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Chemical Dependency to alcohol and other drugs is
running rampant in our society today. This is probably
due to many reasons, but primarily it is the result of
widespread family problems and an individual’s lack of
handling his or her feelings in a healthy way.
There are 4 phases
in the progressive nature of chemical dependency.
Phase 1 is “Learning the Mood Swing.”
At phase 1 a person learns that a chemical will
cause them to feel euphoria. For example, if a person
has had a hard day at work, they might choose to go to
the local bar or restaurant and have a drink or two to
unwind from the pressure of the day. The person
discovers that they can trust the chemical to give
them a mood swing that helps them feel that they are
“chilling out” from their tough day. A person at this
stage is not chemically dependent. He or she learns
how to know how much to drink in order to experience a
euphoric state without using too much of the
substance.
Phase 2 is when a
person learns to “Seek the Mood Swing.” A
person at this stage is a social drinker. They use
alcohol at the right times to help themselves maintain
a euphoric state without breaking their self-imposed
rules of usage. For example, a person might say, “I
will only have 1 drink a day and only after work.” A
person at this stage may experience some times of
misuse, but the consequences are usually a hangover
and not suffering emotional pain.
It is at Phase 3
that a person crosses the line into
“Harmful Dependency.” An individual begins to face
emotional trauma at this point. He or she also
loses control at this point and begins
breaking their self-imposed rules of usage. A person
at this stage begins to justify their behavior and
enter into a state of denial regarding
the effects of their usage.
The former levels of drinking
that caused a euphoric state no longer work and the
person increases the levels of usage of the chemical
or even begins experimenting with other drugs. A
person becomes more secretive and elusive
about their usage and begins to project
self-hatred onto others close to them,
including family and friends.
The final stage, Phase 4,
Using to Feel Normal, is when a person uses
drugs in order to survive, rather than
to feel euphoric. This is when physical addiction
begins to take over. Blackouts can occur at this stage
and the person usually can’t handle even small amounts
of the chemical without losing their senses. A person
begins to experience a complete moral and
spiritual bankruptcy in his or her life.
It is also at this stage that
the whole family becomes a part of the chemical
dependency problem. Unfortunately it is often
the case at this stage that family members will try to
hide the problem or deny that the
problem even exists.
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