SurroundTherapy 2 // The Root Cause of Addiction

Now, don't get me wrong. When I have spoken with my children - and other youth - regarding smoking, I have gone into "do as I say, not as I do"-mode.

Which I know is less than efficient. Smoking kills. Please let this be a basic premise for this exploration. Thanks to Mohamed Hafez for the post that led to this article. Please read his post for some advice on quitting.

I started smoking when I was 22. I wasn't one of those who started to be a "cool kid" or anything like that, and my first cigarette tasted like dung.

But it gave me clarity and a good feeling.

I am still a smoker. 54 years old. And I regularly meet young people and children (and ex-smokers) who have as part of their mission to educate me as to the dangers of smoking.

Sometimes, I just say "thank you". Other times, I tell them that I am actually a specialist when it comes to human health, physiology and addiction, in addition to being a healer, and ask them to mind their own business.

Now, before getting into the meat of the matter, you may ask yourself "how does this pertain to a new form of therapy?"

I have worked with various forms of addiction. All sorts, from the rush that self-harm can cause, substances of all types, sex, social media ... you name it.

One way to treat addiction is:

1. Remove triggers
2. Avoid the network that can bring you back to abusing
3. Educate yourself as to the dangers of whatever you are addicted to.

I find this approach to be lacking one vital factor. Motivation. What initiated the behaviour in the first place? How can we treat something when we don't know the rationale behind it? I don't believe that a human will continue doing harmful things to themselves unless they have a strong drive to continue doing so.

I had gone through a lot of changes when I started smoking in 1988. Moved from Telemark, Norway, to Fetsund, to Junction City, Oregon, to Skjetten. At the time, I had been working with a boy labelled "infantile autist" for five years. And, working in an institution where the potential for death hid behind every corner (here, I am mostly talking about my colleagues. The boy and I had a great working relationship) did put some strain on my psyche.

I started smoking. And I have kept on smoking, in spite of the cost, the smell, the damage it does to my lungs (I have had a CT to check for lung issues) and all the other negatives. I have had pauses, though - the longest one for 1 1/2 year.

Here is my rationale for continuing with tobacco.

1. It calms my mind down, while simultaneously being a stimulant to my body. When the monkey mind chatters to loudly, tobacco calms it down. I read about drug companies in the US looking into the antipsychotic and antidepressant qualities of tobacco, trying to emulate the effects, but have not seen any new research into this.
2. The act of smoking helps me remember my breathing practices.
3. When I started smoking, I had had bronchitis every half year for almost my whole life. It stopped.
4. I like the taste. And I am hypersensitive to smell - there are smells that can throw me off my path. Since I am a celibate monk, and "lust" is one of the strongest emotions ... you get the picture. I don't want to wear nose plugs.
5. I have been in spiritual circles ("Sacred Tea") where tobacco held me connected with Earth. I have been on a quest for many lifetimes, and sometimes I need a reminder as to where my physical body resides.

There are also work-related reasons:

1. Taking a cigarette with a young wo/man in crisis, is a great way to connect outside of the therapeutic space. The same goes for colleagues.
2. I have worked long-shifts (four days at the most), double shifts, triple shifts. I have had three jobs simultaneously. And when I go out to have a cigarette, it is me-time. Since the potential death-threats always exist in certain institutions, these are necessary timeouts. In order to avoid mistakes.
3. Smoking gives a certain image. "I am not afraid of death". And this is my truth - I am not afraid of death. In some contexts, it is good to show that you are not afraid to die.

I could continue adding to these lists. But it was not my intention with this article to give you excuses for not stopping smoking - or to start.

My point is that if I was to set up a treatment-program for my addiction, I would have to find activities that serves the same needs that tobacco currently covers. That is definitely possible. And, when I find one, I will make sure to share it here on LinkedIn.

Please remember to follow Earth House. And have a blessed day - and don't forget to listen to music for empowerment!

* Previous Article: Measuring your ability to discern truth.