Consequences don’t stop our using. They promote it.”
When I first heard Dr. Holman say this (around 2009) or so, it really struck me.
Why?
It had an entire feel about it. Not how she said it, but the words themselves. And the message was pretty specific, too.
For decades I had of course heard and read the phrase, “using in spite of consequences”.
But this was different.
This had a whole thing inside it related to course of illness and progression. How so? This phrase shows us the relief found in the using that happens during disorder, for the problems caused by the disorder.
To me this shines a light on one of the hallmark features of addiction illness that can help separate it from mere problematic use, especially as evidenced over time.
