I thought loved ones of the addicted might like this on how the addicted sees the world. I hope it helps someone struggling with their loved one. THE ADDICTIVE MIND - James Pirkle - June 1981 1. They have an active mind.The addictive brain doesn’t stop until later in recovery. There’s no on/off switch. There are no brakes that bring it to a halt. It is a burden that with recovery they must learn to manage. 2. They listen but don’t absorb what is being said.A person with an addiction will look at you, hear your words, watch your lips move, but after the first five words their mind is on a journey. They can still hear you speak, but their thoughts are in outer space. They are thinking about how your hair is out of place or what they are doing later. 3. They have difficulty staying on task Instead of keeping the focus on what’s in front of them, people with addictions are staring at the colors in the painting on the wall. Like walking through a labyrinth, they start moving in one direction, but keep changing directions to find the way out. 4. They become anxious easily As deep thinkers, they are sensitive to whatever is going on around them. Being in a noisy restaurant can sound like you are standing in the front row at a Metallica concert. Too much external noise can raw on their nervous system. 5. They can’t concentrate when they are emotional. If there is something worrisome going on, or if they are upset, a person with an addiction cannot think of anything else. This makes concentration on work, conversation, and social situations almost impossible and they seem to dismiss people, particularly family. 6. They concentrate too intensely. When the doors of their mind open, the person with an addiction jumps right in but does not want any outside interruptions when in that state of mind. 7. They have difficulty stopping a task when they are in the zone When in concentration mode they stay for hours. Even if there are other things which need to be done, they are locked into that task. 8. They are unable to regulate their emotions For a person with an addiction, their emotions are flying wild, out of proportion and cannot be contained. The tangled wires in their brilliant brains make thought and feelings difficult to process. They need extra time to get their systems up and running properly. These things are learned in recovery although they are never gone but contained. 9. They may have verbal outbursts.Their intense emotions are hard to regulate. Since they impulsively say whatever they think, they often say things they later regret. It’s almost impossible for them to edit their words before they release them. 10. They have social anxiety Feeling uncomfortable knowing that they are different, people with addictions are often uncomfortable in social situations. They are afraid they will say something foolish or react inappropriately. Holding back feels safer as when they used they did the opposite. Don’t push them for how they feel, as most times they don’t even know. 11. They are deeply intuitive. For people with addictions see the surface as an invisible exterior that they penetrate. Never try to hide anything from them as they “know it.” They see beyond it. This is the most enjoyable aspect of addictions. This inspirational trait is what makes creative geniuses. Inventors, artists, musicians, and writers thrive in this zone. 12. They think out of the box. Another wonderful aspect of addiction once in recovery is that because they think differently, their abstract minds see solutions to problems that the concrete thinker cannot see. 13. They are impatient and fidgety. Annoyed easily, wanting things to happen immediately and constantly playing with their phones, twirling their hair, or bouncing their leg up and down; a person with an addiction needs constant motion. It’s a calming Zen activity for them. 14. They are physically sensitive.Pencils feel heavy in their hand. Fibers in fabric that most people wouldn’t feel can be itchy. Beds are bumpy. Food has textures you can’t imagine. Like The Princess and the Pea, they can feel a pea under twenty mattresses. 15. They are disorganized. Piles are their favorite method of organizing. Once a task is complete, papers related to it are placed in a pile, where they stay until the piles grow too high. That’s when the person with addictions become overwhelmed, frustrated, and cleans up. People with addictions have to be careful to not become hoarders. It’s hard for a person with addictions to keep things in order because their brain doesn’t function in an orderly manner. 16. They need space to pace. When talking on the phone or having a conversation, people with addictions think better when they are in motion. Movement is calming and brings clarity to their thoughts. 17. They often avoid tasks. Making decisions or completing tasks on time is a struggle. Not because they are lazy or irresponsible, but because their minds are full of options and possibilities. Choosing one can be problematic. It’s easy to avoid making decisions because they are over-thinkers. They obsess and dwell in the depths of their own minds which is what kept their addiction going so long. 18. They can’t remember simple tasks. Another paradoxical trait of addictions is memory. The short term memory loss is one of the consequences of their addictions. People with addictions can’t remember to pick up their clothes at the cleaners, milk at the grocery store, or appointments. On the other hand; they remember every comment, quote, and phone number they heard during the day. No matter how many post-its or calendar reminders they set; their distracted mind is always elsewhere. Visible items are easier to remember. That’s why they have fifteen windows open on their desktop . 19. They have many things going on at the same time. Due to the constant activity in their mind, once a task is finished, they are ready to move on to the next task without closing up the prior task. The more they have going on at once, the better. Multi-tasking is one of their favorite activities. 20. They are passionate about everything they do. Their emotions, thoughts, words, and touch of a person with an addiction is powerful. Everything is magnified. This is a blessing when channeled properly and learned in recovery. When a person with addiction does something, they do it with their heart and soul. They give it all they’ve got. They are intense, perceptive, and deep. This quality is what makes the person with an addiction so lovable. Basically, a person with addiction has trouble controlling their impulses. They also have many awesome qualities that you will enjoy once they get into recovery and you can understand how they think and feel. Compassion, empathy and patience will carry you through the most difficult times. It’s important to take extra care of yourself; take alone time regularly, do what you enjoy, find a support group, a therapist or a compassionate wise friend, take frequent vacations, meditate, find hobbies and your own passion and leave them to God to fix – you can’t.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 19:03:54 +0000
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