Instant Gratification Is A Huge Part of Addiction
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Our world today is based upon instant gratification. Taking into consideration all of the technology that allows us to get what we want right when we want it, it’s really no wonder that we are trying to apply that standard to our emotional state.
Think of all the ways that people use drugs or alcohol pertaining to instant gratification. If you are having a stressful day…pop a pill and feel de-stressed. If you are feeling a little social anxiety or lack of confidence in a situation…have a few drinks and get some liquid courage.
By feeding these types of emotional needs with drugs or alcohol we are in a way giving ourselves a quick fix - instant gratification. We are not working on the actual problems but finding an easy way out of them. But since instant gratification in all other areas of life have now become the norm…how are we supposed to delay our need for instant gratification?
For someone who has entered into addiction recovery, life myself, we become aware of our search for instant gratification. We are now given the chance to start breaking down our bad beliefs about instant gratification.
Although we have come to the conclusion that we can’t change the world around us, we do have the power to change ourselves. We need to start separating out our emotional gratification to ensure that we are not searching for the next quick fix to our needs.
Sounds easy right? But when you sit and think about how much of our emotional well being has been dependent on our world around us…it gets a little tricky. But you can deal with a little tricky, you can work with a little tricky.
I’m still trying to figure all of this out. Since I am no longer using drugs to alter my moods I have had to start developing coping skills. These don’t always alter your moods but they begin to let you accept your emotional state and if necessary…ride it out. Riding out an unpleasant feeling is not something that I’m used to doing even now. It takes work.
This subject has been on my mind lately as I deal with my five year old son. I can see that he is used to nothing else but instant gratification and it kind of frightens me. He is not the exception, he is the norm.
I feel like our country is at a loss with how to deal with the growing addiction problems we are faced with. We are trying all kinds of ways to scare our children into not trying drugs. We show them what your life can turn out like, we talk about the health risks and all that. We show them the outcome of an addicts life. But what alternatives are we giving them?
Are we providing them with the life skills and the coping skills to thwart off their desire for instant gratification? No, as a society we are almost encouraging their need for instant gratification.
I’m not pretending to have any answers has to how to deal with it. I was just kind of pointing it out. I’m faced with this question almost everyday when it comes to dealing with my child. But I think that if we can figure out a way to change our children’s need for emotional instant gratification then we are heading in the right direction.
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January 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Everything you wrote here really resonates with me. I have a 5 year old too, and though I have tried really hard to be the best parent I can be, I can see how she is “spoiled” in a lot of ways. I don’t have any answers either, but I know a lot of parents who are struggling with the same questions - even those who don’t have addiction issues.
I wish you the best of luck in cultivating a taste for delayed gratification in both your self and your child. I’m pretty sure it can be done, even if I’m not sure how to do it.