Hamster on a wheel drinking Red Bull

I heard a marvelous analogy of addiction in an AA meeting this evening. It was remarked that the process of active addiction was rather like being a "hampster on a wheel drinking red bull." For some odd reason this stuck with me -- this has certainly been my experience. Active addiction was, whether chemicals or addictive sexual behaviors, like a roller-coaster with an iron seat that nothing seemed to pry me away from. I was rotating at rapidly increasing speeds, losing the coins in my pockets, my wallet, my keys, even my shirt. The only difference is that now, in recovery, I simply havn't put down the Red Bull. :)