Thinking about the psychology of my addictions is a new-ish hobby of mine. Honing in on the micro thought process in the moment of substance subjugation has been a very recent observable phenomenon. In other words, consuming past the normal limit of sugar with a new voice in my head--a conscience?--advising against it.
Massive over-consumption is unreasonable and results in immediate pain, and eventual shame. The conscience is reasonable, but reason is not as persuasive as pleasure. So another new voice must be cultivated within the moment of temptation: the voice of reasonable temperance. This voice is strengthened by the will, and the will is supported by God. True addicts need to channel a higher power to win the war against temptation.
The voice of temptation passes in a flash. Only when it is allowed to linger does it become stronger, and start to burn in the addict's mind. The burning is painful, and a weak willed addict will extinguish it by indulging in the temptation. Extinguishing the fires of temptation for immediate pain relief gives in to the satisfying pleasure of the temptation. It is counter intuitive to let oneself burn, allowing addictions to develop slowly, invisibly...
But this 'burning' is imaginary. A strong will of the conscience can withstand this burning of temptation. And yet, the withstanding of the burning itself does not result in an equally immediate (fleeting) pleasure. A prolonged journey of freedom from addiction is the reward. Well spent time, the most valuable and limited resource, is the reward.
Having suffered through numerous types of addictions, I can assert that every addiction is different for every person. It becomes a matter of taste. For instance, any drug that is not a socially consumed liquid, but a smoke-able purple crystal, or an inject-able beige powder is considered icky and dangerous by normal folks.
Living in a society of abundance enables addiction, because that same society furtively encourages it: Netflix, fast food, cigarettes, pornography, legalized weed, bars, MMOs, casinos....there is no shortage of possible addictions available while living in "freedom."
The temperance movement erroneously sought to cure individuals of addiction to alcohol, and succeeded with a 13 year ban, but policy itself also cannot cure individuals of addiction. Only individuals can cure themselves of addiction.
Heroin, crack and meth are not sold over the counter like alcohol. An addict will always be tempted by the reminder of the good stuff every time they enter a gas station, or pass a bar, or watch TV. Alcohol’s cultural acceptance makes its subsequent addiction detection rather difficult. “He’s not an alcoholic, he just likes to party!” is a common excuse for binge drinking among the immortal youth. This makes alcohol the most difficult substance for addicts to quit because it is readily accessible everywhere. (And its withdrawal is lethal.)
Becoming drunk on alcohol is like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Time ceases to exist. There is no fire, just a warm blanket. The fire begins to burn after the blanket fades away, and a desire for the safety of the warm blanket returns. There are many ways that this desire can come from within oneself, and externally from society.
Alcohol is inherently repulsive, but when the taste has been acquired it becomes pleasurable. At its worst it causes the common folk to act repulsive at times: sloppily pissing on the side of a building, humiliating themselves by passing out on the sidewalk, or inappropriately touching strangers. These are signs to normal folk that consuming alcohol irresponsibly could lead abusers to misbehave uncontrollably. The majority of users are not abusers, and stop themselves before abuse is taken too far. Thus alcohol is prohibited at work celebrations in exchange for sugar, the other socially acceptable addiction. Sugar cannot be avoided. It is in the air we breathe.
Whereas alcohol has an acquired taste, sugar and salt are immediately pleasurable. Children don't need to be taught to like it, and it serves as a useful reward for good behavior. Because of its social acceptability, these sugary snacks can be purchased everywhere, and are often provided in offices for midday dopamine. Like the warm blanket of alcohol or heroin, the snack can pretend to control a person's mind through the nerve endings in their mouth. Halting mid-snack causes immediate discomfort. Rarely does a conscience stop an individual from snacking until they have had too much snack, and risk spoiling their appetite, or having a stomach ache.
Sugar does not have the same safeguards that accompany safe alcohol consumption. Though less dangerous inherently, sugar is an extremely addictive substance in part because it is socially accepted.
(Masturbation is not a socially acceptable addiction.)
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