follow-up

[thana ag]

Well done,

anath
 
> From: ablatner at verizon.net
> To: pirkko.hurme at perendie.fi
> Subject: follow-up
> Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 18:40:16 -0500
> CC: list at grouptalkweb.org; Tianmanhattan at aol.com
> 
> Dear Pirkko, reviewing your email question:
> PH in Finland: I would like to up-date my understanding on dependency & addiction 
> problems. What readings would you recommend?
> Could I find some articles in internet? My main interest is theoretical.
> 
> AB: Hi Pirkko, although there is tons of research that you could access, perhaps using an 
> internet search engine, I dared to take the question and allow myself to think about it. 
> What came out was the following:
> 
> There are scores of theories of addiction. Here are some of my own:
> 
> 1. Most people are vulnerable because of a fundamental alienation and a desire to 
> escape conventional reality. Many things can contribute this, but I think we should 
> imagine it as an aggregate experience, with a certain threshold. Each variable might be 
> mild or moderate, but when their aggregate reaches a certain point, the escapist feeling 
> becomes a strong motivation in itself.
> -- the subcultural tone---do friends think it's okay, and share in the enjoyment?
> -- the level of being part of a group versus being a loner
> -- having something else to do-- a job, family,
> having those as enjoyable or not
> -- having any sense of life purpose
> -- having any strong or guiding religious or spiritual belief
> -- some slight genetic predisposition, perhaps
> -- having feelings of guilt, shame, fear, or other feelings from which one wishes to 
> escape (e.g., PTSD)
> (i.e., drugs/alcohol as self-medication for numbness)
> -- having contexts for drug/alcohol use that add to the pleasure... when I'm 
> drunk/high, I do x and that's even more fun
> -- modeling, having had admired people (e.g., a parent) who indulged
> -- accessibility, newness of substance, being modern, fashionable.
> alcoholism very prevalent and severe in the century after distilling spirits as 
> a technology became widespread
> -- cheapness of the source of the high
> -- boredom, are there other things to do, as inexpensively?
> -- dulled by work and other life experiences (and many people feel that way, not 
> knowing how to access true vitality and aliveness without intoxicating substance), the 
> drug or alcohol at least for a while feels more "alive" and sometimes people not only feel 
> numb, but the opposite, more alive, vibrant, excited by life, interested, insightful (even 
> if this is illusory and little of it is remembered)
> reinforced if this temporary adjusted state does result in freer performance, 
> etc.
> -- 
> -- etc. Might do a sociodrama for this, get others' inputs.
> 
> Problem is that papers tend to be scientific to please editors who think that scientific 
> is more respectable, prestigious, than case-study approach. Nomothetic versus 
> ideographic -- statistical versus case-study--- this issue of what kind of research is 
> more appropriate for non-trivial questions in psychology--- this clouds the issue, because 
> science can't really assess well any situation in which there may be scores of variables. 
> So the problem of saying something obvious: That there isn't one cause, can't get 
> published. But it's so obviously true, and why shouldn't it be?
> 
> On my website I have a paper about 
> http://www.blatner.com/adam/psyntbk/aggregatexperiences.html that seems to apply here, 
> now that you've raised the issue.
> 
> What do you think? Warmly, Adam 
> 
> 
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