Education - addiction
I smiled when I read a story in the local newspaper recounting the gratitude of a woman for the kindness shown her father who was homeless as a result of his addiction. I wept when I read a comment by a local citizen which said: “So we know that this homeless person always had a home to go to and choose not to do it but instead BURDENED the Hospitals, Doctors, and Nurses via his constant BAD and SELFISH CHOICE. If you support the Homeless “this way” and this Project HOPE, why would the Homeless change their bad and additive ways?”
I am happy that the person who wrote these comments has apparently never struggled with a disease, which took over his mind and, thus, his behavior. I would not wish addiction or any other disease, which affects one’s ability to make healthy choices on anyone including the writer of these comments.
I am, once again, reminded that many of our neighbors – our extended family of humans – continue to believe that:
As to #1, if anyone thinks about it why would a physician, attorney, athlete or anyone who has spent years and tons of money preparing for a profession or working to make a decent life for themselves and their family then decide to throw it all away for alcohol, a drug or something else which provides momentary pleasure and/or escape. This would make no sense at all. Yet no matter the intelligence of a person addiction can sabotage one’s mind. If the reader does not already know the changes which takes place in the brain because of certain drugs and other addictions – changes which distorts one’s thinking - the information is readily available. Suffice it to say the brain is adversely affected. This brain which is severely damaged now needs to make a healthy decisions and trust that with the help of a higher power, support groups such as the 12 step program and, if lucky, a safe treatment program plus medical help one can be stronger than the obsession and discomfort of stopping and rebuild one’s life. Fortunately, there are moments when some are able to make this decision. Regardless of what gets someone into treatment one’s brain may heal enough to make some healthy decisions. Once out of the safe treatment program setting, one must then accept the chronic nature of the addiction and keep working on emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical healing and growth for the rest of their lives.
As to #2, living with an active addict who has no control over their need to feed their addiction by any means necessary – stealing, threatening, general unpredictable disruption of the home, and other very stressful behavior – is not conducive to staying healthy. There may be that occasional addict who has unlimited money, hired help and separate quarters in the family home. There may also be that occasional addict who is not angry or threatening in any way but who presence is still a daily reminder of the heartache of seeing a loved one kidnapped by a disease. If one has not had the experience then one needs to withhold one’s judgment.
The author criticizing the addict and his family also assumes that the family and the addict did not do all they could to attempt to beat this illness.
Please, do not judge what one has not experienced. Please do give thanks if this disease has not visited your family or you.
Written February 25, 2018
I smiled when I read a story in the local newspaper recounting the gratitude of a woman for the kindness shown her father who was homeless as a result of his addiction. I wept when I read a comment by a local citizen which said: “So we know that this homeless person always had a home to go to and choose not to do it but instead BURDENED the Hospitals, Doctors, and Nurses via his constant BAD and SELFISH CHOICE. If you support the Homeless “this way” and this Project HOPE, why would the Homeless change their bad and additive ways?”
I am happy that the person who wrote these comments has apparently never struggled with a disease, which took over his mind and, thus, his behavior. I would not wish addiction or any other disease, which affects one’s ability to make healthy choices on anyone including the writer of these comments.
I am, once again, reminded that many of our neighbors – our extended family of humans – continue to believe that:
- Some choose to have an illness, which so controls their behavior that they risk and often lose their job/profession, home, family and most of all their dignity.
- That the family of an active addict can stay healthy and have a person living with them who is unable to consider the needs and rights of others; a person whose mind tells them that they have to steal, threaten and do whatever they need to do to get the alcohol or other drugs which their mind tells them they have to have to survive.
As to #1, if anyone thinks about it why would a physician, attorney, athlete or anyone who has spent years and tons of money preparing for a profession or working to make a decent life for themselves and their family then decide to throw it all away for alcohol, a drug or something else which provides momentary pleasure and/or escape. This would make no sense at all. Yet no matter the intelligence of a person addiction can sabotage one’s mind. If the reader does not already know the changes which takes place in the brain because of certain drugs and other addictions – changes which distorts one’s thinking - the information is readily available. Suffice it to say the brain is adversely affected. This brain which is severely damaged now needs to make a healthy decisions and trust that with the help of a higher power, support groups such as the 12 step program and, if lucky, a safe treatment program plus medical help one can be stronger than the obsession and discomfort of stopping and rebuild one’s life. Fortunately, there are moments when some are able to make this decision. Regardless of what gets someone into treatment one’s brain may heal enough to make some healthy decisions. Once out of the safe treatment program setting, one must then accept the chronic nature of the addiction and keep working on emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical healing and growth for the rest of their lives.
As to #2, living with an active addict who has no control over their need to feed their addiction by any means necessary – stealing, threatening, general unpredictable disruption of the home, and other very stressful behavior – is not conducive to staying healthy. There may be that occasional addict who has unlimited money, hired help and separate quarters in the family home. There may also be that occasional addict who is not angry or threatening in any way but who presence is still a daily reminder of the heartache of seeing a loved one kidnapped by a disease. If one has not had the experience then one needs to withhold one’s judgment.
The author criticizing the addict and his family also assumes that the family and the addict did not do all they could to attempt to beat this illness.
Please, do not judge what one has not experienced. Please do give thanks if this disease has not visited your family or you.
Written February 25, 2018
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