Responding to Addiction

James K. Baxter struggled throughout his life with his addictive relationship to alcohol. His concept of a “cold hub” or inner nothingness captures something of the social emptiness that lies at the core of addictive systems. The previous chapter outlined how within a social system the rising dominance of an addictive relationship feeds off deteriorations in relationships elsewhere. This leads to experiences of fragmentation for other people in the system. This chapter explores the prospect of change. It outlines change as a slow and difficult journey involving periods of crisis, moving forward and reverting back and rethinking before the pathway for reintegration is established.