|
by Molly Ginty
A rush of adrenaline, $60,000 of debt, and 10 years wasted under fluorescent casino lights. That’s what Amy Blackmarr got from her gambling addiction—until she reached out and got help.
Blackmarr, a 51-year-old writer from New Haven, Connecticut, played the slots as she tried to cope with a series of setbacks: the loss of her family farm, the theft of her dog, and her father’s injury in a terrible car wreck. But until Blackmarr got therapy and dealt with these problems directly, the gambling she used to mask her pain was her biggest problem of all.
Wine. Cigarettes. Shoe shopping. Candy bars. No matter what our compulsion of choice, turning to addiction in times of trouble usually just makes that trouble worse. Experts say that it takes far more than a New Year’s resolution to overcome compulsive behavior. Instead, we need a comprehensive approach: getting help, setting healthier patterns, and resolving the underlying issues that fuel our behavior in the first place.
According to the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a quarter of women struggle with addiction. Some 30 percent are hooked on cigarettes, while 23 percent binge drink, and 8 percent take illegal drugs.
Whatever form it takes, addiction (defined as the drive to do something despite negative consequences) follows the same predictable pattern. Yield to temptation. Feel a rush of elation. Then plummet into despair—remorse over what you’ve done, often combined with the double whammy of physical withdrawal from your substance of choice.
This cycle can repeat itself within hours. And often, it continues for decades. “Addiction looks like insanity because, in a sense, that’s what it is,” says Nancy Waite-O’Brien, Ph.D., a spokesperson for the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. “The wiring in the brain that is linked to addiction isn’t regulated by cognitive thought.”
Researchers don’t fully understand what happens in the brain to turn a minor compulsion into a major addiction. “It’s partly genetic, partly social, partly upbringing, and partly triggered by trauma or stress that can lead people to cope in ineffective ways,” says Lisa Najavits, Ph.D., author of A Woman’s Addiction Workbook.
What scientists do know for certain is that the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a key role. “This is the chemical in our brains that gives us the sensation of pleasure,” says Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., chairman of the medical department at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. “Typically, addicts have a low dopamine level, and use compulsive behavior or substance abuse to elevate this level and create a temporary feeling of pleasure that ends when dopamine levels plummet.”
How can you keep your dopamine from dipping? Or at least stop reaching for that fifth brownie? Experts offer the following tips for achieving recovery from addiction:
Check yourself inIf your addiction is so severe that it affects your professional or personal life, seek treatment at a certified inpatient or outpatient center.
Join a groupAlcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and other 12-step groups have a proven, 70-year success record. “Women in 12-step programs learn the importance of connection versus isolation,” says Brenda Iliff, a spokesperson for the Hazelden Women’s Recovery Center in Center City, Minnesota. “They learn to meditate, share their concerns, help others, and take an inventory—all things that are helpful for recovery.”
Go soloMeet regularly with a trained spiritual counselor, social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist (preferably one who belongs to NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals).
Make peace with your pastStudies show that 70 to 80 percent of female addicts have suffered sexual or childhood abuse. If you’ve been violated or molested, get help for this underlying cause of addiction. “Only when I began to process the feelings I had about being raped in college did I stop decades of overeating and drop the 100 extra pounds I was carrying,” says one 31-year-old social worker in Chicago.
Take charge“When you feel competent, dopamine levels rise,” says Wang. Ward off addictive behavior by taking charge of your life: perhaps quitting your dead-end job and finding one that engages you; perhaps taking cooking or dancing classes if that gives you a sense of accomplishment. Set a regular schedule, list your daily tasks—and achieve them.
Do morning affirmationsStart your day with 12-step literature—or Bible passages that inspire you. “Two great reads are Living Sober and A Woman’s Way through the 12 Steps,” says Carol Colleran, a spokesperson for the Hanley Center, a rehab center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Find other outletsSubstitute healthy behaviors for addictive ones. Blackmarr writes when she’s tempted to gamble—and has fueled so much energy into writing that she recently finished her forthcoming book, Betting the Max: The Secret Life of a Compulsive Gambler.
Move it, shake itResearch shows that 30 minutes of daily exercise can keep dopamine levels healthy—and may cut the chances an addict will reach for her substance of choice by 40 to 50 percent.
Connect, only connectTo friends, family, and God. Studies show that social interaction boosts dopamine, and that regular spiritual practice reduces your chances of succumbing to substance abuse.
Molly M. Ginty lives in New York. Her work has appeared in Ms., Marie Claire, Redbook, and Women’s eNews.
For More Information
Alcoholics Anonymous
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Back to articles
|