The Psychology of an Addict - Carl Jung

There are moments when certain behaviors seem inevitable, almost like an escape route amidst chaos. They often start subtly, as an attempt to flee from a persistent feeling of discomfort or emptiness. Over time, these choices transform into habits, and what once seemed like a temporary solution ends up becoming a vicious cycle.

The search for fleeting relief and a brief sense of peace gradually turns into a destructive routine. But what's really behind this cycle? What drives someone to persistently seek something they know is harmful?

The truth is that these behaviors are often an expression of a deeper wound—attempts to fill a void that seems impossible to fill. The person doesn't act solely for immediate pleasure or relief, but out of a need to reconnect with something that's missing. Although on the surface it may seem self-destructive, what's at stake is a hidden search for meaning—an attempt to heal an invisible pain that escapes conscious awareness.

Have you ever wondered why some people sink into addictions with no way back while others mysteriously escape these temptations? Addiction is one of the most complex and challenging problems of the human psyche. In our society, it appears in various forms, from substance abuse to compulsive behaviors that often hide a deep existential void.

What lies behind this almost uncontrollable need to escape reality? Is it simply a lack of willpower, or is there something deeper that most don't perceive? Exploring addiction from perspectives such as those of Carl Jung and the physician and author Gabor Maté gives us a clearer view of how addictions manifest and why they sometimes become cycles that are difficult to break.

We'll see that addictive behaviors are not merely responses to external factors, but reflections of unresolved internal conflicts. Carl Jung believed that addictions are not simply character flaws or moral weaknesses, but expressions of a human psyche out of balance. According to Jung, addictions are essentially forms of escape—attempts to cope with psychological suffering or an existential void.

When a person cannot face their own internal issues, they seek relief in addictive behaviors, which, although offering a temporary solution, do not resolve the deep pain. Jung viewed the psyche as a whole, a complex network of conscious and unconscious aspects. When someone falls into addiction, it's often an unconscious attempt to fill an inner void.

This void can emerge from various forms: lack of meaning, emotional disconnection, or aspects of the personality that haven't been recognized or accepted. Jung also believed that addictions are a way to escape from reality. In times of stress, anguish, or existential crisis, an individual may seek refuge in substances or compulsive behaviors as a way of escaping the pressures of life.

However, this escape is never permanent, and returning to reality is often harder, creating a vicious cycle where addiction doesn't solve the problem but worsens it. In his book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts," Gabor Maté explains that false needs, no matter how many times they're satisfied, can never truly leave us satisfied. The brain, so to speak, never feels like it has had enough, that it can relax and focus on other essential matters.

It's as if, after a full meal, we still feel hungry and have to immediately seek more food. Maté defines addiction as any repetitive behavior, related or unrelated to substances, in which a person feels the need to persist despite the negative impact it has on their life and the lives of others. It's common to fall into substance addictions, but behavioral addictions are also frequent and can be equally destructive.

The compulsive use of social media, pornography, video games, gambling, sex, shopping, and even activities like exercise or work can become addictions. As Maté explains, any passion can transform into an addiction. The central question is: Who is in control—the individual or the behavior?

It is possible to master a passion, but an obsessive passion that a person cannot control is an addiction. If you have doubts, ask yourself a simple question: Given the damage you're causing to yourself and others, would you be willing to stop? If the answer is no, you're addicted; and if you can't stop the behavior or fulfill your promise to stop, then you've fallen into addiction.

The debate about the causes of addiction is long. While some explain addiction as an inherent problem within people, a more accurate explanation is that addiction arises from the interaction between the subject and the object. An addiction develops when an individual regularly wants to change their subjective state or sense of being and depends on an object or activity to generate that desired change.

Maté concludes that the root of all addiction, whether severe or mild, is an attempt to relieve suffering and emotional pain. Beyond the search for pleasure, the chronic use of substances is a desperate attempt by the addict to escape their inner pain. It serves to deepen the void, leaving us even emptier than before.

Given the number of people who grow up in abusive or emotionally absent homes, along with the corrupt state of society, it's not surprising that many turn to drugs and behavioral addictions as a way to cope with life. This move isn't entirely irrational or ineffective; as addictions work, at least temporarily, they are very effective at relieving suffering and emotional pain. Gabor Maté shares the story of a drug addict who explained the reason for their drug use: "To not feel the feelings I feel when I don't use drugs.

" Addictions are not only effective in providing relief from emotional suffering and pain, but can also temporarily elevate someone from the monotony or misery of daily life, leading them to experiences filled with emotion, meaning, and joy. The psychologist William James, in the early 20th century, discussed the effects of alcohol, emphasizing that it not only relieves tension but can also induce a state similar to a spiritual experience, at least. Until alcohol poisoning begins to affect the mind and body, as James wrote in "The Varieties of Religious Experience," the dominion of alcohol over humanity is undoubtedly due to the profound mystery and tragedy of life.

Those glimpses and flashes of something we recognize as excellent are granted to so few of us, only in the initial fleeting phases of what is, in its totality, a poisoning so degrading. Although addictions can work in the short term by relying on shortcuts for emotional relief and happiness, over time a price is paid. The longer we persist in an addiction, the more our tolerance grows, and the more we depend on the substance or activity to feel any positive emotion.

Slowly but surely, addiction becomes the central point of our lives, while everything else that could provide lasting satisfaction—our health, relationships, creativity, career, and sense of purpose—fades to the periphery. Moreover, addiction alters the structure of the brain in ways that undermine our voluntary control. When we're trapped under the control of an addiction, we often find ourselves in what's called "brain lock," which causes our actions to follow our addictive impulses while part of our mind watches closely, unable to do anything, knowing full well that we are destroying our mind, body, and potential.

Given the stronghold of addiction, the vital question arises: what is the possibility of overcoming an addiction? The problem in facing any attempt to live a renewed and addiction-free life is that the same mechanism that needs to heal the brain is the one that is damaged by addiction. As Gabor Maté warns, the more intense the addiction, the greater the brain abnormality and the greater the biological obstacles to achieving health.

Fortunately, our brains are remarkably resilient. Even in old age, it's possible for the brain to restructure in ways that allow us to live, perhaps for the first time, a full, healthy, and addiction-free life. This leads us to an interesting concept called "notal consciousness.

" This form of awareness can interrupt the cycle of addiction because, instead of succumbing to the polarities of pleasure and pain, longing and satisfaction, it allows the person to experience the full spectrum of human experience with deep equanimity. According to Carl Jung, the process of overcoming any vicious pattern begins with awareness. Without the ability to look inward and recognize one's internal mechanisms, the individual is doomed to repeat the same behaviors without perceiving the root of their problems.

This process of awareness is a crucial step for transformation, as it allows the individual to realize that addiction is nothing more than an escape from the true psychological problem. The first step in overcoming vice is to acknowledge its existence and the impact it has on the person's life. This may seem simple, but many people find themselves trapped in the vicious cycle of denial for years, without deeply questioning the reasons that lead them to seek relief in harmful behaviors.

When vice is finally recognized as a temporary solution to a greater pain, the healing process begins. From that point, the individual must reflect on the aspects of their life that led them to vice. Reflection is essential, as without it the person cannot understand the deep causes of their thoughts.

Jung described the human psyche as full of layers of complexes and symbols that remain hidden until the individual is willing to look inward. Vice, according to Jung, is a symbolic manifestation of what's hidden in the psyche—an unconscious attempt to deal with suffering and internal shadows. When a person begins to reflect on their vice, they are actually starting the journey toward individuation.

Individuation, a central concept in Jungian psychology, is the process of integrating all aspects of the psyche, both positive and negative, into a whole. This means looking at the shadow and the repressed aspects without judgment, but with a willingness to understand what these aspects have to teach. This process of self-awareness and reflection can be painful, but it is also the key to liberation.

In the case of vice, reflection helps to identify thought patterns and emotions that sustain addictive behavior. For example, an alcoholic may realize that alcohol became a way to cope with loneliness or a lack of purpose. In this case, vice is not just about the substance, but about what it represents: a defense mechanism against emotional suffering.

When the person can reflect on this, they can begin to look for healthier ways to deal with their emotions and loneliness, replacing vice with more constructive behaviors. The most common mistake when dealing with addiction is thinking that it's simply a matter of a lack of willpower. In reality, addiction is the opposite—a reflection that the problem goes beyond a simple weakness of personal resolve.

While individual responsibility is important, it's essential to recognize that the process of overcoming vice, though ultimately an inner journey, greatly benefits from social support and community reintegration. It is essential to recognize that people are not alone in their struggles; connection with others and social support play a crucial role in the healing process. It's not just about internal struggle; it's also about how the individual relates to their environment and to others.

The community can offer the necessary support to restore balance, reminding the person that although they suffer, there is hope and opportunity for healing. The key lies in cultivating genuine and compassionate self-awareness. Addiction, although it may seem like a temporary solution to suffering, doesn't address the underlying causes.

Recognizing that addiction is an attempt to cope with emotional pain or internal emptiness is the first step toward healing. As a person develops greater self-awareness, they can begin to break the destructive cycle, understand their deeper needs, and, most importantly, heal the pain that lies behind the addiction. Instead of judging themselves, the person must learn to be patient with themselves.

Healing takes time, and although the path. . .

Is difficult; each step toward awareness and self-acceptance is a step toward liberation. By integrating what has been repressed or unresolved in the psyche, the person begins to find a deeper sense of meaning and inner peace. The process of overcoming addiction is not just about quitting a substance or behavior, but about rebuilding a life based on a deeper understanding of oneself, accepting one's own shadows, and developing greater emotional resilience.

True healing lies in embracing the entirety of oneself, both the positive and the negative, to live more authentically and fully.