THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE & ADDICTION OPTION 

Webster defines option as: “The act of choosing: a choice. It is the power, right or liberty of choosing.” It is free and always available.

The options one chooses in life depend not so much on the actual presenting situation, but on the perceived value a particular option will have on resolving this presenting situation. When one chooses the option to repeatedly use alcohol or drugs we call this substance abuse or addiction.

This option for substance abuse represents an attempt by the person to resolve a stressful, helpless, or fearful situation. It is an attempt to reassert their control or will to a perceived uncontrollable situation. The situation is perceived as uncontrollable because it presents the person with a scenario of emotions that they believe cannot be handled without the use of alcohol or drugs.

Substance abuse helps resolve these emotional issues by doing two things:
1) It allows the addict to regain a sense of control of these emotions.
2) It gives the addict the illusion of a temporary fix or resolution to these negative emotional experiences.

The addict perceives the value of substance abuse as superior to the experience of their current emotional state of helplessness or fear. The reality is that this attempt to control the emotional experience further isolates the addict from successful resolution of the presenting problem or experience. Through time the repeated option to drink or use drugs becomes so familiar that deviation from it adds to the anxiety and feelings of helplessness and fear. Predictability and safety in an addict’s alcohol or drug use is the key.

No matter what the emotional state, the addict can routinely reassert their will and control through the use of alcohol or drugs, even while acknowledging the destructive influence of their use. Again, the value of substance abuse is perceived as superior to their current emotional state of helplessness and fear.

So the option for substance abuse can present a realistic solution to a current emotional conflict, but that does not imply the choice to “not use” is unavailable.

Just as the addict has used his power, right or liberty to drink or use drugs, so he can also use his power, right and liberty to change. The act of choosing has not vanished. The person maintains his power, right and liberty to choose whatever option makes sense to him and is most useful. In reality the addict asserts this freedom every time he decides to use. To remove an option, as in maintaining addiction as a disease, is to remove freedom, power, right and liberty. It is to feed into the helplessness already being experienced by the addict who compensates for this through substance abuse.

Option is at the root of substance abuse and addiction, for in an option we are allowed to use freedom, power, right or liberty to resolve conflict anyway we want to. Even if this option destroys our lives through substance abuse or addiction. If we combat this freedom to choose substance abuse or addiction, with an elimination of options (making it a disease that is responsible) we cut off the very opportunity we have to acknowledge where we need to change. We cut off our ability to see where our substance abuse or addiction began: In the freedom, power, right and liberty to choose how we will respond to our internal emotional experiences.    "The Forgotten Five-Steps"