Addiction & Us
It’s easy to look outward of ourselves to heal sorrow, increase happiness, or numb emotions altogether. Turning to drugs or substances to enhance a personal situation is something that almost all of us are guilty of. I mean, that cup of coffee with 100 mg of caffeine each morning that we “need,” or the Advil we keep strapped because of our recurring migraines, or even that occasional melatonin gummy we depend on particular restless nights. These remedies are true examples of the strides we have made as a society in biomedical technology and medicinal advancement. However, when these seemingly good-intention drugs are taken advantage of, or get into the wrong hands, they turn into a threat and harm to a person and supporting group’s emotional and physical future. With outward dependence and feel-good results, many of our community members are faced with addiction. The way we respond to these injustices, however, is an everyday, active choice. If you do not know anyone impacted by the cruel symptoms of dependence or are not directly impacted by the acts of alcohol/drug abuse, it is truly difficult to understand what it can do to an individual and family. And it seems the way we treat those challenged by addiction circles down to two different perceptions:
They are victims of or byproducts of a harmful environment - weaker than us.
They choose drugs and a life of dependence, and therefore are selfish, and wish not to be helped.
Now, of course, these are not the only views or feelings that strangers or the unaffected have towards those struggling with addiction. But these are the thoughts that have become the most destructive towards these communities and have created a negative atmosphere of discouragement and ridicule towards these humans. And this is our problem. We can all actively make the chance to look down on these individuals’ or choose a path of empathy and support. This choice is in our hands.
The Biological Reality of Dependence
I am not going to preach to you about how addiction emerges, its common origins, or even the common behavior of those struggling. But I will provide some insight into the illness that addiction is, as opposed to the common misunderstandings that this is self-inflicted behavior or a path of voluntary pursuit. Our brains are wired to reward or repeat good behaviors - that is, situations or tasks that leave you feeling positive emotions (joy, excitement, confidence). In turn, we have a natural radar for harmful situations, known as our Fight or Flight response located within the Sympathetic Nervous Division. In healthy brains, this radar of danger or potential physical or emotional threat is combated by quick reactions to maintain your safety and protection. However, those impacted by increased reliance on drugs or alcohol can not rely on these helpful brain processes. The brain’s natural ability to decipher between pleasurable activity and those eliciting danger is compromised. These substances hijack your reward circuits and proliferate the “I need more,” phenomenon.
“A common misperception is that addiction is a choice or moral problem, and all you have to do is stop. But nothing could be further from the truth,” says Dr. George Koob, director of NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “The brain actually changes with addiction, and it takes a good deal of work to get it back to its normal state. The more drugs or alcohol you’ve taken, the more disruptive it is to the brain.”
The Unintentional Outward Impact
A substance addiction not only impacts one’s daily life, habits, relationships, physical health, and occupation or work life but holds substantial influence over the person’s loved ones. A victim may push their close ones away, so as not to worsen the impact or hold their situations has on them, or in an attempt to isolate themselves and escape the pressures to get better. This results in depression, isolation, and worsened addiction. And for the ones pushed away, it leaves them wondering what they could have done better to help them or could have done to keep them out of the situation at all. This results in not only a substance users needing the support of professional or therapeutic help, but their loved ones seeking that very same care. Addiction is not a choice, it is an illness. And like any other disease, the symptoms effect the support system, too.
Common Misconceptions
The connotation of addiction has manifested in our society since we were young. Think about it: TV show portrayals, scandalous celebrity imprisonments, the drug unit in health class. It’s no wonder our perception of addiction is so warped when it has been instilled in us to stray and even be fearful of these individuals. These ideas and media coverages criminalized substance abusers and placed them in an isolating box that we expect them to overcome on their own. But that is impractical. Someone with Stage 3 stomach cancer is unable to wake up one day and decide - “Enough is enough, I don’t want to be sick anymore.” Likewise, addictive users can want to be better and strive to change, but this motivation can only go so far. Similar to cancer and other diseases, however, there is not a one size fits all treatment. The same cancer treated with chemotherapy in one person might be more effectively treated by radiation in another. This means that a rehabilitation center might have a very damaging effect on an individual and a positive reversal of life on another. It is all subjective and skewed towards a person’s individual situation, needs, and desires. What works for one person may not work another - this is a life-long lesson and recurring motif. As a community, we often jump to solutions such as ‘rehab’ or ‘going cold turkey’ as the answer to what these sick persons are combatting. And that is incredibly selfish of us. How can we expect this group of people to conform to our ‘fix-it yourself’ standards of healthy, without taking the actual time to understand and empathize with the disease and situation they are facing?
How to be better
So how do we help? We can not go around recommending therapy and preaching down to those struggling, because we are not in their situation and have little place to make life-changing recommendations. So what can we do that will actually make a positive impact on this community of individuals and they way they are societally perceived and treated?
Be Respectful & Choose Empathy: Use polite language and terms when referencing their condition and choose to understand, not criminalize.
Words go a long way and have a greater impact than many of us care to admit. Our change of reference and language is where change begins.
When we discuss those whom struggle with an addiction or substance use, people are likely to use labels and negatively connotated words like “crazy,” “junkie,” or even “psychotic.” We are all humans with a drug of choice, so why do we approach this community with such perceived indifference? Learn to fray from terms like: addict, drunk, junkie, and dirty.
Instead:
This diagram was created and employed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Click on the image to learn more about how much words really matter.
Educate yourself
There are a plethora of resources out there on the specifics and science behind addiction. Blog posts like my own, YouTube videos, online PDFs and slideshows, all provide a wide range of material for you to absorb and internalize. If you wish to dive more into the objectivity of substance abuse, start here:
Addiction: Statistics, Origins, Symptoms, Risk Factors
Drugs of Abuse - Interactive Lesson
Drug Use Changing the Brain over Time
Take Care of Yourself, Too
In the midst of prioritizing others and worrying about loved ones, it is especially crucial to put ourselves first and meet our own needs. Loving an individual who struggles with addiction is an exhausting and emotionally complex task. In fact, watching a cared one become increasingly more ill can inhibit your own work and school success, relationships with family, and your own mental health. As provided by the Hazelden Foundation, just like substance use disorder treatment, there are various options available to help you. It’s all about finding something that works for you—and finding people who just get it.
Al-Anon: Free Twelve Step support group for families and loved ones of those with an alcohol substance use disorder
Nar-Anon: Free Twelve Step support group for families and loved ones of those with a substance use disorder
Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT): support group focused on healthier relationships and communication with loved ones facing a substance use disorder
Family groups: support groups for family members of loved ones who are struggling with a substance use disorder
Addiction is a more intricate and intensely unique conception than many community members fail to recognize. It is important to take time to reach a level of awareness and education to promote situations like these with delicacy, and support our wider global communities with the positive and empathetic language we all need from one another to get by in this crazy world.
