“Most drug use isn’t about drugs; it’s about life. Our prevention and treatment efforts have failed mostly because they’ve focused on dealing with the drugs themselves, but drug abuse is almost always the result of kids starting to use early, genetics, and other problems – stress, trauma, mental illness, or some combination of these factors. The new paradigm is rooted in recognizing that drugs are a symptom, not a cause, and whatever problems underlie them must be (and can be) addressed. Until they are, our prevention and treatment systems will continue to fail most people.” David Sheff
I feel it is important to add that the causes of addiction are many and complicated. It’s about a myriad of sources like: our social environment, not enough caring, direction or support related to the individual, or family dynamics. An individual, feeling alone, not connected, of people needing quick solutions to their personal pain, frustrations, a need to escape certain realities of life and living. Perhaps, many individuals not having the right kind of love and attention as children, unable to make a full transition to responsible adulthood. Maybe the stress of “making it”, striving toward financial success, social status.
I know from first hand experience, how many victims of addiction appear to find it is easier, quicker to turn to whatever chemical substance is available or desired, then go into the ‘instant pleasure dome’ to escape dealing with everyday activities and pressures. And for most addicts it’s almost a given, the narcissism, and all consuming impulse to protect their substance connections. Consequently, energy is spent by the addict, on hiding their habit, with compulsive plans, no matter the cost, to obtain the substance by manipulation, secretiveness, lying, stealing and violence. Moral boundaries seam to disappear like they never existed. The addict’s personality, has often morphed into a threatening, irrational being, where the person who existed before, becomes this entity wrapped up in a maelstrom of chaos and craziness.
The human psyche, so complicated and at times fragile, at times resilient. I believe often, the source of addiction, involves a lack of clarity and direction toward a loving and productive connection to a deep spiritual consciousness of true self, of human relationships and our life’s work or purpose. A thwarting of an individual’s feeling of accomplishment, self worth, and possibly other unresolved issues that spring up from our depths. And true, mental illness as stated by Mr. Sheff, perhaps in the guise of depression, a personality conflict or disorder, or sometimes a combination of psychiatric and somatic disease states. And the list goes on and on. But we are in this together and we must find ways to heal ourselves first, then maybe we can make efforts to aid in healing our loved one, the addict and avoid enabling or losing ourselves to a codependent trap.
Here’s to wishing for a honest effort, to diminish harmful addictions from our lives, springing from the heart of every responsible human being on the planet. Yes, perhaps an unrealistic dream, but dreams can motivate one towards a new reality. The ultimate tragedy of losing our loved ones, friends and family members to this disease of addiction, has become all too common and the current numbers are growing each day, month and year. This fact is not only a national, but an international tragedy and disgrace. Somehow, we as a people need to recommit ourselves to saving ourselves, loved ones and our neighbors from going off the cliff into the fire of self destruction of addiction. Find a new life, a better life, full of caring, respect, and true civilization.
Dennis McDonald
MontanaMation Studios 