Why thoughts of the future can harm us

Beware the thoughts of tomorrow!

Planning for the future can be a good thing. But there is a difference between planning and thinking. Especially when that thinking becomes projecting. This is where we allow our mind to ruminate on our problems and how they might turn out. This is a harmful thing for most people, whether we are an alcoholic or addict or not.

It is human nature to project how our problems may develop. The more the problem bothers us, the more we tend to project on it. When we consider a problem, a negative thing in our life, our mind follows the mood, in a negative outlook. Because of this, it is in our nature to project how our problems are going to turn out in a negative way, often coming up with progressively "worst case" scenarios.


Human are experts at making "mountains out of mole-hills." We invented the worst case scenario. However, when we are actively addicted to drugs and alcohol this natural tendency becomes magnified.

Many among us were driven to our substance use by our life problems. We found it hard to deal with them, and sought relief in drugs or alcohol. This coping mechanism invariably worsens our problems and brings on new ones, which further pushes on our substance use, and the whole thing snowballs.

When we are sick, and feeling guilt, remorse, shame, and self-loathing from our drinking or drugging and the behaviors that come with it, our mind is in an even darker place. Our problems seem more insurmountable than ever, because we are incapable of dealing with them when we are in active addiction to drugs or alcohol.

We become obsessed with our worsening problems, and they occupy our mind, especially in quite times: such as when we are trying to get some sleep or laying there sick. That is when our mind starts working over-time and really projecting our problems. The result: we end up with fear, anxiety, and dread about our future. And, we can't sleep. We turn to our drug or drink to try to quell the fear and anxiety, and to get some sleep.

Psychological research, and life experience, has taught us that our problems almost never end up as bad as they do in our minds when we project our problems. And we also know that living in fear, anxiety, and worry does nothing to help our problems. Given that most of the fear and anxiety and worry is completely unfounded, it becomes even more useless to go through all the pain and suffering it causes.

If we just try to stop using drugs or alcohol without halting this mental projecting and all the fear and worry that goes with it, we will fail. We may make it a little while, but our fear and anxiety will pull us back in. Try it if you like, but millions before you have tried, and it doesn't work. They even have a name for this kind of "sobriety:" "white knuckling-it."

We must stop this mental projecting and the fear and worry that it brings on in order to find life-long sobriety. Sounds impossible when you are in the throes of alcoholism or addiction, but many millions of people have done it. Breaking the cycle of projecting, anxiety and then squashing the thoughts and anxiety with substance use is necessary.

That's unachievable on our own, or we would have done so long ago, and stopped the pain and worry. We need help. Counselling may help, if you get the right counsellor and can afford it. As a doctor and psychotherapist, I highly encourage considering getting help from people who have been through what you are going through and have beat it. There are many such people waiting to help you, and they are only a phone call away.

I am referring to the Twelve Step program. This program is a fellowship of many people of all types who have lived through what you are experiencing and have made it though. They understand, and they will never ask: "why don't you just stop?" You will be surprised the lengths they will go through to reach out to help you, because helping others to get sober is how they stay sober for the long-term. The Twelve Step program itself is designed to get all our worries, fears, guilt, anger, and other painful emotions off our back so that we can get sober and live life. People are blown away at how quickly they find peace of mind, and sound sleep. Huge amounts of medical studies funded by the United States National Institutes of Health have shown the Twelve Step program to be the most effective way to life-long sobriety.

However, the bottom line is that I need you sober and free from that cruelest of prisons called addiction. Whatever way you find sobriety, the important thing is that it works for you. Make sure you address the projecting of your problems, so that you find peace of mind as part of your recovery. People do this, and so can you!



To learn more about the science and psychology of addiction and recovery, and to understand why alcoholics and addicts behave the way they do, see the author's book The Alcoholic / Addict Within.

Available for sample or purchase in paperback and ebook editions at amazon.com (Click Here).