Addicts are hurting other people. There is no way around that, no way to tidy it up or sweep it under the rug. When in the grip of their addiction, they can be selfish, manipulative, mean, and destructive. They can abandon the people who love and depend on them, whether it’s a physical abandonment or an emotional one. I don’t make excuses for the addict’s hurtful behavior. But I maintain compassion for them, because I know their story all too well.We are your children, your spouses, your friends, the people who serve you dinner at your favorite restaurant, your doctor, your neighbor, the actors in your favorite films, the musicians who perform your favorite songs, and so on. Some of us are quite obvious, and others are well-hidden, suffering the ugly effects of this disease alone on their bathroom floor, shaking violently, soaked in tears, and overflowing with shame. Very few children fantasize about growing up and becoming a junkie with a needle in their arm, or of passing out on their sofa once again in front of a reality television show after they’ve polished off their nightly bottle of whiskey. When they take that first drink of beer as a curious youngster, or puff on a joint for the first time in college, they don’t imagine they might be taking the first steps in a journey that will lead them to a life of pain, despair, shame, and hopelessness. If most addicts had just a moment to fully experience the darkness of addiction before ever getting started, some may never pick it up. Inexplicably, there are some who would do it regardless, because they’re already looking for a way to escape the confusing pain of life, isolation, and above all, fear.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:30:33 +0000
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