Denial is often a part of addiction. Instead of wanting to get sober and receiving freedom from drugs and alcohol, you may find yourself labeling your drinking and using simply a vice. Even though you experience withdrawals when you do not drink or use; your life is out of control as a direct result of the effects of mind-altering substances, you may still find yourself denying that you have a problem.
What is a vice?
The definition of vice is “weakness of character or behavior; a bad habit”. When you model a bad habit, this does not automatically make you addicted to drugs and alcohol. Bad habits can be broken, and addiction is something that needs assistance to be changed. A vice can be viewed as a weakness or a moral dilemma more than an addiction. Traditionally, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, watching pornography, and gambling are the forerunners in the classification of vices, but eating sugar, driving fast, or cussing can also be considered a vice.
What does an addiction entail?
Sometimes a vice will turn into an addiction. When someone gets pleasure from a vice, they will continue doing it to keep getting pleasure from it. Someone with an addiction will keep doing whatever the pleasurable action is even if they are physically, mentally, and spiritually sick because they find they cannot stop. The definition of addiction is “being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)”.
What is a “heavy drinker”?
There is a term called a “heavy drinker” which means a person will binge drink, or use drugs, in overabundance, but they do not have the obsession to drink or use like someone with an addiction. Their consequences have not gotten so high that they need to end their relationship with drugs, alcohol, or anything else they find themselves addicted to. When they do drink or use, however, they will consume hard enough for others to wonder if they are addicted. They can stop whenever they want without necessarily going through withdrawal or the mental torture that addiction brings to those who are in its grips.
If you are unable to stop using and drinking because your brain keeps telling you that you need more, you could be suffering from addiction and not a vice. If you are no longer seeking pleasure as much as you are trying to meet your tolerance level or to feed your dependency on drugs and alcohol, you could use some assistance to help you combat your addiction once and for and all.
Valiant Living offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit along with offering a full range of recovery and mental health services. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Valiant clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
