The Cobra in the Basket

Lesson from addiction recovery

Source: Dil

Introduction

I am currently reading Ram Dubey’s book ‘From Relapsed to Redeemed’ and have been particularly impressed by the ‘cobra in the basket’ analogy.

Before I discuss it, I would like to share a few key points about addiction:

1. All addictions are bad. You may think that being addicted to ‘helping people’ is good but it is not. If you are addicted to helping people, the act of ‘helping people’ is no longer an altruistic act. It fulfils a need in you (e.g. affirmation of self-worth). If that is the case, you may be guilty of hurting people in your process of helping them (e.g. through fostering dependency).
2. While alcohol and drug addictions are the most severe (as they alter the neurochemistry), all kinds of addiction (e.g. smoking, pornography, gambling, shopping, exercise, mortification) are bad. They prevent us from living life to the fullest.
3. Having an addiction is similar to having ‘a romantic love affair’. Memories of the peak moments of these engagements can sabotage our recovery effort and cause us to revert to old habits.
4. It takes a village to help an addict stay in recovery.
5. Recovery is a life long process. Overconfidence and complacency are saboteurs…