Know Your Addictions
The Subconscious Fat of Addictions
Mr. Skeptical asks, “Are you going to reveal some of your addictions?”
My eyes narrow in on him. “Well, I do believe anybody can become addicted, and many do. Sometimes, certain addictions are okay.”
“But addictions are associated with bad things happening.”
“Yes, they often are. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. I learned a lot about addictions when I spent time in prison by observing others and myself.”
LOCAL LOVE: DR. AURA TOVAR
I’ve known Dr. Tovar for several years now. She has had her chiropractic office open for over 20 years in West Miami. She’s also the ChiroMission president, International Speaker, and Founder of the Get Naked Series. Her office offers chiropractic, massage, contour light therapy, weight loss, and personal growth coaching. Her website is DynamicChiropracticcenter.net. 
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet
First, let’s start with a definition of addiction:
Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
The above is simply one definition by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. However, the main point is that one continues to engage in a particular behavior that leads to bad outcomes.
Mr. Skeptical adds, “I see addictions as always associated with bad outcomes.”
“Often, yes, but not always. For example, I know I’m addicted to drinking coffee. I know coffee drinking is not a healthy habit despite all the marketing for its benefits. Yet I still drink two or three cups a day, and if I stop suddenly, I’ll get a headache.”
“The headache is a bad outcome. It indicates you have a physical addiction to it.”
“Yes, it does. And my point is I’m okay with that. Every few months or so, I wean myself off coffee simply to lower my tolerance. Then I get back into drinking coffee again. The point is that I control the addiction. I don’t let it control me.”
Mr. Skeptical folds his arms and looks upset. “I don’t care about your coffee addiction. Tell me about your addictions while in prison. Like, how did you handle your sex life?”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet
Arrrrgh, Mr.Skeptical is such a nosy prick! “Fine, I didn’t engage in any sexual activity while in prison besides masturbating.”
Pouting his lips, Mr. Skeptical adds, “Is that the story you’re sticking with? Aren’t you supposed to be the real deal?”
“I have no reason to lie. Many men are more sexually flexible or bisexual or gay, and I admit, they’d had a much better time than I did while in prison. And no one should be ashamed of that in any way. I went to prison at the age of 45. I was set in my ways.”
“So, you’ve never had any type of sexual addiction?”
“As a young kid, when I first started masturbating, I likely had an addiction. I did it very frequently, multiple times a day.”
“So you were addicted.”
“I don’t know. Any modern psychologist would say it’s normal to masturbate very frequently when young and first discovering it. So, it was sort of an addiction that I tended to do a lot less as I grew up, especially after having a girlfriend. I see that as totally normal.”
Mr. Skeptical pouts his lips and just says, “Hmmmph.”
“The issue for me as a young boy masturbating was that because I was attending a Catholic school and forced to read the Catholic Catechism, I naively believed that masturbating was a sin, thinking God would punish me. This did mess with me psychologically and caused me harm. It’s one of the main reasons I’m not a fan of religion.”
“There was nothing else you were addicted to while in prison?”
My teeth clench. “I’d say I had two addictions while in prison.”
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
One addiction I had was reading. I did do lots of reading while in prison. My family would often send my books, and we had a library. My other addiction was exercising.
Mr. Skeptical raises his hands in protest. “But wait. How can those be addictions? How is exercise an addiction?”
“Exercise can become an addiction. There’s even a term for it for those who run a lot. They call it runner’s high.”
“I don’t see that as an addiction.”
“Well, there are tons of drug addicts who simply replace their urge to do drugs with exercise. Many treatment programs include exercise as a possible “replacement drug” for actual drugs. This is where the idea of an addiction being good comes in.
“When I was in prison, I took risks by working out. I knew I needed to exercise for my mental health. When we were on lockdown and not allowed to go outside, I’d often get together with a few other exercise addicts, and we’d do pull-ups in the bathrooms. We weren’t allowed to do this. We’d have other inmates looking out for when a guard might arrive.
“No weights are allowed in the US Federal Prison system. So often, we’d use bands or small dumbbells smuggled into the prison camp. I took my chances.”
Mr. Skeptics sighs, “Yeah, but what were the consequences if you got caught using a smuggled dumbbell or band?”
“I could be forced to do extra work in the yard or told I had to reveal who smuggled in the contraband. The consequences would vary depending on the guard.”
Mr. Skeptical rolls his eyes.
“I’ll admit the consequences weren’t as severe, like getting caught using a cell phone, which about half the inmates did. If one got caught using a cell phone, they’d immediately be shipped from the prison camp to a low-security prison. Those were more severe consequences.”
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
“The main point here is that one can be addicted to something, and it’s not such a bad thing like my addiction to coffee or working out. If I get hurt, like I did when I broke my pinky toe (I wrote a post on that see it here), I do get depressed. But I get over it.”
“Did you ever get hurt working out in prison?” Asks Mr. Skeptical.
“Yes, I did, especially because there was a time when I was doing cross-fit with most guys in it 20 years younger than me. We’d do dumb things like carry someone on our shoulders for 50 yards. A man in his 40s has no business doing stupid stuff like that unless you’re saving somebody’s life.”
“Maybe, but I’m sure doing cross-fit was gratifying and fulfilling.”
“It can be, especially when younger. But if I’m in my 40s, I should at least do it with other guys in their 40s, not guys in their 20s.”
“You’re competitive.”
“I am, and that was part of the problem. I’d want to win, but it would sometimes lead to me getting hurt. So, after a while, I stopped doing cross-fit and simply worked out for my mental and physical health.
For some of my online clients, it takes time for them to realize that sugar and carbs are an addiction. It takes realizing this, and if you’re going to completely or get close to eliminating sugar and carbs, it helps to view it as an addiction. It truly is an addiction because your body is using carbohydrates and sugar as fuel, and I work with my online clients to get their bodies to use their body fat as fuel instead of sugar and carbohydrates. This process is easier for some and harder for others.
Some people need help and guidance to get rid of certain addictions.
Be aware.
PS Links in Facebook and Instagram. Instagram LIVE workout every Tuesday, at noon Eastern time. Full disclosure: Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.
PSS Meat Up meet-up event on Wednesday, August 14, at 6:30 PM see event details here.