What is the real cause of addiction?

For so long, there has been a negative stigma placed on addiction. Instead of being viewed as a disease, many claim that “addicts” simply don’t have a desire to stop using. It has been perceived as more of a self-control issue where users are looked down upon or cast out.

Addiction, however, is a disease and the root cause of it might be more complex than people know. Bruce Alexander, a professor of psychology, conducted experiments in the 1970’s that proved a great deal about the societal impact on addiction. At Ascent, our motto is “It’s not work, it’s life.” This means that recovery isn’t just temporary; recovery is forever. That is why we have experienced peer recovery coaches on hand 24/7/365 and partner them with a mobile app. This is more than just work for us, it is a potentially life-saving solution. Well, what Alexander discovered is a similar theory. Watch the video from Kurzgesagt below to understand his theory.

As you can see, Alexander believes that addiction stems from isolation. In his experiments, the rat that was isolated always drank from the drug-infused water bottle. On the other hand, when a group of rats were together in an ideal situation, they mostly drank from the pure water bottle. The Vietnam War example relates that experiment to humans as well. Thus, “the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.” Check out Alexander’s website here.

There is a large degree of truth to Alexander’s claims and it is something that Ascent is now addressing. The Ascent solution combines 24/7/365 support from peer recovery coaches who have experienced addiction and are living in recovery with a cutting-edge mobile app. This means that our clients will always have someone to talk to. They will always have someone there for them. They will never feel alone. Constant connection and support greatly reduces the risk of relapse. By providing clients with all of this support, right at their fingertips, the Ascent solution is capable of greatly improving recovery methods. As the great addiction recovery writer William White said, “There is great interest at present in both peer recovery support and recovery apps as an adjunctive recovery support.”