Addiction is a multi-faceted problem and in the west we seem to characterize addiction so myopically in terms of being an issue all on its own, rather a problem which has bifurcated off an overall systemic failure.
Below, I’ll do my best to go through a list of these problems.
One big problem in Canada, is the lack of mental health resources, particularly in addiction and mental health facilities, as well as a total lack in professional astuteness, ability and indeed aptitude to deal with those who suffer with a mental health crisis.
I look at things very differently, and I view most addicts as individuals who are self-medicating. Some of the most abused substances are pharmaceuticals, prescribed by doctors alone. Opioids like OxyContin, stimulants like Adderall, and benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium.
Imagine a giant border wall, sparsely populated by agents and it only has a handful of entrances. Before the wall are millions of refugees seeking entry, hopeful of the hospitality of their neighbor in the wake of disaster. The border agents are then given the word to let each person in, one by one. The process takes years, and many die before they’re able to seek refuge. This is the current state of Canadian healthcare. Complete chaos.
Combine this very overwhelmed and undermanned infrastructure with many physician’s failure to accurately, and effectively treat such patients and it’s not hard to see why many would resort to treating themselves.
My dad, who has now passed away, said something which will stick with me forever: “It’s not an addiction if you can afford it.” How true it is, that the root of addiction is the problems it creates, rather than it being the problem itself.
Bear with me, but…. Addiction is a social problem. Most of the behaviors we see exhibited from ‘drug abusers’ is the result of social castration, condemnation and so on. The socially isolating aspect of substance use is probably the most damaging.
The using of a scheduled narcotic carries with it a sense of shame, something that makes sufferers unlikely to seek help. As much as we try to coax these people out and say “Hey, it’s okay, we understand, and we want to help”, it’s too late. Years of militant propaganda aimed at drug users and lingering policies concocted during a time of now social antiquity has done its harm. It’s hardwired in each person’s mind that they’re a mindless, weak and pathetic failure, and each wrestle with this innate sense of shame. A lot of people overcome this, and I cannot stress how proud I am of those of you who have done such under the weight of such unseen warfare, however, many struggle and will perish, still.
In my opinion, the behavior which we see in an addict are wholly self-propagated, in part, an archetype developed by before-mentioned propaganda that set the die for future substance users to mold themselves in.
In this way, I suppose, the contemporary ‘addict’ is more so a cultural appropriator of past example. While some can argue that there are some physical and psychological symptoms present throughout – and I will agree, though this would be true of a great deal of dependencies. To separate substance use entirely from civilization is a grandiose mistake because humans have long used substance. Coffee, tea, cigarettes, and for a time cocaine was even socially acceptable. In the olden days one could even buy heroin from the local ‘drug store’. Obviously we have developed laws around these substances because of their harmful effect, but we neglected one, crucial and entirely human component in treatment, in that we ham-fistedly enforced anti-drug laws and made criminals of every day people and this is still in full effect today.
I say to you, what is the difference when a doctor prescribes one Adderall, and other buys some off the street? The latter person is labeled a drug abuser and could catch some legal fines, even if both persons are similarly afflicted. Their reputation ruined.
We cannot simply prop up more mental health booths and hope this solves our woes, because that is to address it on the surface. What we’re really doing is throwing money into a bottom pit. The problem is deeply imbedded in the psyche. it’s a deep understanding inculcated from propaganda and archaic codes and laws of by-gone generations.
To truly rid ourselves of mental health stigma, we must take Portugal’s lead – first, by decriminalizing all substances. Get rid of this ridiculous scheduling system for narcotics. We must tear down the systems that instilled this shaming in the first place. We must make big change, to see big change.