The Anatomy of Addiction Quotes

“Addicts, in a very general but foundational sense, are constitutionally unable to put themselves first. They have spent their lives avoiding putting themselves first, hiding themselves and their problems behind habitual and destructive behaviours.”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery

“The strength to sustain recovery can only come from the addict understanding and defining his circle of influence, from recognising that there are factors over which he can exert authority and control, and from taking responsibility for the outcome of his actions. The most effective way in which to regain a sense of internal control is to grasp at a very core level those events and circumstances - and biochemical balances - that caused the loss of control in the first place.”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery

“Why understanding the purpose of addiction matters: Because it explains why people with addictions are not weaker than people without addiction: people suffering with addictions put up with helplessness just like everyone else as long as it doesn’t involve major issues for them.”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery

“Unfortunately, the stress management tool that addicts rely upon is their addiction itself, and in treatment, they need to replace newer, healthier skills to replace these old destructive habits.”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery

“Depression frequently is internalised anger or anger turned inward. A clinically depressed person is most often someone who is sitting on a great deal of rage - to the point when a patient self-diagnoses with depression, the first reasonable clinical question to ask is: What pissed you off?”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery

“To understand why getting to the root cause is so critical in healing depression, it is necessary to go far beyond the catchall meaning of the word - to understand that the insomnia, fatigue, and other frequently debilitating troubles that we normally associate with depression are indeed just the symptoms of the condition. In reality, depression is not about sadness - it is in most cases about anger.”
― Morteza Khaleghi, The Anatomy of Addiction: Overcoming the Triggers That Stand in the Way of Recovery