When I was 22, I had a real problem with alcohol... It got so bad, that friends wouldn't come near me, if I'd been drinking. Eventually, I gave up alcohol because I could no longer control myself under its influence. That's when the problems began...
The above quote comes from a 30 year old recovering drug and alcohol addict. He has been sober for 18 months, and recounts how his attempts to stop using one particular substance, lead him down a path of addiction and abuse of other substances.
Addiction occurs in the brain, so even though the chemicals and substances are the triggers for addiction, the processes of addiction are solely playing-out in the brain. For the above-referenced addict, addiction was already present; this is why the stopping of alcohol abuse merely morphed the addiction into the abuse of another substance.
This shape-shifting of addiction is quite common, and is often most evident in those that quit smoking -- as ex smokers tend to become addicted to exercise, eating, or other habits. To protect against these shifting addictions, it is important to seek comfort in healthy activities and pastimes, rather than picking up another troublesome habit.
Avoiding picking-up secondary, or follow-up addictions, is one of the main goals of residential rehab addiction treatment programs. In an inpatient setting, it is easier to avoid picking up habits while learning to stay sober. This ensures that you are not only healing from your past addictions, but you are replacing your bad habits with healthy living, and better choices.
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