What is addiction really and can a person truly heal from it? And why do some people suffer so much while others never do? The relevance of this topic is clear. In the United States, 11 million people ages 12 or older misuse prescription drugs and 886,000 people use heroin and opioids. Mental health issues are off the charts and countless numbers of people live their entire lives in sadness and anger.

In a recent interview, Debra Laughlin, founder of Worthiness Academy, discussed the many facets of her organization and what she’s doing to change the state of pain and suffering on this planet. Her goal is to show people that they matter and their gifts and beauty are needed in the world. Laughlin also shared her personal journey to eliminate addiction in her own life. Through her journey, she has come to believe that all people can heal and live a vibrant, joyful and empowered life.

Laughlin has been studying shamanism for almost 30 years and considers herself a medicine woman. One of the specific programs Worthiness Academy offers is the Addictive Personality Paradigm (APP), a Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society (DTMMS) publicly offered program of which Laughlin is one of the few qualified specialists. APP, within its ceremonial framework, offers an understanding and healing of the addictive patterns and behaviors. This unique approach is fresh, empowering, and realistic.

Habits, Addictions and Addictive Personalities

Laughlin reviewed the definitions of habits, addictions and addictive personalities during our recent interview in her Phoenix home. She sheds light on some of these mis-labeled terms. For example, Laughlin defines a habit as something that you can take or leave. An example of a habit might be someone who runs or works out at the end of the day to unwind. When stressed, most people will automatically go to that habit, which can, in some circumstances, lead to an addiction. The habit of running transforms into "I have to run or else I can’t relax".

Laughlin goes on to describe addictions as going beyond habits. They are rote patterns of behavior that involve substances, like drugs, food and alcohol or behaviors, like gambling, workaholism and co-dependency. Laughlin says, "every time you get emotionally challenged, where you have feelings you don’t know how to deal with, you’ll go to that substance or behavior."

Laughlin also describes addictive personalities as people with addictions - not habits - that they have become material to who they are. They are never without an addiction, because when one is resolved, another will pop up.

Laughlin emphasizes that "people are not happy" with addictions, but they are mostly functional. She says "because their self-growth is not a priority, they don’t reach their potential. Instead, they create dysfunctional patterns of behavior that grows stronger, more intense, and harder to break. Their addictive personalities take over and they numb their pain and create the illusion of pleasure. Substance or behavioral addictions are their way of "coping with life’s challenges".

The Addiction Spectrum

Obviously, there is a spectrum when it comes to addictions and addictive personalities. Our cultural view of an "addict" is someone who uses all the time. And yet, as Laughlin points out, all of us have imbibed in something too much at one time or another. You can have an addiction and not have an addictive personality. A few of the questions she challenges us to consider are:

What caused the over-indulgence?

What did we do afterwards?

And how many ‘happy hours’ do we need?

Laughlin shares this example of cigarettes on addictions "people can have addictions where they do have a pattern of consistently going to that substance. Cigarettes are a potentially addictive substance. The key is this - do they cross over and look for other things? If you were really pressed, could you quit smoking and not look for something else?"

Laughlin describes her father, "His ‘medication’ was to go out, drink, make poor decisions, engage in other addictive behaviors, get up in the morning, go back to work and start the cycle over again. So, it’s that consistent need for the medication that drives an addictive personality."

Like all self-destructive behaviors, addictions always provide a secondary gain. For the addictive personality, it’s finding an end to perceived pain. The crux of the matter though, is that indulging in an addiction that can only ever give you short-term relief and perceived pleasure.

Laughlin says "whatever you are doing gives you a sense of ‘oh, this isn’t pain - it must be pleasure. In truth, it creates long-term pain, because you haven’t dealt with the issue. So, you are never really free."

"White knuckling" is a term Laughlin describes in reference to addictive personalities. Laughlin says "you may be able to get rid of one addiction and even be able to hold the abstinence for a while. It’s as if you are rock climbing and find yourself on the rock face holding on for dear life. Can you find a safe way down"?

Laughlin refers to the Addictive Personality Paradigm program as the "the safe way down." And, to go the safe way down, you need to heal the cause that brings you pain.