about getting hooked on a substance and more about solving an emotional pain issue; it is really just a form of coping and self-soothing. Most people would like to believe addiction is truly just a substance or behavior problem, but we need to focus on what brought them to this addiction. Because addiction is more about an emotional wound, anyone can be susceptible to it.
Many first responders will have a drink after a tough shift at work, which could lead to a drink after every shift, then to a drink every night. Addiction is a way to self-soothe; when you have such a stressful and traumatic job as that of a first responder, you may feel the need to self-soothe every night. People can begin to find themselves falling into these habits when they had no intention of even making them habits—they did not intend to suddenly become addicted.
Seven Common Factors
All addictions have seven factors in common according to addiction expert Dr. Gabor Mate: compulsive behavior, craving, temporary pleasure or relief, negative consequences, denial, shame, and the release of neurotransmitters. An addiction is also more than just the act; it involves a process that can include thinking about the act, feeling excited for the act, the desire to act, and then finally the act. With addiction, the person will feel temporary relief or pleasure, then the consequences, which can include shame, denial, or embarrassment. There can be a deep shame that an individual feels because of an inability to resist the addiction.
Drugs and alcohol can trigger a release of dopamine in the brain, which causes the “high” feeling. When the release is strong and quick, the more the reward centers in the brain remember it as a pleasurable event. When more dopamine is released, it’s more likely something will lead to a physiological addiction. Then an individual will develop a tolerance. This means that after more and more exposure, the brain will need more and more of the substance to achieve the same result, which is what causes people with addictions to constantly be chasing a “high.” It is also why people dealing with addictions can feel a lack of control and a compulsion when they are around their addictive substance. Their brains literally need the substance or behavior to feel normal, and these people begin to believe that they truly could not live without their chosen vice.
Risk Factors
Now that we have established what addiction is and how it works in the brain, let’s talk about some risk factors for addiction. A series of factors can often place a person at risk of addiction. If you have addictive tendencies, or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it may help to know what to look for, such as the following: an experience of trauma, negative influences, feelings of insecurity or loneliness, difficulty expressing positive emotions, an inability to sit with stressful feelings, and adverse childhood experiences.
Do any of these feel familiar to you? Many first responders experience childhood adversity or trauma, which can leave them exceptionally vulnerable to addictive substances and behaviors.
One of the biggest contributing factors in addiction recovery is self-care. Individuals struggling with addiction are masters of self-neglect. For them to recover, they need to learn consistent and effective self-care. People with addictions demonstrate an almost complete inability to relax and enjoy themselves. Individuals need to give themselves permission to slow down. Self-care requires dealing with uncomfortable feelings in healthy ways, healthy relaxation, and having fun apart from an addiction. It also means practicing self-compassion and ending self-criticism because the self-critical mindset can decrease one’s ability to successfully change. Healthy brains are a large part of healthy living. When people take care of themselves and their minds, they can succeed at breaking free from addiction. This can include healthy movement, healthy rest, healthy nutrition, healthy learning, and healthy relationships.
Risks for Relapse
Boredom
When people struggle with an addiction, certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of relapse. The first is boredom. Those who stop engaging in addictive behaviors may find that their lives can seem uneventful and lacking emotions. Add to this the fact that the substances used in the past are not stimulating their brains anymore and their lives may begin to seem boring to them.
Illness
An illness can make a person weaker and drain the body and mind of energy that is important for focusing on recovery. Simple illnesses such as colds, flu, or other infections can make it much more tempting for a person in recovery from an addiction to want to relapse. Even surgery or dental procedures can require recuperation that saps their energy and tempts them to use again.
Major Life Changes
Major life changes are disruptive to the structured lifestyle that is critical to a successful recovery. These can include divorce, the breakup of a relationship, the death of a friend or family member, moving, a child moving away to college, or even the change of a job or retirement. When people experience a change, the new patterns created can set them up for excellent recovery or it can be a risky time for them to relapse.
Anger
Often the process of getting clean results in increased emotions and irritability, which can instigate rage and anger. When those who are struggling with addiction say things like, “It just gets me so angry” or “I feel so enraged,” it is a warning sign that their emotions are becoming more intense. When people are not able to control their feelings or to calm down, they are making it abundantly clear that they need support and are at risk of relapse. Remember, their addictive substance or behavior is most likely what they formerly used to calm themselves down.
Impulsive Sex
This is a compulsive behavior unrelated to intimacy. It can become an addictive behavior either on its own or as part of a relapse from another addiction. The sex is irrelevant to the person’s emotions and has little or no relational involvement with the sex partner. Impulsive sex is a red flag that a person is at risk for a relapse.
High Stress
Stress can take a toll on many areas of life and increase the opportunity for triggers. When someone in recovery begins talking about sleep or stomach problems, chronic illness or headaches, fatigue or moodiness, or difficulty concentrating, it is most likely related to a high-stress situation or season of life. Those who face high-pressure life situations or life events can find it enticing to return to drugs, alcohol, or other behaviors to escape, calm down, or reward themselves.
According to Terence Gorski and Merlene Miller, authors of Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention, the 10 emotional signs of a potential relapse are anxiety, intolerance, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, isolation, not asking for help, not going to meetings, poor eating habits, and poor sleep habits. They also mention some signs of a mental relapse, which follow: thinking about people, places, and things you used with; glamorizing your past use; lying; hanging out with old using friends; fantasizing about using; thinking about relapsing; and planning your relapse around other people’s schedules.
Triggers
Triggers are specific instances that can cause a person to use or engage in addictive behaviors. Learning what one’s triggers are is an important step in recovery. Identifying the triggers beforehand and avoiding them are essential to staying clean. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help identify potential triggers:
- What are the times when you want to use the most?
- The last time you used, what was happening right before?
- When do you find yourself thinking about engaging in addictive behaviors the most? What are the circumstances?
Now that you know all the steps to a successful recovery, what does a true recovery look like? Researchers for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have defined recovery as “the process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.” The three main reasons a person turns to a substance or behaviors, according to Dr. Steven Melemis, are to escape, to relax, and to reward oneself.
To change one’s life and addiction, the individual must change the way he relieves tension. Healthy individuals relieve tension, escape, relax, and reward themselves. They just do so in healthier ways rather than turning to addictive substances or behaviors. Without a healthy means of relaxing, someone struggling with addiction is more likely to relapse.
Supporting Recovery
If you do not struggle with an addiction but you know someone who does, you can support them in their recovery in certain ways without enabling a relapse. Here are 10 ways family, friends, and peers can help someone in recovery:
- Provide compassion, nonjudgment, support, connections, and useful feedback.
- Help them to follow treatment recommendations.
- Encourage total abstinence.
- Help them build good coping skills.
- Provide social support.
- Encourage participation in peer support groups.
- Help them create a sober peer network.
- Know the signs of relapse.
- Encourage their involvement in meaningful, structured activities.
- Keep hope alive.
As the neurotransmitters in the brain regulate themselves, withdrawal can set in, including physical and emotional symptoms or even depression. But the brain eventually does return to normal. Recovering from an addiction is possible. You can take proactive steps as you begin to work toward recovery. First, I recommend working with a therapist. If possible, join a support group or find an inpatient program for other first responders seeking freedom from an addiction. Acknowledging you have an addiction is the first step to moving forward. Making a commitment not to engage in the addiction in the future is a key part of recovery. Then choose each day to identify emotions and deal with them in healthy ways, connect with others, explore the world and nature, and live out healthy practices to meet the needs formerly met by the addiction.
JADA HUDSON earned a master of science in clinical psychology and trained specifically to counsel first responders. She counsels first responders in her private practice in Wheaton, Illinois, and is the embedded police counselor for both Kane and Kendall counties in Illinois. In addition, she counsels the prosecutors within the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. Hudson has developed emotional wellness programs that are customized to meet the needs of Chicago area fire departments, has presented at FDIC International, and is the author of Firefighter Emotional Wellness (Fire Engineering Books , 2022).
More Jada Hudson: https://www.hudsonclinicalcounseling.com/
