The Medical Problem

The Medical Problem is significant and immediately threatening, but less clearly understood:

"Over time, the body, particularly the brain, becomes sensitized and dependent on the addictions for its chemical regulation. What remains unclear is the duration of this effect after detox."

To understand The Medical Problem, we must first differentiate chemical dependence, which is the excessive reliance on the near-term effects from substances and behaviors, from what happens afterward when the person stops engaging for a period.

In general terms, a key neurochemical that gets disrupted with addiction is dopamine. Without, individuals find it difficult to feel happiness and a sense of peace.

However, when the consumption or engagement stops, the brain needs time to readjust to a normal state. Additionally, post-balancing, the individual will then start experiencing the effects of The Life Problem, often resulting in a return to the substances and behaviors.

This is what we call the after-effect.

"Grasshopper Philosophy believes that the brain is where treating addiction as a medical problem is most relevant; not the mind."

The delicate neurology of the brain is exceedingly challenging to assess, even with modern scientific methods.

At its fundamental level, Grasshopper Philosophy accepts that brain chemistry varies based on the type of addiction, the individual's physiology, and the intricate aspects of the individual and their life.

If the individual is afflicted by mental disorders, Grasshopper Philosophy recognizes that these factors also naturally contribute to the formation and continuation of addiction. For more about this, read "A note on co-occurring disorders".