Why We Escape explores addiction not simply as a problem of substances or behaviour, but as an attempt to find relief from emotional pain, shame, trauma and inner distress.
Drawing on psychology, recovery and lived experience, John Graham looks beneath alcohol, drugs and compulsive behaviours to the deeper needs and patterns that can sit underneath them. The book considers why people return again and again to things that may ultimately harm them, especially when those behaviours have once offered comfort, numbness, escape or a temporary sense of safety.
Written in an accessible and compassionate style, Why We Escape brings together ideas from addiction psychology, trauma, attachment, person-centred therapy, psychodynamic thinking and recovery. Rather than reducing addiction to weakness or lack of willpower, it explores the ways coping strategies can develop in response to pain, disconnection, shame and unmet emotional needs.
The book also reflects on recovery as more than simply stopping an addictive behaviour. It is about understanding what the behaviour was doing for us, developing greater self-awareness, rebuilding connection and learning healthier ways to meet the needs that once drove the search for relief.
Part of The Inner Recovery Series, Why We Escape is written for people in recovery, families, counsellors, therapists and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of addiction and the human need to escape from pain.
