Character flaw or illness? “Let’s ask the daisy.”
As a teenager, I recall that the petals of the daisy flower could predict the future of one’s love life. One would simply pluck petals off the daisy, one at a time. The first pedal was “He/she loves me.” The second was “He/she loves me not.” The last pedal would predict the future of the love interest.
It seems that, as a society, we have decided to apply the wisdom of the daisy to the question of whether addiction is a chronic disease or it is a symptom of a basic character flaw. If it is a disease, then we know that:
If it is a basic character flaw which one has chosen, then:
As a society, we need to decide if we are going to use the very unscientific system of allowing the daisy to decide if addiction is a chronic illness or a character flaw. We also need to “come clean” in admitting that we, as a society, want to use the daisy wisdom for some addictions and not for others. For example, the following addictions are very socially acceptable:
Some addictive behavior is socially acceptable up to a point and a character flaw beyond that point. The point which determines whether it is acceptable or a character flaw sometimes is very fluid. Sexual behavior often falls into this category. We can use sex to sell nearly every product on the market, have a billion-dollar porn industry, make jokes about the mile-high club, but if someone crosses that fluid line, it becomes a punishable character flaw.
Ironically, shame often plays a significant role in making it more difficult for addicts to consistently and successfully work a recovery program. Punishment becomes a part of the shame-addiction cycle.
Just this morning I as reading a new report of a decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court that “evidence of illicit drugs in a newborn’s umbilical cord is sufficient to bring a child abuse proceeding against the mother and the father who knew about the drug use.” (Jan Hicks, city editor, Charleston in article in The Intelligencer entitled “West Virginia Supreme Court Decides on Drug Charges.”. June 10, 2017)
Really! Obviously, the court believes the mother’s addiction is a character flaw which she chose even after she knew she was pregnant. The father of the child was supposed to do what? He was to reason with the pregnant mother? He was to force her into a quality treatment center which takes pregnant women no matter what the financial status of the mother? He was to reason with her? The chances are the father was also addicted.
Perhaps we should drug test all women who are capable of becoming pregnant at least weekly and sterilize those who test positive for a drug? Perhaps we could castrate all men who test positive
Is an actively addicted mother capable of being a good parent? Probably not? Does this woman need treatment and might we need to provide temporary care of the baby? Yes! Might the father need treatment? Very likely. Is it really difficult to know when it is safe to return a child to those with such a serious, chronic illness? Yes. Is the cost of addiction to the community as a whole very high? Yes, the cost is high financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Is it expensive to treat addicts as criminals? It is very expensive. In fact, it is more expensive that quality treatment would be.
Is dealing with chronic illness frustrating, exhausting, financially draining and enormously sad for all affected by chronic illness. Yes! Yes! Yes!
If we quit using the daisy method to decide if addiction is an illness or a character flaw, we can rely on science to better understand and more effectively diagnose and treat the illness.
The daily method is not scientific whether making a decision about a love interest or about the nature of addiction.
Written June 10, 2017
As a teenager, I recall that the petals of the daisy flower could predict the future of one’s love life. One would simply pluck petals off the daisy, one at a time. The first pedal was “He/she loves me.” The second was “He/she loves me not.” The last pedal would predict the future of the love interest.
It seems that, as a society, we have decided to apply the wisdom of the daisy to the question of whether addiction is a chronic disease or it is a symptom of a basic character flaw. If it is a disease, then we know that:
- One cannot be held responsible for choosing the disease.
- Making a decision to get treatment and stay in treatment when one has a disease which affects how the mind works is very difficult at best.
- One can and should expect relapses with this disease just as one expects relapses with other chronic diseases which require one to follow a strict regimen. In the case of addiction one must refrain from certain substances, food, or other compulsive drive triggers.
If it is a basic character flaw which one has chosen, then:
- The addict is a bad person who deserves to be punished because he/she is making decisions to be hurtful to others.
- One has made the decision to compulsively use despite how it affects others.
- One chooses addictive behavior and, thus, one chooses to throw away years of expensive school and other professional training and become homeless, penniless and otherwise unable to function.
As a society, we need to decide if we are going to use the very unscientific system of allowing the daisy to decide if addiction is a chronic illness or a character flaw. We also need to “come clean” in admitting that we, as a society, want to use the daisy wisdom for some addictions and not for others. For example, the following addictions are very socially acceptable:
- Addiction to power which allows one to engage in standard addictive behavior, i. e. lying/deceit, hurting others, satisfying one’s needs no matter what it takes to gain and keep power.
- Addiction to money. No matter how many people are hurt in the process of gaining and keeping money having a lot of money is laudable. For example, athletes, college presidents, certain contractors, real estate moguls, pharmaceutics companies, etc.
- Addiction to things which may or may not involve money.
Some addictive behavior is socially acceptable up to a point and a character flaw beyond that point. The point which determines whether it is acceptable or a character flaw sometimes is very fluid. Sexual behavior often falls into this category. We can use sex to sell nearly every product on the market, have a billion-dollar porn industry, make jokes about the mile-high club, but if someone crosses that fluid line, it becomes a punishable character flaw.
Ironically, shame often plays a significant role in making it more difficult for addicts to consistently and successfully work a recovery program. Punishment becomes a part of the shame-addiction cycle.
Just this morning I as reading a new report of a decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court that “evidence of illicit drugs in a newborn’s umbilical cord is sufficient to bring a child abuse proceeding against the mother and the father who knew about the drug use.” (Jan Hicks, city editor, Charleston in article in The Intelligencer entitled “West Virginia Supreme Court Decides on Drug Charges.”. June 10, 2017)
Really! Obviously, the court believes the mother’s addiction is a character flaw which she chose even after she knew she was pregnant. The father of the child was supposed to do what? He was to reason with the pregnant mother? He was to force her into a quality treatment center which takes pregnant women no matter what the financial status of the mother? He was to reason with her? The chances are the father was also addicted.
Perhaps we should drug test all women who are capable of becoming pregnant at least weekly and sterilize those who test positive for a drug? Perhaps we could castrate all men who test positive
Is an actively addicted mother capable of being a good parent? Probably not? Does this woman need treatment and might we need to provide temporary care of the baby? Yes! Might the father need treatment? Very likely. Is it really difficult to know when it is safe to return a child to those with such a serious, chronic illness? Yes. Is the cost of addiction to the community as a whole very high? Yes, the cost is high financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Is it expensive to treat addicts as criminals? It is very expensive. In fact, it is more expensive that quality treatment would be.
Is dealing with chronic illness frustrating, exhausting, financially draining and enormously sad for all affected by chronic illness. Yes! Yes! Yes!
If we quit using the daisy method to decide if addiction is an illness or a character flaw, we can rely on science to better understand and more effectively diagnose and treat the illness.
The daily method is not scientific whether making a decision about a love interest or about the nature of addiction.
Written June 10, 2017
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