Day 232
An interesting article I read.
The Power of Addiction
By Kiki Bakker
As a therapist of people in distress, I have been frequently exposed to the harsh reality of addicts (substance abusers), their circumstances and their families. Their pain and suffering has deeply troubled me. The overwhelming anguish and helplessness of good and well-intended parents, spouses and children has as a result, become clearly evident to me.
Why has this wave of addiction to substances increased as greatly as it has, only to impact our world with fearsome long term consequences when it not only costs a fortune and serves only to wreck the lives of the addict and its closest loved ones? How does this shocking epidemic breed and always expand when in fact, it should reduce by its very negative reality? We are all aware of the hazards of drug addiction, are we not? Everything about addiction is unconstructive for those of us who are not addicts. The recorded 'benefits' for the addict do not impress us and do not make any sense to the non-addicted population. Yet, for the addict, addiction's apparent advantage is to launch one of the most powerful and destructive bonds that replace and defy all logic.
Addiction grows like a virus within the addict while it marches imposingly into our cities and coerces our children, stealing their lives and damaging their families. The addict's meaningful lifestyle, social interactions and career are usually diminished with addiction. The addict's values, morals and ethics disappear from its world. Unfamiliar mental states, altered perceptions, alien personas and new chemically linked relationships develop for the addict in lieu of all else, ensuring the set up of a 'safe' crowd for a constant supply of the addictive chemical. Hence, the addictive persona arrives uninvited. This persona, by its sheer intensity to control all else, rules the addict's natural personality, IQ and EQ.
It is addiction that has enabled the growth of wealthy businesses for the plant growers and the dealers. Factories that either manufacture the addictive substances or transform them for supply to the street are thriving.... whilst fallen users are reducing in health and dying from interrupted health or unsuspecting over dosage. Others are purposefully ending their lives in final despair at their captivating addiction. Their ray of light was removed by their addiction and they chose not to fight back or live in the dark any longer.
Addiction is beyond cruel. It is an evil that should never have grown to these proportions for we all knew better! Have we done enough to recognize that addiction is the planet's most relentless and ruthless oppressor? Drugs and the ensuing addiction they offer to the user, it would seem are unstoppable!
Rehabilitation fails in far too many instances. Factors such as age, a willingness to internalise the rehabilitation program, the type of recovery program, openness, honesty, the level of denial, emotional triggers, guilt factors, self esteem, changing social circles and the degree of difficulty to just let go of addiction, each play a crucial role in the addict's recovery. The change back to a transparent, coherent quality lifestyle is often too hard for the addict. The addict lets go of life and chooses instead the path of death.
Addiction provides relief, trading drugs for reality! It voids the addict's mind of these realities and the left-over sweet memories. The addict will fall into the gutter of addiction and will succumb to wasting its own precious life, knowing deep inside that it has failed and cannot again face society or the precious family that it harmed. The silent death wish is quietly provoked.
Research is continuous in its exploration to uncover what creates the addictive personality and why some use and others don't. Why is it that a very small percentage of addicts are able to stop and others cannot? It is wiser to assume as a result of this knowledge, that prevention is better than the cure because far too many addicts stumble after rehabilitation.
Be sure to understand that those addicts who actually do make a successful recovery, can only be admired for their strength and determination. They are entitled to the accolades, for few of us really understand what it took to cast the curse aside.
The power of addiction cannot be argued or denied. Addiction's power is like an unsuspecting phantom that shadows the addict for life, tormenting it and hoping always to break it down further. It is not satisfied with the addict alive. It is satisfied only when the addict is dead! Understand the greatness of its power in the mind and soul of the addict, for when you do, you will have gained a true perspective of the power of addiction!
