Smoking, alcohol, drugs, behavior (eating disorders, gambling addiction, online addiction, etc.)

An addiction is defined as an uncontrollable desire to repeatedly consume a certain substance or repeatedly perform a certain activity, even though it harms oneself or others.
Despite countless theories, the causes of addictive behavior remain unclear in conventional medicine.

From the perspective of TCM, addiction arises from an internal physical or psychological imbalance. Addictive substances don’t necessarily play the role of triggers, but they usually reinforce the pattern of addiction. We all constantly work to maintain balance, be it in terms of rest and exercise, warmth and cold, vacation and work, or giving and receiving. If a major imbalance exists, our inner self strives to balance it. If the imbalance is hidden from our consciousness, it is difficult to recognize the need to address it. This can lead to addictive substances being perceived as the only effective solution due to their short-term ameliorating or distracting effect from the actual problem.

With Chinese medicine, we can, on the one hand, explain these mechanisms to the affected person and motivate them to work on a long-term solution. On the other hand, we can support them on an energetic, mental, and physical level to regain balance and break the existing pattern of dependency.