Where life is seen as a burden, full of unpleasant and useless struggles, addiction is a way to surrender. The difference between not being addicted and being addicted is the difference between seeing the world as your arena and seeing the world as your prison. These contrasting orientations suggest a standard for assessing whether a substance or activity is addictive for a particular person. If what a person is engaged in enhances his ability to live, if it enables him to work more effectively, to appreciate the things around him more, and finally if it allows him to grow, to change and expand … then it is not addictive. If, on the other hand, it diminishes him … if it makes him less attractive, less capable, less sensitive and if it limits him, stifles him, harms him and/or those around him, it is addictive.

One thing I’ve learned is it’s better to be addicted to things than people. You get hooked on a thing and if someone takes it from you, you can find another source. Only people can really hurt you. Only people can push you out into the cold permanently.

Imagine trying to live without air. Now imagine something worse.

Addictions … started out like magical pets, pocket monsters. They did extraordinary tricks, showed you things you hadn’t seen, were fun. But came, through some gradual dire alchemy, to make decisions for you. Eventually, they were making your most crucial life-decisions. And they were … less intelligent than goldfish.

You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town.

At first, addiction is maintained by pleasure, but the intensity of this pleasure gradually diminishes and the addiction is then maintained by the avoidance of pain.

At first, addiction is maintained by pleasure, but the intensity of this pleasure gradually diminishes and the addiction is then maintained by the avoidance of pain.

Addiction begins with the hope that something “out there” can instantly fill up the emptiness inside.

Addicts never stand still; they are either getting better, or they are getting worse.

Addicts know no shame. You disgrace yourself so many times you become immune to it.