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%SLIP SLIDE ENTER ESCAPE RECOVER ADDICT CODEPENDENT 881006

     It is not enough to be able to recognize the  pattern
of  behaviors which are central to addictive,  codependent
and collusive behavior.

     For a community to deal effectively with the diseases
of  addiction,   codependence and collusive  behavior  the
community  needs to understand the dynamics  of  slipping,
sliding  and otherwise entering into the diseased patterns
of  behavior,   and  also to understand  the  dynamics  of
recovery,  escape, redemption, salvation,  reconciliation,
conversion, integration, encouragement, etc.

     An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.   It
is essential that healthy people recognize the first steps
which  lead  into addictive,   codependent  and  collusive
behavior patterns.  It is not enough to have a program  of
intervention once the disease process is far advanced. The
diseases   can  best  be  dealt  with  through  preventive
measures.   Preventive  measures are not possible  without
recognizing the beginning stages of the diseases.

     The beginning stages of the diseases are to be  found
in  the  systemic patterns of behavior which  characterize
the community as a whole;  in its familiar,   educational,
religious,   business,  political,  etc.  institutions and
traditions.    The  prevention  of   personal   addictive,
codependent  and collusive behaviors must be founded  upon
communal health and integrity; and vice versa.

     The  healing process is not evident to the  diseased,
especially  when dealing with addictions,   codependencies
and collusions.  The healing process is not evident to the
diseased  even  after they have recognized the  nature  of
their  disease and admit to being diseased.  The steps  on
the  road  to recover need to be made clear in order  that
they may be taken with deliberate speed.

     The   diseases  are  progressive,   processes.    The
diseases  are not static realities.  The diseased  persons
are  either getting sicker or getting better.  It is  rare
that  a  diseased  person is static at one  stage  of  the
disease.   Even  so,   it  is useful  to  focus  upon  the
difference  between  various  stages in the  life  of  the
disease:

     (1)  Healthy person  affected  initially  by diseased
behaviors,   without awareness of the dangers inherent  in
the diseased behaviors.

     (2)  Healthy person  beginning  to  react to diseased
patterns of behavior in ways which compromise the personal
and  communal  integrity of those affected,   without  any
recognition  on any person's part of the beginning of  the
process.

     (3)  Healthy person beginning to have some sense that
"something is wrong"  but without any sense of what is the
nature of what is wrong.

     (4)  Progressive symptoms of things "not being right"
and  an  awareness on the part of others that there  is  a
lack of vitality, health, integrity, energy, clarity, etc.

     (5)  Involvement of an expanding number of  people in
the   problems  generated  because  of  lack  of   bodily,
spiritual, intellectual, economic, business, etc. kinds of
health in the person.

     (6)  Some  form of diagnosis that the  problem is  of
such  and  such a character,  even though perhaps  a  mis-
diagnosis.

     (7)  Misguided   treatment   based  upon   a   faulty
diagnosis, perhaps the faulty diagnosis is due to systemic
addiction, codependence and collusion.

     (8)  Integrative  diagnosis  of the situation and the
beginning of the healing process.

     (9)  Resistance  to  the  beginning  of   the healing
process  and  desires to return to the "comfort"   of  the
familiar processes, horrible as they have been.

     (10)  Communal  resistance  to individual  efforts to
recover because it has been convenient to the community to
have  the  diseased individual behave in  the  predictable
manipulable patterns characteristic of the disease.

     (11)  Analysis  and mis-diagnosis of the role  of the
community,   and  mistreatment of individuals;  and  so  a
better understanding of the progression of the disease.

     (12)  Integrative  analysis  of  the systemic disease
and  the  beginning of recovery,  in regards to  both  the
individual and the community.

     (13)  Additional  systemic  resistance  due  to   the
increased  threat  to  traditional communal  patterns  and
institutions.

     (14)  Recognition of  the ultimate need  to deal with
the  systemic  aspects of the diseases,  as  well  as  the
individual aspects of the diseases.

     (15)  Progressive recovery to a state of communal and
personal  integrity,   and the institution  of  preventive
measures  to deal with tendencies to slip,  slide,  enter,
etc.    into   addictive,    codependent   and   collusive
relationships.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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