Prohibition of sales, debates on the harmfulness of drugs and alcohol, or even ugly photographs on cigarette boxes. It is part of prevention, but something else works better against risky behavior. “The better we understand ourselves, the easier we can resist,” says an addictologist Marta Tara Šturm in the podcast.
Listen to the whole podcast not only about addictions and fighting with them:
There are enough deterrent examples around us. Not only in the immediate vicinity, but also in the media and of course in a number of dramatized stories in films, series or books. But when it comes to ourselves, do we have a chance to know that we are rushing to addiction? Or to avoid it, even better? “Yes. But only if I really know who I am and I can also use myself,” explains Marta Tara Šturm, a psychotherapist and an addictologist with many years of experience not only with drug addicts.
Regulation? That’s not enough!
When we talk about addictive substances, the responsibility of the state authorities and the legal system at all comes to the responsibility of the state authorities and the legal system. “We would not only like addictologists if the system could respond more flexibly to new drugs,” the expert agrees. “But it is not possible, because they appear too fast and too creeping.” In addition, there are drugs that are not new, but we tolerate them as a society. So alcohol and tobacco. And last but not least, things that may not be addictive at all or are just for someone. Sex. Social networks. Actually anything. This is not possible to regulate this from the logic of the matter.
Know yourself
But how to protect yourself from potential addiction when no one else does it for us? According to the expert, it is really the most important thing to know. “We are born with a personality and we have been adding skills and experience over the years. It is the awareness of what we are composed of helping us reveal that something is happening,” the therapist describes.
How are you doing today
But it is not enough to say once in a while how we are. And that we may not be singing. The expert recommends performing this inventory, albeit only short, every day. Notify what we need, how we feel. What can stress us today or cause other problems. Because this most often opens the way to risky behavior. Whether it is a regular evening glass of wine or relaxation while watching porn.
