You are on to something that much of the MH community (particularly in the US) has failed to see about addiction and anxiety. And I apologize if this is too much information. After extensively studying cellular biology and neuroscience, I believe that all addictions are attempts to regulate dysregulation in the nervous system through efforts to suppress hyperarousal or bring one back to life from low arousal. Too much activation from perceived threat or too little arousal from self-guarding in this overstimulating world make all of us highly susceptible to addictions. I have written about this heavily, but the most accessible pieces are here: https://beverlymsimmonsphdlcsw.substack.com/p/the-regulation-beneath-the-habit?r=6yc2ex and here: https://beverlymsimmonsphdlcsw.substack.com/p/the-regulation-beneath-the-habit?r=6yc2ex, if you have any interest. The capacity to feel connected joy is something that we are all seeking, yet most of us have sadly lost the nervous system bandwidth to experience. But, the good news is, you can rebuild it through one connected, engaged and fully alive moment at a time. I hope that you do!
You are on to something that much of the MH community (particularly in the US) has failed to see about addiction and anxiety. And I apologize if this is too much information. After extensively studying cellular biology and neuroscience, I believe that all addictions are attempts to regulate dysregulation in the nervous system through efforts to suppress hyperarousal or bring one back to life from low arousal. Too much activation from perceived threat or too little arousal from self-guarding in this overstimulating world make all of us highly susceptible to addictions. I have written about this heavily, but the most accessible pieces are here: https://beverlymsimmonsphdlcsw.substack.com/p/the-regulation-beneath-the-habit?r=6yc2ex and here: https://beverlymsimmonsphdlcsw.substack.com/p/the-regulation-beneath-the-habit?r=6yc2ex, if you have any interest. The capacity to feel connected joy is something that we are all seeking, yet most of us have sadly lost the nervous system bandwidth to experience. But, the good news is, you can rebuild it through one connected, engaged and fully alive moment at a time. I hope that you do!
I love this and I’ll be reading that! Thank you so much for commenting.
This is one of the best descriptions of what drinking did for me. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome. Thank you for the comment!