Shared by our Consultant Psychologist and Addiction Counselor at Outspan Serenity Centre (OSC) – January 2026

“All you need to do is stop…” is a myth.

Addiction is not about weak willpower. And recovery is not instant. It is a process of healing, unlearning, and rebuilding.

Let’s break it down in simple terms.

Addiction Does Not Happen Overnight

No one wakes up addicted. Addiction develops in stages:

1. Experimentation Phase
   At first, the person feels happy and relaxed. The substance or behavior is associated with positive feelings.
2. Misuse Phase
   The use becomes more frequent. Negative effects begin to show up in the body and mind.
3. Abuse Phase
   The consequences grow bigger:
   • Strained relationships
   • Poor performance at work or school
   • Daily or binge use
   • Increased quantity
4. Addiction Phase
   At this point:
   • The person cannot function without the substance
   • All areas of life are affected
   • The substance becomes a priority

Addiction builds over time. That means recovery also takes time.

Why Addiction Is So Powerful: The Hijacked Brain

All human behavior is driven by two things:

• Avoiding pain
• Seeking pleasure

Our brains naturally reward healthy behaviors—like exercising or achieving goals—with feel-good chemicals such as dopamine. These chemicals make us feel satisfied and fulfilled.

But drugs and alcohol interfere with this system.

They flood the brain with pleasure much faster and more intensely than natural rewards. Over time, the brain becomes “rewired.” It starts believing the substance is the most important source of pleasure.

Eventually:

• Nothing else feels enjoyable
• The person feels anxious or stressed without the substance
• Withdrawal symptoms make quitting extremely difficult

This is what we call a hijacked brain.

Addiction shifts priorities completely. People may lie, steal, or manipulate—not because they are bad, but because their brain is wired to prioritize survival of the addiction.