Settling is not living ...

A Hidden Cycle of Survival

He was a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, buried in secrets that weighed heavily on his heart. The classified nature of his work meant he couldn’t even confide in his wife. Anxiety gnawed at him, a relentless hum of existential dread. Not unlike the Amish that feel guilty for growing tobacco, this man’s work could jeopardize lives. Heroin became his refuge to silence the noise. When he entered treatment, the solution was a cocktail of Suboxone, benzodiazepines, sleep meds, and an antidepressant—a discharge plan that swapped one dependency for another. Around the same time, a therapist from another treatment facility arrived at ours, sleeves stained with blood from cutting himself on the plane. Prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, he threw himself into intense cardio hoping to use up some of the restless energy he embodied, trading self-harm for a socially praised addiction. These stories aren’t outliers; they reveal a truth: we’re not truly recovering from addiction—we’re transferring it, fighting to survive in a world that’s forgotten how to champion wholeness.

Addiction transfer, or substitution, is when someone overcomes one compulsive behavior only to take up another. It’s normalized, even encouraged, by a society that equates survival with quick fixes—pills, productivity, or “healthy” obsessions. But survival isn’t thriving. The dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, our brain’s reward center, drives us to seek life-supporting activities, from food and connection, to making money and having a roof over our head all to avoid harm. Yet, in a world where street drugs, alcohol, or smoking are measures many rely on to get through the trials of survival, as a collective, we’ve lost sight of what it means to thrive. This article explores the way addiction transfer—whether to prescribed medications or socially accepted habits—keeps us tethered, and how integrating genuine essential oils with various therapies transforms our relationship with ourselves.

Addiction Transfer: A Normalized Survival Tactic

When someone quits an illegal substance like heroin, the medical system often steps in with prescribed medications—opioid replacements, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants. This is addiction transfer in plain sight, sanctioned as treatment. For the Los Alamos scientist, Suboxone dulled the heroin cravings, but the benzodiazepines and antidepressants became new crutches, prescribed to manage the anxiety that heroin once silenced. Research shows 25-50% of individuals on medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction develop psychological reliance on these drugs, perpetuating dependence under the guise of recovery. Society normalizes this shift, framing pills as progress, while the underlying need—to feel safe, to quiet the noise—remains unaddressed.

The transfer isn’t limited to substances. The therapist who cut himself found solace in cardio, running for hours to dispel the energy that once drove his blade. Exercise is praised, but when it’s compulsive, it’s no different from the self-harm it replaced. Socially accepted addictions—workaholism, caffeine, social media scrolling, or biohacking with fitness trackers—serve the same purpose: they keep us surviving, not thriving. These behaviors hijack the mesolimbic pathway, delivering dopamine hits that mimic drugs, yet we rarely question them. Why? Because society equates survival with productivity, not wholeness.

Self-Medication and the Noise of Modern Survival

Addiction, at its core, is self-medication—a way to quiet the emotional noise of anxiety, trauma, or existential unease. The scientist used heroin to numb his classified burdens; the therapist ran to outpace his pain. Both were surviving, not in a jungle fleeing predators, but in a modern world where survival is multi-layered. Environmental chemicals exacerbate this, acting on ectopic olfactory receptors in our skin, triggering systemic reactions we misinterpret as emotions. Pesticides, pollutants, and synthetic fragrances disrupt our nervous system, leaving us feeling “off” without knowing why. Unconsciously, we turn to compulsive behaviors—drugs, food, exercise—to offset this upset, to survive a moment.

This drive to survive isn’t just personal; it’s cultural. Our obsession with instant gratification—fueled by tech-driven dopamine loops and biohacking trends like nootropics or sleep optimization—encourages superficial fixes over deep healing. We’re conditioned to settle for less, outsourcing our well-being to external promises: a pill, an app, a workout plan. This disconnects us from our human essence, leaving us fragmented, unable to feel whole. The therapist’s bloody sleeves and the scientist’s heroin needle weren’t just cries for help; they were symbols of fighting to survive in a world that amplifies stress and defeats safety.

Wholeness: The Path to True Recovery

True recovery isn’t about swapping one addiction for another; it’s about wholeness—integrating mind, body, and spirit to feel safe within. The antidote to anxiety isn’t calm; it’s safety, as a recent LinkedIn post wisely noted. When we feel safe, we can be with ourselves, free from the need to numb or escape. But modern life, with its chemical assaults and cultural pressures, keeps us tethered to survival, triggered by yet ill-equipped to handle the emotional noise. Therapy—CBT, somatic work, EMDR or group support—helps us confront this noise, but it’s not enough. We need to establish a connection with Consciousness while doing the inner work that minimizes triggers and optimizes wellness.

This is where essential oils shine. Their constituents—pinene, myrcene, linalool, beta-caryophyllene—bind to G-protein-coupled receptors, influencing countless bodily processes, from inflammation to mood regulation. Linalool, found in coriander seed and others, has calming, anti-anxiety effects, reducing stress in rodent models and humans. Myrcene, found in oils like parsley leaf and blue yarrow, offers sedative and analgesic properties, easing pain and promoting relaxation. Beta-caryophyllene, in such oils as myrrh and black pepper, binds to CB2 receptors, reducing anxiety and inflammation, with studies showing promise for chronic pain. Pinene, being the most abundant constituent found in essential oils, induces physiological relaxation via olfactory stimulation. These constituents don’t just mask symptoms; they modify neuroplasticity, improving the brain’s response to therapy and medications through synergistic effects that science struggles to replicate.

Unlike prescribed meds or biohacks, which often keep us hooked on external promises, essential oils invite us inward. A drop of frankincense during meditation can anchor us in the present, making it safer to process trauma. Myrrh in a therapy session can ground us, reducing the urge to self-medicate. For the scientist, integrating myrcene-rich oils with CBT might have eased his anxiety without Suboxone’s grip. For the therapist, oils with linalool blended with other non-linalool oils could have complemented somatic therapy, calming his nervous system without compulsive running. Oils don’t replace therapy—they contribute to it, fostering a spiritual connection that’s missing in transfer-based recovery. This connection, rooted in feeling safe within, is where healing happens.

Conclusion: Choosing Wholeness Over Survival

Addiction transfer keeps us surviving—pills for drugs, cardio for cuts, apps for peace. But survival isn’t enough. We’re not meant to white-knuckle our days, numbing the noise with society’s quick fixes. Wholeness is our birthright, a state where we feel safe, grounded, and whole, free from the need to escape. Essential oils, with their receptor-binding constituents, bridge the gap and calibrate our energy, inviting us to reconnect with ourselves. They’re not a cure, but a tool for inward focus, enhancing neuroplasticity and minimizing triggers.

The scientist and therapist didn’t need more meds or miles; they needed safety—to feel the noise and know that the only power it has over them is what they give it. This is true for all of us. In a world that pushes instant gratification and chemical chaos, choosing wholeness is radical. It’s sitting with discomfort, becoming selective with and integrating genuine essential oils in order to soften the edges as we trust therapy to guide us home. It’s saying no to survival’s half-measures and yes to living fully—fully human, fully whole.

If are exhausted from doing ‘the right thing’ with only mediocre rewards at best, I now offer private 1:1 5 day challenges that will help free you from living in survival.

Interested? apply here!

I’m Tammy Davis. an essential oil integration specialist and founder of Revolutionary Aromatherapy with extensive experience in addiction and trauma recovery, emotional wellness and biological communication. My specialty turns dis-ease into ease, empowering choice over emotional default.