Re: Addictions structures
At 17:06 21/12/1996 -0300, Elly Britto wrote:
Dear Elly,
Thanks for your challenging answer. I had to think a lot before
answering to your post.
>First of all forgive me, I don't speak a
>good English, so be patient please! I would like to say that this post is
>not a scientific post it is just some thoughts to share with friends from
>this list.
Just keep in mind that half of the recipients are not native english speakers.
No need to forgive.
>They were born with that characteristic, the substance of
>addiction is not important.
I can't agree with that. It could be that some people could have
some genetic predisposition to be addicted but that hadn't been
so far scientifically proved. So I don't think it's useful for
addicts neither for therapists to embrace such a doctrine. Otherwise
that would mean that's nothing we can do...
>He states also that an addict personality should always remember of his
>addict condition and to avoid substances that could close them in a bad
>addiction.
I guess that this statement is closely derivated from AA philosophy as
alcoholic once alcoholic forever. Most of this kind of statements are
beliefs. These beliefs could have been useful for some people in certain
circumstances but are they still valuable for NLPers ?
>I think that all human beings from this urban culture are addicts: addicts
>of movies, TVs shows, Internet : ), friends, clothes, cars etc. etc. The
>only difference is that they do not challenge the law/society or they don't
>bother or damage others or themselves. Those kind of "dangerous" addiction
>should be considered as any other kind of addictions. (in its primary
>causes) People are addicts to drugs or alcohol because they have that
>characteristic in their personality. (and almost all human being have it)
I don't agree with your generalization as we have to make distinctions,
useful distinctions unless we were ready to state that everything living
on this planet is addicted to air, to water, or whatever...
That's also the reason why I'm trying to make the distinction of
'dangerous' addiction at another logical level than the substance
level. This characteristic of two opposite and exclusive parts or
personalities we had generally observed inside alcoholics or heroin
addicts could be an useful indication of _addiction_ as we had also
already observed it into bulimia/anorexia.
>What would be this personal characterisc? I was thinking about this and the
>answer could be that this characteristic is somekind of rigidity, inner
>rigidity that stops the flow of life. A kind of to be closed in ones own
>thoughts and mind.
Your description is fitting so far my own experience of addicts when they
are in their sober part and trying desesperately to stay in.
>From this point of view the Multiple Personality you saw in addicts is not
>the primary cause but the consequence of having an addict personality. You
>said this in others words. Sometimes they are addict to the sober side and
>sometimes to the drunk side.
It could be as I do think that substances and strong habits had the
power to structure the individual into these opposite sides. I will
expand on this subject in a couple of days.
>I think that even the name multiple personality is a very combative concept.
>Isn't?
>I think we all have multiple personality, just look at the way people (we)
>behave differently in different environments? NPL call them "parts". Isn't?
Not exactly as I am refering here to personalities. They are more structured
than parts. It's a very important distinction. When someone activates one
_part_ of his _personality_ he is still aware of who he is, what he wants
and why he is activating this _part_. In case of multiple personality
*disorder* the individual can't remenber what had ocurred previously.
This amnesia symptom is characteristic of MPD. Read my answer to
>What I would like to express here is that the addict is someone that is
>closed in two ( the sober and the drunk) of those multiple personalities, to
>freed them from that duality could means to freed them from the power of
>their own mind, not from the power of the substance they are closed in.
That's right, I agree completely.
Thanks for your so interesting and challenging submission.
Nice christmas for you and your family, I guess that you won't have
snow in San Salvador de Bahia but white sand on the beach...;-)
that's summertime down there....
Be well,
----
Bernard Frit
NLP and Addictions : http://users.aol.com/nlpaddict/maillist.html