Addictive Thinking: Understanding Self-Deception

by Abraham J. Twerski

When achieving pleasure or relieving discomfort constitutes the ultimate goal of life, many people, especially youngsters, will turn to chemicals to reach these goals. It is undeniable that mind-altering chemicals may produce a desirable sensation, and to discourage pursuit of this high, we must be able to convince young people that they should sacrifice such pleasure. Since they seem to consider themselves immune to the dangerous effects of drugs, dire warnings are not a deterrent. Telling them to avoid chemicals so that they can grow up to be healthy, productive people who can enjoy life is often met with the spoken or unspoken argument “Why wait? I’m enjoying life right now by drinking.” To further complicate things, our culture thrives on technology that eliminates waiting. We are consumers of micro-waves, fax machines, cellular phones, and instant foods. Even if one can envision “happiness” coming later in life, the prevailing ethos of instant gratification makes a long wait intolerable.