When faced with problems, an addicted person turns to their craving for relief.

Three years ago Bill visited a casino and won $10,000 at the slot machines. His depression suddenly disappeared. The next day Bill returned and lost all his winnings and more. The depression and negative feelings suddenly reappeared.

Although he has tried to stop, he still goes back. Bill always loses — often his food and rent money. Despite going bankrupt, Bill again owes thousands of dollars on his credit cards. He is depressed, hates himself and talks of suicide.

Why does someone whose life has been seriously damaged continue the same destructive behavior?

A dependency transports the addict away from their negative feelings. Temporarily, they don’t have to deal with reality. They are not burdened with feelings of insecurity, guilt or financial worries.

Instead they experience a sense of relief and pleasure – even euphoria. Their brain becomes wired to this response.

Whether the mood changer is gambling, drugs, alcohol, sex, eating, shopping, or pornography, experts claim that our belief system is the key to understanding and overcoming a dependence. There are three main components (with examples):

• how we see ourselves (a failure or a victim)
• how we see others (selfish and uncaring)
• how we see the world in which we live (cold and hostile).

These beliefs determine our feelings, our personality and our behavior. Addicts need to examine and change their faulty and destructive beliefs.

From Being Addicted to Addiction Cycle

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