It saddens me that my clients carry with them the label of "addict" because of the way they are treated with such a title. They are often seen only as liars, cheaters, stealers, manipulators-individuals who have nothing to offer. Society forgets that even addicts are individuals.
Each day, I am privileged to see men and women who are fighting for their lives. These people are beloved children of parents who pray every day that their child will live. These people are parents who are striving to reclaim their lives so they can better parent their children. These people have GEDs, high school diplomas, and college degrees. These people own businesses, teach at universities, and work in retail. These people have hobbies of watching sports, reading, and music. These people have life stories. These people have experienced heartache and betrayal. These people are just like any of us "Normies" minus one little detail: they are ensnared in the chains of addiction.
I have never asked a child what they want to be when they grow-up and had them answer, "I want to be an addict." None of my clients ever raise their hands when I ask, "How many of you wanted to be an addict?" I have yet to meet someone who understood the devastating consequences of use when they first picked-up, or at least what it would mean for them. I have yet to hear someone tell me that before they took that first hit, they understood that by so-doing they would lose their friends, family, houses, careers, freedom, and most likely, their lives.
I cannot count the individuals who have sat in my office, in tears of desperation, pleading for help, because they know if they keep using, they WILL die. Some take their own lives because they feel hopeless over the power of the addiction. Such was the case of Eugene Morgan, brother of Shaun Morgan, lead singer of Seether. Shaun Morgan wrote the song, Rise Above This, in hopes to help his brother, yet Eugene still chose to take his life. The music video conveys how Eugene's pain extended to his family:
The statistics are disheartening. Approximately 3-20% (depending on the DOC-drug of choice) of my clients will remain clean after treatment. Yet, I do my best not to lose hope for each of my clients, and I try with all my might to instill that hope in them. This week, I talked with a few of my groups about goals and dreams and gave them the homework assignment to look up this inspiring music video on youtube:
For a better understanding of how addiction works, here are some videos that give a little bit of insight into the lives of people similar to those I work with every day. They help to show the power of addiction over individuals. These videos specifically focus on heroin, one of the fastest growing and one of the most addictive drugs out there:
The next five videos are all part of the same documentary...
Some books & movies I would recommend to better understand the lives of addicts and their families:
Informative Websites/Articles:
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