How to spot functioning addiction (with Bushwacka)

In rave culture there can often be a lot of addictive behaviour that goes unchecked or unseen. The (literal) blurred lines between excessive behaviour versus addiction can make it difficult to identify when someone has a problem.

Matthew @bushwacka Benjamin was a functioning addict for a long time, i.e. addicted to substances but still seemingly “ok”. Now a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor at his own @listenuptherapy practice, sober and still on the road, Matthew helps us identify some of the aspects of functioning addiction…

COVERT BEHAVIOUR
With social media there’s less likelihood that people who are performing are going to be as wasted as they were back in the day. There’s awareness that everyone’s filming everything all the time, and that’s going to end up posted somewhere. So, there’s a lot more covert behaviour to addiction now than there used to be.

PARTY DOESN’T STOP
The party doesn’t stop for a lot of people out there. They will carry on, turn up for work the next day and crack on in the toilets, or keep a bottle of vodka in their desk drawer. Then they’ll carry on at home after work.

IN PURSUIT OF & CONSEQUENCES
Part of the work often undertaken in the 12-step recovery programs looks at what we’ve done in pursuit of getting a fix and the consequences of that action. By looking at the things we’ve done in pursuit of a high, and the fallout of our addictive behaviour, we can see how much of a problem it really is.

ISOLATING INSTEAD OF CONNECTING
Are you making excuses for leaving a group of people, or a place, to go away and do it on your own? If you’re isolating instead of connecting this can also be an indication that you’re slipping into addiction.

DISTORTED DISCERNMENT
Because of the nature of our industry it can be hard to discern when you’ve had too much. The weekend can roll over into the week and, if you’re still functioning, you might not think it’s a problem at all. However, constant use can indicate there’s an issue that must be addressed.