Jordan Peterson - What Makes Overcoming Addiction So Difficult?

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[Enumclaw]

I'm a recovering alcoholic myself. I had to go to rehab 3 times and move to a whole new town before I finally was able to quit and stay quit. My addiction was so powerful that I had not chance of quitting without first realizing that I was going to eventually die from alcoholism if I didn't stop. Quitting alcohol was the single most difficult thing I have ever done in my life.

From what I understand, physically addictive substances become hopelessly entwined with the survival instincts of the brain. These survival instincts basically tell you that you need these drugs, because if we don't have them we might die. The brain actually becomes fooled into thinking that drugs and alcohol are as essential to the addict as food, water, and air. If you are starving or dying of thirst you will do just about anything to get food and water, and if you are suffocating, you will thrash around in the most panicked and frightening way imaginable and you will make just about any bargain in order to get
air back into your lungs.

I knew in my mind that quitting alcohol was not going to kill me in the same way as if I had no way of getting water... but my subconscious didn't know that. My subconscious thought we were really going to die if I did not have alcohol. And when I quit, my subconscious did everything it could to convince me that I was dying.

And it did feel like I was dying. Hands down the worst and most painful experiences of my life were the times I spent in detox wards, shaking, crying, unable to feel anything except intense sadness and fear. Like Peterson says, a lot of recovering addicts and alcoholics end up turning to religion, and I think the reason for that is that we have experienced ourselves dying... well, an intensely realistic simulation of dying, but regardless it is a profoundly horrifying thing. People talk about how there's just no sense in worrying about death and that they are not really afraid of death. To that I say 'you're not afraid of
death because you've never been close to it.'

[richardlongmore]

Stress makes overcoming addition very hard

[JcM]

Prof. Peterson should trademark the jazz hands he does when he starts explaining things.

[LucVNO]

I did mdma for 8 years, meth for 6 years & then crack for most of a year. I switched to crack from meth when I decided to quit drugs, a high i didnt enjoy nearly as much as meth & struggled against that drug in my process to sobriety instead. I was successful, been cleanish 8 years.

[jordanbickett]

this is college at its best it's not some distant arrogent guy lecturing in a beautiful oak filled room like in the movies, its a passionate engaged person working magic in a dinghy fluorescent light, white tiled basement.

[Severusoul]

Quitting drugs and alcohol brought me to the gates of hell and back and praise God I lived to tell the story. I saw things that were unspeakable throughout my decades of addiction...I did things that were unimaginable and turned me into a version of myself I did not recognize. Being sober is absolutely the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. I went to school and got my degree in engineering... learned drums and piano...all of these things combined seem easy in comparison. Everything Jordan says about addiction is true...I know because I had to walk through it.

One of the hardest things for me to let go of has been the fact that for a while, drugs and alcohol were my best friend but at the same time my worst enemy. It's a comfort thing. I almost became used to my life being chaotic that when I got sober I couldn't handle the boredom and lack of excitement even though things were going well otherwise. Self-sabotaging is a very familiar behavior for me.

I thank God for his provision on this long journey...I should not be alive today. Miracles are real.

[marcusdolby]

I’m 10 years clean and literally owe the jumpstart to my recovery to one single life changing event. When I went to rehab we had 60 addicts being processed into the facility. They took all 60 of us and separated us into groups of 15. The head counselor stood up and said you 30 will be dead in 1 years time. You 15 will be dead in 5 years time, and you 15 will eventually find some sort of recovery with only 7 of you finding long term sobriety. That’s the reality and NO ONE can do anything to change that, not even God. My job is to find the 7 of you who actually want recovery and are willing to do the work to get it.

That speech changed my life.

[IKIGAIofficial]

Man if I was in that class I would give him a standing ovation after every speech

[chris_hawk]

Man, this is really an eye-opener, especially the part where he mentions places and times being associated with the drug/ substance - really helpful. I've been asking myself for years now why I cannot quit my addiction, and Jordan Peterson mentioned the two mistakes I make: partaking in seemingly benign activities that trigger my relapse, and not removing myself from the usual habit at times when I know I will be tempted. Now I feel that I can more effectively subdue my addiction. Thanks again Jordan Peterson.

[TRIPLEX]

I am addicted to listening to Professor Peterson. Great teacher

[BMindfulofLove]

This man outclasses all the professors I've ever met in the university.

[stevedoingstuff]

He nails it on the head from my experience with cigarettes. I had to quit smoking in every situation where I smoked. I had been off it for 6 months, but suddenly spring hit and the nice air with the window down in the car suddenly made me want to smoke so bad again. It got easier and easier to shut it down, though.

[jigoujitoku]

I can relate to this. 18 years ago I became addicted and struggled over the course of 10 years. 8 Years ago I had my "To hell with it" moment and just gave up, not caring how far I fell, or who I hurt around my in the process. Afterwards I took an effort to rebuild my life and be a better person. I didn't resume, but I did occasionally battle with rumination but I was mostly able to cope with this. I thought I was free of it. A few days ago I saw somebody I haven't seen for years, whom I associate with my addiction and I was flooded some of the strongest cravings I've felt for years. It has took all of my willpower to try to mentally fortify myself and deal with ruminating thoughts and not follow them into misery and victim-hood. I have beat this before and I am positive, with work, I can beat this again. I think it's just a lesson to always be prepared.

[NASkeywest]

"That *THING* in their is not dead, at all." That should be an NA slogan.

[moneyblackblood]

I would like to see Jordan Peterson revisit this subject. I would love to see how his views on addiction have changed since he struggled with addiction himself. Just looking at his videos pre and post benzo addiction, it is clear that he has suffered an immense personality change, he is now far less objective in his public appearances often unable to contain his emotions. It would be cool to see him reflect on this.

[sunriseeternity]

You have to face it. You have to build the "no". You have to build that strength of saying no, and then making the action after the "no" an action you can rest some pride on. It can't just be the "no" that you take pride on, it won't last. You must build habits that out-perform the previous habits. If you can find habits that repel the "saying yes" long enough to build the strength to walk away from an opportunity to get high, then you can survive it another day, hour, or minute. Look for the early signs of self and play defense accordingly. If staying clean is really what you want, you will. Practice... Good luck.

[justins]

I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey but then I turned myself around.

[wumbomaster]

I took 8g of mushrooms and stopped smoking weed+started doing my homework. What I gathered was that it made me feel EXTREMELY guilty for disappointing my mother/not doing anything productive with myself. It also made me understand some other stuff I have a difficult time explaining

[chanchaokiitos]

Usually it takes someone with personal experience,
to tell you how it is.
For example William S. Burroughs has written a great
deal on addiction to different drugs, and he surely knows, what he's
talking about.

[recency_bias]

For me I quit taking drugs to which I was at least physically addicted with no trouble what so ever. For me my motivation to take drugs was to fit some idea of who I wanted to be. I liked the idea of being this creature that was willing to go into the darkness, to move among the "scum" of the earth, to find beauty in terrible places. This was something I really liked the idea of being. I had a vision in my head of being this druggy and that was my way in to the underworld. At the same time I was actually a total loner middle class girl who ran away from dark places the first time I felt any real sense of threat. As soon as the world offered me another identity, another idea of a way of life that seemed achievable to me I jumped at it. I was still attracted by the first image, but I could easily justify picking an "easier" and more respectable path in life. And as boring as it sounds I still think the easier and more respectable life was the right choice between the two, because there might be beauty in the underworld but mostly it's ugly and it drives people to do ugly things.