Addicts are frustrating and maddening. They ask for help but then reject it.
After
a while, we get frustrated and angry with them and tell them to leave us alone.
How can we help addicts without getting angry and rejecting them? We must
recognize that addicts are ambivalent about their addiction, in that they love
the
euphoria, but hate the sickness. So we must help them to understand their
ambivalence and the dual nature of addiction with its euphoria and sickness,
which are inextricably linked. Likewise, we must cope with our ambivalence
toward the addict, in that we love them, but hate their addiction. (1)
Rapid Response:
Addiction & Ambivalence
Addicts are frustrating and maddening. They ask for help but then reject it.
After
a while, we get frustrated and angry with them and tell them to leave us alone.
How can we help addicts without getting angry and rejecting them? We must
recognize that addicts are ambivalent about their addiction, in that they love
the
euphoria, but hate the sickness. So we must help them to understand their
ambivalence and the dual nature of addiction with its euphoria and sickness,
which are inextricably linked. Likewise, we must cope with our ambivalence
toward the addict, in that we love them, but hate their addiction. (1)
(1) Mann H. “Addiction: Imaginary Gains and Real Losses”
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/334/7595/697#177537
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests